CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. As the world goes into lockdown to help manage the global pandemic of Coronavirus, many people are feeling anxious. This is a bonus conversation that I have recorded to help people deal with the anxiety that they are currently experiencing. Many people feel scared and helpless, which is completely understandable. In this episode, I speak to the behavioural neuroscientist and psychiatrist, Judson Brewer, who will help you understand how to keep you...
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast Is it time we relearned to live in sync with the natural world? My guest this week asserts that, instead of sticking to the same habits and behaviours, year round, we should change with the seasons, as our ancestors did. Dallas Hartwig, co-author of The Whole-30 and nutritionist explains that how we eat, sleep, exercise and connect to the world in January should be different to how we do those things in July. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Intuitively, that sounds right. Yet how many of us consciou...
Mar 18, 2020•2 hr 9 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast My guest on this week’s podcast is living proof that trauma doesn’t have to break you – that your start in life needn’t determine where you’ll end up. Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is one of just six female chief fire officers in the UK, and a psychologist with a PhD in behavioural neuroscience. She’s also an ambassador for The Big Issue, which she sold on the streets while experiencing homelessness as a teenager – something she describes as the worst, most dehumanising experience of her life. And yet...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast Spinach or kale? Jeans or tracksuit bottoms? Running or swimming? They’re not the usual questions my podcast guests have to ponder. But this week’s episode is a special (and occasionally silly) one – it’s our centenary so it’s me in the hot seat. I thought I’d take a break from interviewing and invite my good friend Dr Ayan Panja back on the show to ask the questions and have some fun. Of course, it’s not all banter. Among the many topics we cover, Ayan and I talk about the milestone of reaching...
Mar 04, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast How do you breathe? It might not be something you’ve ever given much thought to, but my guest on this week’s episode is convinced you should. Patrick McKeown believes breathing correctly – that is, through your nose, lightly, and slowly – is the secret to better health, fitness and overall wellbeing. Yet many of us are breathing through our mouths, breathing fast and shallow, and our health is suffering as a result. Patrick’s talks me through the science of exactly why it is that nasal breathing...
Feb 26, 2020•2 hr 15 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast Is it possible to create a food system that promotes health, not disease? One that regenerates ecosystems, reverses climate change and ensures no one, least of all the poorest in society, is endangered? My guest on this week’s podcast believes it is. He is functional medicine doctor and New York Times bestselling author, Dr Mark Hyman. Mark and I talk about everything from how processed food is addictive by design, to the powerful role good nutrition, from real food, could have in hospitals, sch...
Feb 19, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast Think of a physiotherapist and you probably think of someone who’s interested in muscles and joints; someone who gets you moving again after an injury, right? Well my guest this week is a physio with a difference. He’s concerned with the effect movement has, not on our bodies… but our minds. Brendon Stubbs is head of physiotherapy at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, a clinical lecturer and a prolific researcher. His work is helping provide the medical profession with much-need...
Feb 12, 2020•2 hr 53 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast Can a sporting event really change the world? It might sound crazy, but with the right ingredients, I think it can. My guest on this week’s podcast is Michael Lemmel, co-founder of Swimrun, a sporting experience that’s taken the world by storm. What began as a drunken bet between friends, to swim and run between islands off Sweden, evolved into an organised endurance event and now an eco-conscious, global phenomenon, attracting people of all ages and abilities. You run in your wetsuit, swim in y...
Feb 05, 2020•2 hr 36 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Warning: some people might find this podcast seriously restful. If that sounds appealing, it should do, because rest is something we all need to prioritise. So says this week’s guest, Claudia Hammond, who argues that being busy isn’t a badge of honour – and taking time out is definitely not lazy. We examine the science behind our struggles to relax and she shares some brilliant insights on our attitudes to downtime, the top 10 activities most likely to help us switch off, and what the benefits a...
Jan 29, 2020•2 hr 41 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast RE-RELEASE: This episode originally aired last year as a two-part episode. CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing and themes of an adult nature. For the past few decades, almost every year, levels of depression and anxiety have increased in Britain and across the Western world. But why? One of the most important voices in this area, Johann Hari, went on a forty-thousand-mile journey across the world to interview the leading experts about what causes depression and anxiety, and what solv...
Jan 22, 2020•2 hr 56 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast My guest on this week’s podcast is plant-powered wellness advocate, best-selling author and podcast host, Rich Roll. You may remember Rich from episode 28, when he talked about his transformation from overweight alcoholic to vegan ultra-endurance athlete, and the importance of finding purpose in life. Rich is the first of my guests to feature on Feel Better Live More for a second time and that’s because, when I met him back in autumn 2018, I felt a deep connection and I knew our conversation was...
Jan 15, 2020•2 hr 6 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast Why is it that so many of us find it hard to stick to a new diet or lifestyle plan? We all start off well enough – full of energy and optimism but then the novelty soon wears off and life gets in the way. After some time, we are right back where we first started. The fact is, most health plans are based on the common, but incorrect assumption that we can make sweeping and lasting changes to our health by relying solely on willpower and motivation. But for the vast majority of us, this is just no...
Jan 08, 2020•2 hr 33 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. Is there a change you’d like to make in your life? Something you’re desperate to overcome, but can’t see how? Or a goal you’re scared to aim for, because it feels too far off? My guest on this week’s podcast might just convince you to have a go. He’s John McAvoy, endurance athlete extraordinaire, author and the man with one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard. John was born into a notorious crime family and has served a total of 10...
Jan 01, 2020•3 hr 44 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past 2 years, I have had the privilege of talking with some of the most influential and insightful voices in the health and wellbeing space. To celebrate, I have released 3 very special compilation episodes at the end of 2019, which happens to also be the end of the decade! In my new book, Feel Better in 5, I split up health into 3 main areas: Mind, Body and Heart. I covered ‘Mind’ and ‘Heart’ in the past 2 episodes of the podcast and in today’s show, the theme is ‘Body’ - we all know t...
Dec 28, 2019•39 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past 2 years, I have had the privilege of talking with some of the most influential and insightful voices in the health and wellbeing space. To celebrate, I have decided to release 3 very special compilation episodes at the end of the year, which also happens to be the end of the decade! In my new book, Feel Better in 5, I split up health into 3 main areas: Mind, Body and Heart. The 'Heart' section is all about nurturing your essential human connections. This is such a crucial, but unde...
Dec 26, 2019•44 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past 2 years, I have had the privilege of talking with some of the most interesting and insightful voices in health. To celebrate, I am releasing 3 very special episodes at the end of the year which also happens to be the end of the decade! In my new book ‘Feel Better in 5’ I split up health into 3 broad categories: Mind, Body and Heart. The first section ‘Mind’ is all about doing little things each day that will look after your mental health, something that has never been more importan...
Dec 18, 2019•38 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast This week’s podcast is a first for me – my guest is a former patient of mine, Nicola Singleton. I met Nicola back in September 2016 on the second series of my BBC1 TV documentary, Doctor In The House. Since then, she has completely transformed her health and I’m so pleased she’s agreed to share that story with you. Nicola was, in her own words, ‘aged 38 but feeling 98’. She had a list of 10 different health diagnoses and was taking 20 different pills a day. Her main issues were feeling crippled ...
Dec 11, 2019•2 hr 48 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. What’s holding you back in life at the moment? Is there a problem – be it practical or emotional, to do with your health, relationships, work, finance or anything else – that seems insurmountable? Whatever your struggle, my guest on this week’s Feel Better Live More podcast believes that the solution is already within you – that you have what it takes to transform or transcend any challenge you face. She’s Marie Forleo, a US entrepreneur, writer, ...
Dec 04, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast How does alcohol fit into your life? Have you ever given it any thought? My guest on this week’s podcast is Andy Ramage, a performance coach and author. He’s also one of the founders of One Year No Beer, a habit-changing programme that invites people to try 28, 90 or 365 days alcohol free – and see what it does for them. Andy was like many of us, he was not an alcoholic but he was what he calls ‘a middle lane drinker’. He would drink a little bit to unwind, at work events, when he saw his friend...
Nov 27, 2019•2 hr 1 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast When was the last time you gave any real thought to walking? It’s so easy to put one foot in front of the other. Yet this unique, underrated activity sets us apart from other species, and brings incredible advantages – yes, superpowers – if we do it enough. My guest on this week’s podcast is the neuroscientist Shane O’Mara, a professor of experimental brain research at Trinity College Dublin. After reading his remarkable new book, In Praise of Walking: The New Science of How We Walk And Why It’s...
Nov 20, 2019•2 hr 33 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast This week, the microphones are turned and it’s me in the hot seat. This conversation was recorded at The Festival of Politics 2019 on World Mental Health Day in The Scottish Parliament with Deputy Convener of the Cross-Party Group on Mental Health, Annie Wells MSP. I was invited to speak about my mission to inspire people to make small sustainable changes to their lifestyles, which as many of you know, I believe is the secret to having a healthier and happier life. We discuss how my own experien...
Nov 13, 2019•1 hr 29 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast What is preventing you from living the life of your dreams? Are you waiting for the right person to come along? Will you be happy when you get a pay-rise? Or perhaps you just aren’t capable of getting what you really want? The truth is, that your perfect life is right here waiting for you to discover it. The only thing separating you from it is the dialogue that exists within your subconscious mind. Guest on this week’s podcast is writer, speaker and thought leader in human potential, Peter Cron...
Nov 06, 2019•2 hr 56 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast RE-RELEASE - This episode originally aired as a 2-part episode almost 18 months ago and has been one of the most popular episodes to date. After releasing Episode 77, I have had many requests for more information on the impact of circadian clocks on our health. I have therefore decided to re-release this conversation with world-leading expert in circadian biology, whose research in this area is truly ground-breaking. So, here it is! We know that snacking late at night isn’t a good idea, but unti...
Oct 30, 2019•2 hr 33 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast Loneliness is an epidemic. We are surrounded by people yet many of us feel empty. Why is this? This week, one of my best friends, entrepreneur and podcast host, Dhru Purohit explains that many of us are craving deep meaningful connected friendships and we don’t even know it. We have the feeling that we are in control of our lives, that we are surviving, but we miss the fact that we need a deep connection to others to truly thrive. We discuss the power of touch and how having someone to open up t...
Oct 22, 2019•2 hr•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains mild swearing. When we think about running, most of us think of it as a form of physical exercise – something that we do to lose weight, look better or stay healthy. Some of us like to measure how far and how quickly we can run. But running can be so much more than that. What if someone told you that running could be a tool to transform your life? This week, film-maker and inspirational human being, Sanjay Rawal, is here to do just that. Whilst making his l...
Oct 16, 2019•2 hr 5 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast SPECIAL EPISODE FOR WORLD OBESITY DAY to support a charity called HENRY, which is doing amazing work to combat childhood obesity. The statistics look gloomy. 1 in 10 children are obese when they start school and the odds are stacked against them. Only 1 in 20 children who starts school obese, will be a healthy weight when they leave primary school. But finally, there is a glimmer of hope. Have HENRY found a solution to reverse the trend? Their results so far are extremely promising. Today, I tal...
Oct 11, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Since the dawn of time, humans have worshipped the sun. And with good reason. Our biology is set up to work in partnership with it. From our sleep cycles to our immune systems and our mental health, access to sunlight is crucial for living a happy and fulfilling life. Our bodies and our brains are designed to function during the day and rest at night. But as more of us move into light-polluted cities, spending our days in dim offices and our evenings watching brightly lit screens, we are in dang...
Oct 09, 2019•2 hr 44 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast We are undergoing a huge technological experiment. In our pockets we have tiny technological miracles through which we can communicate, instantly, with anyone on the planet. We are constantly bombarded with endless information. But what impact is all this having on our brain? Why is it important to allow our brains to drift into random thoughts and be creative? I discuss all this with neuroscientist and brain surgeon, Dr Rahul Jandial, who loves technology but believes that we need to structure ...
Oct 02, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast How do we improve our relationship with our children? Why do our children make us feel so irritated at times? And what do we do if we’ve acted in a way that we shouldn’t have? I’m joined this week by psychotherapist and author, Philippa Perry, to talk about all these issues and more. We discuss why culture gets in the way of our natural instincts and why she believes that allowing your child to “cry it out” can be harmful. We delve into the effect that technology is having on our relationships a...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast We all know that a poor diet negatively impacts our physical health. In fact, it is now the leading cause of early death in men and number two in women. But it’s not only our physical health that is affected – the effects on our mental health can also be devastating. This week, I am joined by world leading expert in the field of nutritional psychiatry, Professor Felice Jacka, to discuss her ground-breaking research into the link between food and our mental health. We discuss why lifestyle medici...
Sep 18, 2019•1 hr 22 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast 
