#318 Neuroscientist Reveals How Intuition, Purpose and Spiritual Health Can Heal | Dr Tara Swart

I LOVE coffee. I love the ritual of my morning cup, I love the smell, the rich aromas, the flavour. I got into the coffee scene during my time in Australia and my obsession has continued. And if you’re interested in the benefits of coffee, then this episode is going to be for you!Roasted coffee is a complex mixture of thousands of bioactive compounds, and some of them are recognised to have health-promoting properties. Things like the polyphenols, the products of roasting the beans and even the caffeine itself. A lot of people ascribe these benefits to the antioxidant profile of the chemicals they contain which have also been shown in lab, animal and human studies to be anti-inflammatory. But, the mechanisms that support its potential impact on reducing the risk of a number of conditions may be a lot more complicated.It’s fairly well recognised that habitual coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of diseases, like type 2 diabetes, dementia, chronic liver disease and even certain types of cancer., but there are a number of coffee paradoxes. For example, it is well known to raise blood pressure in the short term, but it’s associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease?I’ve got Alex Manos and Al Higham from Exhale coffee to talk about everything you’ve wanted to know about coffee. Exhale Coffee launched in lockdown 2020 and is the first coffee in the UK to be sourced and roasted for your health as well as your performance. It’s organic and speciality grade but uniquely, through 9 different independent lab tests, is high in healthy plant phytochemicals, or polyphenols, and some vitamins.We talk about sourcing beans, the effect of stressed crops and how that develops the flavour as well as the health benefits (xenohormesis), the process of extracting the bean, how you roast it for a better taste and health profile. The different brew methods and why that would impact the amount of bioactives in your cup, the process of decaffeination and if you can preserve the health benefits, and we do a nerdy dive into the mechanisms of why coffee may have health benefits.Check out the recipes and app here: https://apple.co/3G0zC0ZJoin the newsletter and 7 day meal plan here: https://thedoctorskitchen.com/newsletter/Check out the socials here: https://www.instagram.com/doctors_kitchen/You can try the coffee for 40% off with the code RUPY at check out : www.exhalecoffee.comDisclaimer: I have a role as advisor for Exhale Coffee that I want to declare and it’s because I believe in the founding principles of this family company, the way they go about creating the product has so much attention to detail and I love the flavour! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Feb 20221h 34min

What we’re talking about today will impact 50% of the population, 100% of the timeYet we don’t prepare for it. There are no specific clinics within the NHS solely dedicated to the treatment of this expected condition. There is incomplete and misleading information and relatively little ongoing research on how to tackle this problem.To compound this dire scenario, this condition impacts multiple parts of the body. Bone health, heart health, brain health, skin health, mental health, sexual wellbeing. AND it costs 100s of millions (if not billions) of pounds in direct healthcare costs as well as loss in productivity and quality of life.If you’ve seen the title of today’s podcast, you’ll know I’m talking about the menopause. But if you were confused and were not immediately getting the answer, I don’t blame you. The menopause is shrouded in secrecy, stigma and unfortunately millions of women across the world are simply not getting access to life changing treatment … which we already have!Dr Louise Newson, author of the No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause, is my guest today and is one of the UK’s leading menopause specialists determined to help women thrive.I love this book and am gifting it to many colleagues because Dr Louise demistifies the menopause and equips the reader with evidence-based advice and practical tips on: HRT treatment options, why menopause should be referred to as a longterm hormone deficiency, and how the right treatment complemented by optimising sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mental health can be so effective. If that wasn’t enough ...Dr Newson is a GP and menopause specialist and holds an Advanced Menopause Specialist certificate with Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare and the British Menopause Society. She produces evidence-based free content for women about the perimenopause and menopause on the menopausedoctor.co.uk website and social media. She is also the founder of the not-for-profit company, Newson Health Research and Education, the award winning free ‘balance’ menopause support app and The Menopause Charity.Stick around for my top tips on diet, exercise and longevity at the end. Remember you can find all this information and more at thedoctorskitchen.com and sign up for the newsletter where I share practical tips on what to eat, listen to, read or watch once a week to help you live a healthier lifestyle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Feb 20221h 19min

This week I launched the first Doctor’s Kitchen app! It’s been a labour of love for over 3 years and finally you can check it out right here! - https://apple.co/3G0zC0ZIn today’s podcast I’m going to talk you through why this is not your average recipe app, how much research has gone into creating this simple, easy to use product and why I’m asking you to come on this journey with me.I talk about:What features the app has todayHow we created health goal filters using a simple algorithmThe process of starting the research for creating the appThe amount of monetary investment it takesThe 1000s of responses to surveys we collected to shape what the app looks likeHow we will evolve the future of Doctor’s Kitchen with your helpFull transparency in how we do thingsI’m going to work super hard to make sure that this app is the most valuable in your library and I truly hope that this app is going to deliver tangible benefits to you and your family. Remember, you can join the newsletter for free at thedoctorskitchen.com/newsletter where I share tips on what to eat, read, watch or listen to every week to help you live a healthier, happier life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Jan 202242min

Can we be addicted to food? This is quite a hot topic and one that is more relevant than ever. On the one hand we have food companies and respected scientists telling us that food addiction is a myth. Because we don’t see people smashing windows or stealing money from loved ones to fund a ‘hamburger habit’, the concept of food addiction is farcical.On the other hand, recent work on food use disorders has demonstrated that the same neurobiological pathways implicated in drug abuse also modulate food consumption.And if we consider Obesity costs the UK £47bn a year and has the second largest impact on the economy of 3% GDP (after smoking), we really should properly discuss whether food addiction is real and plays a role.On the podcast today we have the amazing obesity researcher Dr Nick Fuller who brings together a diversity of skills having held positions in both the industry and academic sectors. His current position as commercial and industry program leader within the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney involves working with government and industry to identify and develop cost-effective treatments for the treatment and management of obesity and related physical and mental health disorders.He is also the author of three best-selling books on the Interval Weight Loss program and Nick's work has resulted in policy change in the field of obesity and metabolic disease and his research has been published in The Lancet and JAMA.Today we talk about:What addiction entailsHow the brain shapes food choiceThe body’s regulation of food intake which involves a complex set of peripheral and central signaling networks.The impact of environment, stress and psychological state in food choicePractical tips to avoid or rewire food choiceHow to start new behaviours and how long it will takeRemember you can find all this information and more at thedoctorskitchen.com and sign up for the newsletter where I share practical tips on what to eat, listen to, read or watch once a week to help you live a healthier lifestyle.Socialshttps://www.intervalweightloss.com.auhttps://twitter.com/drnickfullerhttps://www.facebook.com/intervalweightloss/?ref=settingshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE1PVJsJQIOmoLh94CxPIxghttps://www.instagram.com/intervalweightloss/?hl=en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Jan 20221h 6min

Today’s show is a little bit different from the norm. I’m catching up with good friend of mine and fellow GP, Dr Ayan Panja. You’ll recognise him from previous episodes where we discussed heart and brain health and he has been practising medicine for 22 years since qualifying from Imperial College School of Medicine (my old university).He co-founded and teaches on the RCGP accredited course “Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine”, he’s writing a book that I cannot wait to read, due for publication in January 2023, plus he’s the host of a brilliant podcast called “Saving Lives in Slow motion”.This is where Ayan takes 15 minutes of your time to give his perspective on health and wellbeing which is “quietly-mind expanding” as he puts it. Informal, but professional and very very listenable. So good in fact, that I’ve embedded one of my favourite episodes that you’re about to listen to before me and Ayan chat on my podcast. This is on medical myths it runs for about 12 minutes and then you’ll hear me and Ayan talk about a number of other topics:BereavementLifestyle MedicineAyan’s new bookWhy medics need to take a breakSome of our favourite UK artistsDo check out thedoctorskitchen.com for links to everything we discuss today and the eat, read, listen newsletter that I send once a week! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Jan 20221h 30min

Hey, I’m basing this end of year podcast on my newsletter format where I share something to Eat, Read, Watch or Listen to every week. Today, I’ll be talking through my top 3 book suggestions, 3 podcasts I reckon you should listen to or revisit from my archive and 3 brilliant movies and series to watch!Read:How to Live well Prof Robert ThomasThe Pain-Free Mindset Deepak RavindranThe Paradox of Choice Barry SchwartzListen:Sustainable weight loss Dr Nick FullerWatercress as Medicine Dr Kyle StewartThe female ageing brain Dr Lisa Mosconi Watch:Road RunnerHigh on the HogMeat me HalfwayCatch the links to them all and the references to what was discussed on thedoctorskitchen.com website where you can also sign up to the newsletter! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Des 202136min

https://www.sabiobank.org/If you’re listening to this and you are of South Asian descent, this episode might be a bit of an uncomfortable listen. Because what we’re chatting about today is why, despite the advances in medicine, people of south asian origin are twice as likely to suffer cardiovascular disease, three times more likely to have diabetes as well as many other related diseases that you can think of including cancer and dementia. And I know the title of this pod is “Why south asians are at worse risk”, but the honest answer as you’ll hear from my guest today, is still “we don’t have a good idea”.This is why, if you are between the ages of 18-85 and of South Asian heritage, no matter if you are of mixed background or whatever, look at the description in the podcast notes on your pod player right now. There is a link right at the top of this episode for the BIOBANK study at sabiobank.org. Click on the link, stop listening to this pod for 5 minutes and book an appointment immediately at https://www.sabiobank.org/My guest today is Professor Jaspal Kooner, who is leading the South Asia Biobank Research study. Professor Kooner is one of the leading cardiologists in the country with over 30 years’ experience in the treatment of general cardiovascular disorders. He is a Consultant at Imperial College Healthcare Trust, and an active researcher who has pioneered some major discoveries and published numerous times in journals such as Nature including research revealing novel genetic variants that underlie coronary heart disease, type-2 diabetes, obesity, and other highly prevalent disorders.I think this podcast is going to be a real inspiration particularly for young medics out there, or even people thinking about medicine. Prof shares his stories of his upbringing in Nairobi and his move to Kent in England, plus his journey to medicine, his thoughts on medical education today, when he first learnt of the disparity between health in certain populations as well as how he navigated the system.Full show notes can be found at www.thedoctorskitchen.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Des 20211h 18min

What can we learn that’s relatable from a modern day action man, who trained as a marine commando and sniper, who runs into active volcanoes, risks his life interviewing Mexican Narcos, survived Ebola and broke the Guiness World record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean?Well it turns out quite an incredible amount!Aldo Kane is an Adventurer, Explorer, a Fellow at the Royal Geographic Society, Producer, Author & TV Presenter with a penchant for the world’s most dangerous, extreme and remote locations. Aldo was recently the on-screen Expedition Leader for National Geographic’s latest flag-ship feature length Natural History series One Strange Rock, hosted by Hollywood star, Will Smith. This saw Aldo lead a prominent American Scientist deep inside one of Africa’s most dangerous volcanoes whilst it was erupting and the description of this in his book “Lessons on the Edge” is absolutely riveting! Over the last 7 years Aldo has worked on many ground-breaking (and as he describes them “fairly tasty”) TV shows! He’s been held at gunpoint, charged by black Rhino, abseiled into an active volcano, escaped Ebola and dived on Captain Kidd’s pirate ship, and that’s just the last year or two. Aldo has appeared with Hollywood A-Listers like Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody & Henry Cavill in some of the most extreme environments on earth. We talk about so many themes today:Mental fitnessCompartmentalisingFlow statesConsistency over Skill as the secret to successStoicismGroundingA bit of background if you haven’t seen him on one of his many TV shows. Aldo joined the Royal Marine Commandos at the age of just 16 and went on to become one of the youngest Elite Commando Reconnaissance Snipers in the UK armed forces. No mean feat with the hardest, and longest infantry training in the world. Aldo saw active military service from Northern Ireland to the Middle East and became a survival expert in many environments.As you will hear today, he’s probably one of the humblest and nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of interviewing. Calm, collected, jovial, chatty and altogether ‘grounded’, as I would describe it. I could have chatted to him easily for hours, but instead I recommend you either read or listen to his book “Lessons from the Edge” that you can find in all good bookstores. A fantastic book for Christmas, it is perfect escapism. Just a bit of warning, the language is a bit salty on this episode. So just take care if any kids are listening in. And remember check out thedoctorskitchen.com newsletter where I share weekly mindset tips, many of which Aldo puts into practice when he’s in extreme environments, such as breathwork and reframing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Des 20211h 30min