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

Today I welcome the award-winning science communicator, Professor Jim Al-Khalili to the podcast. Renowned around the world through his writing and broadcasting, he is also a leading academic making fundamental contributions to theoretical nuclear physics and quantum biology as you will hear. He is also host of the long running “Life Scientific” on Radio 4.Today’s conversation is not just complex, it’s confusing. And you’ll probably gather throughout our chat, I was pretty confused. I do my best to breakdown the science for you as we progress through our conversation, but the validating message that Jim confirms is : “If you’re confused, You understand it!”We talk aboutJim’s upbringing in Iraq and what led him to physicsThe Quantum vs Classic systemsWhere Quantum physics has a roleLife on the Edge - one of the only books detailing Quantum BiologyWhy Quantum Mechanics is so importantSome weird quantum effects such as entanglement and tunnelingWhy Quantum mechanics has a role in biologyHeredity and how it is possible that replication occurs with so few errorsWhere the boundary between classical and quantum systems existsQuantum mechanics and Photosynthesis Jim’s thoughts on Urban electromagnetic disruptionHuman ConsciousnessAI and humansArtificial General intelligence versus machine learningJim’s latest grant to examine the borders between quantum and the classical world You can read his book “Life on the Edge”, which is a fantastic historical look at how the quantum world has influenced biology and why it’s important.Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes on this and all other episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1 Sep 20211h 1min

Watercress! It’s a beautiful ingredient. Peppery, vibrant, grown in the UK and fantastically healthy for you. It’s a vegetable from the Brassicaceae family. That includes other favourites of mine including broccoli, cabbage, sprouts and bok choy and more. A few studies demonstrate their ability to reduce DNA damage which could explain the association between brassica vegetable intake and reduced cancer risk and watercress is also known to be a good source of Lutein, beta carotene and vitamin C.But is that all? My next guest Dr Kyle Stewart is a GP in South Devon as well as CEO and co-founder of Watercress Research Ltd. He holds an Honorary Clinical Associate Research Fellowship in Theoretical Medicine at The University of Exeter, alongside an NHS England Clinical Entrepreneur Fellowship which is how we were connected.On today’s show you’ll hear how Kyle’s experience with a young child suffering nappy rash led him to find out more about the wonderful properties of watercress. And how research that has stemmed from this ever so common problem, could also extend to reducing the need for antibiotics, preventing and treating certain cancers and even creating a new form of plant-based protein. Starting off by finding out about the mechanism behind nappy rash and its relationship to ammonia, Dr Kyle discovered that watercress contains urease-inhibiting properties .. but the rabbit hole goes a lot deeper.We have a wider conversation about the untapped potential of plants in general and how little we know about these incredible ingredients that we consume every day. Considering the success of cardiac drugs like digoxin and blood thinners like aspirin that have all been discovered from plants, why aren’t we aggressively investigating these more?Using different preparations, experimental methods and a sprinkle of ingenuity could we create a completely new class of plant medications that have the ability to treat everything from eczema to IBD?As always do us a favour, if you want to support the podcast do subscribe or hit follow on spotify it helps the rankings which means we get more listens and it means I can do more pods! And do sign up for the newsletter at thedoctorskitchen.com where I send a weekly wellbeing trio of things to do. Something to eat, listen to, watch or read that will brighten up your week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

25 Aug 20211h 5min

This special bonus episode of The Doctor’s Kitchen podcast, brought to you in partnership with The Mayor of London. And today we’re going to be talking specifically about the Covid-19 vaccines that are being offered to adults. COVID is still a serious disease. At the time of this recording tens of thousands of cases are still occurring daily which can lead to deaths and potentially long-lasting effects such as Long COVID - a topic we have talked about at length on the podcast with immunologists and researchers in the past. Getting the vaccine is the best way to immediately protect yourself, your family and friends from COVID-19 and reduce the chances of any new variants which can emerge from uncontrolled spiralling cases. This is key and it is truly a global issue. Without a worldwide vaccine strategy we risk further restrictions, uncontrolled spread and the consequences associated with that. Despite the many campaigns to educate the public appropriately, ‘hesitancy’ to have the jab still exists, particularly amongst ethnic minorities and the 18-24 year old groups. Today I speak with Dr Sarah Filson an Infectious Diseases and Microbiology doctor working at West Middlesex University Hospital about vaccine hesitancy, how vaccines are manufactured, assessing risk/benefit profiles, why we are living in an ‘infodemic’ and how to take a compassionate approach to lack of vaccine confidence in communities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Aug 202156min

Dr Yael Joffe is a registered dietitian in South Africa who specialises in nutrigenomics and Functional Nutrition. She has been involved in several research collaborations with key academic partners from around the world, and is often to be found at the front lines raising awareness about nutrigenomic and Functional Nutrition applications for health practitioners and the public alike.In addition to her research and development work for DNAlysis Biotechnology, Yael is also a faculty member of the Institute for Functional Medicine and is involved in advancing the understanding and integration of Functional Nutrition in South Africa. Yael obtained her PhD from the University of Cape Town, exploring the genetics and nutrition of obesity in South African women. Today we talk about:07.00 What a gene is and how ‘spelling mistakes’ occur15.55 Monogenic vs Polygenic genes18.00 The process of determining which SNPs (spelling mistakes) to include in a genomic profile18.50 Detoxification SNPs22.00 The change in gene technology over 20 years27.00 Appetite and weight regulation32.00 Detoxification, Sulforaphane and NRF-242.00 Differences between ethnicities and the lack of genomic research in non-caucasian46.00 Alzeihmers risk and the importance of APO-E449.00 COVID responseThis is not a sponsored podcast.Find out more details and view full show notes at www.thedoctorskitchen.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

18 Aug 202155min

Fat! This curious, wonderful and often misunderstood organ is the subject of today’s podcast with Professor Liesbeth van Rossum, MD PhD and Dr Mariëtte Boon MD PhD authors of the incredible book “Fat. The Secret Organ”. And yes it is an organ.Professor Liesbeth van Rossum, MD, PhD is internist-endocrinologist at the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam. She is co-founder of the Obesity Center CGG, and has an internationally leading position in the field of obesity and biological stress research.Dr Mariëtte Boon, MD, PhD is an internal medicine specialist in training. Her research, per- formed at the Leiden University Medical Center, focuses on fat metabolism. Today’s pod is a whirlwind of a conversation running through a fantastic variety of topics all to do with fat. You’ll learn about:Why fat is an organWhat mechanisms drive hunger and satietyWhy too little as well as too much fat can be detrimentalHow you can stimulate your satiety to eat lessHow stress can cause fatThe number and size of fat cells and if they change throughout your lifeWhy liposuction doesn’t workWhat brown fat is and how to increase itFat on inflammation, immune health and fertilityThe 6 categories of what causes weight gain from genetics and sleep to food and stressIf a virus can cause obesity?Their book “Fat. The Secret Organ” is a must read for anyone as interested in this subject. We didn’t get time to properly dive deep into some other topics in the book, such as the evidence based lifestyle recommendations and how you can use simple hacks to increase metabolism as well as nutrition, so do grab a copy. I highly recommend it!Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and information on this and all other episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Aug 20211h 25min

For someone who was playing as a professional rugby player at the highest level for over 10 years to then suffer a serious accident that left them paralysed from the neck down, you wouldn’t expect for them to consider themselves ‘lucky’. But this is exactly how my next guest refers to himself as.In April 2017, after diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool, Ed Jackson broke his neck and suffered a spinal cord injury which left him paralysed from the neckdown. Doctors said that he would never walk again ... but through sheer determination and intensive rehabilitation, Ed reached the summit of mountains within a year of his operation. A feat not even the most optimistic of medical professionals could have ever imagined.I learnt so much from Ed on today’s pod. His attitude to consistently challenge himself, both mentally and physically, his ability to reframe even the most difficult of situations that enables him to see the positives and ultimately his humility. We talk about his specific traumatic event and aspects of his mental journey as well as the physical, and how stoicism, reframing his mindset and ‘painting his life with appreciation’ led to recovery.Ed’s new book 'Lucky' is the story of how he faced the impossible when it seemed all hope was lost. And Ed shows how you, too, can overcome the biggest challenges that life sends your wayEd has since gone on to conquer many mountains, start his own charity millimetres2mountains.org/ and has been listed to present the Paralympic games in Tokyo on Channel 4.All the links to his socials and website are on thedoctorskitchen.com as well as where you can sign up to our 7 day meal plan for free and join the Eat, Watch, Read newsletter where every week I share a recipe to make as well as something for you to watch listen to or read to help you live healthier and happier every day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Aug 20211h 22min

Jessica Murnane is an author, speaker, and creative consultant who has written two books, the cookbook One Part Plant: A Simple Guide To Eating Real One Meal At A Time and Know Your Endo: An Empowering Guide To Health + Hope With Endometriosis.A fantastic resource for people with endometriosis backed up by research, personal experience and true compassion. Jessica ran a course for those suffering with endometriosis and the book is scattered with stories, information and shared experiences that make it a great resource for anyone living with pain.We talk aboutDelayed diagnosis and Jessica’s story of EndoInflammation and endometriosisThe science of self compassion and motivationFood and endometriosisExercise and how to start You can check out the book on the website show notes at www.thedoctorskitchen.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Aug 202142min

Today I speak with the wonderful Emily Johnson, a patient expert living with seronegative arthritis for 7 years who has been documenting her journey through food, lifestyle, stress and its impact on her chronic condition on the “Arthritis Foodie” on social media.Through starting an online community, Emily discovered all kinds of natural remedies, lots of conflicting advice as well as healthy ways to live with arthritis. She’s since written an amazon number 1 best selling book with contributions from a number of experts including rheumatologists, immunologists and more.Today we talk about :Emily Diagnosis storyOwning your arthritis and long term conditions in generalHer process of discovering triggersInflammation fighting foodsWhy a mediterranean diet is a good starting point Strategies for Pain managementCBD, Exercise and SupplementsWhy stress has a significant impact Check out her book “Beat Arthritis Naturally” and episodes on inflammation with Dr Jenna on previous episodes of the Doctor’s Kitchen podcast.Full show notes on this and all other episodes are available on The Doctor's Kitchen website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

28 Jul 20211h 16min