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

Today on the show I'm absolutely delighted to welcome along Henry Firth and Ian Theasby, the duo that make up BOSH!It's likely that you've already heard of BOSH, they're the UKs leading Vegan influencers. They launched BOSH to show people how great plant-based food could be and back in 2016 they posted a video that pretty much went viral overnight.Since then, they've had an amazing 2 billion views online, with an average of 26 million views a month - quite incredible isn't it and just shows what a following they have and how interested we are as a nation in plant based eating. Henry and Ian and are the UK’s bestselling vegan authors with 4 published books so far. And with their latest book - Healthy Vegan being a Sunday Times Bestseller. And to top everything off, they now host the first vegan cookery series on mainstream TV, called Living on The Veg which you can find on ITV. It's a fantastic show and helps to make plant based eating so much more accessible - definitely do go and check it out!On the episode today you'll hear us chat through the followingHow Henry and Ian first got into plant based eatingThe mission for BOSH in the UK and further afieldVeganism and nutritionHow they create such a great culture within their companyWhat it's like running a business together I really think you're going to love this episode - it's such a great conversation with two super guys who are completely open and honest throughout our conversation and what a great community they have built up together.And you absolutely must check out the most recent BOSH cookbook - Healthy Vegan it's a super book with tons of great recipes that you will absolutely love - and do have a look at the other books too.All other social media links for BOSH are noted below here.Make sure you check out the recipe I cooked for Henry and Ian too on The Doctor's Kitchen YouTube Channel. I re-created a recipe from their book - it's a Goan style curry and is delicious.We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think,and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today's episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Jun 20201h 20min

Today I speak with author and activist Jonathan Safran Foer about the current pandemic, how he is coping and an inconvenient problem that dwarfs the impact of Covid. The big C – Climate.Jonathan is the author of three award-winning and internationally best-selling novels. He won The Guardian Book Prize for his debut novel, was included in Granta’s “Best of Young American Novelists” issue as well as The New Yorker’s“20 under 40” list of the best young writers in the US; and his books are published in over 30 languagesAnd I know what you’re thinking. Yes it’s important. Yes I know I should be doing more. And no I’m not doing enough. It’s too hard.In today's espisode we talk about:How the actions of ordinary people as a collective can have huge impactsNot to rely on the government for action and how we can actThe simplest most effective solution is dietHow we are all hypocrites and a layer of realism is usefulWhy climate change and global warming has a branding problemJonathan Safran Foer's book, We Are The Weather, is out now, definitely do go and check it out. Along with another one of Jonathan's books - Eating Animals, it’s certainly one of my must reads for anybody interested in nutrition and how food choices impact the environment.And don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes lifestyle hacks and more tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible - and please do give us a 5* rating on your podcast player to help support our podcast through this difficult time.Check out the podcast notes on The Doctor's Kitchen Website for links to more articles and books on this subject.Guest Social Media LinksFacebookInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Mai 20201h 2min

Welcome to a special episode of The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast - LIVE!Today’s podcast was filmed recently on Zoom with a live audience of 20 people online - what a great experience and a real pleasure to connect with those in the audience.Earlier this year, I introduced the idea of what I wanted to create as an immersive Doctor’s Kitchen experience - a supper club event with 3 guest interviews and an opportunity for those attending to ask live questions.The initial idea revolved around 3 core themes: EAT, MOTIVATE & INSPIRE. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the supper club event for obvious reasons - so I thought instead that I would reflect on a few events of the last couple of months as well as giving an opportunity to those in the audience of the live podcast to ask me anything.Some of the key topics I talk about today include:How we cultivate a community that is able to look after itself effortlessly?How can we grow from this tragic experience?The renewed realisation of the wider determinants of health, namely community, connection and purpose.Financial, Environmental and Societal impacts on healthy lifestyles and the responsibility of our government to enhance the resilience of our populationI also pose the opportunity of this current situation as a moment to rethink the immediacy of other looming catastrophes, namely the environment and microbial resistance. And I close with a short discussion on rethinking our food landscape to appreciate the addictive nature of processed foods and the importance of nutritional medicine. I do hope that you find this episode informative and useful at this time, and I would really love your feedback on the episodes that we are sharing here. Let me know on our Instagram, Facebook & Twitter pages.And don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes lifestyle hacks and more tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible - and please do give us a 5* rating on your podcast player to help support our podcast through this difficult time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Mai 20201h 2min

Today on the podcast I welcome along George Monbiot - who is is an author, Guardian columnist and environmental campaigner.George cowrote the concept album Breaking the Spell of Loneliness with musician Ewan McLennan; and has made a number of viral videos. One of them, adapted from his 2013 TED talk, How Wolves Change Rivers, has been viewed on YouTube over 40m times. Another, on Natural Climate Solutions, that he co-presented with Greta Thunberg, has been watched over 50m times.As we witness an improvement in the crisis and anticipate the relaxation of social distancing, I wanted to talk about the opportunities to learn and reform our political systems that globally have been woefully unprepared and slow to respond.As we try to recuperate the losses both emotionally, physically and financially I’m trying to cultivate the opinions of thinkers from around the world who have long documented the unfolding crises in society that have now spectacularly revealed themselves to us.In this episode, we talk about:How to harness intrinsic human values of kindness to foster better wellbeing in societyHow cooperation and altruism is hardwired in our neurobiologyThe evolution of humans would have required community and kindness to survive rather than the prevailing narrative of individualism and inequalityNeoliberalism in politics and how we have evolved over the 20th and 21st centuryThe impact of immersing ourselves in a virtual worldHow we address alienation and loneliness, which are the defining conditions of our time.The rise in social initiatives and Accidental activistsWhat will we reward in a post pandemic era? Those with material wealth and social influence or those who seek to build community and foster relationships?Is this an opportunity to build a doughnut economy?Big Organising in the wake of the PandemicAnd don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes and tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible.Guest Social Media LinksWebsiteTwitterInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Mai 202053min

In today’s episode I talk to Head of Research at Combat Stress, Dr Dominic Murphy. Combat Stress are the UKs leading charity for veterans' mental health. For a century they have been helping former servicemen and women deal with issues like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Today they provide specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict to give them hope and a future.I think it would be a pragmatic choice to start discussing the mental implications of COVID- 19 on healthcare workers that have not only witnessed events but may have been involved in some huge decisions that challenge our moral code.I'm sure that you will find our discussion today really interesting and thought provoking.On the podcast, we talk about:Dominic’s work as a Clinical Psychologist and PTSD with war veteransThe extent of PTSD and predisposing factorsWhat is a moral injury?The relationship between moral injury and PTSDWhy look at moral injury - why do some people not respond well to gold standard treatments for PTSDWhat are we doing in the UK to explore moral injuryIs moral injury relevant during the current COVID-19 crisis?Preventative measures with food, alcohol and exerciseThe prevalence of PTSD before the pandemic and what needs to change in both the culture of medicine and access to care Please do be sure to check out the Combat Stress Website where they have some fantastic resources and support available and also look up their social media pages (links below)You'll also find links on The Doctor's Kitchen Website to the papers that Dominic and I discussed on the podcast.And don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes and tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible.Guest Social Media Pages:WebsiteFacebookTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Mai 202055min

In today's podcast I speak with Dr Jeffrey Rediger where we talk about spontaneous remissions or ‘medical miracles’ that he has been studying for over 15 years.Dr Jeffrey Rediger is an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Medical Director for the McLean SouthEast Adult Psychiatric Programs.He has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and publishes in the fields of medicine, psychiatry and spirituality. He has now released his first book - Cured - the remarkable science and stories of spontaneous healing and recovery.Conventionally ignored by the scientific literature as outliers, anomalies or likely a result of misdiagnosis, Dr Jeffrey decided to dedicate a large part of his career studying these cases in the hope of trying to find out if there is anything we could learn from them. What he revealed is a fascinating collection of stories that has changed his thinking on medicine and how we practice. It could be the revolution in medicine many patients and doctors are crying out for. Rather than adding legitimacy to those trying to exploit people's hope and belief, Dr Jeffrey sees a new way of examining unusual cases of remission through the lens of science. On our talk today we cover the following:The placebo effect How belief plays into remissionPutting the body into a “Healing Mode”Why love, compassion and kindness are key to health and longevityNegativity biasThe accidents of biology and how they lead to the secrets of healthFlexing your Vagus NerveThe 4 pillars of healing - Immunity, Stress, Identity, Nutrition Please do be sure to check out Jeff Rediger's book - Cured (Penguin, 2020) - released this year and available through most good bookstores or online booksellers.And don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes and tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible.Guest Social Media Links:WebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitterYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Apr 202058min

In this weeks podcast I speak with Professor Guy Standing. A professorial research associate and former professor at SOAS University of London and world expert on Universal basic Income.He is also a co-founder and current co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN), an international non-governmental organization that promotes basic income as a right.In light of the evolving pandemic I wanted to shift the conversation from reacting to the current scenario, to considering what opportunities there are to grow from this.In the same way the British public and government created a universal healthcare system in the wake of WWII, perhaps our current scenario provides the foundation for even more radical thinking.Today we discuss Basic Income as a measure that could alleviate societal suffering that started years before the pandemic, but has been extenuated and magnified as a result of the virus.What we understand more than ever is the inequality within our communities, the effects of which will last far beyond the closure of this health crisis and will continue unless we think more carefully and imaginatively about how we structure our society.We talk through the following:Basic constructs of what Universal Basic Income meansThe ethical and economic arguments for Basic IncomeIdeas and culture shifts in politics and society that need to be in place for basic income to workProfessor Standing's experiences with instituting Basic Income in communities across the world I hope that this situation has made more of us think more compassionately and kindly toward our neighbours both internationally as well as nationally and that this podcast ignites a different way of thinking even if you do not agree with the notion of Basic income.Please do be sure to check out Professor Standings book - Battling Eight Giants: Basic Income Now (Bloomsbury, 2020) - released this year and available through most good bookstores or online booksellers.And don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes and tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible.Guest Social Media Links:WebsiteFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Apr 20201h 17min

Today I chat with the amazing Dr Sheri Dewan - who is a board-certified neurosurgeon, and who was inspired to become a doctor after her mother was rushed to the hospital with a ruptured brain aneurysm.Dr. Dewan is one of just 219 female neurosurgeons in the United States (there are just less than 4,000 neurosurgeons nationally, in total) - she works at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Chicago and graduated from Northwestern University and completed her neurosurgical residency at the well renowned Brown University.She specializes in pituitary tumors, gamma knife radiosurgery and minimally invasive degenerative spine disorders and Dr Sheri is a passionate advocate for women's brain health and diet how our lifestyle and the food we eat can impact our brain health.In today’s episode we talk about the evolving situation with COVID-19 in Chicago and the flexibility of healthcare systems there and nationally in the USA to respond to the unveiling crisis. We also talk about how Dr Sheri’s regular job has changed how she is now gearing up to work in intensive care.It's really interesting to hear some other stories from the front line and how America is dealing with the situation over there.On this episode we also talk about the following:Posture - and working from home, what we can all do to help ourselves and our posture right now including regular movementNeck flexion and some tips from Dr Sheri on how to make improvements in this areaDegenerative back issues with some tips on how to prevent and manage back pain with exercises and foodHow exercises such as Yoga and Pilates can be incredibly beneficial to help with flexibility and core strengthDr Dewan's incredible experience and career thus farHow females in the medical industry can forge ahead with incredibly successful careersDr Sheri’s meditation practice that she has kept up for over 20 years throughout her trainingHow cultivating self care in our society has never been more importantWe end with a positive note on what good can come of this current situation and how to deal with the anxiety of the unknownListener Note: In light of the situation, we talk about some distressing facts regarding the fatality of healthcare workers that some listeners may find difficult to hear. Caution is advised.And don't forget to subscribe to The Doctor's Kitchen newsletter where we will be continuing to share weekly science based recipes and tips to help you live the healthiest and happiest lifestyle possible.Guest Social Media Links:WebsiteInstagramTwitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Apr 202046min