BITESIZE | How to Design Your Perfect Life | Peter Crone #290

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 danger of losing something vital: our connection to the star that gave us life. It's a loss that could have far-reaching consequences for our health. This week, I sit down with award-winning journalist, Linda Geddes, to discuss just what those health implications are. We talk about the concept of night owls and larks and examine whether getting a lie in at the weekend is really as restorative as it sounds. We discuss jet lag and Linda shares the fascinating findings of her research in this area – including her own experiment of getting rid of light at night in her own home. Finally, we discuss what we can all do to get a little more light into our days. If you are listening to this podcast during the day, you won’t be able to resist the urge of going outside to soak up some natural light! Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/77 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

9 Okt 20191h 44min

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 some boundaries around its use – especially for children. We talk about the impact of music on the brain and what it means to be in flow state. Dr Jandial explains what happens in the brain when we engage in what he calls “meditative breathing” and why he is such a huge proponent of it. He explains how his knowledge of brain health has shaped the way he parents– from encouraging navigational skills in his children to exposing them to a diverse range of experiences. It seems where the brain is concerned – if you don’t use it, you lose it! Finally, he draws on his years of experience as a brain surgeon to share some practical tips that can help us all get the best out of our minds.  Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/brainsurgeon Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

2 Okt 20191h 14min

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 and discuss screen-time for kids. Philippa explains that although we all get it wrong at times, it is how we repair our mistakes that is key. We also discuss why being authentic with our children is important for a close connection. Finally, Philippa shares her tops tips, which I have started putting into practice already! At the heart of Philippa’s advice is connection and the advice she gives is applicable to all our human relationships – not just those with our children! I hope this conversation helps you deepen the human connections in your life. Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/75 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

25 Sep 20191h 23min

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 medicine should be the starting point for many mental health conditions and why there is an urgent need to train medical practitioners to give such lifestyle advice. We delve into the important role the gut microbiome plays in this area and how a diet rich in diversity is key. We also talk about the link between a mother’s diet in pregnancy and their child’s emotional health. At a time where the modern food environment is so broken and depression and anxiety are on the rise, this conversation is more important than ever. It really is a fascinating listen – I hope you enjoy it! Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/brainchanger Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

18 Sep 20191h 22min

“You are more powerful than your mind allows you to believe”   This week, I have the great pleasure of sitting down with arguably the fittest (but definitely one of the loveliest) men on the planet – swimmer and all-round adventurer, Ross Edgley. He believes that the next frontier of human performance is the mind and his superhuman feats are testament to that fact. He is the first ever swimmer to circumnavigate the whole of Great Britain without ever setting foot on land. And this is just one in a long list of mind-blowing accomplishments for Ross. But how is all that relevant to the rest of us? As well as talking about how he got through his epic journey, Ross explains the science behind why our minds limit us. He explains how we can all push ourselves beyond our comfort zones and reap the amazing knock-on benefits that come from doing that. We delve into the importance of intrinsic motivation and self-discovery through self-discipline. Ross speaks with wisdom and humility and is truly inspirational – he challenges you to go on your own journey of self-discovery. The overriding message from both of us is – it doesn’t matter where you start, just start somewhere. I hope this episode inspires you to push yourself outside your circle of comfort. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/73 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

11 Sep 20191h 33min

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing and themes of an adult nature. This week's episode wraps up the second season of the Feel Better, Live More podcast. Over the past 12 months, I've had the honour of sharing fascinating conversations with a wide variety of incredible people. Thank you to every single one of my guests - each conversation has been an inspiration to me.    In this episode I re-share some of the anecdotes and wisdom shared by a few guests from this series - Dr Tara Swart explains how we can all take back control of our lives by training our brains to create the life we want to live; Dr Gabor Mate calls for a compassionate approach toward addiction, where we look for the source of the pain that has led to the addiction; Chloe Brotheridge talks about self love and the importance of putting ourselves first in order to be in the best that we can be for others; and Johann Hari shares a heart-warming story of how an unlikely community was borne out of desperation and the unbelievable transformations that occurred for the whole community as a result of it.   This isn't a 'best of' episode - there are far too many amazing conversations to choose from for that - but I hope that you enjoy these clips and that this short compilation reminds you of some of your favourite episodes or inspires you to check out previous episodes you might have missed. Thank you to every single one of you who downloads, listens, shares, comments and gives feedback on this podcast - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!    I'd love it if you would join the #FBLM podcast conversation online, share the podcast, let me know what your favourite topics have been and what you'd like to see covered in the new series. Until then, I hope that you have a fantastic summer. Whatever you get up to, I really hope that you try and apply some of the things that you've learnt from this podcast. And finally, in the words of Haemin Sunim in episode 62, 'May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be peaceful, may you always be protected'.   Links to full podcast episodes available at drchatterjee.com/72 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk Join the NEW Dr Chatterjee 4 Pillar Community Tribe on Facebook.  DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

30 Juli 201939min

This week I sit down with natural lifestyle coach, Tony Riddle, who plans to run the whole length of Great Britain completing 30 miles every day for 30 days completely barefoot in order to show what humans are capable of and what he believes is biologically normal for us. He also plans to raise awareness of sustainability along the way. Tony believes that we are a species that is destined to be innately empowered, wild and connected yet our modern lives are removing us from this natural state. For the last 18 years, Tony’s whole raison d’etre has been to find ways of living that are more in sync with our human biology in order to allow himself, his family and his clients to thrive in this modern world and in this episode, we discuss what he has learnt. Tony believes that the closer you take people to nature, the better able they are to heal. Many would consider Tony’s lifestyle extreme – he has no chairs in his house and is mostly barefoot. Tony explains why he has made the decision to get rid of all the chairs in his home, why the squat is so important and why having functioning feet is critical for our overall health. Tony also shares some simple ways that office workers and night shift workers can improve their health whilst at work. Finally, Tony shares some of his top tips that will help us all feel better in our everyday lives. This conversation provides a really fascinating insight into what Tony believes is the true essence of being human. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/naturallifestyle Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

23 Juli 20191h 54min

This interview originally aired 12 months ago as a 2 part conversation, which have proved to be two of the most popular episodes that I have released so far. Many listeners have asked me to re-release them as one single conversation so that they can listen from start to finish without interruption, so here it is! Sleep is one of the most undervalued components of our health, yet neglecting it can have devastating consequences. In this episode, I talk to world-leading sleep researcher, author of the international best-selling book ‘Why We Sleep’ and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, Matthew Walker. We discuss everything you ever needed to know about sleep. Matthew shares some brilliant tips to combat jet lag, explains how sleep can enhance athletic performance and decrease risk of injury and reveals just how much caffeine consumption can impact sleep. We explore the reasons behind the current global sleep-loss epidemic and how sleep deprivation can affect every aspect of our health – from our blood sugar levels and our risk of heart attack to our mental health. Finally, we discuss alcohol’s impact on sleep and the staggering financial costs associated with lost sleep. Matthew also shares what he has changed in his own life since starting his research. This is an invaluable conversation – I hope you enjoy it! Please note: Matthew has agreed to do a follow-up podcast to answer any questions you may still have about sleep. Listen and let me know which questions you would like me to put to Matthew via my closed Facebook group (Dr Chatterjee 4 Pillar Community Tribe), where you can also discuss other podcast episodes and any lifestyle changes that you are trying to make. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/70 Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

10 Juli 20191h 33min