Break Free from Burnout: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less with Cal Newport #466

We know how vital what we eat is for our physical health. What’s less widely appreciated, despite a wealth of evidence, is just how important the right foods are for our brain and mental health. But my guest today is here to turn the science into easy steps we can all put into action. Dr Drew Ramsay is a psychiatrist and a leader in the emerging field of nutritional psychiatry. He’s assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Colombia University and founded The Brain Food Clinic in New York. Drew’s book, Eat To Beat Depression And Anxiety: Nourish Your Way To Better Mental Health In Six Weeks is a powerful prescription for optimising your mental health through diet. His clinic incorporates evidence-based nutrition and integrative psychiatry treatments with psychotherapy, coaching, and responsible medication management. He believes everyone working in the field of mental health should be talking about nutrition – and I couldn’t agree more. Over his 20 years as a practising doctor, Drew became frustrated that the robust data confirming a relationship between food and mental health wasn’t making it through to doctors, let alone patients. With depression being the most disabling illness in the world, he’s made it his mission to bring the evidence on nutritional prevention and cure to the masses. The trick, he says, is to find foods that do one of two things. They either feed your gut microbes and fight inflammation (linked to both depression and dementia) or they put your brain in ‘grow mode’. And which foods do these things? Drew reveals his ‘power players’ in our conversation, giving specifics on different nutrients and how they work in the body. He simplifies the research on foods that can treat depression – such as the famous SMILEs trial. And he provides a super-helpful, realistic guide to changes you can make right now (that don’t have to be expensive). Mental well-being is such an important topic and Drew’s work is so valuable. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who wants to do the best by their brain.   Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/212 Follow me on https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on https://www.facebook.com/DrChatterjee 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.

26 Okt 20211h 38min

I’m excited to announce I’ve just launched a brand new daily podcast called Built to Thrive, exclusively on Amazon Music. Instead of today’s usual Bitesize episode, I’ve decided to share episode 1 of the new podcast for you to enjoy.   In just five minutes, Monday to Friday, Built to Thrive offers simple tips, hacks, motivation and advice aimed at helping you feel your best, mentally and physically. There's a new theme each week, with every day offering a new opportunity to improve the way you feel, whatever your starting point.   If you enjoyed listening you can listen for free every day, Monday to Friday, by clicking here https://amazon.co.uk/BuiltToThrive   Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore   Follow me on https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on https://www.facebook.com/drchatterjee Follow me on https://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.

21 Okt 202113min

CAUTION: This episode contains themes of an adult nature.   Before he came to see me today, my guest John McAvoy took a walk around Strangeways prison. For a former inmate, that might sound an unlikely way to start the day. But for John, it’s the sort of thing he does on a regular basis, to remind himself where he’s come from. This is John’s third appearance on the podcast, but for those new to his story, he was a teenager raised into a life of organised crime. By the age of 18 he was one of the UK’s most notorious armed robbers and was sentenced to two life sentences. John spent 10 years in maximum-security prisons but during that time he transformed his life, describing his release as a ‘rebirth’. Today John’s not just a record-breaking, Nike-sponsored athlete, he’s a man on a mission to make amends and make sure no other child goes that same route into crime. Through initiatives like his Open Doors campaign, to give young people access to school sports facilities during holidays, he’s inspiring new generations to rewrite their stories. But it’s not just youngsters John’s experience and wisdom speaks to. He’ll be too modest to agree with me, but I hear a spirituality and philosophy in his words that we can all benefit from. Our deep and honest discussion covers John’s move to the Alps to live a simple life, rejecting the wealth he could easily command. We talk about connection, forgiveness, the importance of not judging people – and we even ponder the meaning of life. I’m struck by how people like John, who have achieved incredible self-transformation, are the perfect figureheads to help inspire and create positive change in society. He’s a master of storytelling who uses his own, unique experience to give us access to new perspectives. I really hope you enjoy this conversation.    Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/210   Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on https://www.facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on https://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.

19 Okt 20212h 5min

We all want to be happy, but what truly brings us happiness is often not what we think.   Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.   Today’s clip is from episode 54 of the podcast with behavioural scientist and author of the books ‘Happy Ever After’ and ‘Happiness by Design’, Professor Paul Dolan.   Paul believes that happiness is subjective and if we free ourselves from the myth of the perfect life, we can each create a life that’s worth living. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/54   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.

14 Okt 202114min

My guest today is a revolutionary thinker and ground-breaking scientist who’s on a mission to make you younger. And if that sounds promising, you’ll be pleased to know this podcast contains practical advice you can start to follow today.   He’s Australian biologist and Harvard professor David Sinclair, author of Lifespan: Why We Age – And Why We Don’t Have To. David is one of the world’s leading scientific authorities on longevity, ageing and how to slow its effects. His research interest is the epigenetics of ageing and how we can reprogramme our genes to stop and even reverse it. That’s right – reverse the ageing process. And when you listen to him explain the science, it’s not as crazy as it sounds.   The key to staying young, he explains, is inducing hormesis, a state of survival in our bodies, and you don’t need a lab to do it. Simple habits like skipping meals, eating more plants and less meat, certain types of exercise, and hot/cold therapies can create just enough adversity to switch on our bodies’ longevity genes.   David’s goal is not vanity. It’s not to make us young for the sake of it. Instead, he’s shining a spotlight on ageing as the root cause of all the major chronic diseases that ultimately kill us. Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, dementia – his research suggests they could all be eliminated if we looked at the common cause, instead of treating the end symptoms.   Of course, this would result in a population who spent significantly more time on earth, so we discuss the ethical questions this raises in the light of our climate and economic crises. Would ageing really be better described as a disease than a natural, inevitable process? This conversation contains so many thinking points and lots of practical tips that we can all start to apply immediately. Would you want to live to 150, if you could do so in full health?   CAUTION: If you have type-2 diabetes or are on any blood sugar lowering medications, talk to a healthcare professional before you go for prolonged periods without eating.   Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/208   Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Follow me on https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee 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.

12 Okt 20212h 17min

When was the last time you were truly alone? When we take some time away from the storm of information we receive every day, the benefits can be transformative.   Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.   Today’s clip is from episode 66 of the podcast with mountain runner and global icon, Kilian Jornet.   One of the incredible feats Kilian has achieved is climbing Everest twice in one week, and in this clip, he explains why we need to spend time alone in order to connect with ourselves and live our best lives. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/66 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.

7 Okt 202112min

This week’s episode is all about the immune system and my guest is Dr Roger Seheult. He is a California based medical doctor, who practises as a critical care doctor also specialising in pulmonology and sleep.    Although you might expect an intensive care doctor to be concerned only with emergency medicine and quick fixes, Dr Seheult is really passionate about prevention. And when it comes to understanding inflammation and immunity, I can’t think of a better person to explain the science. Whether you’re worried about coronavirus, you want to avoid other winter bugs, or your goal is fending off chronic disease, I think you will find this conversation really useful.   We begin by discussing the link between inflammation and immunity. We speak in depth about the link between low vitamin D levels and coronavirus, how it might be used as both preventive and treatment, and exactly how much we should all be taking. Vitamin D is produced on exposure to sunlight, which leads us to talk about the importance of light – and dark – at the right times, for our circadian rhythms. This of course impacts on sleep and what Roger has to say about its vital role in immunity might just persuade any night owls out there to turn in early tonight.   From hot and cold therapies to nutritional supplements, food to forest bathing, stress-relief to spirituality, there’s so much useful stuff here. I hope you enjoy this conversation and can use it as a toolkit for feeling your best as we head into the colder months. Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/206 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Follow me on https://www.instagram.com/drchatterjee Follow me on https://www.facebook.com/DrChatterjee Follow me on https://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.

5 Okt 20212h 4min

Stress is a physiological cycle that has a beginning, a middle and an end. And by understanding how to complete the stress response cycle, you can get rid of the stress even if you can’t remove the stressor. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 60 of the podcast with authors of the book ‘Burnout: The Secret to Solving the Stress Cycle’, Drs Emily and Amelia Nagoski. In this clip, they explain the importance of understanding the stress cycle, and the powerful and practical tools we can all use to minimise stress in our lives. Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemore Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3oAKmxi. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/60 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.

30 Sep 202114min