Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Think back four or five weeks ago. How much of what you were engaged in then seems relatively trivial now? How much has the experience of coronavirus already clarified what your values really are? When you see people standing in the street, clapping for their healthcare workers; or Europeans on their balconies, serenading each other through lockdown, how does that make you feel? For this week’s podcast, I was honoured to welcome back Dr Gabor Maté, one of the most important voices globally on health, compassion and addiction, to discuss the life lessons that might emerge from this pandemic. This podcast contains tremendous insights on the value of sitting with our feelings; how we can avoid passing our anxieties on to our kids; as well as why some of us can be so judgemental of others during a crisis. Whilst we both fully endorse the medical advice on staying at home, we discuss the social and economic damage that is arising from this essential policy. What will the consequences of isolation be on our mental health? And afterwards – will we be so grateful to go back to our lives that we’ll forget the lessons we’ve learned? Or, could this challenge be the biggest opportunity for growth we’ve ever lived through, personally and as a society? Listen now to find out.  Show notes available at: https://drchatterjee.com/106 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 Apr 20201h 24min

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing and themes of an adult nature. Having written a book about the importance of connections, Johann Hari was the obvious choice to help me shed light on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting this key human need. In this podcast, his work on how loneliness affects depression and anxiety provides insight, understanding and practical solutions to help us through. We start by talking about what Johann says is the biggest cause of emotional difficulties – financial insecurity. Of course, things are moving fast and since this podcast was recorded, the UK government has announced support for the self-employed, too. But people are understandably worried how they’ll cope until help filters through. A YouGov survey suggests many are already borrowing money only one week into the current UK lockdown. Johann believes that asking our political representatives to address this is a vital way to feel connected, value our key workers and safeguard our mental health. We also discuss how shared experience and meaning can be a way out of loneliness. Johann gives some extraordinary examples of people who’ve managed to find meaning and affect positive change in the face of huge adversity. We’re all familiar with post-traumatic stress, but there’s emerging evidence that more people actually experience growth as a result of trauma. They re-evaluate, reset their values, life in many ways gets better for them. Could this be the way we all move through – and beyond – this global crisis? It’s a lot to get your head around, but it’s a powerful message to hear. Take care, stay safe and be kind.  Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/105 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.

1 Apr 20201h 13min

The world is changing and people are feeling scared. What we regard as normal has been completely flipped on its head. What we need now more than ever is kindness. When you’re kind to someone, it’s not just that person who benefits. Kindness makes you happier. It’s good for your heart. It helps support your immune system. It slows ageing. It improves relationships. And it’s contagious – any small act of kindness you might perform is proven to have a ripple effect that reaches over 100 more people and I can’t think of a better message to put out there in these unique and uncertain times. My guest this week is David Hamilton, a pharmacist-turned-author with a special interest in how the mind affects the body, and vice versa. We chat about his fascination with the placebo effect and the many studies that demonstrate how the brain actually changes – and the body heals – in response to certain information. We talk at length about oxytocin, which David calls ‘the kindness hormone’, and how it’s the main contributor to heart health outside exercise. And he explains why kindness is the opposite of – and antidote to – stress. If you’re feeling powerless, or that any efforts you make at the moment are insignificant, I really hope that listening to this podcast will help. It was recorded back in February, before the scale of this pandemic could be known. And yet it feels timely to release it now, as a reminder of what is within our control, when so many other factors aren’t.  Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/104 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 Mars 20201h 50min

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. As the world goes into lockdown to help manage the global pandemic of Coronavirus, many people are feeling anxious. This is a bonus conversation that I have recorded to help people deal with the anxiety that they are currently experiencing. Many people feel scared and helpless, which is completely understandable. In this episode, I speak to the behavioural neuroscientist and psychiatrist, Judson Brewer, who will help you understand how to keep your cool in these stressful times. We discuss what exactly fear and anxiety is, what happens in the brain when you start to feel anxious and, importantly, how you can break the anxiety cycle with some simple, practical exercises. We discuss breathing, physical activity, creative pursuits and much more, as well as how calmness is a skill that you can get better at, if you take the time to practice it. I think you will find this an incredibly useful podcast to help navigate the crazy world we are living in at the moment. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/103 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.

22 Mars 20201h 15min

Is it time we relearned to live in sync with the natural world? My guest this week asserts that, instead of sticking to the same habits and behaviours, year round, we should change with the seasons, as our ancestors did. Dallas Hartwig, co-author of The Whole-30 and nutritionist explains that how we eat, sleep, exercise and connect to the world in January should be different to how we do those things in July. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Intuitively, that sounds right. Yet how many of us consciously live by this, and allow ourselves to feel differently and act differently according to the season? In his new book, The Four Season Solution, Dallas theorises that our disconnection from our natural cycles is at the core of the modern-day stress epidemic and most chronic disease. We wake before dawn, stay up long after dusk, live with artificial lighting, heating and air con. We eat unseasonal food, flown across the globe, and use stimulants like sugar, caffeine and alcohol, which further disrupt our circadian rhythms. During our chat, Dallas shares some game-changing ideas that I think explain lots of the current debates in nutrition, fitness and wellness – especially when it comes to explaining why different diets work for different people, and at different times. This is an eye-opening conversation that will really make you re-assess your lifestyle – I hope you enjoy it! Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/102 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 Mars 20202h 10min

My guest on this week’s podcast is living proof that trauma doesn’t have to break you – that your start in life needn’t determine where you’ll end up.  Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is one of just six female chief fire officers in the UK, and a psychologist with a PhD in behavioural neuroscience. She’s also an ambassador for The Big Issue, which she sold on the streets while experiencing homelessness as a teenager – something she describes as the worst, most dehumanising experience of her life. And yet, as you’ll hear in this episode, it helped create the grit, resilience, empathy and compassion that’s made her the incredible human being she is today.  Sabrina talks us through her amazing journey from childhood trauma through homelessness, harassment and onto academic and professional excellence. She shares the experiences that lead her to research the psychology behind how and why we make the decisions we do when under pressure. Her work explores the tension between instinct and procedure, gut decisions versus protocol. And her findings have revolutionised not just how the UK Fire Service works, they’ve been adopted across many areas of industry and won 10 science awards globally. This podcast, recorded in front of a live audience at the Life Lessons festival, is one of the shortest conversations I’ve released, and yet it’s absolutely packed with Sabrina’s enthralling stories, powerful lessons and practical advice. Her message – that every single one of us is stronger than we think – is a vital one. This is a truly life-affirming episode and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/101 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 Mars 20201h 5min

Spinach or kale? Jeans or tracksuit bottoms? Running or swimming? They’re not the usual questions my podcast guests have to ponder. But this week’s episode is a special (and occasionally silly) one – it’s our centenary so it’s me in the hot seat. I thought I’d take a break from interviewing and invite my good friend Dr Ayan Panja back on the show to ask the questions and have some fun. Of course, it’s not all banter. Among the many topics we cover, Ayan and I talk about the milestone of reaching 100 episodes and how the podcast has evolved in that time. We discuss what I get out of the podcasting process as host – it has taught me mindfulness, trust, self-belief and expanded the role of ‘doctor’ in ways I never expected. We also discuss our favourite episodes and what it is that makes some conversations just flow. And Ayan asks me that all-important question: what’s next? Whether you’re new to this podcast or you’ve been with me from the start, I’d like to say a huge thank you for being part of the Feel Better Live More community. If you have any ideas for how you’d like to see it develop, I’m all ears.  Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/100 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.

4 Mars 20201h 19min

How do you breathe? It might not be something you’ve ever given much thought to, but my guest on this week’s episode is convinced you should. Patrick McKeown believes breathing correctly – that is, through your nose, lightly, and slowly – is the secret to better health, fitness and overall wellbeing. Yet many of us are breathing through our mouths, breathing fast and shallow, and our health is suffering as a result. Patrick’s talks me through the science of exactly why it is that nasal breathing is so fundamental to health and he shares how learning it himself transformed his sleep, his anxiety levels and drastically reduced his need for asthma medication. We talk about how our emotions, sleep and breathing are all interlinked. Patrick also shares some incredible insights on the connection between breast-feeding and diet, mouth breathing as a child, jaw development and malocclusion (crooked teeth). The good news is it’s never too late to correct your breathing. Whether you suffer from breathlessness, nasal congestion, snoring, stress, or anxiety – or if you simply want to improve your performance in any area of life – this episode is packed with practical tips on doing just that. In fact, you can get started right away with some of his techniques as you listen.  CAUTION: Breath hold exercises are only suitable if you are in good health. If you have any concerns, consult your medical doctor before practicing any breathing exercises. You should never practice breath holds if you are in or near water, if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or any other medical condition.  Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/99 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.

26 Feb 20202h 16min