Today’s episode is about a topic that I am truly passionate about - the introduction of social media and smartphones into all aspects of our lives - and what impact this is having on us individually, collectively and, perhaps most urgently, what impact is this having on our children.   Jonathan Haidt is arguably one of the worlds’ most eminent psychologists. He is a Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business and the author of 4 best-selling books,...

It's easy to believe that we have to dedicate lots of time and energy to exercise. That, unless we're pushing ourselves to our limits, it's not worth doing. But my guest this week disagrees - as do I. 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 404 of the podcast with medical doctor and neuroscientist, Dr Tommy Wood. Like...

How often do you stop yourself from saying what you really think for fear of being rejected, punished, or not fitting in? Whether it's sharing our true thoughts at work, online, or with loved ones, self-censorship can prevent us from fully expressing ourselves and living authentically. It can also have profoundly negative consequences for our health and happiness.   This week’s guest is Africa Brooke, an internationally recognised consultant, accredited coach, public speaker and podcaster....

Cold showers, icy plunge pools, outdoor swimming – are you a fan, or does the very idea make you shiver?  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 322 of the podcast with Dr Susanna Søberg. Susanna is arguably one of the leading researchers on the topic of cold water immersion therapy. Her research on the physiology of...

Have you ever thought about the role that rituals play in our health and wellbeing? Whether it's a morning routine, a pre-game warmup, or a cultural tradition, rituals can provide us with structure, meaning, and connection.   Today’s guest is Professor Michael Norton, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and author of the brand new book, The Ritual Effect: The Transformative Power of Our Everyday Actions, which delves into the science and psychology behind, why...

Today’s guest is the oldest person I’ve ever welcomed onto my show, and what a great pleasure it was for me to do so.  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 394 of the podcast with Dr Gladys McGarey. She’s 103 years old, co-founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, and author of the fantastic book, The...

Today’s guest passionately believes that the decisions we make every day about what we eat, have a huge influence on our overall health. Dr William Li is a medical doctor, internal medicine specialist, research scientist and the author of the 2 international bestsellers, Eat to Beat Disease and Eat To Beat Your Diet. He works in a field of research called Food as Medicine and having been involved with the development of many different drugs over the past few decades, he is passionate about...

Today’s guest shares a simple daily habit that can help us calm the fight-or-flight system and manage the build up of daily stress. 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 278 of the podcast with natural lifestyle coach and record-breaking barefoot endurance athlete, Tony Riddle. Tony believes that through connecting with...

What does the word forgiveness mean to you? If the very idea of letting go of a past hurt makes you feel indignant or upset, then listening to this podcast could be one of the best gifts you give yourself. Today’s guest wants us all to understand why forgiveness matters for our mental and physical health. Dr Frederic Luskin is a clinical psychologist, researcher and speaker who has been teaching at Stanford University for the past 30 years. As Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness...

CAUTION: This podcast episode contains swearing. Headaches, migraine, back, neck or joint pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia – they’re just some of the common causes of chronic pain, which is estimated to affect between a third to half of all UK adults, or just under 28 million of us. 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...

Today we’re going meta, as they say. Because this is a conversation about…conversation. More than that, it’s a deep and meaningful exchange about why effective, authentic dialogue is so important to humankind – and yet seemingly in decline. And who better to exchange words with on this topic, than my fellow ‘professional conversationalist’, Nihal Arthanayake.   You may know Nihal as an acclaimed broadcaster and TV presenter. He presents a national daytime show on BBC Radio 5 Live, which has...

So many of us struggle to make change in our lives, and each of us has our own journey ahead of us, but, as today’s guest highlights, life is short; all of us have less time than we think to make the changes we want to make. 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 320 of the podcast with best-selling author and speaker,...

We often think about our memories as a record of the past – but what if they’re only a selective and evolving version of it? Today’s guest is a world-leading memory expert who has a surprising message: we’re not supposed to remember everything. In fact, our brains are designed to forget. And much of what you experience today will be lost by tomorrow.   Dr Charan Ranganath is Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at the University of California at...

Today’s guest shares evidence-based principles that will help all of us protect our brain health. 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 330 of the podcast with science journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Max Lugavere. Max is on a mission to help people feel better, live longer, and maximise their brain...

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains mild swear words and themes of an adult nature.   This week, I have decided to re-release a conversation that originally came out over three years ago, all the way back in March 2021. Since then, this podcast has attracted many new listeners who perhaps will not have heard this particular conversation. And to me, this is an episode that speaks to one of the most important topics when it comes to improving our health and happiness - compassion. But I'm...

By the end of today’s episode, I’m pretty sure you’ll feel inspired to reconnect with an old friend, phone that family member you don’t see enough of, or make plans for a face-to-face get-together. You’ll feel happier, and even be healthier, if you do because the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives. 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...

Since his first appearance on Feel Better Live More, way back in 2018, Dr Gabor Maté has become a valued friend, as well as a regular guest. I’m proud to say that he recently joined me in London as a guest speaker on the Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine course that I co-created with Dr Ayan Panja, to teach healthcare professionals the principles of lifestyle medicine.    We recorded this conversation - Gabor’s 4th appearance on my show - a couple of weeks ago in London the day before that...

Today’s guest asserts that the way we encounter reality is a construction. Our thoughts and perceptions are merely interpretations of external and biological cues. We’re all hallucinating, all the time. It’s just that when we agree on those hallucinations, we call it reality. 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 366 of...

Over the past five years, it’s been incredible to see how the alcohol-free landscape has changed. Pubs, restaurants and supermarkets boast a range of appealing 0% options. We’re seeing a rise in AF communities, influencers, bars and events. There has been a marked cultural shift towards acceptance of not drinking – and that’s in no small part down to today’s guest. Andy Ramage is one of the world’s leading alcohol-free performance coaches. Since his first appearance on this podcast, in 2019,...

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in life, unable to break free from limiting beliefs and habits?  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 380 of the podcast with globally renowned brain coach Jim Kwik. In this clip Jim explains how the 3Ms of Mindset, Motivation and Method can keep you stuck in limiting beliefs but...

My philosophy as a doctor has always been connect first, educate second. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. And this goes for all relationships, not just doctor-patient. Good communication is something we’d all like to master. And today’s guest, Charles Duhigg, author of Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, is here to help us do it. A graduate of Harvard Business School and Yale College, Charles has won a prestigious Pulitzer...

Breathing is information for our brain and body, and stress and our breath are intimately linked.  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 318 of the podcast with clinical psychologist Dr Nicole Le Pera. In this clip, she shares some simple yet powerful breathing techniques that can help us reduce stress. Thanks to our...

Today I’m thrilled to welcome my dear friend, Helen Hall back to the podcast. Helen is a movement therapist, a running coach, a pain expert and one of the best coaches in any modality that I have ever come across. She has had a lifelong passion for analysing posture and movement, and her clients include elite athletes, whether they be runners, cyclists or premier league footballers, but also everyday folk who simply want to walk or run pain-free.   She combines objective clarity from the most...

Do you struggle with perfectionism? Do you always feel that you are not achieving enough? Or doing enough? Or being enough? 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 354 of the podcast with award-winning journalist and author of the bestselling book ‘The Status Game’, Will Storr. Will argues that as humans, we’re...

Twenty percent of obese people are in metabolically great health. Meanwhile sixty percent of supposedly ‘healthy’ weight people are metabolically unwell and at risk of a host of chronic diseases. With this in mind, do we need to change our thinking about what ‘being fat’ really means? Today, I’m thrilled to welcome back Dr Robert Lustig, a leading public health authority who for many years has been trying to expose the truth behind the food industry and the many myths within modern medicine....