Celebrating 50 episodes, a meditation to get you through stressful and uncertain times. Also prompted by the European Elections, this spontaneous and unplugged episode looks at the emotions of frustration, uncertainty, anger and disappointment. I share my thoughts on how we can help manage these emotions in a way that builds resilience, and taps into our inner resources. We look at getting out into nature, expressing gratitude, and cultivating perspective. The episode ties up with a two-part...

Your immune system and your brain communicate. We now know that the brain also has it's own immune system in the form of microglia cells. Professor Hugh Perry has studied microglia cells since the 1980's. In this fact filled episode, he eloquently describes the microglia cells, how they move from a resting to activated state and their role and function as the immune cells of the brain. Using Alzheimer's disease as an example, he discusses the role of microglia and the attempts to modulate...

Do you ever think about how you breathe? The breath is one of the only autonomic nervous processes that you can also actively and consciously control. This means controlling the breath can access control over the nervous system. This week's guest, Niraj Naik, also known as 'The Renegade Pharmacist' has pioneered a methodology that incorporates ancient, pranayama-based breathing techniques with rhythm and music. Niraj talks about the profound effects that breath work techniques can have on our...

Is your body responding well to the physical demands you place on it? Many physical injuries are caused by not being correctly prepared. My guest this week is Scott Livingston, certified athletic therapist and strength and conditioning coach to professional and olympic athletes. Scott joins us to talk about Reconditioning, a holistic approach to sport injuries that views the athlete as a whole. In addition, it also facilities the seamless integration of various treatment modalities by...

Why do we no longer respect and value our elders? Today's youth obsessed culture has forced us to pursue youthfulness at all costs and deny ageing. In this week's solo episode, I challenge this paradigm and explore our perceptions that ageing is a slow path to disease, decrepitude and dementia. I explore how ageing has it's positive aspects and that elders have a valuable role to play in society. The responsibility lies in our hands to learn how our minds and bodies can be cared for to...

The incidence of chronic disease is rising rapidly. Simultaneously, the costs of healthcare are also rising and are not sustainable. In addition, the medical outcomes for many conditions are less than satisfactory. Something is clearly not working. Fortunately, a paradigm shift in the approach to healthcare is taking place as the `UK government has announced a program of Universal Social Prescribing within the National Health Service. Instrumental in this program is my guest, Dr Micheal...

Do you eat on the go or late at night? The ancient practice of Ayurveda works on the basis of doshas to understand a person's psycho-physiology and the interaction with the environment and time. Jillian Lavender returns to share her insights into how to adopt simple and easy Ayurvedic practices into our busy, modern lives. She discusses the doshas, what they mean to an individual and how nature's cycles also express doshas. Jillian discusses the tenant of Ayurveda, which is to prevent the...

Herbal medicine was the only medicine for thousands of years and the precursor to modern pharmaceuticals. The healing power of plants is the passion of this week's guest, Simon Mills, who is a world authority on herbal medicine. Simon shares his wisdom on how herbal remedies work differently to pharmaceuticals and how the formulation of these remedies is holistic and bespoke to the person. He discusses the medicine cabinet in your kitchen and the role of herbs and spices in diet and the...

Allergies are on the rise, but why do we get them in the first place? In this week's episode I discuss the main theories for why we get allergies and what occurs at a cellular level when an allergic reaction takes place. The choice of conventional therapies is relatively limited, but there are several lifestyle, dietary and supplement changes that we can make to help alleviate the symptoms and support the immune system. There are recognised alternative therapies that may help sufferers of...

Your heart sends more signals to the brain than the other way round! In this fascinating interview, Rollin McCraty, Scientific Director of the HeartMath Institutes, explains how the heart can actually regulate brain activity and the implications of that for health, wellbeing, performance and resilience. He discusses the concept of heart coherence and the relevance of our emotions and that we can actively learn how to self regulate. He also talks about the ability of the heart to influence...

Only about 10% of people who suffer a cardiac arrest survive. Matt Brown is luckily one of those 10% and this week he shares his journey to recovery. In this candid and inspirational interview, Matt relays the sequence of events that followed his cardiac arrest, the fact that CPR saved his life, the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, the consequences of being in an induced coma, and the subsequent neurological problems he had to face. He talks about the incredible value of...

Modern life is more challenging than ever before. The ability to not only bounce back from adversity, but actually bounce forward and adapt is known as resilience and is a powerful quality of being human. Sadly, the rise in mental disease and chronic diseases seems to indicate a lack of resilience in many people. Professor David Peters is the Medical Director of the Centre for Resilience at the University of Westminster in London. In this episode he defines resilience in terms of our ability...

Warm, loving relationships are essential to our emotional and physical health. In a time where many people are isolated, disconnected and lonely, it's all the more important to learn the art of warm loving relationships. In this week's episode, relationship therapist and coach, Fiorella Martin discusses how virtual relationships are no substitute for the real thing. She shares her insight into the basic fundamentals of all types of relationships and what can go wrong. We discuss the emotional...

Modern societies eat far too much processed food, leading to unhealthy diets and disease. Heather Richards, a certified nutritionist and educator is passionate about Real Food. In this episode she outlines what constitutes real food and why it's vital to control your blood sugar levels. We discuss the pitfalls of food labels and starchy carbohydrates. She shares vital information for vegans regarding supplementation and discusses the difference between plant and animal sources of Omega 3...

Are you embracing your natural sleep patterns and internal clock? Circadian Rhythms are almost a hallmark of life and regulate vital processes in the brain and body, including sleep. In this episode, Professor Russell Foster shares his research and insight into how the human eye sets our master clock in the brain and the implications for orienting ourselves to out external environment and ensuring healthy sleep. He discusses why sleep is so important and how disrupted sleep has serious...

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Medical Acupuncture is a Western take on the traditional, usually practiced by trained medical professionals. Dr Mike Cummings is Medical Director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) and a practicing acupuncturist. In this episode he describes the current scientific understanding of how acupuncture works as well as discussing if, when and with whom it works the best. Mike describes the application...

A failed suicide attempt left Debbie Hampton severely brain injured. Her journey to recovery showed Debbie that she had always had the power to heal her body, her mind and her life. Debbie shares these insights in this week's episode. She describes her gradual decline in emotional and mental health that culminated in the suicide attempt and the subsequent road to recovery. Learning to master her thoughts and emotions together with physical exercises and a healthy diet, she managed to harness...

We spend one third of our lives asleep. Wouldn't it be great if we could use some of that time consciously to deal with issues that plague us in real life? Charlie Morley is a bestselling author and teacher of lucid dreaming & shadow integration. A Tibetan Buddhist and dream yoga practitioner, Charlie teaches people how to lucid dream, and specific practices that use this unique state of consciousness while sleeping to achieve certain goals. In this episode we discuss what is lucid...

There is much confusion around Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and this week's guest, consultant gynaecologist Dr Michaela Schaefer, sorts out the confusion and discusses the mode of action, merits, safety and indications of HRT. However , she also focuses intently on the patient and the surrounding factors such as lifestyle, family dynamics and psychological status. She discusses the changes that take place in the lives and bodies of her patients and how important self care and acceptance...

What is addiction really? In this episode Lucy and Alex da Silva join me to discuss their own views in this subject based on personal experience and that of their clients. An addiction therapist and life coach, Lucy and Alex share their insights into the emotional nature of addiction. We discuss to what extent trauma and the inability to process negative emotion lie at the heart of addictive behaviour. Is addiction even a thing, or simply a human mechanism to change the way we feel that can...

When did your doctor last ask you about what was happening in your life when you got sick? Never? That's the first question this week's guest, Dr Christine Page asks. A pioneer in the field of healthcare for over 40 years, she is a holistic physician practicing soul medicine. Mind body and spirit around the central soul. In this episode we discuss the type of medicine that Christine believes should be practiced, empowering the patient and rooted in community. She also discusses her particular...

Today marks 30 episodes and six months of London Heal. An appropriate landmark to review what we've learned so far. Talking to a variety of guests be they scientists, physicians, therapists or activists, the central theme emerges. Optimal health and wellbeing comes from the active pursuit of a healthy mind, body and spirit. A look back at what we've learned in terms of getting our minds on board, a review of the main features of looking after our bodies, be it exercise, nutrition or sleep. A...

Stress, fatigue, anxiety and insomnia are just some of the ailments of modern life that can be addressed with meditation. Vedic meditation is the world's most ancient form of this practice, and Jillian Lavender co-director of the London (and New York) Meditation Centre joins me today to share her wisdom and expertise. A meditation teacher since 2003, Jillian explains the specific aspects of Vedic meditation and how it differs from other forms. She describes how to start a meditation practice...

Epilepsy affects at least 300,000 people in the UK - just over 60,000 of these people are children under the age of 16 (Epilepsy Society). Emma Williams MBE is the founder and CEO of Matthew's Friends, a non profit organisation she set up to help families of adults and children with epilepsy follow medical ketogenic diets. Following her own experience with her son, Matthew, she is a staunch advocate and activist to allow those affected by epilepsy have access to this diet and potentially...

An increasing number of people are experiencing a gender identity that does not wholly correlate with the gender they were assigned at birth. This has led to the field of Gender Identity in psychotherapy and new ways to support people suffering from gender dysphoria or being very unhappy with their assigned gender. This is a complicated subject that is eloquently addressed by this week's guest, Michelle Bridgman. Shelley is a psychotherapist, a professional speaker and author. She is in the...