This episode is a podcast share with Craig Harper, host of The You Project Podcast.  In this wide-ranging conversations, Craig and I discuss a wide range of psychological phenomenon, from the placebo effect and how t harness it, to dodgy clinical trials and self-esteem bullshit. Enjoy...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Trudy Boyle, an expert in Japanese Psychology, who specialises in running courses for people with chronic illness. Trudy formerly had cancer and used the techniques from Japanese Psychology to help her get through that period and for the last 11 years, Trudy has run programs on Living well with Cancer at Wellspring Calgary and has now published a book on thesubject.   In the podcast, we discuss the practical application of Japanese Psychology  concepts, including ikigai, arugamama and kaizen. Check out her book, Ikigai and Illness: A Guide to Living Fully with Purpose, Meaning and Joyful Moments. Although the title suggests that it's for people with illness, I think all of us would benefit from the principles and teachings of this book.  Also check out Trudy's website for more information and some excellent resources and if you are living with an illness, check out Trudy's online course in conjunction with the ToDo institute.  The Better You program, click here For those interested in to find out more and access early-bird pricing until July 12th.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s interview is with a very special person, who I also have the pleasure of calling a friend. Ron Smith has had a pretty amazing journey, including being an apprentice jockey professional boxer, ultra-endurance athlete and reformed alcoholic, who at 77 years old, inspires many people, young and old, to a journey of lifelong health and fitness.   If you are interested in improving your life with The Better You program, click here for more info. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's wide-ranging interview, I speak to Harvard-educated Elan Divon, an author, speaker, entrepreneur, podcast host and founder of the Divon Academy - an organisation that prepares professionals and students for success in this age of disruption by teaching critical soft skills - more on this at www.divonacademy.com Over the last decade Elan has translated his passion into helping people of all ages develop their potential. He has worked with CEO’s, business leaders, billionaires, as well as the homeless. He directed a peace camp for Palestinian and Israeli teenagers, traveled the world and  co-founded the Einstein Legacy Project; a global initiative that helps find and empower the world’s next generation of creative minds. Elan is a trailblazer in the field of personal and professional development and his unique 'initiation' philosophy combines learning by doing with habit formation strategies and hacking of mental limitations to unlock human potential.In todays's session, we discuss the negative impact of modern life on critical human skills, the importance of initiation, the impact of technological change on the future workplace and what you can do about it all. Elan also talks about the importance of micro-credentials and shares some great tips for dealing with stress and getting your dream job. Enjoy...For those interested the BETTER YOU PROGRAM, delivered by Paul & Carly Taylor, click the link here  for more info.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Its something that we could all use at times - an increase in will-power or self-control. In this episode, I go into some iconic research studies in this area that reveal just how much of an influence that it has on our success in life. Then, more importantly, I go into a number of proven strategies for enhancing our self-control, under the structure of Angela Duckworth and James Gross 'Process model of self-control'.Read more on Roy Baumeister here.Check out the Dundein study that I reference here.Check out the paper by Duckworth and Gross here. Check out this useful article on strategies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's episode is a solo one with yours truly, where I dig into the science of how exercise improves our mental health, boosts our cognition and reduces our risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders.There are a few patches of geeky science stuff, but that is balanced out with practical recommendations at the end.Please share with anyone who's interested in good mental and cognitive health.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the second part of the interview with Lee Ellis.   Lee is a retired United States Air Force Colonel, award-winning author, speaker, and consultant. He was shot down and captured in the Vietnam war and spend 5 ½ years as a POW, including time at the notorious Hanoi Hilton. Lee’s military decorations include a Bronze star, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart.Lee is now an on the subjects of leadership and human performance, organisational integrity, operational effectiveness, and personal accountability.You can check out Lee's website and great books and other products here.international speaker and consultantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is a very special individual. Lee Ellis is a retired United States Air Force Colonel, award-winning author, speaker, and consultant. He was shot down and captured in the Vietnam war and spend 5 ½ years as a POW, including time at the notorious Hanoi Hilton. Lee’s military decorations include a Bronze star, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal and a Purple Heart.Lee is now an on the subjects of leadership and human performance, organisational integrity, operational effectiveness, and personal accountability.You can check out Lee's website and great books and other products here.Here's what we discuss:Start - How Lee came to join the military3:24 - Going through military training6:04 - Getting assigned to the Vietnam war7:51 - The experience of getting shot down & captured15:50 - Arriving at the Hanoi Hilton POW camp17:14 -  Torture & resistance25:56 - How aircrew personality profiles helped27:44 - The TAP CODE & POW culture32:31 - Heroic leaders in the POW camps 36:02 - The most challenging aspects of captivity39:29 - The importance of meaning & purpose41:59 - Humour & optimism45:50 - On finding out they were going home50:23 - Getting back home & readjustinginternational speaker and consultantSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Guest today is a qualified nutritional medicine practitioner and now Head of Healthcare Operations and Development for Queensland-based microbiome testing and research company, Microba. Hayley Parcel leads a team of healthcare professionals to drive clinical understanding and implementation of gut microbiome analysis at Microba and today we do a truly fascinating deep dive into what cutting-edge research is telling us about the contents of your large intestine, and the implications for personalised nutrition. You can oder a gut microbiome test directly though Microba here.If you're a health professional that's interested in working with Microba, click here.Here's what we talk about in the podcast:4:38 - Microba company beginnings5:44 - An overview of the gut microbiome 7:56 - Technological advances in gut microbiome analysis10:09 - Your 2-way relationship with your microbiome11:33 - Probiotics vs prebiotics14:58 - Why you can't out-supplement a bad diet21:28 - The microbiome in human health & disease23:04 - The microbiome and mental health27:00 - Insights from fecal transplants29:57 -  Early life influences on your microbiome32:05 - The microbiome and your immune system35:38 - The impacts of different diets44:50 - Shotgun metagenomics technology for microbiome anlaysis47:55 - Microba and health practitioners49:28 - Getting your own microbiome tested51:52 - The future of microbiome researchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Jonas Salzgeber, author of the Little book of Stoicism. On his quest to be the best he can be, Jonas stumbled upon Stoicism – and got hooked. He digested everything he could on the subject and ended up writing a brilliant book full of practical advice on the most important step: to put the wisdom from book page to action.At the core of this actionable philosophy lies the goal of leading a happy life, especially in the face of adversity and In today’s podcast, we discuss Stoic strategies to help you become ready to deal effectively with whatever life throws at you. Check out Jonas' blog with his brother - NJlifehacks.com, where you can get a great free download of 20 stoicism exercises,  as well as The Little Book of Stoicism here.Here's what we discuss:Start -  How Jonas came to write the book12:35 - The Stoic Sage17:33 - Amor Fati22:50 - The impermanence of things26:57 - Morning & evening routines33:20 - Voluntary discomfort36:56 - Play your given roles well42:15 - Taking back your time44:00 - Count your blessings45:40 - Be good, do goodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.