Compassion doesn’t just make us feel good, it can have powerful effects on our 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 138 of the podcast with Dr. Julian Abel - a retired consultant in palliative care.In this clip, he explains why compassion and social connection matter so much for our health, our happiness, and our longevity.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/138Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the UK, one in 14 people over 65 will develop dementia, with that figure rising to one in six once we’re over 80. It’s fair to say it’s the disease many people fear the most. But this podcast makes it clear that cognitive decline is not a natural or inevitable part of ageing. During the course of this conversation, returning guest Dr Tommy Wood outlines plenty of simple, enjoyable things that we can all start doing right now to improve our brain health and stave off age-related dementia. Dr Tommy Wood is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, US. He holds a degree in biochemistry from Cambridge, a medical degree from Oxford, achieved his PhD in physiology and neuroscience in Oslo, and has published papers and lectured across the globe. It’s fair to say that when it comes to brain health and longevity, he knows his stuff. We kick off our conversation with the empowering news that we can resist declining brain function simply by challenging ourselves more. We can make new cells, new connections and change the structure around them, harnessing the neuroplasticity of the brain. And it doesn’t matter if we’re 28 or 80, he says. MRI scans prove the brain can adapt at any age. Tommy explains the importance of rest, for the brain to consolidate all its new pathways, and nutrition to provide the fuel it needs to function well and grow. We talk about the role of B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids for brain development, and the fact there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to optimum diet. We also talk about the similarity between training your muscles and training your brain. And the research conclusively shows that the more muscle mass you have, and the more you move it, the lower your risk of cognitive decline. Tommy talks us through the types of exercises and the number of reps we need to do to gain muscle and brain benefits. And it's probably less than you think. We also cover the surprising value of video games, the importance of social connection, and why going to dance classes might just be the best thing you can do for your brain and body. This is a fantastic episode, jam packed with life-changing practical information. I hope you enjoy listening.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsors:https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemorehttps://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreOrder Dr Chatterjee's latest book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgpShow notes https://drchatterjee.com/316DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

‘People who score the highest for overall life satisfaction - meaning, purpose, wellbeing – those are the people with the most flow in their 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 my former guests.Today’s clip is from episode 189 of the podcast with Steven Kotler, a human performance expert.  In this clip, Steven explains the link between the flow state and happiness, and he gives some great tips to help you access flow state, avoid burnout, and feel and perform at your best.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/189Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CAUTION: Contains swearing and themes of an adult nature.Today’s guest has a remarkable life story which includes addiction, mental health struggles, eating disorders, guilt, shame and so much more. Bryony Gordon is a prominent mental health campaigner, a journalist and a bestselling author. Bryony’s latest book, Let Down Your Hair, is a novel about social media, mental health, self-esteem and body image. She’s also recently released a Sunday Times bestseller, No Such Thing As Normal: What My Mental Illness Has Taught Me About Mental Wellness in paperback form. You may be familiar with Bryony from her Telegraph column, her many books, or her Mad World podcast. Perhaps you’re one of the 206,000 people who follow her updates on Instagram. Or, maybe you know her as the Founder of peer support group Mental Health Mates. Even if you’re new to Bryony and her work, you’re about to get to know her pretty well, thanks to her hallmark honesty and authenticity when it comes to telling her story. We begin this conversation by talking about Bryony’s experience of obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD. This condition is often misunderstood, with people reducing it to being ‘just’ about excessive tidiness or needing things in order. But Bryony shares the reality of the dark, obsessive thoughts that ruled her life from her early teens. She’s unflinchingly honest about how it led her into alcoholism, drug addiction and bulimia. We also talk about her surprising relationship with marathon running, her new-found commitment to exercise for how it makes her feel, not how it makes her look and the coping mechanisms she uses to deal with the negative voices inside her head. Although she would be the first to say she’s a ‘work in progress’ – as all of us are – Bryony passes on some real gems of practical advice and encouragement throughout this conversation which is fun, uplifting and inspiring.Trigger Warning: This episode discusses eating disorders and may not be suitable for everyone.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsors:https://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemorehttps://www.athleticgreens.com/livemorehttps://www.calm.com/livemoreShow notes https://drchatterjee.com/314DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

We are living in the middle of a stress epidemic - the World Health Organization calls stress ‘the health epidemic of the twenty-first century’.  But what can we do about it?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 116 of the podcast with Dr. Tara Swart – neuroscientist, executive coach, and author of the best-selling book ‘The Source’.In this clip, she explains how to build micro-habits into your day that can increase your resilience to stress.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/116Support 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 instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was the last time someone was kind to you – or you did something kind for someone else? I’m sure you won’t have to think back far to find a few examples. And that’s because the world is a much kinder place than we might think. Today’s guest, Claudia Hammond, is an award-winning broadcaster, author, and psychology lecturer at the University of Sussex. In her latest book, The Keys to Kindness, she’s on a mission to encourage us to look out for the acts of kindness that are all around us. In this conversation, she shares the results of the world’s largest in-depth study on kindness, and highlights the wide range of mental and physical health benefits for both giver and receiver. We talk about what kindness and compassion really mean, and the huge range of ways we can make a difference. We discuss the fears and obstacles that prevent people from being kind, how to overcome them, and why we should practice more kindness in relationships, as well as in the workplace. Among many other topics, we also look at unkindness on social media, why empathy is a skill you can learn, and how being kind to others starts with being kind to yourself. I sometimes think kindness has a PR problem. It’s something we see as a bit throwaway, undervaluing it at best, dismissing it as ‘soft’ at worst. But by bringing us the psychology and neuroscience on why kindness matters, Claudia provides a powerful call to action to notice and create more of it in daily life. I hope this conversation inspires you to rise to the challenge.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore or https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsors:https://athleticgreens.com/livemorehttps://boncharge.com/livemorehttps://vivobarefoot.com/livemoreShow notes https://drchatterjee.com/312DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Stress can affect every aspect of our lives – our jobs, relationships, sleep, and mental 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 130 of the podcast with Dr. Deepak Chopra - someone who Time magazine has described as ‘one of the top heroes and icons of the century’.In this clip, Deepak shares some great practical tips and techniques to reduce stress and overwhelm and help us wake up to our true potential.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/130Support 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 instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.If you or someone close to you is one of them, you don’t need me to tell you it can be physically and emotionally draining. You probably feel like you’ve tried everything – so today’s podcast has the potential to be a life-changing listen for you. My guest is Dr Howard Schubiner, Director of the Mind Body Medicine Center in Michigan and author of Unlearn Your Pain: A 28-day Process to Reprogram Your Brain.Emerging neuroscience tells us our brains actually create what we experience in our bodies, through a process called predictive processing. Pain doesn’t come from the body part where it’s felt, it’s created by our brain, signalling that something needs attention. And as Howard explains, our emotions and stress activate the same pain centres in our brain as an injury. If you’ve ever had a broken heart and experienced chest pain? That’s what’s happening.The same thing occurs with chronic pain. In the vast majority of cases, there is no structural problem – such as injury, infection or a tumour – although of course these must be ruled out. Instead, your brain has created a neural pathway that remembers the pain and keeps you trapped in a vicious cycle. You fear the pain, that causes you stress, and the stress makes the pain real.And that is the absolute key here: it’s not ‘all in your head’, your pain is real. And there is something you can do about it. During this conversation, Howard reveals why the key is changing your narrative on pain. His revolutionary therapies – which you can easily access – have been proven to work not just with chronic pain but in other persistent conditions such as depression and anxiety, chronic fatigue and long Covid.We discuss the role healthcare practitioners can play in these conditions, through listening and empathy.Chronic pain isn’t a subject we’ve covered in depth on this podcast before, so I’m very pleased I have the chance to bring this important conversation to you. Howard is one of the leading researchers in this field and his work represents a game-changing, paradigm shift in thinking about how we approach this epidemic. I hope what you’ll take from this episode is that the power of your brain is immense, and that knowledge is power. I hope you enjoy listening.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore or https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsors:https://athleticgreens.com/livemorehttps://boncharge.com/livemorehttps://vivobarefoot.com/livemoreShow notes https://drchatterjee.com/310DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

CAUTION: This podcast episode contains swearing.By doing this one simple habit each morning you could experience transformative effects in your life.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 220 of the podcast with the wonderful Mel Robbins.Mel is one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the world and, in this clip, she explains how to take control of your life with her ‘High 5 Habit’.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/220Support 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 instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever felt held back by a habit or pattern of thinking that you feel powerless to break? Or perhaps felt frustrated by a loved one’s failure to see mistakes they’re repeating? The reason it’s so hard, says today’s guest, is that these actions are programmed into our subconscious minds from early childhood. And they affect not just our behaviour but our whole experience of life and even our risk of disease. The chances are we’re completely unaware of these programs but, importantly, we can change them. Dr Bruce Lipton began his career as a cell biologist graduating from the University of Virgina before joining the Department of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine in 1973. Today, he describes his work as bridging science and spirituality and in his bestselling book The Biology of Belief, he sets out the idea that our thoughts affect all the cells in our body. Bruce explains how, as children, our subconscious minds ‘download’ what we see and hear adults around us doing and saying – and these become the programs that drive our habits and thinking throughout life. Depending on our early experiences, they might be programs like ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘It’s my fault’ – and it’s not much of a leap to see how these might create unwanted behaviours as we grow up. Happily, we can cultivate self-awareness and learn to reprogram our minds, to create positive behaviour change. Bruce shares his practical guidance on how we can start to do that immediately. As we go on to discuss, reprogramming our minds can be incredibly liberating, affecting our happiness, confidence, health, work and relationships – with others and, crucially, with ourselves. This was a warm and empowering conversation with a wonderful, kind-hearted man. I hope you enjoy listening.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsors:https://www.athleticgreens.com/livemorehttps://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemorehttps://www.calm.com/livemoreOrder Dr Chatterjee's latest book Happy Mind, Happy Life: UK version: https://amzn.to/304opgJ, US & Canada version: https://amzn.to/3DRxjgpShow notes https://drchatterjee.com/308DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to 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.