The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

Long Covid will be the hallmark of the pandemic and is likely to affect hundreds of thousands of patients for years to come. But because the disease is so new, we have very limited information about how to treat it. Some patients are currently discharged from hospital with no formal recovery plan, which can result in a longer recovery process and prolonged side effects.So when I heard about the free 12-week specialist recovery programme from Nuffield Health, I wanted to learn more. In addition to physical rehabilitation, the programme includes topics such as coping with fatigue, managing breathlessness, anxiety, low mood, improving sleep and eating for recovery.I chat with Dr Ben Kelly who leads the Clinical Research, Outcomes and Data Science functions within Nuffield Health. Alongside his Nuffield Health responsibilities, Ben has acted as Head of Interdisciplinary Medicine & Technology at the Medical Research Council, with his clinical expertise in cardiology. Paula Moore also joins us and is a business graduate and certified health and life coach, spending most of her career in senior retail management who personally recovered from chronic stress and fatigue 6 years ago.We mention the term VO₂ max during the podcast a few times without defining it. Put simply, VO₂ max is the maximum rate of oxygen your body is able to use during exercise. The greater your VO₂ max, the more oxygen your body can consume, and the more effectively your body can use that oxygen to generate the maximum amount of ATP energy. Studies have shown that increasing your VO₂ max can help maintain your health and physical fitness well into your later years. This may have a role in recovery from Long Covid and mitigating symptoms such as fatigue and breathlessness.You can find out everything you need to know about the free 12-week recovery programme for people affected by the long-term symptoms of COVID-19 on thedoctorskitchen.com podcast show notes page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you got an exceptional relationship? And I don’t necessarily mean a romantic relationship, although that’s fantastic if you do, but I’m actually referring to any relationship where you can be your most authentic and vulnerable self. It could be a childhood friend, a work colleague, a family member or spouse. Somebody you can share your true thoughts with. A kind of relationship where you feel fully understood and supported for who you are - it can seem like magic. I’m lucky to say that I have a few of these relationships, but many of us struggle to build these solid connections at work, with friends or at home or perhaps we thought we had one but over time it has degraded?Strong relationships and connections have been shown to be associated with higher levels of life satisfaction, health and happiness. So it stands to reason that we should want to foster exceptional relationships?And the truth is that the process of building and sustaining these relationships can be described, learned and applied. And that’s exactly what my two guests on today’s podcast have done for decades at Stanford Business School's “Interpersonal relationships”, one of the most popular courses that the MBA programme offers.David Bradford is Eugene O'Kelly II Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Leadership at Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he helped develop Interpersonal Dynamics ("Touchy Feely").Carole Robin was the Dorothy J. King Lecturer in Leadership at Stanford, where she taught for more than twenty years before co-founding Leaders in Tech, which brings the principles and process of Interpersonal Dynamics to executives in Silicon Valley. Their new book, Connect is a book about exceptional relationships. Relationships that help us to become more self-aware, and compassionate, so we can build deep, fulfilling, personal connections with a wide range of people in every aspect of our lives. And it is quite simply one of the most moving books I’ve read.We talk about:Why the course is so popular amongst MBA students of all backgroundsHow they create epiphanies in a 10 week courseWhy soft skills are actually tough talks and courageous conversationsHow it has helped people in business, marriage, team culture, parenting and moreThe arc of a relationshipWhat’s a pinch and a crunch and why it’s important to address themThe importance of having a vocab of feelingsHow we can use conflict productivelyAppropriate authenticityMaya Angelou’s quote of ' I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel'. And how that applies to medicineTheir own working relationship – and how it almost went wrongThe Japanese art of Kintsugi. Putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of artTools in the toolkit of building exceptional relationshipsDo be sure to check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and information on this and all other episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today you will listen to one of the most incredible stories. So much so that it genuinely sounds as unbelievable as the plot of a Hollywood movie. Such is the journey of my friend and colleague Dr Waheed Arian.Born and raised in Afghanistan, Waheed’s childhood was spent fleeing from conflict. As early as the age of 5, he and his family fled their hometown in Kabul for the refugee camps of Pakistan taking the treacherous journey through the harsh terrain whilst dodging bombs and the Taliban. Once reaching the camps his family had to battle malaria, TB without proper access to medicine and healthcare.Littered with these experiences and genuinely fearing for his life. Waheed managed to escape Afghanistan leaving his family in Kabul at the age of 15 before he would have been conscripted by the Taliban to fight. He managed to find safety in the UK. He started work in multiple low wage jobs in the London area, sending his earnings back to support his family in the war zones. He decided to formally learn english, complete his A and AS levels. Applied to medicine and through sheer determination managed to achieve a place at Cambridge. He completed his clinical work at Imperial, which is where myself and Waheed crossed paths in the same year group. He did an elective at Harvard.If none of this was impressive enough Waheed went on to start radiology training and founded his pioneering charity “Arian Teleheal” that works directly with clinicians on the ground, and provides governments and global organizations with a blueprint for delivering innovative healthcare and education. Through a network of volunteers in the UK, doctors across Afghanistan have access to highly skilled and trained clinicians via encrypted social media platforms.Dr Arian has been recognized as a UNESCO Global Hope Hero, a UN Global Goals Goalkeeper, and was appointed to the WHO Roster of Digital Health Experts in 2019. In the UK, he has been awarded the Rotary International Peace Award and the prime minister's Points of Light Award.We talk about a number of things today, largely centred around Waheed’s story. How the seed of ambition was planted by a doctor that treated him for TB when he was 6 and how refugees are important and why it is critical to fight for their rights.You can read the full incredible story in Waheed's new book - In The Wars (linked here) - which has just recently been released - what a fascinating journey of ambition and sheer determination to succeed.The legendary BBC reporter John Simpson tells his story in a BBC documentary “Waheed’s Wars” - you can find the link on the show notes page of The Doctor's Kitchen Website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*Trigger Warning* On today’s show we discuss eating disordersToday I have a very honest conversation about eating disorders, negativity bias and the brain with Emma Guns and Katie Warriner.Katie is one of the UK’s leading Performance Psychologists, working behind the scenes and on the big stage with some of the world’s best athletes, leaders and organisations. From the sports field to the boardroom, the helicopter pad to the operating theatre, Katie helps people train the mindset skills and practices essential to thriving under pressure. She has been embedded in Olympic sports for the last decade, supporting many of our most successful athletes at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. But she was also a professional athlete herself who had to overcome the issues surrounding food being used solely as a tool for performance and how that was ingrained into her as an impressionable teenager chasing olympic ambitions.Emma Gunavardhana, is better known by her media name Emma Guns, and is an award-winning beauty journalist and podcaster who I describe as UK’s answer to Joe Rogan. The Emma Guns Show, covers topics including beauty, wellness, mental health, eating disorders, business, entrepreneurship and finance. Emma prides herself on covering a variety of topics in a way that’ll be relevant and meaningful to her global audience. And today I wanted her to share her relationship with food and her personal experience of self confidence and diet. Both of my guests are pragmatic thinkers as well as passionate advocates for supporting people to develop the mindset they need to thrive. But I do want to exercise caution with today’s show for anyone uncomfortable listening to stories around binge eating disorders, guilt, body dysmorphia and depression.Today you will hear about:Self-compassion and how our brains work Katie’s experience of negative self-image and body dysmorphiaHow food can be naively perceived as a means to achieve something or equally to fill a voidConnections as the antidote to shameWhy guilt is a natural and healthy emotionAnd how we can use negativity as a foundation for change In addition, Katie runs online courses for athletes who want to train their mental game as well as some for anyone who wants to invest in their mental health and well-being. Listeners can get a 20% discount to either of the courses, details are on The Doctor's Kitchen Website linked here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Robert Thomas is back on the podcast talking about his incredible new book, How to Live.I’ve recommended his previous books that have focused on the topic of cancer such as “Keep Healthy After Cancer”, but this new book appears to cover every FAQ I’ve come across throughout the years of lecturing, speaking and demoing across the country and internationally.I highly recommend this read. With over 500 references in the back, but explained in plain language in the text, Prof has really created a book that is super engaging and cuts through the noise. But it also tackles some of the most controversial topics in an open minded manner which is incredibly useful in todays misinformation environment. On Today’s podcast you will learn about:Toxins in foodChemicals in household productsHormone disruption and what Toxic Load refers toMilk and cancerXenoestrogens, what they refer and how to avoid themEMF and whether there is evidence of harmThe beauty and utility of colourful foodWhy the gut is central to health and wellbeingTips and actions for you to take today to Live BetterAs a reminder, Professor Robert Thomas is a Consultant Oncologist at Bedford and Addenbrooke’s Hospitals, a clinical teacher at Cambridge University and visiting Professor of Sports and nutritional science at the University of Bedfordshire. He is lead of a Lifestyle and Cancer Research Unit, and is also medical advisor to the website Cancernet.co.uk. Through his amazing work - Prof Robert Thomas has previously been awarded The British Oncology Association’s “Oncologist of the Year” and The Royal College of Radiologist medal.Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this and all other podcast episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the show today we have probably one of the best known faces in the culinary industry in the UK today - Prue Leith CBE. Prue is probably best known for her role as a judge on The Great British Bake Off, but she has such a varied and interesting life. She grew up in apartheid South Africa and witnessed her mother struggle in her campaign against the injustice. She found her love of food and fashion in ParisShe’s started a successful restaurant and cookery school businessShe’s led a campaign for contemporary sculpture to be exhibited on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar SquareShe’s an author with 8 novels as well as 14 cookery books to her nameShe adopted a child from war torn Cambodia in the 70sAnd more more recently has championed better nutrition in schools and become an advisor for the Government’s Hospital Food Review. A wealth of experience and at 81, there is no stopping her. Her autobiography “Relish” is a must- read and you must watch her documentary with her daughter Li-Da. It’s one of the most touching documentaries I have ever seen.Please enjoy my conversation with Prue, somebody I’m privileged to call a supporter of my mission to help people eat and live better through food and also a good friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the show today we are talking about eating for fertility with Dr Harriet Holme, a Registered Nutritionist (with the AfN) and experienced paediatrician in the NHS. After studying at Cambridge University, Dr Harriet worked in the NHS for over a decade, specialising in paediatric oncology. It’s this experience that gives nutrition advocates like myself and Harriet a unique perspective of the landscape and the interplay between nutrition and medicine.Dr Harriet has authored two books 'Eating During Pregnancy', that she wrote to provide mums to be with credible information on pregnancy nutrition and ‘Postpartum Nutrition: An Expert’s Guide to Eating After a Baby’, to support new mums, and their journey through motherhood and weaning. Dr Harriet also has a number of virtual courses on nutrition on her website www.healthyeatingdr.com, the links to which are on the podcast show notes.These are topics that I’m asked about a lot for the podcast so I’m delighted that Dr Harriet was able to talk with us and share her knowledge and experience with you all. On the show we talk about foods and supplements that may support your fertilityCarbohydrates and the types that are more beneficialThe importance of male fertility, sperm nourishment and lifestyleDairy and soy and there links with fertilityFats and the importance of omega 3The environmental impact on fertility with a particular focus on pesticides and pollutionAlcohol and supplements that you may want to considerThere’s also an article to support today’s podcast that you can find on the doctor’s kitchen website by clicking this link which lists some of the evidence base used for the recommendations and I hope you find it a useful resource for you and your loved ones.Do check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this and all other episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the show this week we’ll be talking about Inflammatory Bowel Disease - but this time from a patient point of view. On this podcast, as well as sharing the research on nutrition, the importance of lifestyle medicine, we also have to be respectful of individual variation in experience as well as the different paths people can take to control their condition.Today I’ll be talking with Seb Tucknott and Mesha Moinirad who wanted to share their stories with you - in the hope of spreading awareness about these two conditions and how different people may require different management.Mesha is a Personal trainer and rehabilitation coach. 8 years ago he was rushed to hospital with a burst appendix and since then his battle with health continued and he developed Ulcerative Colitis. And after years of unsuccessfully trialling medications with a poor response he had a stoma bag fitted and started blogging under the name “mrcolitiscrohns”Seb was diagnosed in 2008 with UC that completely changed his life. It shaped the person he is to the work he does and the people he surrounds myself with. He ultimately was able to take a diet and lifestyle approach to maintain remission in his disease and now runs ibdrelief.com which aims to improve care and access to information for patients.Today we talked about:Their diagnosis storyTheir different treatment pathsOwning their conditionsMaking their vulnerability a strengthTheir future goals and aspirations with respective projectsDo check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this and all other episodes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you noticed the rapid rise in childhood food allergies? Peanuts, dairy, wheat, egg. All of these appear so commonly removed from children's diets in schools and it’s not just children that are suffering. Adults are too. But is this a real phenomena and if so, why?The numbers do not lie. Food allergy is a global phenomena afflicting 32 million Americans. One in 13 children in the US are diagnosed each year and the numbers are similar for the UK. One in 10 adults in both the US and UK have at least one food allergy. It costs 40 billion a year and worse still ... it’s on the rise?But today, I’m speaking to an esteemed colleague who is at the forefront of the fight against it and she believes that today is the beginning of the end of food allergies and we are at the start of curing this disease for good.Professor Kari Nadeau is Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and For more than 30 years, she has devoted herself to understanding how environmental and genetic factors affect the risk of developing allergies and asthma, and the molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases. Her research is laying the groundwork for a variety of potential future therapies to prevent and cure. On today’s podcast we talk about:Professor Kari’s early career and how she got interested in food allergyThe definition of food allergy and how that differs from intoleranceThe environmental impactMaternal diet and early infancy diet with food allergyAddressing parental guiltRetraining the immune system to cure food allergyThe role of the microbiotaThe D’s of food allergy – Dryness, Dirt, DNA, Detergent, Vit D, Dogs, DiversityCheck out The Doctor's Kitchen Website for full show notes on this and all other podcast episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*trigger warning* eating disorders is discussed on this podcast episodeJess Robson is my guest today on the podcast and she is the driving force behind Run Talk Run. A global mental health support community that uses running as a means to facilitate peer support. Having experienced a difficult relationship with formal therapy, Jess found solace in opening up with ease whilst running and chose to open up that space to other people struggling with mental ill health. Jess is an advocate for making running less intimidating - without care for pace, without care for PBs - she believes running can simply be a means to connect with our peers.We have a wonderfully honest conversation talking about her own issues with eating disorders during her teenage years, how bulimia is a chronic condition that needs to be managed, the importance of personal responsibility online as well as food and exercise as tools for health as well as harm.Please do check out Jess’ website and if you’re experienced in grant writing or fundraising I think Jess would welcome the opportunity to talk!Enjoy the show!Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes on this and all other episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.