
Braincare
Braincare podcast is a series dedicated to helping you care for your most important organ. You'll learn about how to optimise your brain health and mental well-being through a series of bitesize interviews with the world's leading scientists and experts. Host, Dan Murray-Serter, co-founder of brain care company, Heights, interviews guests ranging from celebrities like Stephen Fry and Jay Shetty, to neuroscientists Dr Tara Swart and Professor Sophie Scott, and brilliant doctors like Rangan Chatterjee and Daniel Amen, and many more. You'll leave each episode feeling inspired, empowered, and armed with tools to help you take care of your brain and reach your heights, whatever they might be. You can learn more about Heights @yourheights and http://www.yourheights.com and Dan @danmurrayserter on social media. You can also receive an exclusive £10 off a quarterly subscription (how long science says it takes to feel the benefits) at Heights with the code 'workingin' ♥️ Your brain impacts every aspect of your life; from focus and performance to energy and sleep. Are you taking care of it? Check for free in just 4 minutes with our brain health assessment: yourheights.com/brainhealth
Latest episodes

Feb 28, 2021 • 15min
Food Habits to Help You Sleep with Dr. Sophie Bostock
Dr. Sophie Bostock says you might need to quit those child-free late dinners. The sleep evangelist and renowned sleep coach works with individuals and teams to fine-tune their brains and bodies, all in the search for those often-elusive Zs.Today on The Braincare Podcast, Sophie shares her thoughts on recent scientific research on the link between nutrition and good sleep. She explains how to know if your sleep issues have a nutritional or biological cause, plus we discuss which diets and supplements look promising, and which are best ditched!We talk about:
The Mediterranean diet and your gut
Which vitamins can improve sleep?
Melatonin: the hormone of darkness
The rules of hydration
What and WHEN to eat
What is sleep efficiency?
Daily habits for better sleep
Does having children affect your sleep long term?

Feb 26, 2021 • 14min
Sleeping with Stress with Dr. Sophie Bostock
Dr. Sophie Bostock wants you to know one thing: sleep is crucial, and most of us aren't getting enough. The expert and evangelist on all things sleep is best known for her enlightening talks, content, and coaching that boosts well-being and performance.Today on The Braincare Podcast, Sophie shares her thoughts on the triple-whammy of collateral effects of the pandemic on our sleep. We explore what's happening to our amygdala when we wake up in the middle of the night, and how to regain control with some thorough sleep hygiene.We talk about:
Why Sophie's hunt for happiness lead to the science of sleep
How do lockdowns affect our sleep?
Circadian rhythms and WFH
What is sleep pressure?
Anxiety and late-night wakefulness
Tips for calming down your amygdala
Reclaiming the last hour of your day

Feb 21, 2021 • 14min
Technology and Mental Health with Dr. Rachael Kent
Rachael Kent is keeping an eye on your technology use! As a lecturer and researcher at King's College, Rachael's PhD and ongoing research examines how digital tech influences our mental and physical health. With three technology-saturated lockdowns under our belts, her work has become more relevant than ever!Today on The Braincare Podcast, Rachael shares her fascinating findings about our increasingly digital-dependent lives. We discuss apps, notifications, and fitness trackers - the good, the bad and the ugly - and the fine line between helpful and coercive tech.We talk about:
Leisure and labour with digital devices
What is toxic productivity?
Living lockdown lives online
How to get intentional with tech
Data acquisition and self-worth
Fitness tracking apps - friend or foe?
Digital detoxing

10 snips
Feb 19, 2021 • 15min
Deep Work vs. Deep Play with Alex Pang
Author Alex Pang discusses the benefits of deep work and deep play on The Braincare Podcast. He emphasizes active skilled rest for creativity, changing societal attitudes towards breaks, and how lifelong hobbies enhance work life. Pang advocates for longer lunch breaks and collective self-care.

Feb 17, 2021 • 5min
Dan's Story
4 years ago, Dan was really happy and living his best life. He was about to get married, his mum had just recovered from cancer, he was the CEO of an award-winning tech company with his best friend Joel, and he was healthy... or so he thought.On this Braincare mini episode, Dan shares his personal battle with anxiety and insomnia, and how it triggered his deep-dive into the world of nutrition and brain care.

Feb 14, 2021 • 15min
How More Rest Makes Better Work with Alex Pang
Alex Pang wants you to nap more. The founder of The Restful Company and visiting academic at Stanford University, has written numerous successful books that explore the powerful connection between peak performance and rest.Today on The Braincare Podcast, Alex explains why successful high-performers actively seek rest - from Beethoven to Barack Obama. We learn why napping isn't just for pre-schoolers, how Salvador Dali exploited his creative subconscious, and why we can actually get more work done by doing less.We talk about:
Do long hours and overworking equate to achievement?
Deliberate rest
What happens in your brain during downtime?
Your creative subconscious
Why does inspiration come to us in the shower?
Good news for frequent nappers
Serious hobbies - distractions or productivity powerhouses?
Passive and active rest

Feb 12, 2021 • 14min
The Power Hour with Adrienne Herbert
Adrienne Herbert wants you to get up at 5am! The leading wellness professional, author, speaker and host of the Power Hour podcast is an advocate for starting your day with a non-negotiable hour of self-focus. So, what's so transformative about her mornings that they stop her reaching for the snooze button?Today on The Braincare Podcast, Adrienne explains her peak performance philosophy that makes seemingly insurmountable challenges totally obtainable. We discuss ruthless routine and prioritisation, cultivating healthy habits, and how an extra hour in the morning can catalyse the change you want to see in your life.We talk about:
Adrienne's 5.30am power hour
What wellness is, and what it isn't
The busy-ness misconception
Learning to prioritise
Balancing training and recovery, for body and brain
Habit-forming AKA how to set yourself up for success
How to curate your own Power Hour

Feb 7, 2021 • 15min
Self Care IS Brain Care with Adrienne Herbert
Adrienne Herbert is a professional encourager. The leading wellness professional, TEDx speaker and host of the Power Hour podcast is a multi-hyphenate voice of motivation. Adrienne knows how to help people reach their high performance potential, because she herself does it on the reg!Today on The Braincare Podcast, Adrienne shares her thoughts on self-care. As a high achiever, she explains why it's less about zen, crystals and woo-woo and more about Marie Kondo-ing your life.We talk about:
What is the blueprint for high performance?
Misconceptions about the multi-hyphenate life
Adrienne's personal story about why self-care is so important
Does work-life balance exist?
Taking extreme ownership of your health
Wellness and the mainstream
Why you need to create white space
Tips for self-care from the inside out

Feb 5, 2021 • 11min
Fighting your Inner Critic with Emma Gannon
Emma Gannon says a little self-criticism goes a long way. From self-help books to self-confessed perfectionism, the best-selling author and host of Control Alt Delete podcast has learned how stand up to her inner troll!Today on The Braincare Podcast, Emma shares her insights on the most boisterous internal voice of all - the inner critic. Discover how to quieten obsessive negative thoughts, how to stop getting in your own way, and ways to find freedom through self-investigation.We talk about:
The compassionate friend, the decision-maker, the amygdala and the inner critic
Where does self criticism come come?
Internal and external comparison
When is it time to address your inner critic?
Why a little self-doubt may be a good thing
Reassessing our markers for success
The benefits of mindfulness

Jan 31, 2021 • 14min
Self Sabotaging with Emma Gannon
Emma Gannon wants you to stop getting in your own way. The life and experiences of the podcaster and best-selling author have led her to become somewhat of an expert on the art and science of self-sabotage.Today on The Braincare Podcast, Emma tells us about her fascinating conversations with psychologists, experts, and therapists that culminated in her book Sabotage. We discuss why we internalise negative thoughts, the joys of the multi-hyphenate life, and tips to address your inner saboteur.We talk about:
The four types of self-sabotage
Why do we ruin our own days?
How to talk to yourself
What is the multi-hyphenate approach?
Getting out of your comfort zone
Top tips to stop self-sabotage