Degrees of Health

Russell Foster is a Professor of Circadian Neuroscience and the Head of Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford. Russell has received globally renowned prizes, medals and awards for his discovery of non-rod, non-cone ocular photoreceptors - which he explains in this episode is revelatory in our understanding and application of circadian biology.Here, we learn:😴 Disrupted sleep-wake cycles and associated health issues⏰ Sleep individuality - aligning sleep-wake patterns with your biology🔵 Blue light blockers may not be as effective as previously thought💤 Melatonin as a mild modulator of sleep and not a sleep hormone👫 Gender differences in the circadian system - and the future of this research💡 Potential of light therapy to optimise sleep and treating sleep-related disordersFind Russell:Book - Life TimeResearch papersMentioned in this podcast:Study - Effect of early and late light exposure on the inherited retinal degeneration in ratsLux Measurement Apps - search on App StoreStudy - Sex Differences in Behavior and Learning Abilities in Adult RatsStudy - Efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy for sleep improvement in patients with persistent delusions and hallucinationsStudy - Shift Work Disorder Among Oil Rig Workers in the North Sea Want to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Gabrielle Fundaro, PhD, is educated in several areas of academia including human physiology in exercise and sport, skeletal muscle and hyper trophy, microbiome and metabolism, and gut health. More recently, Gabrielle has aggregated this knowledge and turned her focus to dismantling diet culture and weight stigma through nutritional coaching. Gabrielle supports her clients to build confidence outside of our external physique and synergise self-awareness with nutritional knowledge - all with great compassion having had her own years with body image disturbance and a misplaced definition of 'healthy'.This episode covers:•Unlearning the diet narrative, weight stigma and ‘smallness=healthier’ in the female physique•Body image disturbance and disordered eating masquerading as ‘health’•Self-worth, self-trust and freedom with food•Hunger training and habituation - are we eating for satiety and satisfaction, or something else?•Interoceptive sensitivity and awareness - learning to trust internal cues again with RPE eating cyclesThis episode is for you if you have ever felt like:you have a very considered, careful, analytical, fearful, strict or restrictive relationship with food and or your bodyyour self-worth is based on your weight or physique Having spent some time with Gabrielle, I wish I had met her when I had needed guidance with body image disturbance and disordered eating. I believed I was stuck in that loop for all eternity but thoughts equally tormented me that if I didn't change something, I'd live only a half life. The journey was lonely, uncertain and very bumpy. Now, I have so much freedom and confidence in what I can achieve with my body when I take care of it properly, but I wish I'd had someone like Gabrielle around offering a safe, personal and considered space to support the process. If you find yourself reading this thinking - it will never change, I'm stuck like this, or even maybe you see a way out but don't know if you really want to change it because you're scared of possible weight gain and food freedom (we see you), please get in touch with Gabrielle - it could just be the best health decision you ever make.Find Gabrielle:Link TreeInstagramNew Podcast - Salto De Fe. Leap of Faith.LinkedInWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Luana Colloca disseminates the value, practical and ethical use of placebos. How powerful are they and how much influence do they hold in our lives? Luana holds an MD, a masters degree in Bioethics and a PhD in Neuroscience. From her contribution and research, she has developed an international reputation as a leading scientist on the neurobiological mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects. In this conversation, we found ourselves asking more than ever, is life just one big placebo effect?In this episode, we cover:🤕Placebos and pain - managing symptoms we don’t understand yet🧠Placebos and neuroplasticity - when things change in our brain, they change how we see the world🍹Positive and negative environmental cues, context and individual variability. Why do we still feel tipsy drinking non-alcoholic drinks?💭Thoughts as placebos - "I can do this", "I’ve got this" - just how much of our reality starts in the mind?👥Mass-psychogenic phenomenons - nocebo effects at the population level⚖️The ethics of placebos - to use or not to useFind Luana:Oxford University Press Book - open access. Also here.Website - Placebo Beyond Opinions CentreWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Schaffner, PhD, is a former academic who, after suffering the impact of burnout herself, turned her experience into a much-needed support for others to overcome burnout and reclaim a sense of balance in their work and life.This episode is for you if:•you think you’re burnt out - it will help you identify it and offer ways to support you shift out of it•you’re an employer looking to improve internal programmes and processes to avoid burnout in your work forceWe cover:❤️‍🔥The ‘passion piece’ in work - inspiring or misleading?😪The signs and symptoms - what causes burnout? Expectation vs reality, toxic work environments, resources and appreciation❌Saying no. Perpetual people pleasing, perfectionism and negative inner critics⏰The 80/20 principle and bucketing your areas of control🎭The joy of hobbies, pleasure and play in making you more successfulFind Anna:WebsiteBookInstagramLinkedInFree download - Overcome Burnout and Overwhelm: 7 Steps Towards ThrivingWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Michael Platt is known for asking some of the most challenging questions in 21st century neuroscience—and conceiving innovative ways to find the answers. His principal questions focus on the biological mechanisms that underlie decision-making in social environments - why do we make the decisions we do and how conscious of these processes are we? This episode covers:📉The value of reciprocity and the neuro-economics of decision making🥀Waning social connection and species decline - are we in an age of despair?🌎How unconscious and implicit bias works - diversity as a route to equity🐒How monkeys predicted the US poll outcome🤝Synchrony, shared mindset, and physiological alignment in group decision-making and cooperationFind Michael:Platt Labs WebsiteBook - The Leader’s BrainLinkedInMentioned in this episode:-Chimp Empire documentaryHow High Fives are Proven to Improve Culture and PerformanceRisk factors for faster aging in the brain revealed in new studyInfluence - Robert CialdiniEarly predictors of successful military careers among West Point cadetsThe Psychology of Human Misjudgement - Charlie Munger (Farnham Street write up)Thinking Fast and Slow - Daniel KahnemanHuman fertility is declining steeply and might presage our species' collapseThe Children of Men - Film, P.D. JamesCountdown - Shanna Swan + Stacey ColinoKlara and the Sun - Kazuo IshiguroWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. Here, we cover how to get a big, fat, fluffy hippocampus (nb: you want one!) and bubble baths for your brain. No hidden agendas - it sounds as fun as it is, and it's just as good for you. Dr. Wendy Suzuki oozes energy and enthusiasm, guiding us how to embrace the potential of our brains throughout our lives.We explore: 🏃 3 key effects on our brains when we exercise (+the short and long term benefits, BDNF and intentional exercise)🍯 4 things that make new memories stick🧘 the power of mindset and meditation on brain health👫 the role of social connection for learning in cognitive function - and what Wendy is excited to see unfold in this area🦸 anxiety as our superpower🤩 Wendy's method to learning new things. Spoiler: it involves a lot of funFind Dr Wendy:WebsiteInstagramMasterclass: ‘Brain Health’ - releasing June 13th 2024Books - US ‘Good Anxiety’. UK ‘Anxiety is your superpower’. Healthy Brain, Happy Life. Mentioned:An Exercise-Meditation SmackdownMind-set matters: exercise and the placebo effectBuddha's Brain: Neuroplasticity and MeditationDaniel Brevick - Opera singerElizabeth Strout - AuthorWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all carry misconceptions about brain development, learning and adaptation - the fact that it can't change is the biggest of them all. Enter neuroplasticity and Dr Tommy Wood - a walking google scholar whose message is simple - we can change how our brain is ageing at any time.This discussion on cognitive function explores:-the significance of physical movement and mental stimulation-the impact of retirement on age-related cognitive decline-the role of arousal, sleep, and environmental factors (what F1 drivers do to get their brain in gear)-the influence of beliefs, skills, APOE4 gene, supplements, and resistance trainingFind Dr Tommy:InstagramPodcastSubstackStudies/Books mentioned in this podcast:-Working Conditions and Early Retirement: A Prospective Study of Retirement Behavior-Sensitive Periods for Visual Calibration of the Auditory Space Map in the Barn Owl Optic Tectum-Demand Coupling Drives Neurodegeneration: A Model of Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Dementia-Stress and multitasking in everyday college life: An empirical study of online activity-Brain HQ-Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers-The Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER): study design and progressLisa Mosconi - The Menopause Brain + The XX Brain (Empowering Women to Prevent Dementia)The Yerkes Dodson LawWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of us think social connection is a squishy topic—subjective and hard to define. And while there's much truth to this, there is no doubting the profound scientific data highlighting just how critical social connection is for all aspects of our health. It’s in our bones. We are wired to connect. Here with Dr Julie Radlauer, we discuss the social influences of mental health - namely Social Connection • Social Support • Social Capital • Social Media • Social Justice. Knowing these social influences isn't hard, but navigating and implementing them isn't always easy, and so Julie provides us science-based insights and actionable steps to help us support ourselves and others. If you struggle to ask for help, give help, find support, or connect with others during difficult times, listen to Julie. Her warmth and experience offer universal comfort and practical guidance.Dr Julie is a leading expert in the social influences of mental health and uses her experience to create impact within communities, systems, organisations, and individuals. As a doctor of public health and a licensed mental health counsellor, Julie’s work aims to answer why so many people struggling don’t access services and more importantly, how these people want to have their health needs met.Find Julie:LinkedInInstagramJulie's Book - Connect: 100 Ways to Create Happiness in Your LifeWebsiteTED talkMentioned in this podcast:Adam Grant - Give and TakeLean on me - Bill Withers You’re Invited - Jon LevyCaste: The Origins of our Discontents - Isabel WilkersonBelieve in People - Charles KochWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The goal is not to destroy yourself”. Through his career with high level athletes and his research publications related to endurance training and intensity distribution, Dr Stephen Seiler, PhD, realised the damage in the ‘no pain no gain’ narrative. Here, we explore why the most effective training regimens emphasise sustainability over intensity and why rest days and consistent "Green Zone" activities are the backbone of superior athletic performance.Stephen breaks down his polarised training model and shares insights on the 80/20 principle in application to your weekly/monthly schedule of training, and how reducing training complexity can lead to better results and a more enjoyable process. If you are:-training for an event/marathon/triathlon-looking to understand if VO2 max is the right metric for you to measure-want to understand how elite athletes optimise their workouts...this episode offers valuable strategies to enhance your endurance efficiency with less injury.Dr Stephen Seiler, PhD, is an exercising physiologist who teaches, researches and leads on the topic of physiology and training adaptations, particularly in regards to endurance training. While anchored in an academic environment, Dr. Seiler has also served as research consultant and scientific advisor for a research foundation, sports teams, a regional hospital, and the Norwegian Olympic Federation, as well as founding the Elite Sport Performance Special Interest Group in 2014 at the European College of Sport Science.Find Stephen Seiler:XTEDResearchGateGoogle ScholarYouTubeWant to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode explores the 3-P model of insomnia (Predisposition, Precipitation, and Perpetuation), the effects of sleep deprivation and disturbance on cognitive function, and the risks faced by shift workers and healthcare professionals from chronic sleep loss. The conversation also details the intricate relationship between our natural circadian rhythms, guided by light exposure, that are disrupted by many modern practices, and the potential for better aligning our biological clocks with nature through innovative tools and routines.Ben and Prerna also discuss sleep chronotypes - night owls and morning larks - busting myths around later sleepers being lazier and whether society may benefit from observing these patterns. Without prescription, Prerna shares how consistency in sleep can lead to better health outcomes and how technology can both hinder and enhance our sleep health.Dr Prerna Varma, PhD, is a Psychology Research Fellow in the School of Psychological Sciences at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in Australia. Prerna is deeply committed to examining as well as addressing sleep and mental health in underserved populations, including caregivers, people living with dementia, culturally diverse and other minoritised communities. She engages in and advocates for increasing public health awareness with the intent to improve sleep outcomes in our communities.Find Prerna:XGoogle ScholarStudies mentioned or related to this episode:Sleep regularity and mortality: https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad253 ; https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-32402-5 ; https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295231v1.full.pdfInsomnia and stress during COVID: https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2022.2074996Initial Testing of SleepSync app with shift workers: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/20552076231165972Sleep and relationship conflicts: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550613488952 ; https://doi.org/10.1097%2FPSY.0b013e3181ecd08a ;https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056503/Want to watch this on video? Subscribe on YouTubeInstagram  @degreesofhealth Tik Tok @degrees_of_healthDisclaimer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.