Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Why is it that we often feel like we need to solve the mystery of our own bodies in total silence? For so many of us, the path to pleasure has been paved with confusion or even shame, leaving us feeling like there is something broken within us when there truly isn't. This week on Live Well Be Well, I am sitting down with the pioneering Dr. Laurie Mintz. Laurie is a psychologist and author who is o...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/qHFymGgsYyE Can you do everything right and still face Alzheimer’s risk? It can happen, and we discuss how environmental toxins, metabolic health, and shifting hormones may play a role. This clip explores two grandmothers with opposite lifestyles, highlighting possible factors like hemoglobin A1c, menopause-related drops in estrogen, and other hormones...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/yZDzsfNjG_M Curious what Akkermansia actually does for your health? It’s discussed here as a keystone gut microbe linked to improved insulin sensitivity, lower A1C in clinical studies, GLP-1 release and healthier blood vessels, with associations to cancer immunotherapy response. This clip explores the gut brain circulation connection, how metabolism an...

We spend so much of our lives trying to be impressive. We polish our edges and hide our cracks because we’re terrified that being "real" means being weak. But what if the very things we are hiding are actually the only bridges to real connection? It is a scary thought, but one that completely changes how we show up in the world. Here’s what we explore together: - Why being "invulnerable" is someti...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/HHvG8HEYdjA Are we built to manage only about 150 meaningful relationships, and what does that mean for our health? It matters because small, real-world connections help lower loneliness-driven stress that can worsen heart disease prognosis and raise some cancer risk. This clip explores the 150-person social limit, why in-person cues beat screens, a ca...

Can specific gut and mouth bacteria influence brain health and conditions like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's? We look at early clinical work on Lactobacillus plantarum PS128 and its potential to slow Parkinson's progression, links between gum disease and dementia, and how Lactobacillus reuteri may stimulate oxytocin. This clip explores the gut-brain and oral-brain connections, the idea of...

Ever feel like you’re waking up as two different people depending on the week of the month? One week you’re taking on the world with total confidence, and the next, you’re second-guessing every decision you’ve ever made. It turns out, that isn’t just "you being emotional", it’s actually a sign of your brain responding to a very specific biological rhythm. This week on Live Well Be Well, I’m sittin...

Can boredom and daydreaming actually boost creativity and calm? Here, I’m discussing how a solo writing sprint in nature left my HRV higher and my mind clearer, then we examine the default mode and executive networks, task switching, and screen-free habits. This clip explores the Meals, Bedroom, Bathroom rule for no phones, the value of nature time, and reframing boredom as daydreaming to restore...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/qHFymGgsYyE Worried about Alzheimer’s and what you can do now? You’ll hear practical, testable steps to lower risk by targeting metabolism, inflammation and toxins, plus daily habits for brain rest and sleep. This clip explores the idea that Alzheimer’s can have different drivers, the importance of early testing (continuous glucose monitors, hs-CRP, ur...

This week on Live Well Be Well, I’m joined by Dr Anders Hansen, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and bestselling author of The Real Happy Pill and Brain Blues, to explore how modern life is reshaping our mental health, focus, and emotional resilience. In this conversation, Anders explains why anxiety, low mood, and restlessness are not failures of the mind, but evolutionary responses that no longer f...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/QeNdkCVYquU Are women at higher risk of Alzheimer’s, and can life roles influence dementia risk? This clip explores why two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases are in women, how vascular dementia differs, and how age-specific dementia risk has fallen over recent decades. We discuss factors like improved nutrition, better heart health care, and environmental co...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/yZDzsfNjG_M Could your brain host healthy bacteria? This clip explores how parts once taught as sterile, such as breast milk, the bladder, and the brain, contain beneficial microbes, and what they might be doing. We touch on gut and brain communication through the vagus nerve, the idea of dysbiosis versus infection, and why modern findings ask for humi...

A quick note before we begin This year, I’m doing something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I want to start this year by sharing something a little different. After four years of Live Well Be Well, I’m introducing regular solo episodes. It’s taken me a long time to get here. Not because I didn’t have things to say, but because it’s taken a lot of belief in myself to sit here and share my own th...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/QeNdkCVYquU Can nutrition and supplements meaningfully lower dementia risk or mainly boost day-to-day focus? They matter within a broader Three S model that links stimulus, supply, and support for brain adaptation. This clip explores why cognitive challenge is the primary stimulus, how supply depends on blood flow, oxygen, and fuel, and how support inc...

Are GLP-1 weight loss drugs a smart first step for obesity? They’re helping many people lose significant weight, yet concerns remain about side effects, muscle loss, cost, and regaining weight after stopping. This clip explores the promise and limits of GLP-1s, the call for long term data, and the need to pair medication with nutrition education, counseling, and strength training. It also consider...

In this episode of Live Well Be Well, I’m joined by Dr. William Li, physician scientist, bestselling author, and president of the Angiogenesis Foundation. William is one of the world’s leading voices on food as medicine, and together we explore how nutrition, immunity, and brain health are deeply connected, often in ways we underestimate. In this conversation, Dr. William Li shares how the body’s...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/QeNdkCVYquU Does having APOE4 mean Alzheimer’s is inevitable? It doesn’t, and I explain how genes interact with lifestyle and environment to shape risk. This clip explores early-onset familial mutations versus common late-onset cases, APOE4 as a risk multiplier, population data from some Indigenous groups, Nigerians, and Sicilians, key lifestyle factor...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/ZXLWY5HcPXE In this conversation, I sit down with Andy Galpin to talk about sleep, and why so many of us are still struggling with it despite doing “all the right things”. We unpack why sleep is getting worse globally, even as awareness and spending on sleep continue to rise. Andy explains why focusing on sleep duration alone misses the bigger picture,...

What if the qualities you’ve been taught to override are actually the ones keeping you well? To round of 2025, I’m joined by world-leading thinkers including Simon Sinek, Dr. Rick Doblin, Robin Sharma, Professor Nicolau, and Dr. Sarah McKay to explore what truly shapes our wellbeing when the noise fades and the signal becomes clearer. This episode weaves together some of the most powerful moments...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/7kfykswH6Io This clip explores how to identify zone two intensity without relying on a wearable. I discuss the link between breathing rate, conversation ability and the underlying metabolic changes that define this training zone. We take a closer look at why many people unintentionally drift into higher intensities, suppress fat oxidation and struggle...

👉 Practical beats perfect. Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/ 👉 Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact. https://sarahma...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/IIenBH9xAEk This segment explores how stress affects the body and why recovery matters just as much as the stress itself. The discussion makes clear that stress is normal, but what truly impacts health is how quickly we return to homeostasis once the moment has passed. Here, we examine the difference between ongoing strain and healthy regulation, the r...

👉 Join thousands in exploring actionable insights that prioritise compassion, clarity, and real-life impact. https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/ During this special holiday, I wanted to pause for a moment. Not to teach or analyse, but simply to say thank you. This is a short and heartfelt message from me to you. A moment to reflect on the year we’ve shared together, the community we’ve built, and...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/qHFymGgsYyE Want to reduce everyday toxins at home without overhauling your life? This conversation shares practical swaps for cleaners, pest control, and plastics that lower exposure while keeping things simple. This clip explores why antibacterial cleaners and strong fragrances aren’t necessary, how a single non-toxic concentrate can replace multiple...

Watch the FULL podcast here: https://youtu.be/ZXLWY5HcPXE Finding it hard to stay healthy in your 40s while raising kids? This clip explores choosing one non-negotiable habit to protect your time, the midlife mental load, and why what worked in your 20s may not now. This segment examines childbirth’s lasting impacts on sleep, mood, and body composition, plus staged sleep strategies for conception,...