The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

Every time you sit down to eat, you’re giving your body information. Compounds in your food act as signals that influence your gut microbes, immune response and even the expression of your genes. That’s the idea we explore today with biochemist Dr Jeffrey Bland, widely known as the father of functional medicine. He co-founded the Institute for Functional Medicine and wrote The Disease Delusion , o...

👉 If you’d like help eating a more anti-inflammatory diet, try The Doctor’s Kitchen app free for 7 days . Inflammation has become a huge wellness buzzword, but it isn’t always bad. It’s an essential part of how your immune system protects and repairs your body. The problem is long-term, unwanted inflammation. It’s linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems. And it...

If you want to stay healthier for longer, one of the best things you can do is lower chronic inflammation.  The great thing is, food is one of the most powerful tools we have.  So I sat down with Professor Rob Thomas , consultant oncologist at Addenbrooke's and UCLH, Professor of Sports and Nutritional Science, and one of the UK's leading experts in healthy ageing, to talk about what mak...

Next time you look at the calories on the back of a packet or the nutritional breakdown of a recipe, remember that number doesn't tell you the whole story.  It says nothing about the nutrients, the quality of the food, how satisfying it'll be, or even how many calories your body will actually absorb. To unpack it all, I'm joined by Professor Giles Yeo , Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinolo...

How do you become happier? Professor Arthur Brooks describes 3 “macronutrients” for a happier life: enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning . Rather than chasing positive feelings, the idea is to build more of each into our everyday lives. We get into some really practical ways to do this, including: • Why being bored is good for your brain • The three times to put your phone away each day • How to ma...

I’ve been talking a lot about eating healthy high protein. And sometimes it feels like you have to choose a side. High protein or plant-focused. But both play really important roles for energy, appetite, muscle health, gut health and healthy ageing.  My guest today actually describes them as a dynamic duo 🤝 They work best together. You want both on your plate, not one crowding out the other....

What if I told you that two people could eat the exact same meal, with the exact same calories, and have completely different hormonal responses because of what they believed about what they were eating? These aren't fringe findings. A growing body of evidence suggests that the way we think about our health can meaningfully impact our biology. In this episode, I'm joined by nutritionist and Sunday...

I’ve been talking a lot about healthy protein and sometimes it can feel like you have to pick a side. Protein or fibre. But for long-term health, you want both on your plate. The problem is, 96% of people still don’t hit the recommended daily fibre target. Even if you eat vegetables at every meal.  A salad is brilliant for micronutrients and polyphenols, but alone it’s usually not enough to r...

What’s the healthiest way to lose weight and keep it off without counting calories? On paper, it sounds simple. But in a modern world of ultra-processed foods, clever marketing and disrupted hunger signals, it’s rarely that straightforward. And that’s why I think this is a conversation for everyone. Because learning to regulate your appetite is a health skill for all of us. It shapes your energy,...

SHOW NOTES This episode is for anyone dealing with constipation, bloating, reflux, abdominal pain or IBS. And really, anyone who wants to protect their gut, reduce stress and feel better overall. When we think about gut health, we usually start with food… what to eat, what to cut out, which diet or supplement to try next. And while nutrition is foundational, there’s another side we don’t talk abou...

What we eat, and how we eat, can have a profound effect on our brain health, even influencing depression, anxiety and ADHD. Today, we’re unpacking simple food strategies that can support your nervous system, with a big focus on the gut-brain connection. And I have the pleasure of chatting with Dr Miguel Toribio-Mateas to explore this topic. He’s a clinical neuroscientist, nutrition researcher and...

I’m seeing fibre maxxing everywhere right now. And I think it might be one of the few trends actually worth paying attention to. But as always, it’s not that simple. This episode is a deep dive into fibre with Dr Karan Rajan , medical doctor and one of the most recognisable health voices online. He’s built an audience of over 10 million people across social media, breaking down complex health topi...

In this episode, we're building an emotional toolki t for something a lot of us are dealing with: overwhelm. That feeling of too much coming at you at once. The pressure to get everything right with your health, your work, your relationships and still feel like you're just about keeping your head above water. If you've ever struggled to switch off at night, felt constantly on edge or caught yourse...

If there are five people in a room with eczema, they’re probably all dealing with it for completely different reasons. And that’s something we don’t talk about enough. Eczema, acne, psoriasis… these are rarely just skin issues. They’re often a reflection of what’s happening inside the body, particularly in the gut. So instead of just asking what to put on your skin, this episode is about asking a...

There’s a fascinating ancient system of medicine called Ayurveda, originating in India over 3,000 years ago, that has helped millions of people tune into their bodies through simple food, daily rhythms and plants. I grew up thinking it was just a set of beliefs and traditions, but my guest today really challenged that. What I came to understand is that Ayurveda is actually a codified system of obs...

One of the biggest myths about brain health is that decline is inevitable as we get older. That at some point our memory fades, our thinking slows down, and there’s not much we can do about it. My guest today argues the opposite. Dr Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist, Professor at the University of Washington, and performance consultant to world-class athletes. He’s published more than 100 scientific...

We breathe over 20,000 times a day. Those breaths do far more than just keep us alive. They shape your sleep, your focus, your energy, even your blood pressure and long-term risk of disease. That’s over 20,000 opportunities to support your health, every single day. The challenge is that modern life makes it harder to breathe well. We sit hunched over laptops, we’re constantly switched on, we chew...

I talk a lot about what we eat for our health. But what about the air we breathe at home? If you or your kids have asthma, constant sniffles, a lingering cough, sinus issues, or you’ve noticed damp patches and that musty smell, this episode could change how you think about your home. As a new dad, I'm personally really interested in how our home environment shapes early immune development. This co...

Today we’re having an uncomfortable but very necessary conversation about antidepressants and the theory that these drugs work for those with depression by correcting imbalanced chemicals in their brain. Our guest to discuss this topic is Joanna Moncrieff, a Professor of Psychiatry at University College London, and works as a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS. She is author of numerous scientific...

Even though I’m a skeptic I love health tech. I wear a wearable, I play with red light therapy gadgets and I monitor my bloods more regularly than a lot of my peers. Rather than being overwhelmed with the data, I thrive in it, and I’m able to reasonably weigh up the information from all these inputs because of my experience of being a medical doctor for over 15 years. But with so much health tech...

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weedkiller. It’s found on farms, in parks, and in over 50% of UK urine samples. Today you’re going to find out more about its impact on human health and why it should be banned, from Professor Michael Antoniou. Professor Michael Antoniou is a molecular geneticist and gene engineering expert at King’s College London, whose research explores how agricultura...

We’ve long been told that health starts in the gut, but what if the key to ageing well begins with your muscles? This week I’m joined by Dr Gabrielle Lyon, physician, author of Forever Strong , and founder of the muscle-centric medicine movement. Gabrielle’s work reframes how we think about muscle not just for strength or aesthetics, but as a powerful metabolic and endocrine organ that drives long...

What we eat isn’t just about taste or health, it’s shaped by a powerful global system that connects farmers, supermarkets, climate, and culture. This week I’m joined by Mallika Basu , food writer, consultant and author of the new book ‘ In Good Taste ’, to unpack how our everyday food choices link to much bigger issues from biodiversity loss to culture, inequality and the economy. But this is a co...

Your mouth isn’t separate from the rest of your body, it’s a key part of your airway, your microbiome, and even your inflammation levels. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Staci Whitman, functional dentist, to explore the everyday habits and products that can make a real difference to oral and whole-body health. We talk through mouth taping and why nasal breathing matters for oral health, sleep qu...

I don’t think GLP-1 meds are the answer for everyone, but I also don’t think they’re the villain of the story. For many people they can be genuinely life-changing, when they’re used with the right support. So this episode is for anyone who’s made that decision (or is seriously considering it) and wants to do it safely, sustainably, and with as much information as possible.  - I can’t stop you...