Degrees of Health

New to Omega-3 Fatty Acids? If you don’t know what fatty acids are or what they do for our health, there is no one better to learn from than Dr Harris on the topic. Ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide based on the impact of his research, Dr. Bill Harris has been a leading researcher in omega-3 fatty acids for over 40 years. “If you care what your cholesterol level is, you better care w...

At age 76, Dr Norm Dawson has been deaf for over 50 years and unlike many of his peers, he has no signs of dementia. Dr Norm sheds light on what he sees as a crucial but often overlooked aspect of cognitive function as we age: the profound connection between hearing loss and dementia. Here, Ben and Dr Norm explore the Lancet Commission's 2020 findings on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care...

A refreshing take on what it means to be ‘physically active’. It’s actually way more simple than sweating bullets in lycra, and Dr Ed Laskowski emphasises the enjoyment to be found in movement far beyond the gym and cliquey exercise niches. Dr. Laskowski navigates the complexities of modern living, urging us to prioritise consistency and quality in our movement practices. We discuss: -the power of...

Ever heard of Nitric Oxide (NO)? We wonder why this molecule is so under-discussed as its profound role in our bodies suggests it should be top of the list. This simple molecule: -controls oxygen and nutrient delivery to every cell in the body -regulates cellular communication -has anti-microbial properties that protect our body from invading pathogens. The loss of nitric oxide production is recog...

Dr. Tom Walters is a board-certified orthopaedic physical therapist who specialises in the treatment of pain and movement disorders. He is the founder of Rehab Science and dedicates his time to teaching people about human movement, pain, and how to most effectively recover from injury. Tom runs one of the world’s largest social media accounts dedicated to physical rehab that helps over a million p...

We dive into the invigorating world of cold water immersion and the transformative power of community with Sian Richardson, founder of the Blue Tits Chill Dippers Community. In this episode, Sian shares her journey of building a global community of over 120,000 cold water enthusiasts, united by their love for the icy plunge and the warmth of camaraderie 🤝🏻 Sian illuminates the importance of embr...

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Dr Roger Seheult. We highly recommend listening to Part 1 as a precursor to this episode to get the most out of terms and topics covered! In this episode, we discuss: -emerging research around red light and infra-red light -the impact of sunlight on Covid-19 surges -long covid -tools that may not only support in recovery from long covid, but could possibly s...

In Part 1 of this episode about light as medicine, Dr Roger Seheult talks us through the light spectrum of UV to infra-red and the importance of exposure to types of light at certain times of the day to regulate our circadian rhythm. Many of us suffer from some form of circadian rhythm dysfunction due to the technology-driven societies we live in. As a result, the cues our body takes from the exte...

Julien Périard is a research professor and deputy director of the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise. In our conversation, Julien proved to be a hub of information regarding heat stress, having worked with amateur and professional athletes across various sporting disciplines, and also with National and International Federations like World Triathlon and FIFA.  In...

Breath work instructor, wellness expert of 22 years, and author Níall Ó’Murchú grew up going in and out of the waters around County Dublin. What moved from childhood play and curiosity, has burgeoned into a practice, a philosophy, and a lifestyle for Níall, his family, and all those lucky enough to be taught by him. We talk about the importance of setting intentions going into the cold, and how th...

To understand our physiology and health today, it’s critical to look back - a long way - at our evolution, not only to inform our now, but to better understand which mechanisms we may need to sustain us in the face of our changing world. Dr Cara Ocobock is an evolutionary anthropology encyclopaedia, an enthusiastic academic, and an incredibly engaging listen. In this episode, Dr Cara helps us to u...

Head of the extreme environments lab at Portsmouth University, Professor Mike Tipton MBE has spent his working life understanding, evaluating and enhancing the comfort, performance and survival of human beings in extreme environments. With decades of knowledge gained in the lab, the aim is to apply the science to areas where it has most use and benefit. Having worked with the likes of the Ministry...

Dean Hall went from working 100 hour weeks as a licensed therapist and coach, to receiving a 2-6 week diagnosis to live. Our conversation with Dean documents his 11 year old dream to swim the English Channel, turned realised adult and active-cancer patient achievement of swimming the 187 miles of the cold Willamette River in Oregon. All this through a leukaemia diagnosis, a lymphoma diagnosis, bou...

Dr Marc Cohen is one of the world's leading academics in the study of holistic and integrative medicine, including contrast therapy. Dr Marc is a registered medical practitioner with degrees in medicine, physiology and psychology and PHDs in Chinese Medicine and Biomedical Engineering. His thirst for knowledge doesn't end in the classroom and spans several spheres making his approach incredibly we...

Marc Millar is the founder of Edinburgh Blue Balls , a men’s mental health cold water swimming group in Scotland. We had the pleasure of speaking with Marc about how EBB came about, why it is necessary, and how the community keeps it going. The conversation has many takeaways - the most prominent being how the concept of masculinity needs shaking up in order to have any hope of being truly useful...

This week we had the pleasure to speak with Dr Joy Hussain, a medical practitioner promoting wellness and evidence-based sauna therapies. Joy completed her PhD at RMIT University on the topic of health effects of frequent sweating and sauna bathing. Joy is currently working to adapt sauna-based experimental protocols for lifestyle and medical applications, such as in cardiovascular disease prevent...

This week, we're joined by Emma O'Kelly - journalist, long-term contributing editor to Wallpaper magazine, author and, most recently, sauna enthusiast. The book - "Sauna: Power of Deep Heat" - was sparked initially by a work trip to Finland in 2016, that led to a book deal and travelling 10,000 miles in a trusty van across Northern Europe, with friend, aid and Finn, Maija Astikainen, who so beauti...

Dr. Thomas P Seager is an Associate Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University. He is the founder of a new concept called Self-Actual Engineering that emphasises application of design principles for the top of Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Motivation, rather than the bottom. Seager is CEO of Morozko Forge ice bath company and an expert in the use of ice baths for...