Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

As human beings, relationships are fundamental to who we are. We know that relationships can be a big source of happiness and fulfillment in our lives but they can also be one of the major sources of stress. So, why is it that we often find relationships so hard? In this conversation, I speak to arguably one of the world’s leading and most original thinkers on modern relationships, the wonderful,...

Why is it that we equate long hours with greater effort? Could a four-day working week be the change we need for public health as well as the economy? My guest on today’s conversation is Alex Pang, an author and former Silicon Valley tech consultant who noticed that, when he went on sabbatical from work, he suddenly got a lot more done. This led him to research and write about resting more and wor...

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains themes of an adult nature. Darryl Edwards – aka The Fitness Explorer – was one of the very first guests to appear on this podcast, all the way back on episode 7. He is someone who is passionate about promoting movement that is fun and playful. But that’s not why I invited Darryl back to talk to me on this episode. If there’s a thread that runs through all my...

For many people, lockdown has provided a time for personal development. You may have discovered and worked on new qualities or skills. But I’m very aware that just as many people have found it a really stressful and incredibly busy time. Perhaps you’re a key worker, or a working parent juggling schooling and office hours. Maybe you’re out of work, have lost loved ones, or are in any way struggling...

There’s so much craziness going on in the world right now and it can often be hard to know what to feel, or even what to do. In times like these, a practice of mindfulness or meditation becomes even more important. It can help improve sleep, reduce levels of stress and anxiety and so much more. But for me, the most important benefit is that it allows you to check in with who you are. Many of us li...

My guest on today’s conversation is Vivek Murthy. Vivek was the US Surgeon General under the Obama administration and is now author of the fantastic book, Together, about the healing power of human connection. And connect is exactly what Vivek and I did during this conversation in a really deep and profound way. During this conversation, we talk about what authenticity really means and how powerfu...

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing It is the first thing we do when we arrive in the world and the last thing we do before we leave. It happens automatically 26,000 times a day without us even having to pay any attention to it, yet breathing is one of the only autonomic systems in our body that we can control, if we choose to. But because we can do it without consciously thinking abou...

CAUTION ADVISED: This podcast contains swearing themes of an adult nature. Do you believe that we have control over how we age? Is mental decline inevitable? Or, does how we live now determine our later years? This week’s guest is Dr Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist, cognitive psychologist and best-selling author. His latest book, The Changing Mind, is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to...

Sleep is one of the most undervalued components of our health – if we can improve the quality of our sleep, we can improve the quality of our lives. Getting more sleep improves every aspect of our lives – it makes us less prone to injury when we exercise, boosts our productivity and enhances our ability to lose weight. Yet so many of us struggle to get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling refr...

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. Do you believe that people’s values can change, or are they set in stone? Can you gain talent and intelligence through practice, or are they innate? Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed one? My guest on this week’s show is convinced that change is available to all of us, at any time. Tom Bilyeu is a US entrepreneur who co-founded a billion-dollar...

One of the positives I’m seeing during the current lockdown is many people’s renewed appreciation for getting out, active and connected. Having to stay home is making us really value that small window in our days when we can step outside to exercise, interact with nature and say a (distanced) hello to people we pass on the street or in the park. For that reason, I think you’re going to love listen...

How can we create new habits – and stick to them? Is it really a case of will power, motivation, then repetition? Or could there be a simpler approach? This week, I talk to world leading expert in behaviour change, Professor BJ Fogg, who has spent 20 years researching and teaching insights about human behaviour. BJ and I discuss why, if you haven’t been successful when trying to change in the past...

Many of us are struggling to adjust to this new way of life. Having spent 24 hours a day in a 12ft by 8ft prison cell for a whole year, my guest on this week’s podcast knows more about isolation than most of us. You may remember John McAvoy from episode 91 of the podcast, where he shared his inspirational story of going from serving two life sentences to breaking British and World sporting records...

Think back four or five weeks ago. How much of what you were engaged in then seems relatively trivial now? How much has the experience of coronavirus already clarified what your values really are? When you see people standing in the street, clapping for their healthcare workers; or Europeans on their balconies, serenading each other through lockdown, how does that make you feel? For this week’s po...

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing and themes of an adult nature. Having written a book about the importance of connections, Johann Hari was the obvious choice to help me shed light on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting this key human need. In this podcast, his work on how loneliness affects depression and anxiety provides insight, understanding and practical solutions to help...

The world is changing and people are feeling scared. What we regard as normal has been completely flipped on its head. What we need now more than ever is kindness. When you’re kind to someone, it’s not just that person who benefits. Kindness makes you happier. It’s good for your heart. It helps support your immune system. It slows ageing. It improves relationships. And it’s contagious – any small...

CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains swearing. As the world goes into lockdown to help manage the global pandemic of Coronavirus, many people are feeling anxious. This is a bonus conversation that I have recorded to help people deal with the anxiety that they are currently experiencing. Many people feel scared and helpless, which is completely understandable. In this episode, I speak to the beha...

Is it time we relearned to live in sync with the natural world? My guest this week asserts that, instead of sticking to the same habits and behaviours, year round, we should change with the seasons, as our ancestors did. Dallas Hartwig, co-author of The Whole-30 and nutritionist explains that how we eat, sleep, exercise and connect to the world in January should be different to how we do those thi...

My guest on this week’s podcast is living proof that trauma doesn’t have to break you – that your start in life needn’t determine where you’ll end up.  Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton is one of just six female chief fire officers in the UK, and a psychologist with a PhD in behavioural neuroscience. She’s also an ambassador for The Big Issue, which she sold on the streets while experiencing homelessness as...

Spinach or kale? Jeans or tracksuit bottoms? Running or swimming? They’re not the usual questions my podcast guests have to ponder. But this week’s episode is a special (and occasionally silly) one – it’s our centenary so it’s me in the hot seat. I thought I’d take a break from interviewing and invite my good friend Dr Ayan Panja back on the show to ask the questions and have some fun. Of course,...

How do you breathe? It might not be something you’ve ever given much thought to, but my guest on this week’s episode is convinced you should. Patrick McKeown believes breathing correctly – that is, through your nose, lightly, and slowly – is the secret to better health, fitness and overall wellbeing. Yet many of us are breathing through our mouths, breathing fast and shallow, and our health is suf...

Is it possible to create a food system that promotes health, not disease? One that regenerates ecosystems, reverses climate change and ensures no one, least of all the poorest in society, is endangered? My guest on this week’s podcast believes it is. He is functional medicine doctor and New York Times bestselling author, Dr Mark Hyman. Mark and I talk about everything from how processed food is ad...

Think of a physiotherapist and you probably think of someone who’s interested in muscles and joints; someone who gets you moving again after an injury, right? Well my guest this week is a physio with a difference. He’s concerned with the effect movement has, not on our bodies… but our minds.  Brendon Stubbs is head of physiotherapy at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, a clinical...

Can a sporting event really change the world? It might sound crazy, but with the right ingredients, I think it can. My guest on this week’s podcast is Michael Lemmel, co-founder of Swimrun, a sporting experience that’s taken the world by storm. What began as a drunken bet between friends, to swim and run between islands off Sweden, evolved into an organised endurance event and now an eco-conscious...

Warning: some people might find this podcast seriously restful. If that sounds appealing, it should do, because rest is something we all need to prioritise. So says this week’s guest, Claudia Hammond, who argues that being busy isn’t a badge of honour – and taking time out is definitely not lazy. We examine the science behind our struggles to relax and she shares some brilliant insights on our att...