In The Doctor's Chair

In this episode, I discuss health beyond the absence of disease and how making lifestyle changes can significantly improve your health and well-being. I define lifestyle medicine and outline its six pillars. I share the Million Veteran Study and explain how it demonstrated the cumulative effects and age-specific benefits of adopting multiple healthy habits. I also suggest a few small, positive lif...

In this episode, Michelle and I discuss how self-care and self-compassion can help us show up for ourselves and others. We explore her background in sports, sports development, and her interest in psychology and personal development. We describe the power of hope and how faith allowed Michelle to navigate the most challenging chapters of her life. We also outline her daily gratitude practice, disc...

In this episode, I discuss how you can live better and longer through strength-based training and exercise. I share the story of John, an 84-year-old man whose biological age is decades behind his chronological age. I explain how our bodies lose lean muscles as we age—leading to eventual decline—and how the environments we spend our time in can be health-enhancing or health-depleting. I also outli...

Eimear joins me today to share her fertility journey. She describes the IVF cycles she has been through, the challenges that she faced, and the lessons she learned from the adversities she overcame. She outlines the practices in her mental health toolkit—including mindfulness, journaling, and counseling—and how they helped her face the challenges of her IVF journey. Eimear also discusses how she h...

Having a Health IQ is important. A great way to start building it up is to keep track of your cholesterol numbers. This can seem like a daunting task, so today I talk all about cholesterol: what it is, why it matters, how to keep track of it and how to leverage lifestyle changes to keep it at healthy levels thereby reducing your risk of chronic illnesses. In this episode, I talk about the differen...

In this episode, Liana and I discuss how approaching life with your character and personal strengths can help you achieve long-lasting benefits to your health, well-being, and vitality. We discuss how individuals can find their character strengths amid a world that focuses on insecurities and imperfection. We explore different ways to discover your character and personal strengths. We describe how...

In this episode, I discuss health being your wealth and outline key ideas to help, support, and improve your health span and enable you to live with vitality. I explain how having a positive view of aging impacts vitality and longevity. I share my G.L.A.D. and W.W.W. exercises to help build your emotional bank account. I also highlight how our interpersonal relationships impact our health, discuss...

Dr. Akil joins me today to share his life before undergoing open-heart surgery and why he didn’t believe heart disease could happen to him. We discuss his experience with depression and how those negative thoughts and behaviors manifested into physical symptoms. We discuss how undergoing open-heart surgery became the pivotal moment he finally decided to transform his life and make healthier lifest...

In this episode, I discuss forest therapy and how it can improve your overall well-being, creativity, and connection to the world around you. I reveal how nature inspired me to write my book, The Vitality Mark. I explain how spending time in natural environments can help you lower your stress response, increase your relaxation response, and become more compassionate to yourself and the world aroun...

Tony joins me today to share his story of battling drug and alcohol abuse. We discuss the misunderstandings and misconceptions society typically has around drug and alcohol addiction and why medical professionals and health organizations view addiction as a mental health issue. We discuss the struggles of trying to break addiction and what ‘emotional sobriety’ means.

Today, Caroline joins me to discuss where happiness comes from and the science behind goal-setting. She recounts her journey recovering from bulimia and addiction and how it led her to the field of positive psychology and coaching. She demonstrates the importance of positive psychology and provides instructions on using it to pursue difficult goals. She reminds us that it is never too late to star...

In this episode, I discuss why it’s important to make time to keep your body moving, whether it’s through walking, yoga, or following an exercise routine. I discuss the benefits of walking and how all movement can be considered beneficial. I explain what brisk walking is and how it helps you maintain optimal health. I discuss how walking in nature helps boost your creativity and problem-solving sk...

This episode, I discuss some of the life lessons we can learn from the great minds of ancient philosophers, like Epictetus. I share how he learned by choosing how he responded to different situations, it gave him an inner sense of freedom despite his circumstances.

Ibrahim Halawa, a 25-year-old Irishman, spent more than four years of his life in prison in Egypt after he was arrested while on a family holiday in 2013. Then aged 17, Ibrahim was detained by the Egyptian security forces after he and three of his sisters were caught up in a siege at a mosque in Cairo in August 2013.

This episode, I discuss the opportunity cost associated with an overthinking mind. I explain what the amygdala is, how it works, and how high worry and stress levels can impact your health and wellbeing. I explain how overthinking affects your ability to process emotions properly.

Today, Beth joins me to talk about the power of a healthy body, peaceful mind, and joyful heart. She shares how her story began and talks about the impact of her father’s heart attack and stroke on his life and hers. She notes that exercise can often act as an internal motivator and discusses the power of a growth mindset. She shares her own lifestyle health practices and discusses the power of mo...

Today, we discuss Domini’s passion for food as medicine. Domini shares how being a chef and entrepreneur-led her to embrace the power of food. She emphasizes the importance of real, unprocessed food and highlights the benefits of herbs and spices for their potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. She clarifies why her goal is not to make absolute claims but to promote the idea that...

Today, Rachel joins me to discuss the significance of willpower, seeking professional help, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle during menopause and beyond. Rachel explains the benefits of a nutrient-focused approach to eating during menopause, highlighting eight essential nutrients for women’s health, and emphasizes the challenges of overcoming sugar addiction. She shares her personal practices f...

Today, Dr. Paddy and I discuss preventive cardiology and the risk factors leading to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia. Dr. Paddy highlights the need for lifestyle medicine and positive health practices and details how his work in preventive cardiology and medical innovation continues to significantly impact the field. We discuss how understanding metabolic syndrome and its role in chro...

Today, I guide you through a series of questions meant to help you develop a growth mindset and learn how to ask yourself the right questions to find your personal truth and foster your curiosity about the world around you. I help you identify your strengths and share some surprising traits that strong people have. I discuss the importance of gratitude and how focusing on abundance is more importa...

In this episode, I talk about why kindness is an essential part of a lifestyle of vitality. I share the concrete benefits of being kind and compassionate toward others, benefits which are mental, physical, and spiritual. I share research on why, when you’re kind, you actually make the world a better place. I explain why, contrary to being a sign of weakness, kindness increases your resilience. Fin...

Today, I discuss men’s health and why it’s important for men to work with their doctors on a partnership approach to healthcare. I highlight why men often delay seeking medical attention and neglect their health, which can have negative consequences. I emphasize the need for men to take action and be proactive in caring for their health. I explore the reasons behind men’s health issues, including...

Today, Keith and I discuss gratitude, the importance of being curious and open-minded, and how to introduce children to different experiences and ways of thinking. Keith shares his experiences of working odd jobs before achieving success and encourages people to stop blaming others for their circumstances in life. We discuss the power of the subconscious mind and how it is often overlooked or misu...

Today, Emilia Elisabet and I discuss the concept of sisu, how she found it helpful in healing and rebuilding after an abusive relationship, and how it can heal you. We discuss how sisu can help you overcome adversity and how to develop sisu in your own life. Emilia Elisabet shares how her Finnish heritage helped her find her own sisu and the courage to move forward. She discusses why sisu is not o...

Today, Dr. Mary joins me to discuss the importance of taking care of yourself and how stress and lifestyle affect hormones. She shares the story of how she became a doctor and some of the professors who inspired her to become an endocrinologist. Dr. Mary explains the role of the pituitary gland and what happens when hormones become imbalanced. She shares her suggestions to help balance hormones, h...