Why would you want to live longer, if not to spend more time with the people you love? That question sits at the heart of this conversation with brain health expert Dr Tommy Wood. And today, we tackle the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to protecting their brain and longevity.

Tommy is Assistant Professor of Paediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, where his research spans brain development, cognitive decline and dementia prevention. He’s also worked with elite athletes and Formula One drivers as a performance coach. And in his must-read book The Stimulated Mind, he combines that breadth and specialism to make understanding brain health easier – and more fun – than you might think.

We start with mindset, and the surprising research findings that how you feel about ageing can shape how you go on to age. As someone in his 40s, I was delighted to hear Tommy cite a paper called Humans Peak in Midlife, showing that increasing wisdom, emotional intelligence and moral reasoning could make age 55 to 65 my best brain decade yet!

We talk about the risk of becoming so focused on optimising your own health that you neglect what matters most, your relationships with other people. And Tommy points out why chasing longevity without that connection is missing the entire point.

From there we get practical. We discuss mistakes like ignoring your blood pressure (and the implications for dementia) and what testing markers like homocysteine early, rather than waiting until something goes wrong, means for your long-term brain health. I also ask Tommy which supplements are worth considering, including the latest evidence on creatine and basic multivitamins. And he reveals the surprisingly strong link between your oral health and your brain.

Finally, we consider the toxic load of modern life, from microplastics to air pollution, and whether you should filter your water. Tommy’s balanced, evidence-based perspective avoids scaremongering while still taking these issues seriously.

Whether you’ve listened to every one of Tommy's previous appearances or you’re new to the podcast, this conversation is packed with practical ideas you can act on today, whatever your stage of life. As Tommy reminds us, it is never too late to start.

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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“When you invest in your health and mobility every single day, you are going to age in a different way!”  Dr Vonda Wright.

Bone health is something most of us don’t think about until much later in life, but the reality is that the foundation for strong, healthy bones is built much, much earlier - and the sooner you start to build this foundation the better.

Today's Bitesize is from episode 588 of the podcast with orthopaedic surgeon and internationally recognised authority on active ageing and mobility, Dr Vonda Wright.

Vonda explains why we have more control over our bone health than we might realise, why our mid-30s to mid-40s are such a pivotal window for investing in our future health, and she shares some simple, practical strategies that could help protect our bones and keep us strong.

Vonda shares her vision of ageing with strength, independence, and vitality - and why she believes we can all take proactive steps to remain unbreakable. By taking simple, consistent steps today, we could build the strength, independence and confidence to live in the way we want for years to come.

Thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠https://thewayapp.com/livemore 

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/588

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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If there were a health marker guaranteed to shape your happiness, your health and your children’s wellbeing, wouldn’t you want to optimise it?

According to today’s guest there is: your relationships. And in this episode, the world-renowned couples’ therapist Terry Real reveals the one skill he believes matters more than any other for lasting love – while showing you exactly how to use it.

Nicknamed ‘the turnaround guy’, Terry has spent decades helping couples who’ve tried it all find their way back to connection. His latest bestseller Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship, features a foreword from one-such happy customer, Bruce Springsteen. Terry’s unconventional yet hugely successful approach, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), has trained thousands of therapists worldwide. He believes a good therapist should take sides, and that lasting change often means helping someone come down from grandiosity, not just raising them up from shame.

This is one of those conversations that blends big, new ideas with nuggets of advice you’ll be itching to put into practice. We discuss how expectations of love and romance have changed over the generations – and why so many of us are trying to build modern, intimate partnerships using skills we were never actually taught. And Terry explains why the real measure of a strong relationship isn’t how rarely you argue, but which of your ‘three selves’ you use to do it.

He introduces the idea of the adaptive child, an old survival pattern that hijacks our behaviour the moment we feel threatened, and explains how learning to recognise it can transform the way we handle conflict. We also discuss the patriarchy and the need to move beyond it for humankind – but this is not about blaming men or women, rather showing how both can and must shift to help each other and the world.

So, what is that one skill we need for lasting love? Terry calls it repair, and his bold idea is that it’s not a two-way conversation. When someone we love is hurt or upset with us, our job is not to explain ourselves, but to help them feel heard first. The ability to repair, more than the ability to swerve an argument altogether, is what determines relationship success – and, crucially, he reveals how to do it. It’s a simple reframe, and one that could change how you handle your very next disagreement.  

Whether you are single, married, co-parenting, or navigating a difficult patch with someone you care about, this conversation is full of practical strategies you can start using today. I have a feeling you’ll want to share this episode, so everyone you love can do the same.

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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What if the most courageous, compassionate thing you could do in life, was to learn how to be with yourself? It’s a powerful, perhaps surprising idea put forward by today’s guest.

Today’s Bitesize is from episode 387 of the podcast with Gelong Thubten - Buddhist monk, meditation teacher and author of the fantastic book 'A Handbook for Hard Times: A Monk’s Guide to Fearless Living’.

Thubten became a monk back in 1993 after suffering from severe physical and mental burnout whilst following his dream of becoming an actor in New York City.

We begin by talking about distraction and addiction, two states that are very closely linked. He explains that when we distract ourselves by scrolling, overeating, or drinking for example, we’re pushing away emotional pain or discomfort - even if we may not realise it. But the discomfort is really in the pushing. If we can learn instead to sit with what’s making us uncomfortable, those emotions start to transform.

Thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠https://thewayapp.com/livemore 

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/387

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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Could the food you ate yesterday already be reshaping your gut, your immune system and your risk of chronic disease? This week’s guest says yes, and he’s spent his career demonstrating why that matters so much.

Dr Will Bulsiewicz is an award-winning gastroenterologist and the author of the new book, Plant Powered Plus. And few people can explain the science of gut health as clearly, or as compassionately, as Will does in this conversation. If you think you already know everything there is to know about digestion, fibre and plant foods, this episode will change your mind – and deliver a great deal more.

Will has identified four nutrition ‘workhorses’ that feed and protect our guts and, unsurprisingly, fibre is one of them. We get into the specifics of how the fibre we eat turns into short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which Will describes as the most anti-inflammatory substance he has ever come across. He makes the case for fibre as the true longevity nutrient. We talk about resistant starch, found in cooled potatoes and green bananas, and why it feeds a completely different part of your gut microbiome to other fibres. Will shares the research behind the ‘30 plants a week’ target, and why he thinks the exact figure matters far less than most people assume. And he covers the importance of polyphenols, healthy fats and fermented foods.

There’s a fascinating section on the different ways our gut microbiomes are shaped by our closest relationships, including some research findings even Will found surprising. We bust some myths around the term ‘leaky gut’. And we discuss why he no longer sees Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis as straightforward autoimmune conditions, but more like the immune system turning against the microbiome.

Will is refreshingly honest about the limits of diet alone. He talks candidly about the patients he could not help through nutrition or medication, and about a period in his own life when food became a coping mechanism for something he wasn’t able to face. It is a reminder that lasting health often asks more of us than simply eating better.

Whether you’re new to the topic of gut health or well acquainted, this episode brings a new perspective. It’s packed with valuable and actionable moments – and it’s one you’ll come back to again and again.

The Thrive Tour: Transform Your Health and Happiness, a live show: Book Your Tickets https://drchatterjee.com/live

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/677

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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When we think about improving our health, we often think about changing our diet, increasing how much we move, improving the quality of our sleep and lowering stress, but how many of us think about ‘working’ on our vision?

Every day, many of us experience symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, headaches or poor concentration – and never realise that our eyes might be playing a central role.

In today’s Bitesize, pioneering neuro-optometrist Dr Bryce Appelbaum explains why our visual system is about far more than simply how well we can see. Many of us don’t realise just how much our vision influences how we think, feel and perform.

We explore the surprising connection between vision and stress, and Bryce shares some simple, practical exercises we can all use today to better support our visual system and our wider health.

Show notes and the full podcast are available at ⁠https://drchatterjee.com/576⁠

Thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://drinkag1.com/livemore⁠

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore⁠⁠⁠

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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Why does struggling for something make it more satisfying? And why can getting what you want leave you feeling flat? In this episode, I sit down with Arthur Brooks, one of the world's leading voices on the science of happiness, for a conversation that might change how you feel about your life.

Arthur is a professor at Vanderbilt University, senior fellow of Harvard Business School and bestselling author of multiple books, including new title, The Meaning Of Your Life. He walked away from a successful career when he realised that despite a happy marriage, strong faith and good income, he struggled to feel happy. That personal reckoning led him to years of research into what really makes people thrive – and in this conversation, he shares the framework he developed to explain it.

Using an analogy from nutrition science, Arthur describes happiness as requiring three macronutrients: enjoyment, satisfaction and meaning. We talk about why so many high achievers get the first one wrong. Suffering and struggle, he says, aren’t obstacles to a fulfilling life but essential ingredients of it – hence removing all friction from our lives can leave us feeling empty rather than content.

We also get into goals, and why reaching them tends not to deliver the lasting happiness we expect. Arthur calls this the arrival fallacy, and understanding might change how you approach your next big challenge.

On relationships, Arthur shares research showing that the healthiest marriages are not the ones with the least conflict, but the ones with the most honesty. We talk frankly about what that has looked like in our own marriages, what we can all learn from our parents when it comes to happiness, and the best (and easiest) way to send a positive message to our children. Arthur also shares what he’s learned about presence, faith and love from his relationship and his daily practices.

We explore the difference between solitude and loneliness and how levels of social connection can be individual. And I hope you’ll pay attention to the section on why leisure needs to be treated as seriously as work.

This is a warm, honest and personal conversation with someone who’s spent decades studying happiness – but who’s candid about how hard he’s worked to feel it himself. By reframing happiness as a direction not a destination, I think it could be a life-changing listen for you.

The Thrive Tour: Transform Your Health and Happiness, a live show: Book Your Tickets https://drchatterjee.com/live

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/675

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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Most of us assume that memory loss and cognitive decline are just part of getting older. In this episode, a world-leading neurologist says that’s simply not true. That, far from being inevitable, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases result from decades of metabolic damage – which we have the power to prevent and even reverse.

I’m speaking with Dr David Perlmutter, a board-certified neurologist, six-time New York Times bestselling author, and one of the world's leading experts on brain health. And in this fascinating conversation, we discuss the single biological mechanism that sits at the heart of virtually every neurodegenerative condition, from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's to long Covid and depression, and why understanding it changes everything about how you approach your lifestyle.

David’s key insight is that our brain's own immune cells, called microglial cells, have the power to make or break our future brain health. Keep them in their protective state through diet, exercise, and metabolic testing, and we can safeguard our brain for life. Feed them with ultra-processed food and they will shift into a destructive state that drives neuroinflammation.

We discuss how, exactly, ultra-processed food damages the brain, why metabolic health is the key to cognitive longevity, and why the diagnosis of Alzheimer's is really the end stage of a process that began decades earlier. The choices you make right now, in your 30s, 40s and 50s, are already shaping the brain you will have in your 70s and beyond.

If this all sounds science-heavy, rest assured David approaches it, just as he does in his new book, Brain Defenders, with clarity and plenty of practical takeaway. He outlines the specific blood biomarkers he believes everyone should be tracking, including fasting insulin, homocysteine and uric acid, for a remarkable window into your long-term brain health. We discuss why knowing your numbers is one of the most empowering steps you can take, how to go about getting tested, and how to act on what you find.

There is a great deal of fear around dementia, and understandably so. But what I hope you take from this episode is something David emphasises: we needn’t be scared because we have agency. The research is clear that lifestyle choices have a profound impact on your risk, and it is never too early, or too late, to start making them.

This is one of the most distinct and important conversations I’ve had about the future of your brain, and I think you will find it incredibly useful, thought-provoking and, above all, hopeful.

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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As we get older, have you ever wondered why the exercise advice we’ve been given doesn’t seem to work as well as it once did? As we move into our 40s and beyond, our physiology changes in ways that can often feel confusing and frustrating. But what if we could harness those changes to feel stronger, healthier and more resilient than ever before?

Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart.  Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. 

Today’s clip is from episode 578 of the podcast with exercise physiologist and nutritional scientist, Dr Stacy Sims.

Stacy is dedicated to helping active women – and the people who support them – take back control of their bodies, health and lives through science-based knowledge and practical tools.

In this clip, Stacy shares why conventional fitness advice often fails women in midlife, and what many of us may be missing when it comes to improving our health, vitality and resilience as we age.

Stacy’s insights remind us that with the right information and support, we can build strength, confidence and better health at any stage of life.

Thanks to our sponsor https://heights.com/livemore

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/578

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore⁠⁠

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DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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“Sleep is a lot like love: the less you look for it, the more it shows up.” So says my guest on this episode, one of the world's leading sleep doctors, who’s here to reveal the five common traps that are stopping us getting the rest we need.

Dr Michael Breus is a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist based in California. He’s the author of several books, including the brilliantly helpful, Sleep, Drink, Breathe. Over the course of his 25-year career, he’s helped

In this conversation, we unpack the sleep myths that are keeping us stuck. We talk about why chasing eight hours could be working against you, why sleeping in at the weekend may be doing more harm than good, and why freaking out about your sleep is making it worse. We also explore what is really happening in your body to cause that 3am wake-up, and the practical techniques that can help you get back to sleep quickly and calmly.

Michael shares his own diagnosis of sleep apnoea, which will surprise you given his background, and opens up a conversation I think many of you will find both reassuring and galvanising. He dispels common myths around testing and treatment, and makes a clear case for investigating your symptoms – it could change your life.

We also cover sleep tracking and how to interpret what your wearables say without driving yourself to distraction. Michael gives his view on the supplements worth considering and those that are not. We talk about the specific challenges facing women going through perimenopause and menopause, and he gives practical advice for shift workers, parents, and carers who feel they can’t get the hours they need.

We close by talking through his five-step plan, which is simple, evidence-based, and immediately actionable. It will help you sleep better from tonight. Wherever you are in your journey towards restful, restorative sleep, you will hear something new in this insightful and surprising conversation. By going back to basics, Michael offers some truly fresh perspectives on this most fundamental pillar of your health.

The Thrive Tour: Transform Your Health and Happiness, a live show: Book Your Tickets https://drchatterjee.com/live

Thanks to our sponsors:

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/672

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

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