Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Often misunderstood as simply being about muscles and bodybuilding, protein is, in fact, the fundamental building block of life – forming everything from our DNA and skin to our enzymes and hormones. And today's returning guest believes that many of us are simply not eating enough.

Dr Rupy Aujla is a London-based doctor, nutritionist and founder of The Doctor's Kitchen, who is on a mission to make healthy cooking accessible and enjoyable for all. He has authored multiple best-selling cookbooks, including his very latest: Healthy High Protein: Supercharge Your Energy, Feel Stronger and Live Longer.

In this conversation, Rupy challenges the traditional protein recommendations and why he believes that many of us should be focussing on increasing our consumption. He shares how muscle wasting affects around 40% of us as we get older and he explains that this muscle wastage is not just about losing strength – but also affects our metabolism, energy levels and overall wellbeing. 

We also delve into the protein content of our breakfasts, the differences between animal and plant proteins, the potential downsides of protein powders, how protein needs change as we get older, and why increasing our protein intake can often reduce our snacking and ultra-processed food consumption.

Whether you're dealing with mid-morning energy crashes, looking to support healthy ageing, or simply wanting to feel better, Rupy's practical wisdom transforms protein-focused eating into something manageable and enjoyable for all. I hope you enjoy listening!

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/534

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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Every morning, my guest on this week’s episode starts her day with 30-minutes of exercise. She knows – from personal experience backed by scientific research – that this makes her more focused, happy, motivated, and even creative. She knows it’ll help her grow new brain cells and neural pathways, long into old age. And she wants you to reap all these benefits too.

Dr Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist and a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University’s Center for Neural Science. Her 2016 book Healthy Brain, Happy Life is a thought-provoking, life-changing look at the plasticity of the brain – and the research-based ways we can change it for the better.

In our conversation, Wendy shares her realisation that the ‘bubble bath of feelgood chemicals’ released during movement were having powerful unexpected effects in her brain. And she explains how even just a small amount of exercise creates profound changes in the brain that go much further than simply boosting mood.

We talk about the effect exercise had on the hippocampus, the part of the brain critical for long-term memory and imagination, as well as the pre-frontal cortex, responsible for our working, moment-to-moment memory. It’s all inspiring proof that our brains are plastic and can change at any age, and that we can take action to make them healthier, younger and stronger.

We also discuss anxiety. Wendy’s latest book, provocatively titled Anxiety Is Your Superpower is all about reframing this ‘misunderstood emotion’ as a signal designed to protect us. Anxiety and fear levels have certainly risen over the past few years but if we can understand anxiety as part of the fight or flight stress response, says Wendy, we can begin to see it as an evolutionary tool for productivity. The key, she says, is turning a panicked list of ‘what ifs’ into a practical list of ‘to dos’.

Wendy explains the detrimental effects of alcohol on the brain health, the wonders of meditation and how listening to your favourite piece of music is one of the easiest ways to nourish your brain.

This is a practical and inspiring episode that I’m certain will have you taking action immediately.

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.

Thanks to our sponsors:

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/533

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 you could achieve a lot more by doing a little less? 

“The logical assumptions that emerge from ‘no pain, no gain’ are not valid, they’re not true” Professor Stephen Seiler

Today’s clip is from episode 422 of the podcast with world-renowned sports scientist Professor Stephen Seiler.

Whether your fitness goal is completing an Ironman race, jogging a 5K, or simply tackling the stairs without getting out of breath, in this clip Stephen shares some surprising news on how you can get there quicker, by putting in less effort.

Thanks to our sponsor https://www.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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Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/422

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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How much of your relationship tension comes from expectations that were never communicated? And what if changing the way you handle conflict could completely transform them?

While we often dedicate countless hours to our careers, many of us never devote time to the basics of emotional awareness. Yet my guest today believes that learning to love better might be the most important, transformative journey we can undertake.

Diego Perez, widely known by his pen name, Yung Pueblo, is followed by millions of people all around the world who are keen to learn from his wisdom. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books, including his very latest How to Love Better: The Path to Deeper Connection Through Growth, Kindness and Compassion.

In this powerful conversation, you'll hear about:

Whether you're in a relationship or not, Diego's insights offer valuable wisdom for anyone looking to develop deeper connections and better understand themselves. 

It’s a conversation about love, growth, and the courage to face ourselves honestly. Understanding that true change starts within and that our relationships can be our greatest teachers on the path to becoming better humans.

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.

Thanks to our sponsors:

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/531

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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Burnout is a type of chronic, unmanaged stress that has significant consequences for our physical and mental health. It’s characterised by feeling exhausted all the time, with no energy for everyday tasks, and little enjoyment in everyday activities. A survey by YouGov for the charity Mental Health UK in 2020 found one in five people felt unable to manage pressure and stress levels at work. Other Research found that burnout among UK workers almost doubled from 2021 to 2022 and that a staggering 88 percent of the UK workforce have experienced burnout since 2020. 

It’s staggering statistics like these that led me to record this bonus episode. It’s a different format from usual: rather than a conversation with a guest, this is my take on what burnout is, why we often don't recognise it until it is too late – and why I believe it’s so important that each and every one of us is aware of it.

Many of us think we can keep pushing day after day, week after week, month after month without any consequences. But we can’t. What I have seen time and time again is that this constant pushing always come back to bite, it is just a case of when. Many of us are on the road to burnout without even realising it. In the past, we might have thought of burnout as a phenomenon that only affected high-flying CEOs. But it’s fair to say the world of work has completely transformed over the past few years. Pressures on everyone are through the roof, no matter what your paygrade or level of responsibility. Add to that the rise in home working, the cost-of-living crisis and the fact that boundaries between work and home have become increasingly blurred means that it is something that more and more of us are experiencing.

In this podcast, I outline 7 signs that may indicate you are on the road to burnout: things to look out for in your mood, your behaviour, your habits and your health. I then walk you through 10 practical tools you can think about introducing into your life that will quickly start to help. I truly hope you find this episode helpful and, of course, if you know someone in your life who could benefit from listening, please do share this episode with them.

PLEASE NOTE: the signs I mention in this episode are very common and are not exclusive to burnout. If you have the odd sign and it is short lived - please do not worry - we all will experience some of these signs from time to time. Just be mindful if these signs are becoming longstanding. Also, please note that some of these signs can also be found in a variety of other conditions, for example, depression. If you have any concerns, please seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional ***

***DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast 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 in this podcast.

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.

Thanks to our sponsors:

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/530

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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CAUTION: Breath hold exercises are only suitable if you are in good health. If you have any concerns, consult your medical doctor before practicing any breathing exercises. You should never practice breath holds if you are in or near water, if you are pregnant, have high blood pressure or any other medical condition. 

If you find yourself struggling regularly with stress, today’s guest has a tool that you can use that will really help. It’s free, it’s easy, and the results can be instantaneous.

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 99 of the podcast with leading international expert on breathing, Patrick McKeown.

Patrick believes breathing correctly is the secret to better health and wellbeing and he has trained thousands of clients, including elite military special forces and Olympic athletes.

In this clip, he explains why our emotions and our breathing are interlinked and he shares some practical tools to help reduce stress and anxiety.

You can even get started right away with some of his techniques as you listen.

Thanks to our sponsor https://www.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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Patrick’s book: The Oxygen Advantage: Simple, Scientifically Proven Breathing Techniques to Help You Become Healthier, Slimmer, Faster, and Fitter

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/99

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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Did you know that up to 40% of adults in Western countries struggle to get enough sleep?

While some societies have historically never even had a word for insomnia, our modern world has created an epidemic of sleep problems, which affect not only our creativity, empathy, appetite and mood but countless other aspects of who we are, too.

This week's guest is Professor Guy Leschziner, a neurologist at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals in London and a professor of neurology and sleep medicine at King's College London. He is also the author of several books, including The Secret World Of Sleep: Tales of Nightmares and Neuroscience and his latest, Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human.

In this fascinating conversation, we discuss:

With over two decades of experience running sleep disorder clinics, Guy brings clarity to the often confusing world of sleep, offering evidence-based insights and practical solutions throughout our conversation. 

As he points out, our sleep needs are highly individual, so I hope this episode guides you in finding the approach that works best for you.

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

Thanks to our sponsors:

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/528

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 was the last time you felt awe? Perhaps it’s an emotion you notice often, evoked by the trees, clouds, or people around you. Or maybe it’s something you associate with more dramatic, less frequent experiences.

Today’s guest, Dr Dacher Keltner, has written a sublime book on the subject of awe. It’s called Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life and in it he proposes that awe is an emotion that’s all around us, waiting to be discovered – and in doing so, we can transform our health and lives for the better.

Dacher is one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists and Professor of Psychology at the University of California. He’s also Director of the Greater Good Science Center, which studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of happiness and wellbeing. He has spent decades studying the science of happiness and believes that across the world, we are collectively having a moment of reflection and looking for more meaning.

In this conversation, Dacher defines awe as our response to powerful things that are obscure, vast, and mysterious. They’re beyond our frame of reference, making us feel small and filling us with wonder. But you don’t have to go to the Grand Canyon or see the Northern Lights to find them. Having studied people’s understanding and experience of awe in 26 different countries, he’s found eight types which are common – and easily available – to us all.

They include nature, music, moral beauty (noticing others’ kindness), birth and death, and one of my favourites, ‘collective effervescence’. This is that feeling of coming together with others, moving as one, and sharing the same consciousness – and you may have experienced it in a sports stadium, at a music concert, on a dancefloor, in worship, in a choir, or even at parkrun. 

As to the benefits of awe, from calming inflammation to activating the vagus nerve; deactivating our brain’s stress centre, to reducing pain perception, these awe experiences are buffers for many modern health conditions that we can’t afford to miss.

We spoke in depth about how birth and death are strong triggers for awe, sharing our own painful yet precious experiences of watching close relatives die. We also considered how awe reduces the ego and makes you humble. And how having a regular practice of contemplation, like meditation or breathwork, can open us up to easily noticing and benefitting from everyday awe.

I truly believe that Dacher’s work can help all of us find greater meaning and greater health. He’s done a fantastic job of finding the science to support his words, but I think we also know intuitively that what he’s saying makes perfect sense. This was a wonderful and deeply profound conversation that contains science, storytelling, raw emotion and so much more. I hope you enjoy listening.

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

For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.

Thanks to our sponsors:

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/527

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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Today’s guest, like myself, is passionate about empowering individuals to take control of their health by simplifying the wealth of information that exists and giving people practical, realistic recommendations.

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 404 of the podcast with Dr Tommy Wood.

Tommy is Assistant Professor of Paediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington, US. He holds a degree in biochemistry from Cambridge, a medical degree from Oxford, achieved his PhD in physiology and neuroscience in Oslo, and has published papers and lectured across the globe. It’s fair to say that when it comes to health and longevity, Tommy knows what he’s talking about.

In this clip, we cut through some of the confusion on the hot topics of sugar and ultra-processed foods and try our best to give some nuanced, practical advice.

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

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

For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/404

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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Studies show we spend up to 70% of our mental energy focusing on things we can't control, which affects our relationships, stress levels and health. But what if there were two simple words that could help us all break free?

Today's returning guest is Mel Robbins. Mel is a former lawyer and someone who has now become a sought-after expert in life improvement, mindset, and behaviour change. The occasion for her second appearance on my podcast is the launch of her latest book, #1 New York Times best-seller The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

Over the past few years, Mel has amassed an incredible 25 million followers online because of her unique ability to connect with others.  She is passionate, articulate and very relatable - and this conversation is full of practical tools to help you transform your relationships, lower your stress, increase your energy and feel more in control of life.

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

For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.

Thanks to our sponsors:

https://calm.com/livemore

https://thriva.co

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/525

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices