Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

CAUTION: Contains themes of an adult nature.

If I told you there was a simple, free habit you could take up to optimise your health in just five to 10 minutes a day, would you be up for trying it? If the answer’s yes, then you’re going to love today’s guest, a brilliant science communicator who reveals what the habit is – and shares ground-breaking insights from his research.

Dr. Andrew Huberman is a professor of neuroscience at Stanford University School of Medicine in the US and he has made numerous contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function and neuroplasticity. His lab’s most recent work focuses on the influence of vision and breathing on human performance and brain states such as fear and courage. His work has been published in top scientific journals including Nature, Science, and Cell and has been featured in global media outlets such as TIME magazine, BBC, and Scientific American.

We begin this conversation discussing why exposure to morning light is key to optimum human functioning. Our visual system is about more than just seeing. The light that enters our eyes, even in blind people, gives knowledge to the nervous system. Getting the right light, at the right time, sets the clock in all of your body’s cells, which in turn will affect many different functions in the body. It stimulates the cortisol you need for energy and focus. And it has positive effects on everything from sleep, energy and immunity to appetite, mood and so much more. 

We also discuss what exactly is going on in the brain when we feel fearful and how something as simple as getting outside and looking at the horizon can completely change our physiology and powerfully inhibit anxiety.

Finally, we talk about the role that technology is having on our attention and Andrew shares a variety of simple exercises that we can all do to train our brains to improve our focus, health and performance.

Andrew is a special human being and someone who I have been wanting to speak to for a long, long time. I really enjoyed speaking to him - 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.

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Thanks to our sponsors:

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

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https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/524

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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We all want to be happy, but what truly brings us happiness is often not what we think.

Today’s clip is from episode 151 of the podcast with Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Laurie’s ‘Science of Wellbeing’ course has developed into a global phenomenon, with over 4 million people signing up to study her evidence-based strategies for happiness.

In this clip, she explains that our intuition is often wrong when it comes to happiness and shares the results of some surprising research that could help us live happier lives.

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/151

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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Do you think that it’s inevitable that the function of your brain will decline as you get older? Or, do you believe that there are simple things you can do each day to preserve, protect and enhance it?

Today’s guest is neurophysiologist and brain health researcher, Louisa Nicola. Louisa is founder of Neuro Athletics, where she works with high-performing individuals to optimise their cognitive function. Nine years ago, Louisa was training to go to the Olympics to represent Australia in the triathlon when she was hit by a car and suffered seemingly insurmountable injuries. 

Desperate to accelerate her recovery, she integrated brain training into her approach to physical health and made a near-miraculous recovery. Since then, she has helped many elite performers perform better, think faster and live longer by leveraging neuroscience, exercise physiology, sleep science and nutrition.

In this conversation, we discuss:

One of the key themes in this conversation is that our daily habits compound over time to either protect or compromise the health of our brains - and, throughout, Louisa shares a variety of practical strategies we can all adopt  - suitable for every age and fitness level.

Louisa’s message is both urgent and hopeful: while our modern lifestyles may be contributing to rising rates of cognitive decline, we have more control over our brain health than we might think.

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://boncharge.com/livemore

https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/522

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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Are you constantly trying to create better habits and quit those that don’t serve you? 

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 436 of the podcast with Pulitzer Prize winner and author of international bestselling book, The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg.

We can all make short-term changes, but so many of us struggle to make our new desired behaviours last.

In this clip, we discuss the science of small wins, the power of momentum and the importance of keystone habits. This conversation is packed with practical tips to help you build better habits.

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/436

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 has nutrition - something that should be so simple - become so complicated? With 70% of our diet now consisting of ultra-processed foods and conflicting advice everywhere we look, is it any wonder we're confused about what to eat?

Today's returning guest is my good friend, Dr Rupy Aujla, who is on a mission to make healthy cooking accessible and enjoyable for all. He’s a medical doctor, nutritionist and founder of The Doctor's Kitchen and author of five best-selling books.

If you haven't heard Rupy's story before, his life was changed after suffering a significant heart condition in 2009. After learning about nutritional medicine, he was able to reverse his condition using a food and lifestyle approach. Today, Rupy is constantly creating tasty recipes that help people optimise their health and he shares them - yes, in his cookbooks - but, also, in his wonderful Doctor’s Kitchen recipe app that helps over 10,000 people each week use evidence-based food and lifestyle medicine, to live healthier, happier lives. 

In this fantastic conversation, you'll discover:

This conversation strips away the complexity of nutrition, offering clear, actionable strategies that anyone can implement. 

So, if you're feeling overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice, this conversation offers a practical roadmap forward, showing you how simple - and enjoyable - healthy eating can be.

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://thriva.co

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/520

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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Headaches, migraine, back, neck or joint pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), fibromyalgia – they’re just some of the common causes of chronic pain, which is estimated to affect between a third to half of all UK adults, or just under 28 million of us.

If you or someone close to you is one of them, you don’t need me to tell you it can be physically and emotionally draining. You probably feel like you’ve tried everything – so today’s podcast has the potential to be a life-changing listen for you. My guest is Dr Howard Schubiner, Director of the Mind Body Medicine Center in Michigan and author of Unlearn Your Pain: A 28-day Process to Reprogram Your Brain.

Emerging neuroscience tells us our brains actually create what we experience in our bodies, through a process called predictive processing. Pain doesn’t come from the body part where it’s felt, it’s created by our brain, signalling that something needs attention. And as Howard explains, our emotions and stress activate the same pain centres in our brain as an injury. If you’ve ever had a broken heart and experienced chest pain? That’s what’s happening.

The same thing occurs with chronic pain. In the vast majority of cases, there is no structural problem – such as injury, infection or a tumour – although of course these must be ruled out. Instead, your brain has created a neural pathway which remembers the pain and keeps you trapped in a vicious cycle. You fear the pain, that causes you stress, and the stress makes the pain real.

And that is the absolute key here: it’s not ‘all in your head’, your pain is real. And there is something you can do about it. During this conversation, Howard reveals why the key is changing your narrative on pain. His revolutionary therapies – which you can easily access – have been proven to work not just with chronic pain but in other persistent conditions such as depression and anxiety, chronic fatigue and long Covid.

We discuss the role healthcare practitioners can play in these conditions, through listening and empathy. We also chat about the role of posture, cultural differences in pain experience and complementary therapies to his approach.

Chronic pain isn’t a subject we’ve covered in depth on this podcast before, so I’m very pleased I have the chance to bring this important conversation to you. Howard is one of the leading researchers in this field and his work represents a game-changing, paradigm shift in thinking about how we approach this epidemic. I hope what you’ll take from this episode is that the power of your brain is immense, and that knowledge is power. 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://drinkag1.com/livemore

https://exhalecoffee.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/519

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

Have you ever woken up from a vivid dream and wondered about its meaning? Or perhaps questioned the purpose of dreaming altogether?

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 458 of the podcast with one of the world’s leading neurosurgeons and author of ‘This is Why You Dream’, Dr Rahul Jandial.

Rahul’s belief is that we sleep in order to dream. In this clip, we explore why we dream and what our sleeping brain reveals about our waking life.

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/458

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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In a world seemingly obsessed with financial success, what does it truly mean to be wealthy? And what if the path to a more meaningful life has less to do with what we earn and more to do with how we live?

Today's guest is Sahil Bloom, successful entrepreneur and online creator who shares insights on living a more intentional life with millions all over the world through his newsletter, ‘The Curiosity Chronicle’. In his brand-new book, The Five Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life, he aims to help us build a happier, healthier, wealthier life by changing our habits and redefining our goals.

In today’s conversation, you'll discover:

Throughout the conversation, Sahil emphasises that our answers often already lie within us - we just need to ask the right questions. His message is clear: we can all create lives of genuine wealth through intentional choices and meaningful connections and this conversation is full of practical wisdom to help you design your own life around what truly matters.

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. This January, try FREE for 30 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore.

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

Thanks to our sponsors:

http://www.vivobarefoot.com/livemore

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/517

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

For today’s episode, I’m pleased to welcome back the wonderful Dr Tara Swart. Tara is a neuroscientist, a former medical doctor & psychiatrist, a lecturer at MIT, an executive coach and author of the bestselling book, The Source. She also hosts the podcast Reinvent Yourself with Dr Tara.

If you’ve listened to my previous episodes with Tara, you’ll remember her unique talent for using neuroscience and behavioural psychology to probe ideas, theories, and practices that many believe work, but we’re not sure why. 

This insightful and often unusual episode takes a deep and meaningful look at stress - what exactly it is, what impact it has on health and how it predisposes us to storing fat. We also discuss the most effective ways to manage stress, the best ways to build resilience and the benefits of practices like journalling. 

We really do cover a whole variety of different topics today including metacognition, the definition of spirituality, what exactly intuition and interoception are, and how we can use them to get to know our minds and bodies more intimately. We talk about rituals, the incredible power of creativity, beauty, and time spent in nature. And finally, we ask some big questions around the topic of death and consciousness, which Tara is increasingly drawn to studying. 

If you’re someone who’s interested in alternative thinking and new ideas, but likes the reassurance of scientific backing, Tara’s warmth and wisdom will tick all your boxes. If you’re a sceptic - well, this conversation might just open your mind.

Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. This January, try FREE for 30 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore.

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

Thanks to our sponsors:

https://drinkag1.com/livemore

Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/516

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

Do you live with regrets?

In today’s clip from episode 440, I’m joined by fellow physician, author, speaker and friend, the incredible Dr Gabor Maté.

In this clip we explore some common life regrets through the lens of Gabor's thoughts and work and he offers some thought-provoking insights on each. Gabor shares that living with ‘no regrets’ isn’t about erasing mistakes but understanding them, recognising that you did the best you could at the time, and offering your past self compassion.

As with all my conversations with Gabor, this one is packed with wisdom, heart, and actionable insights.

Gabor has been a regular guest on Feel Better Live More since his first appearance way back in 2018, and we both agreed that this was perhaps our favourite conversation to date.

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/440

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.

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