Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

My guest today is Priyanka Chopra Jonas – arguably one of the most famous people on the planet. She’s a household name in India, a country fast approaching a population of 1.5 billion and not only has she climbed to the submits of the Indian film industry, she is now doing the same in Hollywood. She became Miss World, all the way back in 2000 and since then has developed a bit of a reputation for continually breaking through glass ceilings. She has become the first South Asian lead on a major US TV network show and she’s also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Her resume is long and varied – not only is she an actor, she is also a singer, an entrepreneur, a producer, an activist and now, she is also an author.

During the downtime afforded to her because of the global pandemic and travel restrictions, she decided to write her very first book, Unfinished: A Memoir. I spoke to her right in the middle of her launching this book in four different time zones and despite the exhausting schedule, she remained resolutely upbeat. 

Priyanka and I really connected during this conversation and we went deep into many different areas. We talk about where her drive and positivity comes from, how she defines success and the powerful effect her childhood has had on the choices she makes and the way she interacts with the world.  

From a young age, Priyanka was taught to walk her own path and that her opinions were valid and important – something she encourages all parents to foster in their own children. She was also taught that finding the good in any situation takes away the power of the bad. This came into question when, like myself, Priyanka suffered the loss of her father in 2013. We talk through how that grief manifested in her and how she managed to emerge from that deep pain. She found that making small changes – tiny shifts to her usual pattern or environment – were key to rediscovering her true self. I think this is a really powerful perspective that we can all apply into our own lives.

We talk about our shared Indian heritage and our own experiences growing up, especially in relation to the clash that we both felt between Eastern and Western cultures. For Priyanka, it was only when she started working in the entertainment industry and realised the lack of representation that she understood why she’d always felt ‘different’. It became her aim to push boundaries and ‘make the table larger’ for the next generation.

Success, says Priyanka, is not about career or fame or money. It’s about waking up excited for the day ahead and going to bed with contentment in your heart. I think this a powerful conversation and the life lessons that Priyanka shares are relevant to us all. 

Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/157

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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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Relationships are integral to our lives – they can bring us joy and happiness but navigating them can sometimes be hard.

Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new 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 119 of the podcast with Esther Perel. Esther is arguably one of the world’s leading and most original thinkers on modern relationships.

She explains why relationships shape every aspect of our lives and why we often feel under pressure to have the perfect relationship.

Esther talks us through how much the concept of marriage has changed over the past century and how our modern-day relationships are so different from the relationships of the past. Where once we would have had support from extended families and communities, increasingly we look to just one person to meet all our needs.

Esther believes it is the quality of our relationships that determines the quality of our lives and she offers some relationship tips we can all start implementing today.

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/119

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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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This week I’m delighted to welcome friend and fellow GP, Dr Gemma Newman to the podcast. Gemma is someone who I really respect, not only is she incredibly knowledgeable, she always leads with kindness and compassion – values that I aspire to myself. Gemma has recently released her first book, The Plant Power Doctor: A Simple Prescription for a Healthier You. Having been a doctor for 17 years, Gemma has learned a lot by interacting with her patients but like for so many of us, she has also learned powerful life lessons through her own life experience.

Gemma has a strong family history of heart disease and in her early days as a junior doctor, she found herself to be carrying excess weight and was exhausted. This led to her making some changes to what she ate and how she moved, which helped her lose weight. In fact, she dropped from a size 18 to a size 8 but when she checked her blood levels, she found some concerning results. Initially, Gemma put these results down to her genes and did nothing more about it until she started researching a whole-food plant based diet. Following this research, she decided to give this way of eating a go and she shares the transformative effect it had on her and some of her patients.

This is a wide-ranging conversation. We discuss how many of the chronic illnesses we face - including heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, hormonal dysfunction and obesity - can be helped with changes to our lifestyle. We also talk about Gemma’s own near-death experience and the topic of spirituality. Finally, Gemma shares her brilliant top tips, which you can put into practice immediately to change the way that you feel. At the heart of all Gemma’s advice is compassion and kindness and I’m sure you’ll enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/155

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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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To live our most authentic life we need to figure out our own identity and true values.

Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new 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 122 of the podcast with former monk turned social media superstar, Jay Shetty.

So many of us these days are living lives that are not truly ours. In this clip, Jay explains why finding out what our true values are is so important. He talks us through his value audit exercise along with other tips which will help us all on our way to living the life we really want.

After having spent three years living as a monk in India, Jay believes that you don’t have to live like a monk to think like one. He transforms the ancient wisdom he has learned into practical tips and fun exercises that will help us all live more meaningful and purposeful lives.

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/122

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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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CAUTION ADVISED: this podcast contains mild swearing.

Today I’m welcoming back my good friend and fellow podcaster, Rich Roll, for the third time. Rich has recently gone back through his 500 plus podcasts and collected words of wisdom from 50 of his podcast guests in his new, self-published book Voicing Change which is, quite simply, a thing of beauty. Rich was a huge influence on my own decision to start a podcast – and to evolve it into long form conversations. So, we kick off our chat talking about the craft and what we have learned from it.

He explains that he likes to prepare well and research his guests but ultimately trusts in the process and his instincts. That’s advice that translates to all walks of life, from a sporting event to a job interview. We discuss how leading with your own vulnerability can be the key to putting other people at ease and helping them to open up.

Rich reveals how every success in his life has been very hard fought and has been a process of work undertaken consistently, aggressively and anonymously. He believes that many of us overestimate what we can do in a short period of time and wildly underestimate what we're capable of accomplishing over a decade or a number of years. Above all, he is a believer in process over outcome, the journey not the destination. Growth is all about stepping outside your comfort zone.

Over the past year, of course, that journey has been difficult for all of us. But even in the face of global calamity, Rich has some great practical advice on how best to survive and even thrive. We discuss parenting through the pandemic, Covid’s effect on the world’s mental health and our worries about its impact on our kids. But ultimately, Rich believes we can navigate through the fear and emerge from this era with more resilience, better able to handle difficulties. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.

Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/153

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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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We know that poor diet can affect our physical health, but it can negatively affect our mental health too.

Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new 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.

This week’s guest is world-leading expert in the field of nutritional psychiatry, Professor Felice Jacka.

We discuss the fascinating findings of her ground-breaking research into the link between food and our mental health.

Felice explains the important role our gut microbiome plays in our health and wellbeing, and how a diet rich in diversity is key to good physical and mental health.

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/74

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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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What is happiness? And can we learn to be happier than we already are? Today’s guest believes we can. Laurie Santos is a professor of psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Her ‘Science of Wellbeing’ course became the most popular in the university’s history and has developed into a global phenomenon, with over three million people signing up to study Laurie’s evidence-based strategies for happiness.

In this conversation, Laurie shares exactly what those happiness boosting strategies actually are. She also explains how being happy with your life, differs from being happy in your life and how balancing the two is key to overall happiness. We also cover the relationship between money and happiness and discuss the unfortunate reality that when it comes to happiness, our intuition is often wrong.

We discuss maximising social connections, being thankful, being present, exercising and sleeping more – things we know are good for us but often lack the motivation to seek out. 

We also talk about how technology can both help and hinder social connections, how helping others is preferable to helping ourselves, and the incredible benefits of a daily gratitude practice. 

This is a wide-ranging and uplifting chat that really breaks down the psychology of happiness and Laurie’s suggestions will help you start working towards greater contentment starting today. The best news is that the tools to our happiness are simple and free.

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/151

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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 we can incorporate regular movement into our daily lives we will feel the physical and mental benefits, yet many of us view exercise as a punishment or an obligation.

Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new 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 109 of the podcast with Kelly McGonigal. Kelly is a US research psychologist, a lecturer at Stanford University and an author.

Kelly reveals how it’s possible to change our mindset to view physical activity as a way to engage with life. If we focus on calories and metrics, we may be missing the joy we can experience from movement.

She explains how going beyond what you think you’re capable of, whether that’s an endurance event or lifting heavy weights, can change the brain in positive ways.

Any movement is good for you though and can provide a reset for your mood and your brain chemistry. Repeatedly contracting any muscle, whether working out with weights or doing gardening, releases antidepressant substances called myokines that scientists have dubbed ‘hope molecules’.

Kelly gives us tips on how to incorporate more movement into our lives and find ways to move our body that we truly enjoy.

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/109

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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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My guest on today’s episode needs no introduction. Whether you’ve read his books, tried a recipe on social media or joined in with his PE (Physical Education) With Joe workouts, Joe Wicks has been inspiring wellbeing for nearly a decade.

Behind the success is a truly inspirational – and surprising – story of a man following his passion against the odds. When I spoke to Joe, he’d just raised £2.5m for Children in Need by doing a 24-hour fitness challenge and had been awarded an MBE. But, as he tells me, struggles at school and family problems could so easily have derailed his ambition.

As an 11-year-old at school, Joe would motivate his classmates to get more out of PE. This is a man who knew his calling in life from an early age and is now doing the same on a global scale. This is an authentic and touching conversation. It’s easy to assume Joe’s success must be driven by an empire, a slick marketing machine, but nothing could be further from the truth. Family is everything to him and he opens up to me on topics like parenthood and coping when you’re the child of an addict. He has great advice on the importance of consistency and self-belief when striving for your goals and believes that optimism, compassion and healthy living are choices that are within everyone’s reach.

As well as being full of practical tips, this episode is a brilliant chance to get to know more about a man who’s familiar to many of us – yet has hidden depths. I hope it puts a smile on your face. 

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/149

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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 giving up alcohol really change your life? Whilst some of us may currently be alcohol free for Dry January, many of us have haven’t given our drinking habits much thought. We often look at improving our diet and moving more but is alcohol the elephant in the room that could be holding us back?

Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my new 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 guest is performance coach and author Andy Ramage. Andy is co-founder of the habit-changing program One Year No Beer that invites people to try 28, 90 or 365 days alcohol free. He believes it’s possible to become the most productive, present and healthiest version of yourself just by making this one change.

We discuss how alcohol is linked to many parts of our lives and why Andy described himself as a ‘middle lane drinker’ before he gave up alcohol 6 years ago. He explains why taking a tactical break from alcohol could bring a surprising host of benefits and how his own experience changed his life.

Andy believes the greatest discovery you'll ever make is your authentic self and that by removing alcohol you allow yourself the chance to be you again. 

What could be more powerful than that?

Show notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/85

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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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