Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

“If we have a problem with our tooth, it’s really a sign that things could go wrong later on”

Many of us think of the dentist as a place we go when we have a hole in our tooth. The dentist fixes the hole and that’s the end of the story. But dentist, Dr Steven Lin, explains why oral health is really a message of what’s going on in the rest of the body.

He believes that we can prevent diseases by understanding the signs and symptoms and recognising that chronic diseases don’t just happen overnight. He explains why good oral health is about so much more than just brushing and flossing – our breathing, our sleep and our nutrient levels all play an important role.

We discuss the link between the oral microbiome and the gut microbiome. Steven also talks about the simple strategies that we can all adopt to improve our overall health. This is a really fascinating conversation - I hope you enjoy it!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/oralhealth

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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.

“It’s not just about encouraging people to change, we have to enable them to.”

In Greater Manchester alone, inactivity-related illness is costing the NHS £500,000 a week. In fact, there are 250 million car journeys every year in Manchester that are less than one kilometre. And it’s not just Greater Manchester, the situation is the same across the UK.  I delve into the reasons behind this with former Olympic gold medallist, Chris Boardman in this week’s episode. 

Chris, who is now cycling and walking commissioner for Greater Manchester, has a refreshing approach to empowering people to be the architects of their own health. He believes enabling people is key and explains how he is using this approach to build a high-quality, safe, dedicated cycling network across Greater Manchester.

We also discuss how we can all build movement into our everyday lives and where to get started. Chris’s mission is really inspiring, I hope you enjoy hearing about it! 

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/cycling

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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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“Touch is not just a sentimental human indulgence, it’s a biological necessity”

Did you know that being touched is essential for healthy brain development? Yet with teachers, healthcare professionals and work colleagues being increasingly hesitant about social touching, for the first time in the evolution of human history, many of us are being exposed to less touch than ever before. But what effect is all this having on our emotional health?

World-leading researcher Professor Francis McGlone explains the importance of touch for humans and the devastating consequences of not receiving it. The research in this area is mind-blowing and learning about it has changed the way I interact with my family. I hope you find this conversation useful.

I dedicate a chapter of my new book ‘The Stress Solution’ to touch, which is available to order on Amazon now.

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/touch

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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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Can adults grow new neurons? Until relatively recently, experts believed the answer was no. But neuroscientist, Sandrine Thuret explains why she believes humans can indeed generate new brain cells, a process called neurogenesis. 

She discusses the findings of the fascinating research in this area and gives practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis through our lifestyles- improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with ageing along the way. 

This is an empowering and eye-opening conversation – I hope you enjoy it!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/sandrine

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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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"How I hold myself during the day impacts how I feel."

At this time of year, many of us are wanting to kick-start lifestyle change. But where do we start?

Personal trainer to the Hollywood stars, David Higgins, shares his top tips on this week’s episode. David believes that no matter who you are, the issues and obstacles are the same. 

We discuss how to bring about lasting behaviour change and create long term healthy habits. We delve into the problems of exercising with incorrect posture and the importance of breathing correctly.

David explains how he empowers people to take control of their bodies and live fuller, healthier lives. I hope you find this conversation useful.

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/hollywood

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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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 "Somewhere in peoples DNA is a desire for them to be part of a community"

Parkrun began 14 years ago, with a simple concept: a free five-kilometre time-trial around Bushy Park, south west London. It was a low-key, unofficial affair with socialising at its heart. Now over 5 million people across 20 countries have registered for the event! But why has it become so popular?

Nick Pearson, Chief Executive of Parkrun and guest on this week’s Feel Better, Live More podcast, explains why. He believes that community is a basic human need that has been squeezed out by our lifestyles. We all crave community and that is what Parkrun is all about. It is inclusive and it doesn’t matter whether you run, jog or walk – there is always someone behind you.

Even if you can’t run, you can volunteer, which can be even more beneficial than running for your social wellbeing and confidence. In fact, because of its success in making movement accessible to all, the Royal College of General Practitioners has partnered with Parkrun to promote the wellbeing of its staff and patients. 

Parkrun really is more than a health movement – it is a social movement that makes you feel part of your local community. It has transformed my weekends. If you haven’t already, I hope this podcast inspires you to give it a go!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/parkrun

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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 need to give our mental health the same care we give our physical health.”

This week, I’m in the hot seat being interviewed by friend, fellow GP and lifestyle medicine advocate, Dr Ayan Panja. We talk about the whirlwind of the last year and how those experiences have shaped me. After the huge success of my first book, The 4 Pillar Plan, it became clear to me that the area that people struggle with the most, myself included, is relaxing. In fact,

The World Health Organisation have named stress as the health epidemic of the 21st Century. Indeed, one study found that 80-90% of what GPs see is in some way related to stress. Ayan and I discuss why stress has become such an issue and why it can be so damaging to our health. But what can we do about it?

I talk about the areas covered in my new book, The Stress Solution, which is full of simple, practical tools that you can apply in your lives. I also share my top tips for reducing stress, from having a golden hour every morning without your phone to prioritising your relationships. I hope you find this conversation useful! You can pre-order the book on Amazon now.

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/stress

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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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Are you struggling with IBS or some aspect of your gut health? Right now, IBS affects almost 20% of the UK population at some point in their lives and it can be a major cause of distress and disability for the people who suffer from it.

This week, I talk to nutritional therapist and author, Jeannette Hyde, about some of the common problems that she sees in her practice. She shares simple tips for treating these, improving symptoms of IBS and manipulating our microbiome - from time restricted eating to the foods that can help (and hinder) our gut health. Jeannette explains why she steers clear of the FODMAP diet for her clients and how personalisation is key when it comes to finding a diet and lifestyle that works for us.

Jeannette and I also discuss alcohol consumption, something that is often overlooked or underestimated when we take a look at our lifestyles.

But gut health isn’t all about what we eat. We discuss how stress and other factors can also play a huge role. This conversation is full of great tips and I hope you find that it helps you!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/gutmakeover

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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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Have you ever thought about how important our feet are? And how they're connected to so many other parts of our bodies? This week's podcast is with Nick and Mike from ‘The Foot Collective’, a group of Canadian physical therapists on a mission to help humans reclaim strong, functional and pain-free feet through foot health education.

The feet are an often neglected part of our body. If you’re experiencing hip, knee or back pain, your feet may be the cause. Nick and Mike explain that although there are many ailments that many of us just write off as something that we just have, or that we've inherited, in actual fact, there may be something we can do to improve these conditions. The truth is, that while we might have a genetic susceptibility, our environment and our lifestyles also determine what happens to our bodies.

In our modern lives, we create an imbalance in our bodies by sitting too much and this can expose us to risk of injury. The Foot Collective give some brilliant tips on what we can do to avoid this. We also discuss orthotics and the damaging effects of wearing narrow shoes which squash our feet and talk about how we can help restore our feet to their natural state. After experiencing back pain for years, I found working on my feet made a huge difference. I hope you find this podcast helps you!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/footcollective

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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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“The most important thing is love and that starts with yourself”

Once beer-swilling rugby players, my guests on this week’s episode are identical twins Stephen and David, who now make up The Happy Pear. They share their incredible journey into healthy vegan living and talk about their desire to start a health food revolution – with the goal of making healthy food and lifestyle mainstream.

It all started with a small humble vegetable shop and they now own a chain of natural food shops and cafés in Ireland as well as having their own plant-based food range in the UK. But for The Happy Pear, the cafés were also about creating a community around them, something which they have achieved in a truly inspiring way.

We talk about how fundamental community is to our happiness and health. Their story is captivating and their energy is almost tangible. It’s impossible not to feel uplifted, positive and happy in their company – I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!

Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/happypear

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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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