Meditation and yoga are super popular all over the world but how exactly do they benefit us? What happens when we do them that creates the impact it does? This is a great in-depth look into the cognitive benefits of mindfulness that really shows how powerful it can be. 
 
Dr Sara Lazar is an associate researcher in the Psychiatry Department at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor in psychology at Harvard Medical School. Her TED Talk, How Meditation Can Reshape Our Brains, has been viewed more than 1.6 million times.
 
Sara has spent years studying the neuroscience behind yoga and meditation to understand what it does to the brain, and how it impacts things like mood, love, memory and more. 
 
In this episode, we talk about:
The difference in benefit between yoga and meditation
The impact on the brain, including how the brain grows and changes through mindfulness
How the brain remembers things, including things you didn’t try to remember
The impact of meditation on ageing
The permanence of the effects of meditation 
The ideal amount of meditation and best times of day to do it - why 4am is ideal
How to use mindfulness techniques in anything you do during the day
Why it doesn’t matter how meditate or how good you think it is - the intention is what counts
Does meditation ACTUALLY make you happier?
Meditation for anxiety/depression/kindness/joy/love…how it all works
Meditating in groups - how many people find it better
 
This is a great episode for anyone who meditates or does yoga and wants to understand how it has the effect it does. Or, if you want to maximise the benefit of what you’re going, this has some great tips and tricks.
 
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Check out more from Sara at https://scholar.harvard.edu/sara_lazar/home 
Her TED Talk is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8rRzTtP7Tc 
The Twitter account she mentions is also here: https://twitter.com/lablazar?lang=en

Sara W. Lazar, PhD

Well & Good is a meeting place where listeners can pick the brains of some of the world’s leading health and wellbeing authorities. Hosted by wellbeing advocate Art Green, we talk with a broad range of experts to learn wellness techniques in all different aspects of this fast-developing space. Exceptional guests break down scientific breakthroughs, lived experience and the latest research into relatable, actionable tips, arming listeners with the tools and knowledge to reach their health potential.

Alternative Health

Health

Nutrition

Health & Fitness

When you’re listening to Michael Mosley, it doesn’t take long to understand why he’s one of the world’s most prominent doctors. He’s risen to fame as a BBC broadcaster, documentary maker and inventor of the 5:2 diet, and he has an incredible knack for communicating health research and knowledge in a simple, usable way.
 
This episode takes a look at some really key elements of health: breathing, sleep, diet and exercise. Michael gives his most effective breathing technique to transform your life and help with sleep, talks about the three most important types of exercise (including the one you’re probably not doing but definitely should be), and discusses what an ideal day looks like from a health perspective. 
 
Along with tackling these big topics, Michael drops little gold nuggets along the way. Like the Japanese community that’s living longer because they essentially fasted in post-war years, how to figure out if you’re getting the sleep your body needs, and how long you should wait between waking up and your morning coffee. There’s so much in here you can use.
 
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RESOURCES:
 
Michael’s coming to Auckland for his highly acclaimed speaking event, A Life Changing Experience, on March 15. For info and tickets, go to https://www.facebook.com/events/auckland-civic-theatre/dr-michael-mosley-a-life-changing-experience-live-on-stage-auckland/1794434764251286/ 
 
Michael mentioned the video of when he infected himself with tapeworms. Check it out here (we promise it’s not as gross as it sounds): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeDD0HdecGk 
 
For everything you need to know about Michaekl’s 5:2 diet, including to find out if it’s suitable for you, head to www.thefast800.com 
 
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Episode Sponsor - LMNT (Element)Link to pickup your free gift with purchase:DrinkLMNT.com/wellandgood

Dr Michael Mosley

If you’re an aspiring (or even current) endurance athlete, this is for you. Dr Dan Plews is a much-loved coach to some of the world’s fittest athletes, from Olympians and world champions to the likes of Emirates Team New Zealand. 
 
Dan has been a leader in the research and understanding of heart rate variability and discovering its significance in not only training, but overall wellness. He’s also a competitive ironman athlete (with the silverware to show for it), business owner and absolute devotee to fitness and health.
 
In this episode of Well & Good, Dan and Art talk… 
Eating raw liver, and why he did an animal-based diet for eight weeks
Why small stressors on the body are great, but having too many can cause problems…and how this flows through to how many vegetables you should eat
Different types of organ meats, including the one that tastes “like piss”
His personal athletic history, including doing triathlon since he was 9 and competing for Great Britain
Working with the likes of Team New Zealand, New Zealand Rowing and Canoe Racing New Zealand
Coaching Chelsea Sodaro through pregnancy to win the Kona Ironman 18 months after giving birth
Why wearable devices are the biggest difference in training and sport performance in the last 30 years
How he monitors training data, and the different key indicators in different sports
Heart rate variability - what it is, why it’s become so popular, what you need to know about it and how you can track it
How outside influences and life stress impacts training
How things like alcohol, sauna, ice baths and sugar impact HRV
What his ideal training day would look like
The sweet spot for an effective sauna - how long and how hot it should be, and how it drastically reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease
How he uses ice baths, and the benefits
What supplements he takes (hint: quite a few)
 
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Please support this podcast by checking out our episode sponsors: 
 
-Blis Probiotics: https://blis.co.nz/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD10’ for 10% off all products (excludes ElitePRO).
 
-Mitchells Nutrition: https://www.mitchellsnutrition.com/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD15’ for 15% off all products.
 
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RESOURCES:
 
There’s a lot to take in from this one right? 
Dan’s website is a great place to start - his newsletter helps you to get world-leading training tips direct to your inbox. Check it out at https://www.endureiq.com/ 
 
Or get a bit of a look under the hood of Endure HQ on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EndureIQ/ 
 
There’s also loads of good stuff on his insta @theplews

Dr Dan Plews

There’s so much that goes into gut health, and this episode goes into all the important aspects that you need to know. Dr Mary Pardee is a naturopathic doctor and founder of modrn, which focuses primarily on gut health, and incorporates a range of treatments and techniques tailored to specific individuals.
We talk about…
An overview of the gut anatomy and the GI tract
How significant the gi microbiome is for the entire microbiome
Helminthic therapy (i.e. worms) for IBS or crohn’s disease
Signs of good/bad gut health
What a good bowel movement should look like
The role of fibre as the main fuel source for your gut microbiome, Mary’s simple tip for getting more fibre in your diet, and why it’s a double-edged sword when it comes to bloating
Bloating - what causes it and common ways to treat it, including things you can do at home
Why you should wait four hours between meals
Herbal teas that help with different types of gut issues
Fermented food - why diversity is important
A guide to farting - what’s normal and what’s healthy
How fasting impacts your gut health - when fasting is a good idea, and when it isn’t
Why meditation is one of the things she recommends to her patients the most
How to know if it’s time to do something about your gut health 
Her guide to testing the impact of different foods on your health - how to take them out, how long for, and how to add them back in.
The connection between gut health and skin health - things like eczema and dermatitis
Prebiotics and probiotics - the difference and the uses for each
Why you should chew your smoothies
How antibiotics impact gut health, and the issues to avoid when taking them
If that seems like a lot, it is! But it’s digestible (pun intended) and usable, and all really interesting. 
 
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Please support this podcast by checking out our episode sponsors: 
-Blis Probiotics: https://blis.co.nz/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD10’ for 10% off all products (excludes ElitePRO).
 
-Mitchells Nutrition: https://www.mitchellsnutrition.com/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD15’ for 15% off all products.
 
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RESOURCES:
See more of Mary on her insta @dr.marypardee, or follow modern @modrnmed 
Mary also mentioned her food strategy guide for skin issues, which you can check out here: https://modrnmed.ac-page.com/food-strategy-guide

Dr Mary Pardee

This episode is a bit of a beast, but it’s an absolute goldmine for anyone interested in strength training, building muscle or bodybuilding. Eric Helms is an absolute guru, as you’d expect from a bodybuilding coach, athlete, educator, author, and someone with two masters degrees and a PhD in strength and conditioning. 
His resume is unparalleled, and his knowledge is next level. This is probably best suited for someone towards the elite level of training, as opposed to beginners, but there’s so much to digest in this ep. 
We talk…
Why it takes six months to condition for bodybuilding competitions
The origins of bodybuilding and powerlifting, including with steroids and doping
Why you generally can’t tell if a bodybuilder is on steroids or not
How anabolic steroids actually work to grow muscle
Testosterone and how it impacts muscle growth
Why training programmes have to be individualised for elite athletes - and how he does around three times as much upper body work as he does legs
Training to failure
Why you feel sore after some exercises and not others
A guide to eccentric and concentric training, and pausing during reps
Supersetting: how to complement different types of exercises - and how not to
Variable resistance and band training
What to think about when you’re trying to build muscle, in terms of diet, protein and amino acids
Why creatine is still the king of supplements, and the benefit of training when you’re caffeinated
How to optimise recovery, including ways to speed it up, and how to know when you’ve recovered 
Eric is a great communicator, and he’s constantly dropping little gems all the way through this one. 
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Please support this podcast by checking out our episode sponsors: 
-Blis Probiotics: https://blis.co.nz/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD10’ for 10% off all products (excludes ElitePRO).
 
-Mitchells Nutrition: https://www.mitchellsnutrition.com/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD15’ for 15% off all products.
 
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RESOURCES:
We spoke about the documentary Icarus, which you can check out with a Netflix login here: https://www.netflix.com/nz/title/80168079  
Check out Eric’s podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IronCulturePodcast 
Or follow him on insta: https://www.instagram.com/helms3dmj/

Dr Eric Helms

Dan Ebbett has come a long way since the days of wearing snowboarding goggles to the movies. As the founder of BlockBlueLight glasses, he’s a pioneer into the effects of devices, technology and light on sleep and health.
Dan developed his range of light-blocking glasses after struggling with chronic insomnia, eye strain and migraines. He changed the game by discovering the widespread impact blue light was having for people, and developing glasses that were focused on effectiveness rather than appearance.
This is one of those under-appreciated health areas that a surprisingly large number of people struggle with.
Dan and Art talk through:
Dan’s personal journey with discovering blue light glasses, and how quickly they worked for him
What blue light is and how it affects people
The impact of device settings and “dark mode” - whether they actually do anything
The physiological impacts of taking in blue light at night, and how it prevents sleep by impacting hormones
How the sun gives off different light frequencies, and how the brain interprets them to know what time of day it is
How to wear blue light blocking glasses, and why you shouldn't wear them all the time
How the skin has its own circadian rhythm, and what that means for controlling lights inside at night
Why good blue blocking glasses shouldn’t have clear lenses
Light control apps
The effect of windows and clouds on light absorption 
Take home tips for controlling the effect of light in your everyday life
Indicators you’re struggling with the effects of blue light, including stress and anxiety
Red light therapy - what it is, what the benefits are (including red light saunas)
 
 
(Disclaimer about the sound - sorry about the weird background noises in this one, turns out that  a leaf blower waits for no one!)
 
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Please support this podcast by checking out our episode sponsors: 
 
-Blis Probiotics: https://blis.co.nz/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD10’ for 10% off all products (excludes ElitePRO).
 
-Mitchells Nutrition: https://www.mitchellsnutrition.com/
They kindly provided a discount code to our listeners - ‘WELLANDGOOD15’ for 15% off all products.
 
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RESOURCES:
Because he’s a legend, Dan’s offered a 15% discount code for Well & Good listeners for any product on the BlockBlueLight website. Just enter the code WELLANDGOOD and it’s yours.
 
Check out www.blockbluelight.co.nz for more info
They’re on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BlockBlueLightOfficial 
You can also contact them with questions/inquiries: https://www.blockbluelight.co.nz/pages/contact-us

Sara W. Lazar, PhD

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