I often meet people for whom this time of year is incredibly difficult. Maybe family relationships aren’t where they’d like them to be, maybe they visit their family more out of a sense of duty than pleasure, maybe they find themselves pulled into early life dynamics they wish they could leave behind. It can be really challenging to navigate, which is why, in this week’s episode of the Stronger Minds podcast, I’m giving you my guide to surviving your family during the holidays.

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Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Remember, your health is unique to you, so consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your personal needs.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

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We now know the technical definition ultra-processed foods. These ready to eat or ready to heat products whose ingredients have individually gone through several stages of processing, and require ingredients or processes that you won’t find in a domestic kitchen. But how does this affect your everyday food choices? Should it?

In this week’s episode, I’m talking practical tips and answering your questions about ultra processed foods.

• Why are sweet chilli crisps (potato chips) UPF but salted ones not?
• Are there any ultra-processed foods that are good for you?
• Is all cereal ultra-processed?
• Why do I crave them so much?
• Do ultra-processed foods affect sleep?

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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Original music by Juan Iglesias

*Affiliate links

The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Remember, your health is unique to you, so consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your personal needs.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to the news headlines, ultra processed foods (UPF) can do everything from increasing your cancer risk to giving you dementia. But most people would have a hard time even defining UPF. If that’s you, then you’re in luck because in this week’s episode, I’m giving you the lowdown on ultraprocessed foods. What they are and what’s so bad about them.

In part two I'll be answering your questions on UPF.

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

Patreon

Original music by Juan Iglesias

*Affiliate links

The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Remember, your health is unique to you, so consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your personal needs.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ninety percent of us experience food cravings – the intense desire to eat a specific food that is often distinct from physiological hunger. But if they’re not about being hungry, why do we get them, what do our cravings mean and what, if anything, should we do about them? In this week’s episode of the Stronger Minds Podcast, we’re digging in to the Science of Food Cravings.

Urge surfing

Feelings Wheel

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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Original music by Juan Iglesias

*Affiliate links

The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Remember, your health is unique to you, so consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your personal needs.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last few years you may have heard a lot of talk about the gut-brain axis. But do you know what it is? And more to the point, why should you care? In this week’s episode I’m giving you a beginner's guide to the gut-brain axis. 

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

Patreon

Original music by Juan Iglesias

*Affiliate links

The information shared on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. Reliance on any information provided here is solely at your own risk. Remember, your health is unique to you, so consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your personal needs.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A report from Goldman Sachs estimates that generative AI like ChatGPT could expose the equivalent of 300mn full-time jobs to automation. Therapy is one of the current parts of the workforce that is considered to be more resilient to these technological changes. But not immune. This week: what are the capabilities of AI in the therapy space? And what are the limitations? Ultimately, are the robots coming for my job?

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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Original music by Juan Iglesias

*Affiliate links

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artificial intelligence permeates the full range of our lives, from something as casual as a song recommendation to matching us with our perfect partner. But, increasingly, we are building relationships with AI itself. Last week mother filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit against Character.AI, a generative AI chatbot platform. She says that the technology played a key role in her teenage son’s death by suicide. In this week’s episode, what happens when the human brain meets AI?

If you are based in the US, and need urgent mental health assistance, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or [email protected].  If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

US deaths by suicide

Access to a firearm

Pareidolia

New York Times Article

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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Original music by Juan Iglesias

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Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anger is an emotion that a lot of people struggle with. We find it uncomfortable, overwhelming and unwelcome. Many people simply don’t know what to do when they feel angry. One common suggestion is to let it out in an act of safe aggression like punching a pillow. In fact an entire industry of rage rooms – spaces devoted to wilful, rage-fuelled destruction – often with a baseball bat - has emerged, encouraging people to work through their fury at a colleague by smashing things. But…does it work? In this week’s episode, I’m exploring the science behind 'blowing off steam'.

Original paper

Understanding Anger Episode

Image credit: By mrAnmol - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=132764560

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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Original music by Juan Iglesias

*Affiliate links

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are the episodes of BBC Radio 4s The Food Programme (and Start the Week) that I have appeared on, in case you would like to listen.

Broadcast: 19th July 2020

13th February 2023

Broadcast: 30th July 2023

Broadcast: 27th September 2024

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

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The signal to stop eating comes from your stomach when it is full, right? Well…kinda but that’s not the whole story. This week’s episode is all about the science of satiety.

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How to Build a Healthy Brain*

Unprocessed: What Your Diet is Doing to Your Brain*

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*Affiliate links

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/strongerminds.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.