Coming into this podcast my opinion was that multivitamins are just not worth it. Whether that’s for general wellbeing, cardiovascular health, sleep and especially mental health, I just was not convinced that they did anything at all.

But I specifically wanted to speak with Professor Julia Rucklidge, clinical psychologist and Director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury, because she has a very different opinion.

Julia’s groundbreaking research and viral TED Talk have transformed how psychiatrists and mental health practitioners think about nutrition and mental illness, especially the potential of broad-spectrum micronutrients to support mood, focus, and resilience.

We explore:

•  💊 Why “no single ingredient solutions” matter, and when multivitamins might actually help
•  🧬 How stress, inflammation, and modern farming have changed our nutrient needs
• 🧠 The mechanisms linking nutrients, mitochondria, and neurotransmitters to mood and cognition
• 👩‍🔬 The evidence for micronutrients in ADHD, PMS, Depression and Anxiety
• 🥗 How to choose quality supplements and avoid the hype

If you’ve ever wondered whether taking a daily multivitamin is worth it or how food and nutrients impact the brain, this episode will challenge your assumptions and expand your understanding of nutrition for mental wellbeing.

Julia has made me reconsider my personal perspectives on multivitamins, and I’m excited to dive deeper into this topic on future podcasts and with our internal research team.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

How much plastic are we actually absorbing and what’s it doing to our health?

In this eye-opening episode, I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Wright, one of the UK’s leading scientists in microplastic research, to explore what happens when plastic pollution doesn’t just affect the environment, but our bodies too.

We dive into:

🧪 What are micro- and nanoplastics, and how are they getting into our lungs, gut, and even blood?

 🌍 The biggest sources of exposure in modern life from tires to tap water and food packaging to clothes as well as the city air I’m breathing in right now

 🧬 How plastic particles could be contributing to chronic inflammation, hormone disruption, and affecting fertility

 🧼 Whether we can actually detox or eliminate plastics from our body naturally and how the liver, fibre, and exercise may play a role

 🔍 What we know so far about plastics and brain health, cancer, immunity, dementia, and more

Plus, we cover simple, science-backed strategies to help reduce your exposure from filters and cooking swaps to smarter shopping and clothing choices.

Dr Stephanie Wright is an Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology in the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London. She received a Ph.D. in Biosciences at the University of Exeter (2015), then completed 2 fellowships at King's College London. She has 15 years’ experience in microplastic research and lead the Microplastics Team. She’s also participated in microplastic working groups for the World Health Organisation and the European Commission.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

When we think about brain health, most of us jump straight to memory, dementia, or even Alzheimer’s. But what if the real starting point is our metabolism?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Shahrukh Mallik, Consultant Neurologist, to explore how conditions like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation don’t just affect the body, they directly impact the brain.

We dive into:

⚡ Why people with type 2 diabetes have up to a 50% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s

🧬 Why the brain is more vulnerable than we think

🔗 How poor metabolic health links to dementia, stroke, migraines, depression, and more

🥗 Practical, evidence-based steps to protect your brain through food and movement

Dr. Shahrukh Mallik gained his primary medical qualification from the University of London.

He is a specialist in Neurology, having trained at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London.

He has an MSc in Clinical Neurology and a PhD in Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis, both from the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, UCL.

He also has a specialist interest in Public Health, Nutritional Physiology, and the science and practice of Longevity and Optimisation of Metabolic Health, one of the few Neurologists in the world with such an interest.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

Why is it so hard to put our phones down even when we know they’re making us anxious? Today we’re going to unpack the neurochemistry of why we get hooked on devices and games, and how to reclaim our mental wellbeing from somebody who’s helping millions of people do this everyday. 

This week I’m joined by Dr. Alok Kanojia, Harvard-trained psychiatrist and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, to discuss digital devices, the science behind dopamine loops and how to develop a healthy relationship with our phones and more.

We explore:

📲 The brain circuits behind digital addiction (dopamine, the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens + more)

⚠️ Signs your online use is tipping from healthy to harmful

👨‍👩‍👧 Parenting in the digital age how to set boundaries without battles

🧘 The surprising role of Vedic philosophy, meditation, and yoga in rewiring the brain

🔑 Dr. K’s top tools for building a healthy, long-term relationship with technology

If you’ve ever asked yourself “Am I addicted to my phone?” or struggled with screen time limits, this conversation blends science, psychiatry, and ancient wisdom to give you practical strategies for balance.

We also take a massive tangent at the end of this podcast to talk about his spiritual side, the vedic teaching around personality traits and how Alok balances his beliefs about other worlds with a purely science informed approach. This is something I’m personally very interested in and while it’s a slight departure from the rigorous evidence based medicine approach we usually maintain on the DK podcast, I wanted to share this personal perspective with you all.

Check out more from Dr.K https://www.healthygamer.gg/

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

Back pain is one of the most common health issues worldwide yet it’s still surrounded by confusion, fear, and myths. In this episode, I sit down with Anthony Ghosh, Consultant Spinal Neurosurgeon, educator and founder of Spine MDT Clinic to separate fact from fiction and give you a practical toolkit for a healthier spine.

What I love about Anthony’s approach is that he created SpineMDT, a modern, multidisciplinary spine care service, that works alongside physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractitioners to deliver holistic care to his patients, many of whom he believes would NOT benefit from spinal surgery.

We cover:

💡 Myth-busting: running, lifting weights, posture, mattresses, and more

🧠 What’s really happening when you get back pain and when to seek help

🏋️ The most effective exercises (including the McGill Big 3) for strength and recovery

🛏️ Sleep positions, pillows, shoes and desk-friendly tips to protect your back

🔬 Why surgery often isn’t the quick fix people expect and when it truly changes lives

If you’ve ever wondered whether cracking your back is dangerous, if a herniated disc can heal, or what the best daily routine for back health looks like, this episode has the answers.

He’s also a strong advocate for educating patients and challenging outdated ideas about spine health, a message he regularly shares on his growing YouTube channel, Spine MDT and in clinical practice.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

Today we’re talking about Simon Hill’s personal experience with CVD, what prompted him to have early screening for heart disease and what his results have shown. Which is quite surprising.

Simon has early signs of heart disease and now he has a decision to make around whether he embarks on early drug treatment or delays treatment to watch how it evolves. As many of us become more pragmatic about health screening, it’s a situation that a lot of us will find ourselves in. Especially with the rise in popularity of full body scans.

We also have a discussion around fats, the types of fats in the diet and how one may choose to lower their cholesterol with diet and lifestyle.

We go on a virtual trip to the supermarket with Simon and discuss the framework for how to choose fats. The things you need to ask yourself about consuming fats, including the dose and what you’re eating it with.

Simon Hill, a physiotherapist and nutrition scientist, is dedicated to simplifying health and nutrition information. He began his career interested in the physiology and anatomy related to optimal athletic performance. Then, encouraged by his Dad's heart attack, he turned his attention to nutrition's role in preventing disease and optimising health. Concerned about misleading wellness industry trends, he completed a Master of Science in Human Nutrition at Deakin University.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

“In order to have maximum wellbeing, it’s not enough to sleep, eat well and exercise, you also need to have a purpose, including one that transcends yourself”

This conversation is so important for me personally as I navigate the complex relationship between two parts of my brain. The rational, data driven skeptical side that is unwilling to accept anything without complete proof; and the spiritual side that is inexplicably drawn to certain things and leans into a belief that we are connected to the universe in ways we cannot explain.

Tara and I have known each other for a few years, but as you can tell on this podcast we’re quite close. She unfortunately lost her partner 4 years ago to cancer, which she describes in detail in her latest book. But after his death she began to experience what she intuitively believed were signs from her partner. Highly improbable coincidences, chance happenings and events that were simply impossible to ignore.

At first, this led her down a path of first questioning her mental state, but using her experience as a medical doctor and neuroscientist she began to explore the science of consciousness and explored the possibility of trusting her instincts and intuition of what she believes to be true.

According to Tara, these strange nudges and connections with people who have died are not random, and it’s time we took them seriously.

We explore what we’ve lost in our modern lives, how our brain filters reality and what we might be missing, how to sharpen your intuition so you can spot the signs around you and finding purpose, meaning and connection in your own life.

We explore ancient practices like drumming, humming and vows of silence, as well as spending as much time in nature to connect with the wider universe and tap into our instincts, to live happier and more enriched lives.

We explore the science of terminal lucidity, near death experiences, the art of noticing and what they can teach us about life after death and why leading a spiritual life can be so healthful and healing.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

In this episode, we’re cutting through the noise around strength, longevity, and weight loss with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, a physician and founder of the muscle-centric medicine movement.

If you’ve ever wondered how to train for long-term health, this is your practical, science-backed guide. We dive into why building and maintaining muscle is essential not just for performance or appearance but for your metabolic health, brain function, immune system, and resilience as you age.

We cover:

💪 Why muscle is the organ of longevity and how it protects against chronic disease

🥗 What a muscle-centric plate looks like

🧠 How muscle influences your mood, memory, and brain health

🏋️‍♀️ The minimum effective dose of resistance training for busy lives

Plus, Dr. Lyon answers your biggest questions about GLP-1s, sarcopenia, protein, supplements, and how men and women should train differently as they age.

If you’re in your 30s, 40s, or beyond and haven’t prioritised muscle this conversation might just change your health trajectory.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is an accomplished physician and the New York Times bestselling author of FOREVER STRONG: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well.

Dr. Lyon's educational and research background includes dual clinical fellowships in geriatrics and nutritional sciences at Washington University, along with undergraduate training in nutritional sciences at the University of Illinois. A highly sought-after educator and consultant, she is an authority in the practical application of protein types and levels for health, performance, aging, and disease prevention. You can find out more from Dr Lyon here at https://drgabriellelyon.com/

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

If you’re often tired, struggling with dips in concentration, mood swings, or just not feeling your best your sugar intake might be playing a bigger role than you realise.

Cutting down on sugar isn’t just about reducing your risk of diabetes or heart disease later in life. It can transform how you feel today with more energy, sharper focus, lower inflammation, and a body that’s set up to age well.

In this episode, I go deeper than the usual “sugar is bad” conversation. We cover:

🔎 The hidden sources of sugar (even in so-called “healthy” diets)

🧠 Why reducing sugar really matters for your brain and body

❓ Is sugar addictive and are some types actually better than others?

🚨 Hidden signs your body is getting too much sugar

✅ My 5 practical steps to cut down without giving up everything you love

If you’ve ever wanted a clear, no-nonsense guide to lowering sugar for better health, this is it.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

What if there were chemicals in the air and energy charges in the ground that benefit your brain for better clarity and protection against mental illness? This is what today’s guest has written about in his research and why his prescriptions for better mental health include nature, food, movement, and gratitude.

In this episode I’m joined by Dr. Drew Ramsey, board-certified psychiatrist, author, and pioneer in nutritional psychiatry, to talk about how we can strengthen our mental fitness in today’s world.

We explore:

🌳 Why modern city living takes a toll on the brain and how green spaces restore it

🥦 The power of food and myokines from exercise to fight inflammation

🙏 Simple grounding practices, purpose, and gratitude as medicine for the mind

🌄 Drew’s personal journey moving to the mountains and finding balance with his family

Dr. Ramsey shares practical, science-backed tools for building resilience, protecting your mental health, and reconnecting with what matters most.

Learn how to start your own “outdoor prescription” and build lasting mental fitness for the modern brain.

DREW RAMSEY, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist, author, and leading voice in Nutritional Psychiatry and integrative mental health. He is a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the founder of the Brain Food Clinic and Spruce Mental Health. For twenty years, he served as an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University, where he taught and supervised psychotherapy and nutritional psychiatry.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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