Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

“There is no family in the country that’s going to be untouched by depression”   Worldwide, depression will be the single biggest cause of disability in the next 20 years. But treatment for it has not changed much in the last three decades.  In the world of psychiatry time has apparently stood still.  Up until now, depression has not been considered to be a physical illness but rather something that is all in the mind. In this week’s episode, I talk to world-leading researcher, Professor of Psychiatry and author, Edward Bullmore, about the new science on the link between depression and inflammation of the body and brain. We delve into how and why we now know that mental disorders can have their root cause in the immune system and how identifying the root cause in each individual patient would lead to more effective targeted treatment.  Professor Bullmore explains that stress is probably the biggest risk factor for depression and we talk about how lifestyle can be used to combat it. I hope you enjoy the conversation!  My upcoming book 'The Stress Solution' is full of actionable tips to help you live a calmer, happier life. You can pre-order it on Amazon. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/inflamedmind Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“We are biologically programmed to care what others think of us” Who doesn't want to be more popular? Leading psychologist, Professor Mitch Prinstein explains why perhaps we should be careful what we wish for… More than childhood intelligence, family background, or prior psychological issues, research indicates that it’s how popular we were in our early years that predicts how successful and how happy we grow up to be. But it’s not always the conventionally popular people who fare the best, for the simple reason that there is more than one type of popularity: the first based on status and the second based on likeability. Although we are hardwired to crave status, research indicates that this type of popularity hurts us more than we realise. In fact, research shows that people who were popular in high school were more likely to suffer from addictions, problems in relationships and had a higher risk of depression, anxiety and loneliness in later life. We discuss how popularity taps into our basic need to survive and examine the surprising links to our health and lifespan, offering important insights for all of us about how we can cultivate the right kind of popularity. This conversation is more relevant today than ever before. In a world that pushes us to pursue power, and click our way to online status, it has become too easy to be lured towards a type of popularity that can harm us, and our children. This is a truly eye-opening conversation – I hope you enjoy it! My upcoming book 'The Stress Solution' covers these topics in detail. You can pre-order it on Amazon. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/popularity Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Nutrition doesn’t need to be super-expensive, it can be cheap and cheerful but also very nutritious and wholesome.”   Our everyday food choices affect not only our gut health but also our brain health.  But how exactly does this work?  Nutritionist and clinical neuroscientist, Miguel Mateas explains it all, including the role of pre and probiotics. We discuss how long-term stress affects the gut and how eating a colourful diverse diet is so important for our overall health.  Miguel believes that diversity is important, not only with what we put into our mouths, but in all aspects of our lives – from our thoughts to our experiences.  He talks about the amazing benefits of olive oil and how to choose the best quality.  Miguel is witty and jolly as ever – I really enjoyed this conversation and hope you do too! My upcoming book, ‘The Stress Solution’ covers the gut-brain connection in great detail.  You can pre-order it on Amazon. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/miguel Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Globally we are richer than ever before, but we fail to convert that wealth into wellbeing”   Meik Wiking, author of best-selling book Hygge, understands happiness better than anyone. In his role as Founder and CEO of the world's only Happiness Research Institute, he has travelled the globe interviewing the world's happiest people to discover the key components of happiness. In this episode, we explore the fascinating findings of his research and uncover what we can learn from the world’s happiest countries.  We talk about the impact of stress on our happiness and how although we are richer than ever before, we have failed to convert that wealth into wellbeing. It seems that despite all our cultural differences, we as a human race have a very similar view of happiness across the world. Meik and I discuss how one of the most important components of a happy life is meaning and purpose and how this has been gradually eroded from our lives.  This is an eye-opening and fascinating conversation – I hope you enjoy it. My upcoming book, ‘The Stress Solution’ covers meaning and purpose in great detail.  You can pre-order it on Amazon. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/happy Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Try it, you will not regret it” Do you think running is just not for you?  I think it will be hard not to want to give it a go after listening to this week’s podcast with BBC Radio 2 sports presenter, podcast host, author and self-confessed running addict, Vassos Alexander. Formerly unfit and out of shape, Vassos has now run the Spartathlon – a 153 mile ultramarathon race held annually in Greece.  He shares his journey and gives a fascinating insight into the history behind this event. Vassos believes that it doesn’t matter how far you run or how fast, it is just about getting out there and giving it ago.  And the benefits speak for themselves – he considers running a form of therapy.   This is a lively and engaging conversation and Vassos’s passion for running is palpable – I hope it inspires you! Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/vassos Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Mindfulness has been proven to be at least as good as antidepressants”   What is mindfulness? And what really are the benefits? Author and expert in mindfulness and meditation, Dr Danny Penman explains it all.  We discuss how numerous clinical trials have proven that mindfulness is as good as medication for depression and in some cases, even better.  We also talk about how effective mindfulness breathing can be for pain control and many other conditions. Danny explains how rather than consuming time, practising meditation or mindfulness actually frees up more time. Stress can permeate every aspect of our lives and every organ in our bodies.  Setting aside just 10-20 minutes a day and focusing on our breathing can have a really profound long-term effect on our bodies and minds.   For those of you who aren’t sure where to start – Danny talks us through a simple breathing mindfulness exercise.  Finally, he gives some brilliant tips on how we can incorporate mindfulness into our everyday lives.  I hope that this helps you in your lives and that you enjoy listening. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/danny Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Everyone is focusing on what to avoid, no one is focusing on what we need to eat” Nutritionist and best-selling author Amelia Freer has a refreshingly fluid and flexible approach to healthy eating. She believes that we should shift the focus away from what we shouldn’t eat, which can be damaging and focus instead on what we can eat.  Amelia and I discuss her positive nutrition pyramid, which provides a framework of what she believes you should be working towards eating every day.  We delve into how emotional issues can affect the food choices that we make and discuss her own personal journey into the world of nutrition.   Amelia also shares some fantastic tips.  I really hope you enjoy listening! Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/amelia Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“Put yourself in an unbelievably uncomfortable frightening situation that you don’t have to and you’ll soon find out what you’re about.” Have you figured out what your ‘why’ is?  Are you struggling to find the time to discover what you want from life? My guest on this week’s podcast is inspirational plant-powered wellness advocate, best-selling author and podcast host, Rich Roll.  He shares his incredible story of complete transformation from unhealthy, overweight alcoholic lawyer to ultra-endurance athlete, who has been hailed “fittest vegan on the planet”. We talk about how finding out who you are and what your purpose is, has a positive impact on every aspect of your life. Rich gives some brilliant tips on how to achieve this.  This is an honest, deep and enthralling conversation – I hope you enjoy it! My upcoming book, ‘The Stress Solution’ covers purpose in great detail.  You can pre-order it on Amazon. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/richroll Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to world-leading sleep researcher, author of the international best-selling book Why We Sleep and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Matthew Walker. They discuss everything you ever needed to know about sleep in this 2-Part interview.  In Part 2 they discuss how sleep affects every aspect of our health – how sleep deprivation can affect our blood sugar levels, increase our risk of heart attack and impact our mental health. They discuss alcohol’s impact on sleep and the staggering financial costs associated with lost sleep. Finally, Matthew provides his top tips for optimising your sleep. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/whywesleep Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to world-leading sleep researcher, author of the international best-selling book Why We Sleep and Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Matthew Walker. They discuss everything you ever needed to know about sleep in this 2-Part interview.  In Part 1, they discuss brilliant tips to combat jet lag, explain how sleep can enhance athletic performance and decrease risk of injury and reveal just how much caffeine consumption can impact sleep.  Finally, they explore the reasons behind the current global sleep-loss epidemic and the effect that this is having on our health.  Show notes available at: drchatterjee.com/matthewwalker Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to author, chef and nutritional medicine expert, Dale Pinnock aka ‘The Medicinal Chef’, about the various diets that he has tried and how we can eat to improve our heart health, anxiety, depression and type-2 diabetes. Show notes available at: drchatterjee.com/dale Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to US doctor and functional and integrative medicine expert, Dr Frank Lipman. They discuss Frank’s philosophy of combining traditional Eastern medicine with nutritional science and the best of Western medicine for long-term health and wellness. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/franklipman Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to Light Watkins, meditation teacher, international speaker, author of the book Bliss More and creator of The Shine programme. Light busts some of the commonly held myths about mediation and explains how by taking a different approach, we can all make meditation an enjoyable part of our everyday lives and reap the amazing health benefits that meditation can give us. Show notes available at drchatterjee.com/lightwatkins Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to Professor Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute in California, a leading expert in the field of circadian rhythm and whose research is transforming everyday lives worldwide. Show notes for part 2 available at drchatterjee.com/panda Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Chatterjee talks to Professor Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute in California, a leading expert in the field of circadian rhythm and whose research is transforming our lives everyday worldwide. Show notes available at: drchatterjee.com/TRF Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjee/ Follow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjee/ Follow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.