Season 6 | The Food Medic

EPISODE 1 – How to make habits that stick with James Clear

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

James Clear is a writer and speaker focused on habits, decision making, and continuous improvement. His book, Atomic Habits, is a New York Times bestseller and more than 1,000,000 people subscribe to his weekly newsletter at jamesclear.com. His work has appeared in Entrepreneur Magazine, Time Magazine, the New York Times, and on CBS This Morning. His strategies have been used by coaches and teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB. I’ve been following his work since the early days back in 2013 and I am still a mega fan. Grab a pen and paper – or open your notes app – because there are SO many great takeaways from this episode.

This episode covers:

James’s journey and what led him to write Atomic Habits
How to make habits that stick: The 4 laws of behaviour change
Systems vs habits vs goals
The 2 minute rule: how to stop procrastinating and start a new habit.
Making hard-to-stick habits satisfying and rewarding
Small habits lead to big wins
How changing your habits may require you to change your tribe
How to say no and avoid daily distractions
Technology and social media shape our thoughts and habits
How you can stay motivated when you get bored

EPISODE 2 – how wearables can optimise health and performance with Kirsten Holmes

Kristen Holmes is the Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP. She works with top researchers and hundreds of the best tactical, pro and collegiate athletes and teams in the world to optimize training, recovery and sleep. In addition to her extensive professional and academic background, Kristen was a 3x All American and 2x Big 10 Athlete of the year at the University of Iowa competing in both Field Hockey and Basketball. She was a 7-year member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team and one of the most successful coaches in Ivy League history, having won 12 league titles in 13 seasons and a National Championship at Princeton University.

This episode covers:

Kirsten’s extensive academic and sporting background
How she became interested in wearable technology
What makes WHOOP different to a fitness tracker or smart watch
New and exciting research that WHOOP is currently doing
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and strategies to improve recovery
Nutrition, meal timing, and wearables
Insights into sex and gender differences when it comes to performance and recovery
Scientifically proven tactics to improve sleep
The most impactful changes we can start today to improve performance and everyday health

EPISODE 3 – burnout with Amelia Nagoski

Amelia Nagoski, D.M.A. (Doctorate of Musical Arts), is Associate Professor and Coordinator of Music at Western New England University. Amelia is co-author, with her twin sister Emily, of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. I first came across Emily and Amelia on Brene Brown’s podcast and instantly bought their book – which I urge you to do so too! Emily couldn’t join us for this recording but Amelia did an incredible job of telling us what we need to know when it comes to burnout.

This episode covers:

Inspiration behind the book burnout
What exactly is burnout and how it differs from work-related stress?
“Human-giver syndrome”
Why those in helping professions are more likely to experience burnout
The causes of burnout and how to prevent it happening
How to recover from burnout.What fundamental things organisations can do to support their staff and prevent burnout
How to set and deal with the guilt of implementing boundaries in your work and personal life
Practical exercises people can do to integrate more down time and rest into their schedules

EPISODE 4 – maximising recovery in sports and exercise with Dr Marc Bubbs

Dr. Marc Bubbs is the Performance Nutrition Director for Canada Basketball and performance nutrition consultant for a portfolio of professional and Olympic athletes preparing for Tokyo 2021.

Marc is the author of the highly-acclaimed and best-selling book PEAK – The New Science of Athletic Performance That Is Revolutionising Sports which highlights the tactics and strategies of elite athletes and performance staff in professional sport. His upcoming new book PEAK40 – The New Science of Mid-Life Health for a Leaner, Stronger Body and Sharper Mind has just come out this May. Marc is also the host of the Performance Nutrition Podcast.

Thie episode covers:

Marc’s background and current projects
Overtraining vs. under recovery
The recovery pyramid
Recovery nutrition: the bug 3, micronutrients, supplements
Alcohol and recovery
Exercise and immunity
Strategies to monitor recover – biomarkers, HRV, wearables
Popular recover strategies; cryotherapy, cold + hot therapy, percussive massage guns, CBD oil
Sleep and performance

EPISODE 5 – sobriety with Millie Gooch

Millie Gooch is the founder of The Sober Girl Society and is one of the voices leading the sobriety movement in the UK. As a journalist, she has written for a range of publications, and her campaigning work has been featured everywhere from ELLE and Stylist to the BBC and Evening Standard. The Sober Girl Society Handbook is her first book.

This episode covers:

inspiration behind The Sober Girl Society
Why breaking up with alcohol is like breaking up with a toxic ex
Hangxiety, palpitations, the fear
What is being sober curious?
Benefits to going alcohol free that no one really talks about
How to deal with the stigma from friends/family/peers
Is sobriety part of diet culture?
Drink-free dating tips and sober sex
How to support people really struggling to stop drinking and where to find support

If you or someone you know needs support with cutting down or stopping drinking, please seek support from your GP. Self-help or mutual aid groups (groups such as AA or SMART Recovery groups) are accessible in most areas. Drinkline is the national alcohol helpline: Call 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am to 8pm, weekends 11am to 4pm)

EPISODE 6 – barbell medicine: resistance training for health + longevity with Dr Jordan Feigenbaum

Jordan Feigenbaum is a physician, strength coach, and powerlifter. He started Barbell Medicine in 2012 in an effort to bring the best of modern medicine to strength and conditioning and vice versa. Jordan is passionate about a variety of issues related to public health, education, and sport.

This episode covers:

The story behind barbell medicine: bench to bedside
Health benefits of resistance training
Why recommendations to do resistance training are not more widespread in medical practice
How we can integrate resistance training into primary care
Advice for people new to weight training
Fears around causing or triggering pain when lifting heavy
Pain and injury management in weight lifting
Jordans big rocks when it comes to health and longevity

EPISODE 7 – neuroscience, spirituality, and the law of attraction with Dr Tara Swart

Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, former medical doctor specialised in psychiatry, author of best seller ’The Source’ and Faculty at MIT Sloan.

Tara is also executive coach to a small number of clients in hedge funds and investment banks; Trustee at the Lady Garden Foundation for gynaecological cancers; and an ambassador for brands in health, beauty, fashion, and manifestation.

This episode covers:

Science and spirituality
The law of attraction
How to harness an abundance mindset
Manifestation and how to start
The power of visualisation and action boards
Neuroplasticity and shaping the brain
Meditation and the brain
Reframing failure

EPISODE 8 – deep dive into the gut microbiome with Dr Ruairi Robertson

Dr. Ruairi Robertson has a B.Sc in Human Nutrition from University College Dublin and a Ph.D in Microbiology from University College Cork. He has worked in a number of Universities and research institutes around the world including Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital and University of British Columbia. His research examines the many ways the gut microbiome affects human health, from belly to brain. He is currently based in the Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, where he is researching the role of gut microbes on the health of mothers and babies.

This episode covers:

Recap of the gut microbiome
The hygiene hypothesis, our microbiome and immunity
What shapes our microbiome?
Personalised nutrition and microbiome testing
The influence of exercise on the gut.
The microbiome and circadian rhythms
The Gut-brain axis
The oral microbiome

EPISODE 9 – becoming the 2019 3rd fittest woman on earth with Jamie Simmonds

Jamie Simmonds (formerly Jamie Greene) is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete and two-time podium finisher, once in 2016 with team CrossFit Yas and once in 2019 as an individual. She’s been a national champion for six years and finished on the podium on prominent Sanctionals such as Strength in Depth and the Down Under CrossFit Championship.

Jamie started CrossFit only in 2013 but her background as a gymnast and rugby player certainly helped secure her as one of the top crossfit athletes in the world. Jamie’s journey to becoming the third Fittest Woman hasn’t always been easy with her intense training schedule, injuries, and other stepbacks, yet she is still one of the most determined and committed athletes I know – and she always seems to do with a smile.

This episode covers:

Jamie’s journey into crossfit
Her experience at the 2019 Crossfit Games – what she loved and what she found the most challenging
Dealing with Injury and not competing in the 2021 Crossfit season
How to stay motivated with training
A normal day for Jamie
How the pandemic has affected her training and adjustments she has made
Stigma around women and weight lifting and her experience as a female athlete in Crossfit
Strategies that are key to her recovery
Advice for those wanting to start Crossfit
Her current goals and what’s next for her

EPISODE 10 – gut health, mental health, and coping through music with Professor Green

Trigger warning: this conversation discusses suicide.

Firmly established as one of the crossover superstars of British music, the Hackney born and raised rapper has released two Top 3 albums and amassed a career tally of over 2.5 million combined sales in the UK alone. He has completed five headline tours and performed on the main stages of countless festivals such as Glastonbury, V Festival and Wireless.

Over the past couple of years Professor Green has presented five critically acclaimed BBC documentaries and his first documentary series for Channel 4 called “Working Class White Men” in 2018. He’s also published his autobiography ‘Lucky’ and continues his ongoing work as patron of anti-suicide charity CALM. He is also ambassador for: www.myonlinetherapy.com. He also founded the gut supplement company Agulp.

This episode covers:

His long history of gut issues and how it led him to start Agulp
Mental health and losing his dad to suicide
The gut-brain link
Protecting his mental health and identifying when to ask for help
How he got into music and how it is a form of therapy for him
Navigating life as a new dad
On being a foodie, his food delivery kits with Gizzi, and what he would have as a death row meal