Listen to “The Food Medic” on Spreaker.
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_