The Wellness Scoop

How to Improve Your Mental Health Everyday

We’re joined by Dr. Julie Smith, a Clinical Psychologist, to talk about the simple, practical tools we can all use to improve our mental wellbeing.    We discuss: How emotions work The importance of self-awareness The power of self-compassion and how to cultivate it How to build self-confidence Why failure is a necessary part of learning and improving How to respond to low mood and anxiety The foundations of good mental health  How to build a meaningful life Julie Smith: ‘Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?’ https://t.co/21WBG5HOcL See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bite-Sized: Why Sleep Is So Important to Your Health

We’re joined by Guy Meadows, physiologist, and leading sleep expert, to discuss why sleep is such an integral element of our health. Here’s a quick recap: Why sleep is so key for supporting and improving our mental health How long we should be sleeping for How sleep supports our immunity, and the health of our heart and brain Sleep cycles The 2 drivers of sleep The importance of regularity How sleep is the bedrock for all aspects of our health Guy Meadows: ‘The Sleep Book: How to Sleep Well Every Night’ https://www.sleepschool.org See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why the Gut is the Key to Health

We’re joined by Dr. Emeran Mayer; a professor, gastroenterologist, scientist, and author about the latest research on the gut microbiome, the connection between the gut microbiome and the immune system, and how we can improve the health of our gut to support our overall health. We discuss: What is a healthy gut microbiome Is it nature or nurture that determines the health of our gut? The link between the gut microbiome and the immune system Why diet has a major role in how our immune system functions How inappropriate activation of the immune system is implicated in chronic disease How diet can be used to modify the immune system back to its normal state The importance of fibre, and a largely whole foods, plant-based diet The role of chronic stress in gut health and immune function How processed foods impact the gut microbiome The 3 key things we can do to support our gut microbiome Emeran Mayer: ‘The Mind-Gut Connection’ ‘The Gut-Immune Connection’ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bite-Sized: How to Improve Gut Health

Ways to improve our gut health with nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh. An increasing body of evidence is demonstrating that the health of our gut microbiome affects the health of numerous other systems in the body and mind. In this bite-sized episode we look at how we can improve our gut health from the importance of fibre-rich plant foods and probiotics, as well as the role of processed foods and stress. Here’s a brief recap: Prioritise increasing fibre intakes, but go slowly Aim for 30 different whole plant foods each week Include more herbs and spices Add in fermented foods little and often Consider probiotic supplements Try to reduce highly processed foods and burnt foods Address managing stress levels Alice Mackintosh: @alicemackintosh_nutrition See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Escape the Productivity Trap

We’re joined by writer and author Oliver Burkeman to talk about the productivity-trap; the narrative that keeps our sense of self-worth and value tied to how much we get done and achieve. In his new book, Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver argues that this only results in disappointment and unhappiness, and explores how to cultivate a healthier relationship with productivity to ultimately lead a more fulfilling life.   We discuss: Confronting the mismatch between what we can do and what we think we can do Disarming perfectionism and the ‘when I’ mentality The relationship between productivity and self-worth The catch 22 of getting things done Why the notion of ‘balance’ may not always be the answer The benefit of enjoying leisure activities without any end goal in mind The distraction economy Ways to approach getting what matters done How to cultivate a healthier relationship with productivity Oliver Burkeman: ‘Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It’ Four Thousand Weeks: Embrace Your Limits. Change Your Life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bite-Sized: Food to Boost Your Mood

Ways to support our mood with nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh. Our mood is influenced by a variety of things including what we eat, and in this bite-sized episode we look at how we can support healthy brain function from the key macronutrients and micronutrients to be mindful of to the importance of whole plant foods, as well as the role of processed and refined foods. Here’s a quick recap: Including a variety of high-quality proteins Including sufficient B vitamins, vitamin D and magnesium Adding in more herbs and spices Aim for 30 different whole plant foods each week Give special attention to dark leafy greens Ensure to include essential fats (omega-3) Try to avoid overly processed and refined foods containing trans fats and additives  Alice Mackintosh: @alicemackintosh_nutrition www.alicemackintosh.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How a Plant-Based Diet Can Transform Your Health

We’re joined by Dr. Shireen Kassam, an NHS consultant and board-certified lifestyle medicine physician. Here’s a short recap of what we discuss: The power of diet and lifestyle factors in health and disease outcomes What is an unhealthy diet? The impact of ultra-processed foods in the body  What is inflammation, how is it related to diet and how is it linked to chronic diseases? Diet and immunity Why it is never too late to adopt a plant-based diet to improve our health Healthcare and the commercial industry How to optimise health on a plant-based diet The role of diet in cancer Lifestyle habits to improve our health Shireen Kassam: Book: ‘Eating Plant-Based: Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions’ @plantbasedhealthprofessionals https://plantbasedhealthonline.com https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bite-Sized: Eating for Energy

5 ways to boost energy with nutritional therapist Alice Mackintosh. Feeling tired all the time is the most common complaint in GP surgery’s, in this short episode we break down the simple steps to combat exhaustion from balancing blood sugar to the key vitamins and minerals to look out for, plus the role of coffee, sugar and artificial sweeteners. Here’s a simple recap - eat lots of bright, colourful, whole food ingredients and look at: Balancing blood sugar Switching to whole grains Including protein in every meal Including lots of iron (with vitamin C for added absorption), B vitamins, magnesium and essential fats (omega 3) Be mindful of the quantity and timing of coffee consumption Try to avoid consuming lots of additives, refined foods, artificial sweeteners and burnt foods Alice Mackintosh: @alicemackintosh_nutrition www.alicemackintosh.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Changing Your Mindset Can Change Your Health

We’re joined by Dr. David Hamilton, a leading expert on the mind body connection, about the latest research on the power of our mindset, how a change in thinking can exert physiological effects within the body and how we can harness the mind to improve our wellbeing. We talk about: Why the placebo effect is more than ‘just in the mind’ How can we harness the power of our mindset to create positive neurological and physiological change The relationship between psychological stress and our health Why kindness is so key to our health How to use kindness practices to support our brain and heart health The power of bringing together conventional and complementary medicine  How different mind-body strategies can support different health conditions The power of visualisation and nature Why belief is central to the health benefits of alternative practices David’s books: How your mind can heal your body The contagious power of positive thinking And his latest book Why Woo Woo Works   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Understanding Anxiety, Depression and Mental Health

Ella and guest, Karl Deisseroth on understanding anxiety, depression and mental health. From the depths of human emotion to why the science can expand our empathy and connectivity; why our view of mental health needs updating; the hidden realms of the mind and the ways in which we can expand our connectivity. Karl Deisseroth - Connections: A Story of Human Feeling See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Calories Don’t Count

Why calorie-counting simply doesn’t stack up, with Giles Yeo. We ask: are all calories equal; what’s the connection between calories and weight loss; and are foods with fewer calories automatically better for you? A debunk of every calorie myth, why we need a fundamental restructure of the food system and whether we really can be healthy at every size. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mindfulness, Meditation and Easing Stress

Michael James Wong on how to bring mindfulness into your day, ways to let go of stress and expectation, redefining happiness and the benefits of slowing down. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Food As Medicine

Tim Spector, a world expert on gut health, reveals the at-home blue muffin test that’ll help you understand how healthy your gut is, why food is medicine and how to improve our health. To get involved, visit www.bluepoopchallenge.com/deliciouslyella See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Optimise Your Health

Is wellness to prescriptive and how can we optimise our individual health? We talk about understanding and optimising your hormones, the concept of happiness as a chemical concept, the role of stress and sleep, quick ways to boost your wellbeing, unlocking your potential and creating more self-compassion with Amy Thomson, founder of Moody. Amy Thomson: Moody See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Building Exceptional Relationships

We talk to Stanford lecturers David Bradford and Carole Robin about the six characteristics of an exceptional relationship and their relevance to all relationships in our lives from friends to family and colleagues. We look at how to shift out relationships along the continuum towards exceptions, how to foster interpersonal mindfulness, the importance of becoming both more curious and more vulnerable and the role of technology.   David Bradford and Carole Robin: Connect See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plant-Based Diets for Children

Everything you need to know about raising plant-based children from protein to calcium, iron, fat, carbohydrates, omega 3, milk, B12, vitamin D and so much more. With dieticians Whitney and Alex from Plant Based Juniors.  Alexandra Caspero & Whitney English - Plant-Based Baby & Toddler See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happiness, Change and Emotional Resilience

Renowned psychotherapist Julia Samuel talks about learning to face our difficulties with self-compassion, expectation versus reality, the relationship between happiness and change, escapism and building a strong foundation with her eight pillars of strength.   Julia Samuel This Too Shall Pass See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Supercharge Your Brain

This week we’re looking at the practical advise on how to maximise, nurture and sustain your brain health with Professor James Goodwin, a leading expert on brain health. From managing stress levels to why meditation and yoga make your brain glow, the impact of intermittent fasting, how exercise creates new brain cells, the impact of sleep, of gut health and that cognitive decline is not inevitable.   Professor James Goodwin Supercharge Your Brain See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adam Grant on Creating a Successful Mindset

This week we’re talking to psychologist Adam Grant about upgrading your mindset; looking at the culture of failure, the importance of rethinking and keeping an open mind, how to create constructive dialogue, whether to follow our gut instinct and why ignorance isn’t such a bad thing.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Understanding Your Period & Female Health

Maisie Hill talks about the importance of understanding your cycle and all the stages women go through from the very first period through pre-menopause (all of our reproductive years), peri-menopause, menopause and post-menopause, and most importantly why having knowledge early on can make all the difference to how we feel later on. We talk contraception, hormones, fluctuations in mood, fertility awareness, tracking our cycle, the impact of stress and how what we eat can affect our periods.   Books: Period Power, Peri-menopausal Power, Read your body, Taking Charge of Your Fertility, The Fifth Vital Sign  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Changing Habits & Reaching Goals

We talk to behavioural scientist Dr Grace Lordan about what makes some people succeed while others are unable to reach their goals; from the importance of removing the ego to taking ourselves out of our comfort zones, changing our narrative and looking at long-term success over instant gratification. With a specific lens on creating purpose in our careers and reframing failure. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Metabolism and Calories; Myths and Reality

What actually is your metabolism; what’s the link between metabolism, your weight and calorie intake; can any foods, powders or supplements speed it up and does yo-yo dieting or restrictive eating have a negative impact? Today evolutionary biologist Herman Pontzer talks fact and fiction and why so many of the headlines are mis-selling us information when it comes to our metabolism, calories, our health and weight management.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Live Your Happiest Life with Fearne Cotton

With an introduction on our new charitable partnership with the Trussell Trust in support of their work supporting food banks across the UK and their campaign to end hunger; this episode then delves into a conversation with Fearne Cotton on creating boundaries, saying no (without a white lie), being true to who you really are, embracing vulnerability and finding compassion for yourself in order to live your most genuine, happy life. Trussell Trust: https://www.trusselltrust.org   Our mix and match oat bar packs for the £1 donation: https://deliciouslyella.com/product/oat-bars-mix-match/ Fearne Cotton: Speak Your Truth See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Creating Healthy Relationships

Clinical psychologist and couples therapist, Michaela Thomas, talks to us about how to build a healthy relationship, why our relationship with ourself is the cornerstone of true connection and how to navigate the pressure for perfection. From embracing our vulnerability to asking for what we need, understanding the impact of technology and how to understand and then unpick the ways in which our upbringing shapes the way we form future connections.    Michaela Thomas - www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/thelastingconnection See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Controlling the inner critic

We talk to psychologist Ethan Kross – a world expert on controlling the conscious mind – on how we can harness the ongoing chatter in our heads, the ongoing internal conversation, to silence streams of self-doubt from our inner critic. From how ruminating on negative thoughts impacts on our relationships, work, physical health and stress levels; to why venting our emotions isn’t the answer and the tools we need to stop ruminating on negativity and catastrophising. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding Healthy Routines with Dr Chatterjee

We talk to Dr Rangan Chatterjee on finding healthy habits, why we need to move away from quick fixes and why we need to look after ourselves as a whole; from finding a healthy weight and stopping yo-yo dieting to the role of sleep and bedtime routines, moving our bodies, morning rituals, getting outside and the impact of stress. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do we see the bad more often than the good?

Why do we respond more to the negative over the positive; to criticism more than praise? Why do we worry so much? How can we stop our negative thought patterns? Science shows this negative thinking is innate, it’s our negativity bias and it explains why negative events and emotions affect us more strongly than positive ones. Our guests today, John Tierney and Roy Baumeister, explain why our brains work in this way and how we can recognise the negativity effect and break destructive patterns.    Ella and Matt’s recommendations: This Is Us, History Hit, Tudor Dynasties and Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library John Tierney and Roy Baumeister, The Power of Bad See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can a Plant-Based Diet Revolutionise Your Health?

Dr Alan Desmond, an NHS consultant with over twenty years of clinical experience, joins us to talk about the science behind a plant-based diet, the latest research and how it can help all of our wellbeing. Dr Desmond specialises in gastroenterology and the effect what we eat has both on our gut health and our overall wellbeing, he’s revolutionary in the sense that he prescribes a plant-based diet to his patients and he’s seen first-hand the extraordinary impact it can have.   Dr Alan Desmond, The Plant Based Diet Revolution See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coping with The Current Uncertainty

The last year has been full of unprecedented, unexpected, uncertain moments, which have thrown many of us through a loop. Today we talk to Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk, about how we can sit with that fear, how we can stop our minds from racing ahead and projecting into the future and how we can find moments of calm even when the world feels upside down. We look at the many positives, the irony of missing our busy lives and how we can cultivate more compassion and appreciation of lockdown; as well as the questions we should be asking ourselves in our collective quest for happiness when our external pick-me-up’s aren’t there. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five Pillars of Health

We take a look at the simple, every day practices that can transform our mental and physical health from what we eat to how we sleep, the role of exercise, water and moments of calm. We’re answering all the key questions on why your five-a-day matters, why gut health has such a big impact on our wellbeing, what mindfulness means and whether we really need eight hours of sleep. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices