Stay ConnectedDr Ayan Panja puts health into context. A lifestyle medicine expert, author and family physician with over 25 years of experience, his unique blend of candour, perspective and knowledge make for a mind-expanding essential weekly bite-sized listen.
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Copyright: © Dr Ayan Panja
This is an argument that rages on in the world of nutrition and medicine. In this episode I look at what food is, what it does to us in terms of our health and the mechanisms behind it and give you my verdict on whether I consider it to be medicine or not.
Ultra processed foods - review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10899807/
Protein benefits: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-to-eat-more-protein
Blue Zones diets: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-is-the-blue-zones-diet
Herbs and spices with health benefits: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-healthy-herbs-and-spices
Akkermansia mucinophilia in IBD: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1089600/full
T Reg cells - what are they?
:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.878382/full
Apples and their in vitro benefits: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5490512/
The all important Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (now a therapeutic target for big pharmaceutical companies): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221323172300023X
Short chain fatty acids and heart disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24388214/#
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High blood pressure is the biggest modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is still the leading cause of death worldwide.
It’s often called a silent killer because it has usually has no symptoms.
This episode give you the lowdown on high blood pressure (also known as essential hypertension).
Links:
WHO page: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hypertension
NICE guideline for hypertension: https://www.england.nhs.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2019/11/NICE-NG136-Visual-Summary.pdf
A summary of high blood pressure: https://www.healthline.com/health/high-blood-pressure-hypertension
Vitamin D and blood pressure in African-Americans: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775458/
Salt and potassium: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7697211/
Low carb diets and blood pressure: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6695889/
Potassium enriched salt and blood pressure: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10863666/
Salt substitutes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9532913/
Measuring blood pressure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfwBpBXUYHs
Why blood pressure matters: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-combating-high-blood-pressure/health-matters-combating-high-blood-pressure#
Resperate - the evidence is mixed, the effects small and it is not a substitute for any medication:
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Mind Body Medicine is fascinating but has been poorly understood over the years. I believe it is more important to try to understand better now more than ever as we are surrounded by medically unexplained symptoms and non-communicable symptoms and diseases.
In this episode I look at the origins and theories behind it as well as link to the evidence in the show notes.
Links:
The Holmes-Rahe Stress scale: https://www.mindtools.com/avn893g/the-holmes-and-rahe-stress-scale
The effectiveness of mind-body medicine (narrative): https://journals.lww.com/mjhs/fulltext/2023/11020/effectiveness_of_mind_body_medicine.2.aspx
Somatising: https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/somatic-symptom-disorder/what-is-somatic-symptom-disorder
Opinion piece - a new ear of mind body medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7486127/#
Views on Dr Sarno’s work: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/10/2/16338094/dr-john-sarno-healing-back-pain
Mind Body Medicine in Crohn’s Disease: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnint.2022.960301/full
Mindfulness and meditation - effects on stress:
https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation
Repressed emotions and physical health: https://www.healthline.com/health/repressed-emotions
Heart rate variability and stress: https://www.webmd.com/heart/what-is-heart-rate-variability
Mechanisms on how writing can help: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7957853/
Journaling and heart failure: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4927423/
Psychoneuroimmunology during COVID-19: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9075982/
THE HEALTH FIX: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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This is a super hot topic in health care in some parts of the world at the moment. In this episode I look at how these drugs work and the pros and cons of taking them for weight loss purposes.
Obesity, in some instances, is in essence a form of ‘malnutrition’ because of the nature of food consumed and how rates have increased rapidly over the last 40 years.
Body Mass Index definition: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-21264134
Heart disease risk reduced by weight loss jab: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd188m73vn1o
Ultra processed food and your brain:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/junk_food_brain
Supersize Me: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Size_Me
Obesity health risks: https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/how-obesity-affects-body
The genetics of obesity: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41576-021-00414-z
The story behind semaglutide: https://www.vox.com/22553793/gila-monster-lizard-venom-inspired-obesity-drug-semaglutide
Weight loss stats on semaglutide: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9486455/
Semaglutide can stop working and even if it works it may need to be taken forever:
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CGM has changed lives for the better people with Type 1 Diabetes but nowadays people without diabetes use it as a tool. In this episode I look at the pros and cons of CGM and how it can be used as a lens into our general health and how it is linked to our gut microbiome amongst many other systems.
Links:
CGM early days review: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4717493/
Prof Partha Kar: https://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/girft-diabetes-lead-awarded-obe-in-new-year-honours/
Red meat and gut bacteria: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/gut-microbes-affect-harmful-compound-red-meat#
Akkermansia Muciniphilia: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8726741/
Gut bugs and metabolic disease: https://joe.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/joe/248/2/JOE-20-0473.xml#
Alcohol and blood glucose: https://blog.supersapiens.com/3-ways-alcohol-affects-your-glucose-levels/
Exercise and blood sugar: https://www.sugarfit.com/blog/workout-spikes-exercise-induced-gluconeogenesis/
Glucose spikes - the dangers?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7530333/#:
The view of Harvard on CGM without diabetes:https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-blood-sugar-monitoring-without-diabetes-worthwhile-202106112473
Walking after meals: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/walking-after-eating
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10401445/#
THE HEALTH FIX - the ultimate health manual tailored to you: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me.
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In this episode I look at smart phones. They have changed the way we live beyond imagination
but are they doing us any harm in terms of the way we think and behave?
Links:
Life before smartphones:
https://medium.com/be-unique/before-smartphones-were-a-thing-87208717b8d7
Teenage brain: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Whats-Going-On-in-the-Teenage-Brain.aspx
Teenagers and smart phones: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-smartphones-really-destroying-the-lives-of-teenagers/
Alpha brain waves: https://www.healthline.com/health/alpha-brain-waves#bottom-line
Multitasking and switching focus: https://neuroscience.stanford.edu/news/why-multitasking-does-more-harm-good
Phones and attention: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-36256-4#
Alpha waves: https://www.healthline.com/health/alpha-brain-waves
Dopamine fasting: https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/dopamine-fasting-smartphone-addiction
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Addictions can ruin lives but why do they occur in the first place and what can we do to acknowledge them better?
In this episode Iook at why they can be so hard to conquer and touch on different aspects of addiction.
Links:
How the addicted brain works:
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/how-an-addicted-brain-works
Sugar - why most of us could easily have a sweet tooth: https://theconversation.com/a-taste-for-sweet-an-anthropologist-explains-the-evolutionary-origins-of-why-youre-programmed-to-love-sugar-173197
Addiction and childhood: https://www.jkacap.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.5765/jkacap.2017.28.1.4#
Heroin detox in Thailand: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13674101
Dr Gabor Maté on trauma: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/12/the-trauma-doctor-gabor-mate-on-happiness-hope-and-how-to-heal-our-deepest-wounds
Gambling addiction: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/gambling-addiction/
A personal story: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/30/studied-neuroscience-understand-addictions-not-cure
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Becoming a parent is a gift but it has its challenges. In this episode I look at some factors to be mindful of including the difference between the child and adult brain plus micro tips to help navigate your way through the maze of parenthood.
Links:
Parenting styles: https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/style/parenting-styles-explained/
Brain development in children: https://www.luriechildrens.org/en/blog/early-childhood-brain-development-and-health/
Parenting styles and psychological complaints: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4873100/
Hoffman Process for understanding how early life connects to your adult behaviours: https://www.hoffmaninstitute.co.uk/about-the-process/
Unconditional love: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/peaceful-parents-happy-kids/201504/how-give-unconditional-love-your-child-and-yourself?amp
Steve Biddulph’s advice: https://www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au/blog/steve-biddulph-key-takeaways
The Health Fix: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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Skin - it’s known as our largest ‘organ’ and most of us have had some kind of skin issue.
This is my 101. Enjoy!
Guttate psoriasis: https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis-guttate
Pitiryiasis rosea: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/a-z/pityriasis-rosea-symptoms
Scarlet fever: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/176242
Slapped cheek syndrome: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/slapped-cheek-syndrome/
Omega 3 and skin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7892455/
Probiotics and skin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9386980/
Acne: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/ss/slideshow-acne-dictionary
PCOS: https://www.healthline.com/health/polycystic-ovary-disease
Rosacea: https://www.rosacea.org/patients/all-about-rosacea
Non IgE cows milk protein allergy: https://www.allergyuk.org/about-allergy/allergy-in-childhood/cows-milk-allergy/
Dermatitis herpetiformis: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/dermatitis-herpetiformis/
Elimination diets: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/elimination-diet
Atopy: https://www.healthline.com/health/atopy
Demodex: https://www.healthline.com/health/demodex-folliculorum
MI allergy: https://www.webmd.com/beauty/what-to-know-about-methylchloroisothiazolinone-allergies
Contact dermatitis: https://www.healthline.com/health/contact-dermatitis
Melanoma and ABCDE: https://www.melanomauk.org.uk/the-abcde-rule
Sunlight and cancer: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4571149/
Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me.
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Health screening has exploded over the last 20 years. Is it a money making exercise or actually worth it? In this episode I look at the pros and cons and how you can decide what may be worth doing and the reason people decide they need it.
Links:
UK ethics of health screening: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-ethical-framework-for-screening/uk-nsc-ethical-framework-for-screening
Health Screening - a recent paper:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436014/
RCGP screening statement around extra work for NHS GPs from screening companies: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/representing-you/policy-areas/screening
Karen Brady’s story: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/apr/20/healthandwellbeing.health1
The pros and cons of PSA testing: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/prostate-tests/psa-blood-test
Genomic (DNA) testing for propensity to disease (eg breast cancer): https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genetic-and-genomic-testing/
MTHFR: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326181
Our Future Health: https://ourfuturehealth.org.uk/
Bill Turnbull's prostate cancer story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-62755001
My book THE HEALTH FIX - paperback: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Health-Fix-Dr-Ayan-Panja/dp/1914239326/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
"The only health manual you'll ever need..." Dr Rangan Chatterjee. "...lifechanging..." Dr Rupy Aujla
Save your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me.
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