The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#95 Weight Series (Part 2 of 2). The Sugar Episode with Professor Michael Goran & Dr Emily Ventura Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

SUGAR. It’s everywhere and in everything and in various guises. Fake sugar, artificial, refined, raw, natural, low calorie sweetener and table. Over 200 names for it exist. And if you google sugar and health you could be told it’s as innocuous as water or it’s as dangerous and as addictive as cocaine and worse than alcohol for your liver.

To get to the crux of what’s really going and how dangerous sugar is in our food system (and it’s artificial counterparts) I’m speaking with Professor Michael Goran - Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Dr. Emily Ventura a nutrition educator, public health advocate, writer, and cook with a Masters in Public Health and Doctorate of Philosophy in Preventive Medicine. They’re also co-authors the fantastic book “Sugarproof” in which they explain the hidden danger that sugar poses to a child’s development and what options there are for parents and carers to mitigate sugar consumption.

Professor Michael Goran has also published over 350 peer-reviewed articles and reviews. He is the Editor of the “Childhood Obesity: Causes, Consequences and Intervention Approaches” published in 2017, co-editor of “Dietary Sugars and Health” published in late 2014, and currently serves as Editor- in-Chief for Pediatric Obesity.

This is the podcast I’ve been asked to do so many times. So finally we can lift the lid on sugar and its impact. Listen to the end for my top tips and do check out the book Sugarproof on the podcast show notes

On the show today we talk about:

Types of sugar and their various forms
Why Artificial sweeteners could be just as problematic
Why children are uniquely vulnerable to sugar
How problems with sugar can be independent of weight
Why sugar IS addictive
Refined carbohydrates and how they can have similar effects
Sugar, Inflammation and the brain
The mechanisms of how sugar impacts the liver, behaviour and mood
Policies to protect ourselves in the future
Tips to lessen our sugar burden

Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes on this and all other episodes

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#94 Weight Series (Part 1 of 2). Why We Eat Too Much with Dr Andrew Jenkinson Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

On the show today I’m delighted to welcome Dr Andrew Jenkinson, a consultant surgeon with a special interest in advanced laparoscopic, (or keyhole) surgery who treats bariatric patients.

He is part of an expert team developing advances in gastrointestinal surgery at University College Hospital and author of the book “Why we eat too much”.

Obesity is a particular problem for the UK having the 6th highest prevalence of obesity where 26% of adults are classified as obese and it disproportionately affects both adults and children in lower socioeconomic groups. Because of the prevalence and the dire comorbidities associated with the condition, there is a strong public health incentive to find effective treatments and preventative measures. Yet the debate about obesity is shrouded with oversimplification a lack of appreciation of the foundations of how we got here as well as a lack of empathy for sufferers of this disease.

On the other hand, people whose interests are to protect the mental health of those who suffer with being overweight (whilst their intentions may be genuine) fail to appreciate the need for recognising that there is a problem which needs treatment.

This isn’t an episode geared toward fat shaming or pointing the finger at obese people (as commonly occurs in the media) in the same way previous episodes about eating for migraines, PCOS or IBD are not geared toward pointing the finger at those people for having those conditions. This is for general informational purposes only and to help everyone understand the mechanisms behind why some people struggle with weight vs others, cease the oversimplification of Calories in vs out and recognise the potential interventions before we have to entertain drastic measures such as bariatric surgery.

On the show today we talk about:

How patient stories encouraged Andrew to dig deeper into the mechanisms behind obesity
Why obesity is better defined as a disease and what that means for treatment
NHS Obesity prejudice
The interplay of genes, hormones, neurotransmitters in the likelihood of obesity
Your BMR and weight set point and how to change it
Leptin resistance, Insulin, Cortisol and mitochondrial function in obesity
Why low calorie diets work .. and then don’t work
The impact of COVID on his job and obese patients
Poverty, the food environment and obesity
Andrew's tips for weight loss

Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes for this and all other episodes

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#93 Ending Childhood Hunger (Part 2 of 2) with Owen Burton from One Feeds Two Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

On the podcast we are continuing the critical conversation around child poverty and hunger that, quite frankly I’m embarrassed to have to be talking about in 2021.

Rather than complaining or pointing out a desperate situation I want to shine a light on some incredible initiatives. On that note, I want you to ponder on this:

Can we use hunger to end hunger?

This is the simple revolutionary formula that my next guest and his colleagues founded over 10 years ago. Owen Burton co-founded One feeds Two. A charitable organisation that partners with food brands and work to provide school meals to children living in poverty across the globe.

Thus far, One Feeds Two's partners have donated over 10 millions school meals - and in 2021 alone, they hope to donate over 6 million school meals. The school meals are locally sourced, largely plant-based and typical of the local cuisine - "what the kids would be eating if they were eating at home".

On the show today we talk about:

Owen’s travel and corporate background
The early foundations of one feeds two
Why school meals are magical and the impact on poverty
What we can learn from One feeds Two as it relates to child poverty in the UK
Owen’s current projects and his new drinks brand “Fount”

Do check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes for this and all other episodes

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#92 Ending Childhood Hunger (Part 1 of 2) with FareShare and Magic Breakfast Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

This is one of the most pressing conversations of the moment.

The extent of childhood hunger and food insecurity that exists not in third world countries, but here in the UK. It is absolutely astounding that 1 in 8 people are food insecure coupled with the fact that a third of food is wasted along various parts of the supply chain.

To open up this discussion I’m inviting representatives from 2 incredible organisations working to tackle these issues in their unique ways, for a fairer and more compassionate society. One where nobody is left unseen nor hungry.

Rather than complaining or pointing out a desperate situation I want to shine a light on these incredible charities

First I speak with Alyson Walsh, Commercial Director with responsibility for Fundraising, Marketing Communications and Volunteering at Fareshare. With 25 years’ experience in the food and retail sector, Alyson possesses a wealth of industry and consumer knowledge,

Later in this pod, I also speak with Emily Frezza (a former primary school teacher) and Alysa Remtulla from Magic Breakfast, a registered charity providing healthy breakfasts to children in the UK who arrive at school too hungry to learn. We talk about the foundations of the charity and the scale of the issue of food insecurity amongst children in the UK. 2 million children in the UK suffer hunger and Magic Breakfast extend their expert support to their partners across 960 Primary, Secondary, ASL/Special Educational Needs Schools and Pupil Referral Units in disadvantaged areas of England and Scotland. They reach around 167,000 children to ensure they start their school day with the energy and nutrition they need to be able to make the most of their morning lessons.

On the pod today we cover the following:

Overview of the problem
What is Food insecurity – what it is, how much of an issue it is, how it’s increased since the pandemic.
Food insecurity is a pre-pandemic problem
How to tackle the stigma surrounding food insecurity
The logistical issues surrounding food redistribution
How to get involved with both Fareshare and Magic Breakfast

Please do check out The Doctor's Kitchen Website for full show notes and details on this and all other podcast episodes

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#91 Solving Happiness with Mo Gawdat Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

*Warning. Today’s podcast contains details of parental bereavement. Caution advised*

Today I feel like I’ve had one of the most impactful conversations on a personal level. I vividly remember watching Mo Gawdat’s interview on channel 4 news back in 2017 when he was touring and promoting his international bestseller “Solve for Happy”. His story of loss deeply touched me and changed my perspective on happiness and how to attain it. Mo wants you to achieve happiness and wants you to understand that “Happiness is easier to achieve than we’ve led to believe“. For me to have the opportunity to interview him 4 years later is just such a surreal privilege I cannot explain.

Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer of Google [X], author of the international bestselling book Solve for Happy and founder of One Billion Happy.

After a long career in tech, Mo has made happiness his primary topic of research, diving deeply into literature and conversing on the topic with some of the wisest people in the world. Mo is also the host of Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat, where he has the most wonderful conversations with the greatest minds of our time, including Dr Tara Swart, Alain de Botton, Mark Williamson. I highly recommend you dive into this library and if you find Mo’s voice as soothing and rhythmical as I do, you’ll love listening back to his episodes.

A bit of back story to Mo, in 2014 he endured the tragic loss of Ali, his 21 yr old son, after routine surgery. Motivated by his loss, Mo began pouring his findings into his book, Solve for Happy. His mission to help one billion people become happier, #OneBillionHappy, is his attempt to honor Ali by spreading the message that happiness can be learned and shared.

And this is exactly what you’ll hear about in today’s podcast. We talk about:

Mo’s intention for the year
Flow and the various definitions of ‘flow state’
The inability to sit with ourselves
The tragic loss of Mo’s son and how that pushed his mission to ‘solve happy’
A midlife crisis at age 29
How his happiness equation is received cross culturally
Death and a perspective on the pandemic that everyone should try

I sincerely hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to listen to more of Mo’s work including his own podcast and workshop videos on YouTube recorded at Stamford university, the links to which are on the podcast show notes found at www.thedoctorskitchen.com

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BONUS EPISODE: Preventing the next Pandemic , The Blunt Reality of Microbial Resistance with Dr Ravina Kullar Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

If we do not take action now, 30 years from now, over 10 million people will die every year due to antibiotic-resistant infections.

Dr. Ravina Kullar is an Infectious Diseases global expert and researcher, who has spent almost 15 years researching in the infectious disease space.

She is actively leading strategies worldwide to educate the public about various infectious diseases topics. She has been invited to provide 3 TED talks, sharing her own personal patient stories and providing action items that everyone can implement to be a part of the solution of infectious diseases outbreaks. She has also published over 40 research papers, and has been an invited speaker worldwide, educating both clinicians and the public.

Dr. Kullar has been a public health advocate during this COVID-19 pandemic, educating the public via various media outlets. She is the Founder of duXsana, where she serves as the infectious diseases expert, and her team of building experts and interior designers help businesses in reopening safely, keeping infection prevention at the forefront.

We talk about:

Her painful experience with antimicrobial resistance and how that sparked her career in infectious disease
The state of play with microbes and COVID-19
The need for better investigations
5 tips for reducing Antimicrobial resistance that we can be part of
The need to take vaccines

Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes on this and all other episodes.

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#90 Preventing The Next Pandemic (Part 2 of 2) Quantum Biology & Bacteria with Professor Johnjoe McFadden Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Professor Johnjoe McFadden is on the show today, he is Professor of Molecular Genetics at the University of Surrey. His principle field of research is in molecular genetics, particularly of microbes that cause infectious diseasesand particularly antimicrobial resistance. Initially he did his PhD at Imperial College London and went on to work on human genetic diseases.

As well as studying infectious disease he has also been an advocate for Quantum Biology for nearly twenty years.

In 2014, he, with the physicist, Jim Al-Khalili wrote ‘Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology’, describing recent exciting discoveries of quantum mechanisms in photosynthesis, bird navigation, enzymes and maybe even consciousness.

Today we talk about:

What causes resistant bacteria
The ‘scary twin’ phenomenon
What we can learn from multidrug resistant TB (MDRTB)
Issues with the current use of antimicrobials and how we can reduce the burden
How quantum biology relates to human consciousness

Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this and all other episodes

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#89 Preventing The Next Pandemic (Part 1 of 2). Antimicrobial Resistance with Professor Dame Sally Davies Feb 17, 2021

Show notes

*CAUTION - Explicit Language in this episode*

How much would you worry about a simple cut ? Probably not much as long as you can get to a medical professional on time and obtain the correct treatment. But what if I was to say that in a few years to come, antibiotics will no longer work? And a simple cut could leave you hugely at risk of sepsis and death. This could be the situation unless we address resistant microbes in our environment and joining me on the podcast to talk about this subject is Professor Dame Sally Davies.

Dame Sally was the Chief Medical Officer for England and Senior Medical Advisor to the UK Government from 2011-2019. Dame Sally Davies was appointed as the UK Government’s Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in 2019. She is also the 40th Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University.

In the 2020 New Year Honours, Dame Sally became the second woman (and the first outside the Royal family) to be appointed Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) for services to public health and research, having received her DBE in 2009.

On the show we talk about

Dame Sally Davies incredible medical career
What sparked her interest in antimicrobial resistance
How Bacteria become resistant
Where food has a role in resistance
What we can do as consumers?

Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this and all other episodes

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BONUS EPISODE: The Journey to Happiness with Stephen & David Flynn of ‘The Happy Pear’ Feb 15, 2021

Show notes

The journey to happiness with Stephen and David Flynn from The Happy Pear!

The Happy Pear started out back in 2004 with Steve, Dave, a tiny shop and a dream of helping people to eat more veg. Fast forward 15 years, The Happy Pear now consists of cafes, food products, online courses, cookbooks, a farm, a roastery, and a hundred amazing employees with a community of over 1 million people living healthier!

Their latest book is the happy health plan, with information and recipes distilled from their online courses that have helped over 50,000 people globally live healthier lives.

On the show today we talk about:

Their journey from rugby playing, beer drinking lads to meditating, vegan veg shop owners
Their business as a force for good
The importance of healthy environments that allow health to flourish
Being vulnerable and authentic as key to living fulfilled lives
Their failures as well as successes
Laughter, Joy and contentment as the superfoods that enrich their healthy lifestyles

Check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this and all other episodes

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#88 Nutrition Science Series (Part 3 of 3) The Supplementation Series with Kamal Patel Feb 10, 2021

Show notes

*CAUTION - Explicit Language in this episode*

Confused about supplements? Struggle to understand nutrition science? Constantly bombarded by conflicting headlines about which diet is better than another? How do we make sense of all this information when the noise-signal ratio is so disproportionate?

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Kamal Patel who is the co-founder and director of Examine.com. The world’s largest unbiased, internet site that peer reviews academic literature on diet, supplements and nutrition knowledge to give the most uncoerced information you can find anywhere. A site that I have personally used during my masters, recommended and supported throughout my nutrition journey.

Kamal holds two master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University, in business and in public health, he’s published peer-reviewed articles on vitamin D and calcium, as well as on a variety of clinical research topics. He’s also been involved in research on fructose and liver health, on nutrition in low-income areas, and on mindfulness meditation.

There are SO MANY things we talk about in this pod that I’ve decided to split it up into 2 parts. The amount of information we talk about is quite overwhelming to listen to, but trust me it’s worth a good listen and there are so many insights I picked up on from Kamals wealth of knowledge:

Circadian Zeitgebers
Non diet Paleolithic perspective
How misinformation and bias starts from the Research labs
Multivitamins, fish oil, vitamin D
Supplements and Lifestyle for Stress, Sleep, Anxiety and
Nootropics and Adaptogens
The Placebo effect
Brain and Cognitive enhancing supplements, green tea, choline, berries, fish oil
Supplements for Vegans - B12, choline, creatine, carnosine, fatty acids
Collagen for arthritis and skin
Contaminants in supplements
How to choose supplements
The precautionary principle with supplementation
Immunonutrition
Corona Virus supplements - Zinc, elderberry, Vitamin D, Garlic, Vitamin C
Health tracking, wearable devices and investigations
How often research makes Kamal change his mind

Do check out The Doctor's Kitchen website for full show notes and social media links for this episode

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