The Happy Pear Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Technology and our stolen focus with Johann Hari Jan 25, 2023

Show notes

How do we get you to keep scrolling?

This is the aim of the applications on your phone. The more they can steal your focus and attention the more profitable they are.

So how can you take advantage of the benefits of technology whilst not letting it take advantage of you?

This week we speak to Johann Hari, the author of the New York Times bestseller: Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention.

Johann is an author, executive producer and Tedtalk speaker. His books have been translated into 40 languages, and been praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah to Noam Chomsky, from Elton John to Naomi Klein.

Johann’s first book, ‘Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs’, was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film ‘The United States Vs Billie Holiday’. His second book, ‘Lost Connections: Uncovering The Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions’ was described by the British Journal of General Practice as “one of the most important texts of recent years”, and shortlisted for an award by the British Medical Association.

Johann’s TED talks have been viewed more than 93 million times. He has written over the past decade for some of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, the Spectator, Le Monde Diplomatique, the Sydney Morning Herald, and Politico. He has appeared on NPR’s All Thing Considered, HBO’s Realtime With Bill Maher, The Joe Rogan Podcast, the BBC’s Question Time, and many other popular shows.

Johann was twice named ‘National Newspaper Journalist of the Year’ by Amnesty International. He has also been named ‘Cultural Commentator of the Year’ and ‘Environmental Commentator of the Year’ at the Comment Awards.

A fascinating person who lives half the year in London, and spends the other half of the year traveling to research his books. We caught up with Johann one sunny afternoon and delved deep into what it means to loose focus, the effects it has on the brain, how our children are being affected by technology, and how we can regain focus and become more present.

A great episode!

Enjoy!

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve

Produced by Sean Cahill & Sara Fawsitt

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Growth through hardships with Damian Browne Jan 18, 2023

Show notes

What does it mean to be an explorer?

What are the sacrifices one must take?

What are the benefits of putting yourself through such hard physical challenges?

This week we speak to Damian Browne, an extreme adventurer, peak performance athlete and International keynote speaker from Galway, Ireland.

For the last 25 years Damian has pursued his human potential, relentlessly pushing his body & mind to their perceived limits; forging himself & his character in what he deems “a crucible life”.

During a 16-year career as a professional rugby player, Damian donned the colours of some of rugby’s European elite, including Northampton Saints & Leinster; where he won club rugby’s biggest prize, The Heineken Cup.

Since retirement from professional rugby, Damian has become one of the World’s foremost extreme adventurers; undertaking some of the most demanding physical and mental challenges on the planet, including the 257km Sahara Desert ultra marathon, The Marathon des Sables, climbed 5 of the 7 Summits, a renowned mountaineering feat & most recently created history by becoming the first person ever to row from New York City to Galway, taking 112 days and in the process become one of only a handful of people to have rowed the Atlantic in both directions.

Damian's drive to explore his physical & mental limits is not exclusive to ultra endurance events and he is a multi-time Irish indoor rowing champion, holding all-time, all-category records for the 500m and 1000m distance.

We were lucky to have had Damian in the studio with us for this episode, a brilliant and deep character, we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The science behind cold & hot exposure benefits with Susanna Søberg Jan 11, 2023

Show notes

Let’s lean into the discomfort by plunging into cold water or sweating through a hot sauna with metabolic scientist and author of Winter Swimming, Susanna Søberg.

We have been jumping into the sea for the last 8 years, we knew it was good for us, simply by how it made us feel: Elevated, alive, new, refreshed, giddy, more connected to those around us and overall a feeling of happiness. Now after so much research we are aware of how truly beneficial cold water and heat exposure is for us, from the serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin hits, to the longevity benefits and the effect it has on our metabolism. We discuss it all with Susanna and even take things a step further into the community benefits.

Susanna Søberg, PhD., earned her doctorate researching metabolism and has worked for many years designing and conducting clinical studies. Her most recent research and the background for this book have been on fat reduction through winter swimming at the Tryg Foundation's Center for Physical Activity, Denmark. Winter Swimming, now published in thirteen languages, is her first book.

Founder and CEO of www.soeberginstitute.com . Susan has also created a course, The Thermalist Cure, all about how and why to get started with cold, heat and breathwork for better health. The course launches on the 24th January and she has kindly offered our listeners a 10% discount with the code THEHAPPYPEAR

A brilliant episode that is on a topic close to our hearts.

Enjoy!

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve

This episode is sponsored by Vivobarefoot Footwear. Vivobarefoot Footwear have given our listeners an exclusive 15% discount when you enter the code HAPPYPEAR15

Genuinely these are the only shoes you will see Dave & Steve wearing!

Produced by Sean Cahill & Sara Fawsitt

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alcohol and it’s myths with Millie Gooch Jan 04, 2023

Show notes

Dating, partying, socialising, special occasions, holidays… without alcohol does this sound difficult to you?

Could you imagine going sober at the age of 26 without using the excuse “I am on antibiotics” or “I am working tomorrow”?

This week we spoke to the founder of the Sober Girl Society and one of the leading voices on the sobriety movement, Millie Gooch.

At the age of 26 Millie decided to make a big lifestyle change, she quit drinking. After too many binge drinking nights that left her feeling anxious, and insecure. She realised she needed a change.

Millie 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.

In this episode, Millie gives us practical advice for how to date, party and socialise sober. We debunk the myths surrounding sobriety and how having a healthier relationship with alcohol can massively improve your confidence, relationships, productivity and your relationship with yourself.

We loved chatting to Millie, she is a brilliant voice for the movement.

Enjoy!

Lots of Love,

Dave & Steve

To find out more about Millie and her work check out her Instagram: @milliegooch

This episode is sponsored by Vivobarefoot Footwear. Vivobarefoot Footwear have given our listeners an exclusive 15% discount when you enter the code HAPPYPEAR15

Genuinely these are the only shoes you will see Dave & Steve wearing!

Produced by Sean Cahill & Sara Fawsitt

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Michael Greger on How Not To Diet! Dec 28, 2022

Show notes

This week we bring you, New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues, Dr Michael Greger, M.D. FACLM.

He wrote the book on How Not To Die & also How Not To Diet! A legend in the nutrition world, Dr. Greger and his team set up Nutritionfacts.org, a science-based nonprofit organisation. That provides free updates on the latest in nutrition research via bite-sized videos. A strictly non-commercial public service health charity.

Dr. Greger has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, and the International Bird Flu Summit, among countless other symposia and institutions; testified before Congress; has appeared on shows such as The Colbert Report; and was invited as an expert witness in defense of Oprah Winfrey at the infamous "meat defamation" trial. In 2017, he was honored with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine with its Lifestyle Medicine Trailblazer Award.

In this episode, we debunk the myths around diet culture and break down how to sustain a healthy weight and lifestyle.

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve x

This episode is sponsored by Vivobarefoot Footwear. Vivobarefoot Footwear have given our listeners an exclusive 15% discount when you enter the code HAPPYPEAR15

Genuinely these are the only shoes you will see Dave & Steve wearing!

Produced by Sean Cahill & Sara Fawsitt

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learnings from 100 episodes Dec 21, 2022

Show notes

Welcome!

To mark 100 episodes of chatting to experts, trailblazers, doctors, entrepreneurs, celebrities and psychologists we thought we would do something different.

We (Dave & Steve) and our two producers, Sara & Sean, get together and chat through our highlights, low-lights and learning's from speaking to such extraordinary people and experts in their field.

We hope you enjoy the episode and getting to know a little better the people behind The Happy Pear Podcast.

Lots of Love,

Dave & Steve

This episode was sponsored by Wolfgangreforest.ie - how about going GREEN this Christmas by giving the gift of a tree instead of possessions people probably don’t need! With Wolfgang re-forest.

Produced by Sara Fawsitt & Sean Cahill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mastering Diabetes with Cyrus Khambatta, PhD, and Robby Barbaro, MPH Dec 14, 2022

Show notes

Can diabetes both type 1 and type 2 be reversed by food and lifestyle choices?

This week we speak to Cyrus Khambatta, PhD, and Robby Barbaro, MPH the co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book Mastering Diabetes and the co-founders of Mastering Diabetes, a coaching program that teaches people how to reverse insulin resistance via low-fat, plant-based, whole-food nutrition.

Cyrus has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2002, and has an undergraduate degree from Stanford University and a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from UC Berkeley. Robby was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2000, and has been living a plant-based lifestyle since 2006. He worked at Forks Over Knives for 6 years, and earned a Master’s in Public Health in 2019.

A brilliant episode that will leave you stocking up on your fruit!

Enjoy!

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve x

Produced by Sara Fawsitt & Sean Cahill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How the Happiest & Healthiest People live w/ Dan Buettner Dec 07, 2022

Show notes

“Walking is the only way proven to stave off cognitive decline - it works. Exercise, from a public health perspective, is an unmitigated failure. The world's longest-lived people live in environments that nudge them into more movement.”

We are huge fans! This is our second episode with the amazing Dan Buettner, who’s new book on the lost American diet, The Blue Zones American Diet, is out today.

Dan’s extensive research on the healthiest and happiest living people on the planet is fascinating, we have personally taken a lot from it and if you are familiar with any of our online health and lifestyle courses (available on our app, Healthy Living) you will hear us quote him a lot!

Dan is an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and producer, and New York Times bestselling author. He discovered the five places in the world – dubbed blue zones hotspots – where people live the longest, healthiest lives. His articles about these places in The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic are two of the most popular for both publications.

Buettner now works in partnership with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities. Blue Zones Projects are well-being initiatives that apply lessons from the Blue Zones to entire communities by focusing on changes to the local environment, public policy, and social networks. The program has dramatically improved the health of more than 5 million Americans to date.

His books, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way, The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People, and The Blue Zones of Happiness were all national bestsellers. His new book The Blue Zones Kitchen: 100 recipes for living to 100 is a New York Times Best Seller and fuses scientific reporting, National Geographic photography and 100 recipes that may help you live to 100.

Buettner has appeared on The Today Show, Oprah, NBC Nightly News, and Good Morning America, and has keynoted speeches at TEDMED, Bill Clinton’s Health Matters Initiative, and Google Zeitgeist. His speech in January 2018 at the World Economic Forum in Davos was chosen as “one of the best of Davos.”

Another brilliant episode! Enjoy!

Lots of love,

Sara & Dave x

To find out more about Dan and his work, check out: https://www.bluezones.com/

This episode is sponsored by Vivobarefoot Footwear. Vivobarefoot Footwear have given our listenders an exclusive 20% discount when you enter the code HAPPYPEAR20

Genuinely these are the only shoes you will see Dave & Steve wearing!

Produced by Sean Cahill and Sara Fawsitt

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Language, Myths, History, and the Land with Manchán Magan Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

When you speak to Manchán you feel that magic is real!

Manchán Magan is a writer and documentary-maker. He writes for The Irish Times on culture & travel, presents the RTÉ podcast The Almanac of Ireland, and is author of the award-winning, best-selling Thirty-Two Words For Field, and Tree Dogs, Banshees Fingers and other Irish Words for Nature. He has made dozens of documentaries on issues of world culture for TG4, RTÉ & Travel Channel.

His recently published book, Listen to the Land Speak, was the main topic of our conversation, although we found ourselves diving into all sorts of weird and wonderful topics, from magic, the lost female voice to philosophy and how language is shaped by the land.

A true Irish gem, Manchán lives in an oak wood, with bees and hens, in a grass-roofed house near Lough Lene, Co Westmeath.

We hope you enjoyed this episode as much as we did, it is always a pleasure when we can do them in person.

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve x

To find out more about Manchán and his work visit: https://www.manchan.com/

Produced by Sara Fawsitt & Sean Cahill

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melissa Hemsley on ADHD, Fertility, IVF, and feel good food Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Our friend, Melissa Hemsley the self-taught chef, food columnist, best-selling cookbook author, real food activist and sustainability champion joined us this week for a chat!

She is passionate about spreading the power of feel-good food, and has written five cookbooks including Eat Green, Eat Happy and her latest book Feel Good with 100 quick and easy recipes to bring a bit of comfort and joy into our kitchens and beyond.

We had a wonderful chat with Melissa, she is a great friend who has hosted us many times in her home in London. Having recently been diagnosed with ADHA and been under a long fertility journey, we dove deep into these topics alongside our love of food chats!

Enjoy!

Lots of love,

Dave & Steve

To learn more about Melissa check out her site on: https://www.melissahemsley.com/

Produced by Sean Cahill & Sara Fawsitt

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.