Neurosurgeon self-care: Mindfulness moments help neurosurgeons maintain focus and discipline amidst the intensity and rigor of their demanding job, involving long procedures, call-outs, and emergency surgeries.
Maintaining a positive outlook and self-care practices are essential for frontline doctors, especially neurosurgeons who face the harsh realities of life and death situations daily. Dr. Sherry Dewan, a neurosurgeon, shared her strategies for coping with the intensity and rigor of her job, which involves long and intense procedures, call-outs at all hours, and emergency surgeries for patients with traumatic injuries. Despite the demanding nature of her work, she emphasized the importance of daily practices like mindfulness moments to maintain focus and discipline. Her experiences offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and the importance of self-care for those on the frontlines.
Mental Calmness for Healthcare Professionals: Maintaining mental calmness is vital for healthcare professionals during high-pressure situations. Develop muscle memory and mental centering through training, and address traumatic experiences instead of suppressing them to prevent burnout.
Maintaining mental calmness is crucial for healthcare professionals, especially during high-pressure situations. This requires both in-the-moment control and post-event reflection. The speaker, a surgeon, shared his personal experience of developing muscle memory and mental centering through years of training. He also acknowledged the importance of addressing traumatic experiences, such as child fatalities or recurring injuries, rather than suppressing them, which can contribute to burnout in the medical profession. The author of the book, who was being interviewed, echoed this sentiment and discussed a chapter in his book that explores this topic further.
Focus in Distressing Situations: Staying focused in unexpected situations, even when distressing, is crucial for success and growth. Reflecting on experiences later can lead to valuable insights.
It's essential to stay focused on the task at hand, even in the most unexpected and distressing situations. This is a lesson the speaker learned as a neurosurgery resident when he had to remove glass from a patient's brain while she was conscious. The experience was surreal, but he knew he had to remain composed to help the patient. Afterward, he would reflect on the situation, process his emotions, and learn from the experience. The speaker encourages everyone to adopt this practice, not just in medicine but in all areas of life. It's easy to push difficult experiences aside, but taking the time to reflect on them can lead to growth and understanding. The concept of "putting a pin in it" and dealing with the situation later is a useful coping mechanism, but it's essential to remember to unpin that mental pin and process the experience when the time is right.
Death and Dignity: Reflecting on challenging experiences of dealing with death and end-of-life care is crucial for personal growth in the medical field. Honest conversations and providing best care possible are essential to ensure patients pass with dignity and quality of life.
Reflecting on challenging experiences, such as dealing with death and end-of-life care, is a significant aspect of personal growth, especially for those in the medical field. Dr. Sanjay Gupta shared his experiences as a neurosurgeon, noting that it took him a long time to come to terms with the realities of death and the importance of allowing patients to pass away with dignity. He emphasized the importance of giving patients the best care possible and having honest conversations with families about the potential outcomes of medical interventions. Through his career, Dr. Gupta has learned that sometimes, the best option may not be to pull out all the stops, but rather to ensure that patients can pass with dignity and quality of life.
Snacksize 22: A day in the life of a Brain Surgeon
Recent Episodes from The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast
#265 The plant that reduces skin inflammation, fights disease and is even a great protein source with Dr Kyle Stewart
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kyle Stewart, NHS GP, Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow, and co-founder of Prof & Doc, to explore the surprising health benefits of watercress.
We’re going to dive into how watercress could be a game-changer for skin health, helping with conditions like nappy rash, eczema, and more. Dr. Stewart shares insights from his pioneering work in phytochemical manipulation over the last 8 years and developing innovative skincare solutions that he’s now brought to market at www.profanddoc.com.
We also talk more broadly about how the application of research looking at ingredients from the brassica family are just waiting to be explored. You’ll also learn about some of the other vegetables and plants that Kyle would explore if he wasn’t so obsessed with Watercress!
As a former NHS GP myself, I’m so impressed at how Kyle’s been able to navigate the world of entrepreneurship whilst maintaining a practice. I see really impressive things with his work and it hopefully paves the way for more research in the phytochemical world.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
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*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
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From Physics to Food. How a passion for flavour led Chet Sharma through michelin starred gastronomy to his dream position to chef patron
Chet Sharma’s culinary intrigue, coupled with his academic and scientific interests, have made for an impressive and expansive career in hospitality.
During his university studies, which ultimately led to a PhD in physics from the University of Oxford, he worked part time at a number of London’s leading Michelin-starred restaurants, including Benares and Locanda Locatelli. After discovering a passion for hospitality, he went on to work at two Michelin-starred Mugaritz, Simon Rogan’s Umbel Restaurant Group, two-starred Mark Birchall’s Moor Hall, and the late, also two-starred, The Ledbury.
In 2017, Chet moved to become Group Development Chef at JKS Restaurants – with whom he eventually opened BiBi in September 2021. A progressive restaurant serving dishes inspired by ingredients and memories from the Indian subcontinent. BiBi draws on the years Chet has spent cooking and sourcing ingredients for some of the most esteemed Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, whilst also embracing the full multicultural span of Indian cuisine. BiBi was GQ Restaurant of the Year 2022.
Today we talk about:
- Chet’s transition from a science background into food
- Small scale farmers in the UK and India to champion forgotten ingredients
- His ongoing research with the British Library into pre-colonial Indian food
- We also talk about the stress of the job and how, to this day, Chet lives with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome, a reactivation of Varicella Zoster Virus that affects his facial nerve brought on by stress during the pandemic.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
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We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
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#264 How understanding your genetics could improve your health with Dr Stuart J. Grice MRes DPhil
Today we're diving into the fascinating world of genomics and personalised nutrition. We're joined by Dr. Stuart J. Grice, a distinguished biologist and former academic at the University of Oxford, whose groundbreaking research has explored the biological mechanisms behind neuromuscular disease, neurodegeneration, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Together, we'll explore the big question: How can understanding your genetics shape your long-term health? We'll discuss the usefulness of genetic testing when it comes to nutrition and health, and how it fits alongside other testing technologies like blood tests, gut microbiome analysis, and continuous glucose monitoring. Dr. Grice will introduce the concept of having a personalised profile that helps predict your future health trajectory based on current data.
We discuss the differences between genes that are deterministic, probabilistic and informative and whether we can predict what might happen to us in the future, even if we’re healthy now? We’ll also cover the importance of balancing different aspects of our biology to live a healthy, fulfilling life.
After completing his doctorate at Oxford, Stuart co-founded FitnessGenes where he currently holds the position of Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). The company is 11 years old and has received numerous awards for its innovative work in preventative healthcare. Moreover, FitnessGenes is the first company in the world to secure a patent that identifies how better health predictions can be made by combining genetic and lifestyle data.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
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We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#263 How to heal your gut, support your microbes and what gut supplements to steer clear of with Colorectal Surgeon Dr James Kinross
World-leading microbiome scientist and surgeon with over two decades of experience, Dr James Kinross, is on the podcast today talking about everything to do with the gut. Dark Matter is his first book and I highly recommend you check it out. http://dark-matter.org.uk/
We talk about:
- Signs that your poop is unhealthy
- Some of James favourite foods and nutrition strategies to improve the gut
- Why we need to think like conservationists, and recognise that our guts are being radically altered and destroyed by our environment
- We also talk about functional gut disorders and why trauma, stress and childhood health are some of the first things James will ask about before ever reaching for a prescription pad, if at all
- We talk about the estrobolome - the interaction of hormones and our microbes
- Whether our gut can dictate food choices
- James opinions on probiotics, gut health tests and their validity
- As well as the relationship between our gut and brain health including ASD and dementia
Dr James Kinross is a senior lecturer in colorectal surgery and consultant surgeon at Imperial College London and a visiting professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. He leads a research team defining how the microbiome causes cancer and other chronic diseases of the gut.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
🐦 Tweet me
We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#262 Strategies to lose weight, maintain weight loss and live healthier
On today’s episode I’m diving into the science of weight loss. This episode is all about how to lose weight in a healthy way, maintain that weight loss and live a healthier life.
We haven’t discussed weight loss in detail on the podcast before, but enough people have asked me about it so I thought we could dive into some common questions and misconceptions about weight loss. I’ll dive into:
- The science of weight loss
- Whether there are diets that are best for weight loss?
- Are there foods that aid weight loss?
- Are there foods that burn fat?
- Can you target weight loss in specific areas of the body?
- Can you target “belly fat” with specific foods or exercises?
I’ll discuss calorie restriction, popular weight loss diets (keto, low carb), fasting, the microbiome, plus the lifestyle factors that lead to weight gain. I’ll also discuss obesogens, the effects of stress and poor sleep on weight gain as well as evidence based supplements that can help you lose weight.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
🐦 Tweet me
We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to reduce alcohol consumption and improve our relationship with drinking with mixologist and mindful drinking expert Camille Vidal
On today’s episode I have a good friend of mine, Camille Vidal, creator of Mindful Cocktails and founder of La Maison Wellness, to talk to me about reducing alcohol consumption and improving our relationship with drinking.
Camille Vidal is a globally recognised bartender and drinks expert turned mindfulness, Yoga and Meditation teacher.
And she’s a true pioneer in this field. Camille (aka @mindfullycami), is on a mission to inspire the world to bring mindfulness into the glass, showing that Tasty doesn’t have to be Boozy.
For some people, abstinence is absolutely necessary and the number of sobriety tools and programmes are increasing. But for many of us, myself included, we still want to enjoy the very occasional alcoholic drink whilst being mindful of the ill effects.
As somebody who is consciously trying to reduce my own alcohol intake I loved chatting through the statistics regarding how many other people are trying to cut down rather than abstain completely from alcohol. I’m somebody who appreciates a chilled rose or a glass of fine red with a meal, and I’m excited to explore a new world of no and low alcohol drinks that put my health first whilst still being able to enjoy a refined and sophisticated pairing with food.
We talk about:
- The difference between Sobriety and Mindful drinking
- The Diuretic effects of alcohol
- Strategies to reduce alcohol such as, Remove replace reduce and Bookending
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
🐦 Tweet me
We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#261 Early warning signs of Dementia, plus neuroprotective foods and lifestyle measures to prevent dementia with Dr Rupy Aujla
Today we’re going to be reviewing early signs to detect dementia as well as food and lifestyle that can potentially prevent dementia.
The estimated total societal cost of dementia in 2019 in the US was $1313 billion and with the number of people suffering dementia set to increase by 300% globally over the next 20 years, this is something we need to address as early as possible.
We have many examples of “successful cognitive agers” who have lived vibrant lives well into their 80s and 90s – and there is a clear influence with lifestyle habits.
The key questions we’re going to review are …
- What are some of the early warning signs of dementia and Alzheimer's?
- What are some of the foods I should avoid to help prevent dementia & brain decline?
- What are some of your favourite brain-boosting foods I should add to my diet every week?
- What are some of the common lifestyle habits that can improve my brain?
- Are there supplements you recommend taking to help boost brain health & prevent decline?
I’ll also talk through a day in the life of a successful brain healthy day utilising all of these habits we’ve discussed at the end of the podcast
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
🐦 Tweet me
We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#260 Helping ease the menopause using food, lifestyle and supplements with Dr Rupy Aujla
Today’s episode is a dive into the evidence-based diet and lifestyle habits to ease the menopause transition.
This is based on research we did for our latest health goal on the Doctor’s Kitchen app that has now launched! Due to huge demand our internal and external research team reviewed the nutrition literature to identify beneficial foods and nutrients specifically to help with the “Menopause”.
You can now find a large selection of recipes and personalised suggestions based on your dietary preferences on the Doctor’s Kitchen App specifically for menopause. And this complements the many other health goals we have including heart health, brain health, anti-inflammation and many more!
Just click on the link in the show notes to check out the app.
For more about HRT treatment options, navigating early menopause, the physical, emotional and psychological signs/symptoms of menopause and tips for choosing herbal remedies, we’ve done a few deep dives with Menopause experts that you can find in the show notes too.
HRT - https://thedoctorskitchen.com/pod-lp/menopause-with-dr-louise-newson
Herbal remedies for menopause - https://thedoctorskitchen.com/podcasts/157-natural-menopause-remedies-with-dr-anne-henderson
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
🐦 Tweet me
We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
#259 Why you should drink 2-3 cups of coffee everyday with Alex Higham
Today we’re diving deep into the wonderful world of coffee with my good friend Alex Higham.
In this episode we talk about the attributes of coffee and why it seems to have benefits for brain and heart health. We also talk through the healthiest brewing methods for coffee from espresso, to aeropress, to cafetiere and Alex’s experiments looking at the caffeine content of different brewing styles.
We talk about how sourcing and roasting methods can affect the polyphenol concentration of the coffee beans and hence the health benefits and how you can choose the best tasting coffee with these in mind. I also ask Alex the questions that I get asked all the time such as how often should I change the beans, when should I drink coffee and what if I can’t tolerate caffeine?
Alex is co-founder of Exhale Healthy Coffee, the UK’s first coffee crafted for health. After 8 years grappling with auto-immunity, Alex is now on a mission to help others regain control of their health starting with the thing most people consume vast quantities of, their coffee.
As a disclaimer, I must mention that I am an advisor to Exhale coffee the company, and I sincerely love everything that Exhale is about. From rigorous sourcing and independently lab testing their beans to ensure no contaminants, it’s how food products should be made, and it’s a privilege to be part of their incredible journey.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
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We would love to get your feedback on the subject matter of these episodes - please do let me know on our social media pages (Instagram, Facebook & Twitter) what you think, and give us a 5* rating on your podcast player if you enjoyed today’s episode
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Mixed Heritage and its Impact on Identity, Happiness and Self Worth. Both Not Half with Jassa Ahluwalia
This podcast is a deeply personal one for me. Not just because I resonate so much with Jassa and his experience of not having a true sense of identity, but because I’m expecting a child with my wife late this year who will be of mixed heritage.
My wife is Italian and I’m Indian so our child will be both Indian and Italian, rather than half Indian and half Italian. I never really thought of being half something and half something else as ever really something to pay attention to, but recording this podcast with Jassa and reading his story has made a real impact on me.
In the same way John Agard educated us all with his wildly popular poem “half caste”, about the impact of words on people's sense of worth, I feel Jassa has educated me on the use of my words and thoughts, regardless of whether there is ill intent or malice behind them. Words mean so much and I’d never want anyone, let alone my unborn child, to feel anything other than a whole person.
Jassa Ahluwalia is a British actor, writer, filmmaker and trade unionist. Born in Coventry to a white English mum and a brown Punjabi dad in 1990, he attended school in Leicester and was raised in an extended family environment. He spoke English in the playground, Punjabi with his grandparents, and spent various summer holidays in India. He came to prominence as Rocky in the hit BBC Three series Some Girls, followed by starring roles in Unforgotten, Ripper Street, and Peaky Blinders. He’s also one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever come across on social media. Please watch some of his sketches online!
Jassa created the hashtag #BothNotHalf to explore mixed identity in light of his own British-Indian heritage. His TEDx talk on 'How Language Shapes Identity' has clocked up over 170k views and his BBC One documentary Am I English? won an Asian Media Award in 2022.
🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here
📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app for free*
🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website
*The Doctor's Kitchen App gives you access to all of our recipes, with specific suggestions tailored to your health needs and new recipes added every month. We’ve had some amazing feedback so far and we have new features being added all the time - check it out with a 14 day free trial too.
Do check out this week’s “Eat, Listen, Read” newsletter, that you can subscribe to on our website - where I send you a recipe to cook as well as some mindfully curated media to help you have a healthier, happier week.
🥗 Join the newsletter and 7 day meal plan
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