Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Why is it that 80% of New Year’s Resolutions fail? In my opinion, it is because many of us are taking the wrong approach. But, if you take the correct approach it is absolutely possible to make meaningful changes in your life that actually last. Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I’ll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests. Today’s clip is from episode 506 of the podcast which was a solo episode I recorded to celebrate the launch of my sixth book ‘Make Change That Lasts: 9 Simple Ways To Break Free From The Habits That Hold You Back’.  In this clip, I share a powerful idea that could help you make meaningful changes that actually last. Thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠https://heights.com/livemore Show notes and the full podcast are available at https://drchatterjee.com/506 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore⁠⁠ For other podcast platforms go to ⁠⁠https://fblm.supercast.com. DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

When it comes to improving our health and fitness, most of us have absorbed the same message: work harder, push more, sweat more – basically, that no pain means no gain. But what if that story is not only wrong, what if it is actually holding you back? This week, I sit down with elite endurance coach Alan Couzens to completely reframe how we think about movement, fitness, and fat loss. Alan is both an exercise physiologist and a performance coach. He has spent the past three decades working with a wide range of endurance athletes at all ends of the performance spectrum, from ‘off the couch’ fitness athletes to the very best athletes in all of endurance sport. He shares his incredible wisdom & insights on X and his Substack, ‘The Science of Maximal Athletic Development’ which I would highly recommend if you want to go deeper into the topics we discuss in this week’s episode. Over the past few years, Alan has helped me to understand the critical importance of low intensity movement for health, performance and longevity, and in our conversation, we discuss: Why the ability to burn fat at low intensities is one of the most important markers of true metabolic health Why so many people feel they need to eat every two to three hours How very easy movement  can transform your health, your energy, your mood, and even your performance, often more than the hard workouts you think you “should” be doing The need to balance out the stresses of modern life with activities like walking and yoga The importance of building a big aerobic “engine” How best to think about intensity, strength training, VO₂ max, and muscle mass Why it is never too late to start increasing how much you move and experiencing the incredible benefits Alan is someone who I have a huge amount of respect for. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable and up to date with the latest science, he is also someone who has a huge amount of real-world experience helping people to improve their athletic performance and their health. My hope is that this episode serves as a powerful reminder that the human body simply does not work as well as it could, without adequate amounts of movement and that it inspires you to bring more easy movement into your life, in a way that supports your health for many decades to come   Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.   Thanks to our sponsors: https://heights.com/livemore https://drinkage.com/livemore https://onepeloton.co.uk   Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/617   DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

My guest on this week’s Feel Better Live More podcast is Dr Robert Lustig, Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of California. He’s a leading public health expert who has long been exposing the myths of modern medicine and the food industry. His passion is communicating how sugar and ultra-processed food is fuelling the chronic disease epidemic that we are all facing today. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart disease and so much more are caused, in Rob’s view, by the foods that we are eating. In his latest book, Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition and Modern Medicine, he outlines what he calls the ‘hateful eight’ – the eight root causes in our body that underlie all chronic disease. He explains how food and sugar impact on them and, most importantly, suggests strategies to counteract them. In this conversation, Rob explains why sugar is so damaging and explains that just like alcohol, our bodies can cope with sugar in small amounts. But in excess will end up in the liver and ultimately trigger us to get sick. Rob’s decades of clinical experience and research has led to his bold and compelling assertion that the answer to all chronic disease can be found in real food. His solution? To ‘protect the liver, feed the gut’. I think these 6 words are an elegant way of summarising the nutritional advice that all of us should consider taking on board in order to improve our health and wellbeing. We talk about what constitutes ‘real food’ and how different levels of food processing are classified. Rob explains why sugar-sweetened drinks are so disastrous for health, particularly in children – and why diet drinks do just as much damage, if not more.  We also talk about TOFI (thin on the outside, fat on the inside) and fascinatingly, Rob outlines the three types of fat gain that we can all experience: subcutaneous (which you can see); visceral (stress-related fat around the middle), and liver fat. It’s only the first of these that you’re likely to notice – but it’s the latter two which we really need to fix, especially as they’re already appearing in kids. This conversation is full of mind-blowing facts and insights but it’s also really empowering and contains simple, practical tips that all of us can use to improve our lives. I hope you enjoy listening.  Caution: contains mild swearing.   Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Thanks to our sponsors: https://ag1.com/livemore https://thewayapp.com/livemore   Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/616   DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Over the past five years, it’s been incredible to see how the alcohol-free landscape has changed. Pubs, restaurants and supermarkets boast a range of appealing 0% options. We’re seeing a rise in alcohol-free communities, influencers, bars and events. There has been a marked cultural shift towards acceptance of not drinking – and that’s in no small part down to today’s guest. Today’s clip is from episode 438 of the podcast with performance coach and best-selling author, Andy Ramage.  Andy is the co-founder of the One Year No Beer movement, and since his first appearance on this podcast back in 2019, countless listeners have written in to share how they’ve transformed their lives by giving up, or changing their relationship with alcohol. In this clip, Andy shares why he believes that removing alcohol could help you become the most productive, present and healthiest version of yourself. He explains his ‘ambivalence seesaw’ – a framework you can use to work out your current relationship with alcohol and start to shift it. And he shares some valuable advice on coping with social pressure to drink. Andy is motivated, passionate and full of positivity, and someone who describes a life without alcohol as a gift to yourself. He’s not here to judge anyone else, simply to encourage you to try out the benefits - he has managed to transform his own health, happiness and relationships and wants to inspire you to do the same. Thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠https://thewayapp.com/livemore  Show notes and the full podcast are available at https://drchatterjee.com/438 Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts ⁠⁠https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore⁠⁠ For other podcast platforms go to ⁠⁠https://fblm.supercast.com. DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

What if the biggest source of stress in your life is not your job, inbox, or finances – but the simple fact that you have too much stuff? This week, my guest is Joshua Fields Millburn, co‑founder of The Minimalists, whose documentaries, books and podcast have inspired millions of people around the world to reconsider their own relationship with possessions and success. Joshua grew up with very little money, in a home marked by addiction, violence and instability and, as a young man, became convinced that the solution was to be found in acquiring ‘more’:  more income, more status and more material comfort. By the age of 30, he had everything he thought he wanted – the big job title, the nice car, the large house, all the visible signs of having “made it”. And yet, inside, he was anxious, overwhelmed and deeply unhappy. Then, in the space of a single month, his mother died and his marriage ended. Those two events forced him to pause and ask some uncomfortable but essential questions: What am I actually doing with my life? Whose values am I living by? Is this endless consumption really what life is all about? That period of questioning led Joshua towards minimalism – not as a trend or an aesthetic, but as a practical framework for living with greater clarity and intention.  in our conversation, we discuss: How external clutter is often an outward reflection of internal clutter Why products so often promise fulfilment but ultimately deliver dissatisfaction The difference between healthy consumption and harmful consumerism Practical rules that make decluttering simpler, including the 30-day minimalism game, the 90/90 approach to clothes and why a “sale price” can often become a “fool’s price” How identity clutter keeps us stuck - when we cling to things, roles or labels, not because we need them, but because we’re afraid of who we’ll be without them How minimalism can improve our health and relationships by creating more time, attention and presence. Joshua is a wonderful human being, a brilliant communicator and someone who thinks deeply about the human experience.  He believes that minimalism is the art of “addition through subtraction” - it’s not about having less for the sake of it, but about making space for what matters most. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Thanks to our sponsors: https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore https://thewayapp.com/livemore Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/614 DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.