Since writing about inflammation in Eat to Beat Illness and my last book Healthy High Protein, I’ve become fascinated by how this one process connects so many of the health issues I’ve seen in thousands of patients over my career.

On the one hand, inflammation is brilliant, it helps us fight infections, repair injuries, and clear out damaged or cancerous cells. But when it doesn’t switch off or is constantly triggered, it becomes a slow burn in the background, driving heart disease, cancer, dementia, and even daily struggles like joint pain, gut problems, poor sleep, skin issues, and fatigue.

The good news? Food gives us a direct way to influence it. Every time we sit down to eat, we can either fan the flames or gently cool them.

In this episode, we explore:

🧬 What inflammation actually is (and the early warning signs of too much)

🥗 The science and benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet

🥑 My top 10 anti-inflammatory foods you can start eating today

🥩 Controversial takes on meat, dairy, and foods to limit

📊 How we measure inflammation, including our new “inflammation score” on the app

This is your practical guide to cooling chronic inflammation and protecting your long-term health, starting with what’s on your plate.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen App - Special Black Friday Offer

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

Coming into this podcast my opinion was that multivitamins are just not worth it. Whether that’s for general wellbeing, cardiovascular health, sleep and especially mental health, I just was not convinced that they did anything at all.

But I specifically wanted to speak with Professor Julia Rucklidge, clinical psychologist and Director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury, because she has a very different opinion.

Julia’s groundbreaking research and viral TED Talk have transformed how psychiatrists and mental health practitioners think about nutrition and mental illness, especially the potential of broad-spectrum micronutrients to support mood, focus, and resilience.

We explore:

• 💊 Why “no single ingredient solutions” matter, and when multivitamins might actually help
• 🧬 How stress, inflammation, and modern farming have changed our nutrient needs
• 🧠 The mechanisms linking nutrients, mitochondria, and neurotransmitters to mood and cognition
• 👩‍🔬 The evidence for micronutrients in ADHD, PMS, Depression and Anxiety
• 🥗 How to choose quality supplements and avoid the hype

If you’ve ever wondered whether taking a daily multivitamin is worth it or how food and nutrients impact the brain, this episode will challenge your assumptions and expand your understanding of nutrition for mental wellbeing.

Julia has made me reconsider my personal perspectives on multivitamins, and I’m excited to dive deeper into this topic on future podcasts and with our internal research team.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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

How much plastic are we actually absorbing and what’s it doing to our health?

In this eye-opening episode, I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Wright, one of the UK’s leading scientists in microplastic research, to explore what happens when plastic pollution doesn’t just affect the environment, but our bodies too.

We dive into:

🧪 What are micro- and nanoplastics, and how are they getting into our lungs, gut, and even blood?

🌍 The biggest sources of exposure in modern life from tires to tap water and food packaging to clothes as well as the city air I’m breathing in right now

🧬 How plastic particles could be contributing to chronic inflammation, hormone disruption, and affecting fertility

🧼 Whether we can actually detox or eliminate plastics from our body naturally and how the liver, fibre, and exercise may play a role

🔍 What we know so far about plastics and brain health, cancer, immunity, dementia, and more

Plus, we cover simple, science-backed strategies to help reduce your exposure from filters and cooking swaps to smarter shopping and clothing choices.

Dr Stephanie Wright is an Associate Professor in Environmental Toxicology in the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London. She received a Ph.D. in Biosciences at the University of Exeter (2015), then completed 2 fellowships at King's College London. She has 15 years’ experience in microplastic research and lead the Microplastics Team. She’s also participated in microplastic working groups for the World Health Organisation and the European Commission.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

☕️ Try Exhale Coffee here

🥗 Join the newsletter and receive a 7 day meal plan

📷 Follow on Instagram

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