Please find below my latest additions to the health and fitness library on the Knowledge Page, to help with some interesting and informative mental stimulation regarding holistic health.

We have five varied podcasts, a short interview, a TEDx talk and a Netflix series recommendation for you to explore. Enjoy!

 

 

#1 Russell Brand interview with Dr Gabor Mate on YouTube

Russell Brand sits down with renowned Canadian physician Dr Gabor Mate, who specialises in addiction, trauma and childhood development.

They have a fascinating discussion about addiction, trauma on an individual and, interestingly, a societal level, which leads the conversation to damaged world leaders. Well worth the listen.

 

 

#2 TEDx Talk on eight principles to achieve optimum mental health

A great talk on some key principles which lead to not only better mental health, but better health overall. A holistic approach is discussed touching on lifestyle, diet, exercise and more, with interesting data provided. Eat your beans!

 

 

#3 The Tim Ferriss Show podcast on Ethnobotany, Real vs. Fake Shamans, Hallucinogens, and the Dalai Lamas of South America

Tim Ferriss speaks with Dr Mark Plotkin about his extensive time spent amongst the tribes in the Amazon, and their use of various plants to heal people both physically and mentally. A very interesting and educational conversation!

Dr. Mark Plotkin is an ethnobotanist who serves as president of the Amazon Conservation Team. Plotkin has spent much of the past four decades studying the shamans and healing plants of tropical America from Mexico to Argentina, although much of his work focuses on the rainforests of the northeast Amazon.

 

 

#4 Making Sense podcast on the Reality Illusion

Sam Harris has a very interesting and deep conversation with Donald Hoffman and Annaka Harris about human perception, consciousness, physics, mathematics, free will, death, psychedelics and much more.

What if our perceived reality is analogous to manipulating icons on a desktop computer? (Where what we are seeing and doing does not truly represent the underlying cause and effects). What if our senses have evolved in a similar way, only giving us a dumbed-down version of reality?

This is not one to play in the background while you are doing something else. Listen hard, concentrate and prepare to shift the way you think.

 

 

#5 The Red Pill Initiation Hour podcast on the gut microbiome

Chris Storey speaks with Wade Lightheart about what to look for in a good probiotic supplement, what strains of bacteria are beneficial to our gut, why a lot of products on the market are a waste of time and money, and much more. A great podcast on an important area which affects our physical and mental health.

Wade Lightheart is an ex natural body building champion who now creates bio-optimizers such as probiotics.

 

 

#6 The Life Stylist podcast on light and its effects on our health

Luke Storey sits down with US neurosurgeon Dr Jack Kruse to discuss the importance of managing our exposure to blue light vs red light, and the effects thereof.

Dr Kruse goes deep into how light affects our molecular biology, hormones, and in turn our overall health. Tips, tactics and biohacking techniques are discussed in order to optimize the effects of light exposure.

This one is timely as it directly affects our mood during the darker months of Winter and Seasonal Affective Disorder. For more information on light and SAD you can see my blog on these topics here.

 

 

#7 The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on breathing and health

Joe Rogan speaks with journalist James Nestor about his new book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. They discuss breathing techniques, different effects on our physiology, the importance of breathing through your nose and the various health impacts of good breathing versus poor breathing habits. This is a great one!

Please note that the JRE podcast is now only available on Spotify.

 

 

#8 The Midnight Gospel series on Netflix 

If you’re in the mood for something a little deeper and thought-provoking, then this series is for you. Created by comedian (and philosopher?) Duncan Trussell, this animated series is set around Trussell’s character Clancy, a ‘spacecaster’ with a malfunctioning multiverse simulator, who uses it to visit dying worlds and interview the inhabitants therein. Fascinating conversations ensue around animation which enhances the subject matter in entertaining ways, whilst telling a strange story.

The dialogue is based upon conversations Trussell has had with some great thinkers and personalities, including one powerful episode with his late mother whilst she was terminally ill. This is another one to pay attention to, but the enlightening and sometimes esoteric conversations are worth it!

 

 

I hope you enjoy these knowledge bombs as much as I did, and feel free to let me know what you think!

 

-Lucien