There’s a fascinating ancient system of medicine called Ayurveda, originating in India over 3,000 years ago, that has helped millions of people tune into their bodies through simple food, daily rhythms and plants.

I grew up thinking it was just a set of beliefs and traditions, but my guest today really challenged that. What I came to understand is that Ayurveda is actually a codified system of observations and experiments, documented, debated and written in Sanskrit texts.

My guest is Dr Vijay Murthy, an internationally acclaimed integrative physician who blends Ayurveda with modern, evidence-based medicine. He has over 30 years of clinical experience and regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals.

What’s remarkable is that many of the practices we unpack today closely mirror what modern research now tells us about gut health, lifestyle medicine and nutrition.

This conversation genuinely made me reflect on my own daily routines in a different way. And there are a couple of simple practices in here that you might want to try for yourself.

We cover:

• What Ayurveda actually is
• Daily routines and living in sync with natural cycles
• How to identify your dominant dosha and what it means
• How Ayurveda can support gut health and digestion
• How to eat according to Ayurvedic food principles
• What an Ayurvedic breakfast looks like
• Key herbs used in Ayurveda for digestion, blood sugar, thyroid health, skin and hair
• How to choose high-quality herbs and avoid contaminants

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One of the biggest myths about brain health is that decline is inevitable as we get older. That at some point our memory fades, our thinking slows down, and there’s not much we can do about it.

My guest today argues the opposite.

Dr Tommy Wood is a neuroscientist, Professor at the University of Washington, and performance consultant to world-class athletes.

He’s published more than 100 scientific papers and has lectured all over the world on brain health, metabolism, physical activity and human performance.

He’s also the author of the brilliant new book The Stimulated Mind: Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age (Harmony, March 2026).

It’s a really practical conversation about small, everyday habits that can keep your mind 🧠 sharper for longer, without needing extreme diets or stacks of nootropics.

He walks us through 3 powerful levers to sharpen your mind:

1. How to stimulate it with specific exercises and mental challenges
2. How to supply it with key nutrients
3. And how to support it by changing your perspective on stress and sleep

I’ve already changed a few simple things in my daily routine, and I’ve been sharing it with friends and family because this is something that really matters to most of us: keeping our minds sharp through life. I hope you find this conversation as useful and motivating as I did.

If you want specific recipes and meal ideas, we have a whole brain‑healthy collection on the Doctor’s Kitchen app and website to help you put these principles into practice straight away.

🎬 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

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We breathe over 20,000 times a day. Those breaths do far more than just keep us alive. They shape your sleep, your focus, your energy, even your blood pressure and long-term risk of disease.

That’s over 20,000 opportunities to support your health, every single day.

The challenge is that modern life makes it harder to breathe well. We sit hunched over laptops, we’re constantly switched on, we chew softer foods, and many of us mouth-breathe, especially at night.

My guest today is on a mission to improve our health through our breath.

James Nestor is an award-winning science journalist and author of the bestseller “Breath”. He’s travelled the world to understand how our breathing has changed, and most importantly, what simple, practical steps we can take to improve it.

This episode genuinely shifted things for my team and me. I hope it inspires you to make a few small changes too. And if you know a committed mouth breather, send it their way.

We cover:

• The risks of mouth breathing and James’ 10-day experiment
• Why nasal breathing makes such a difference
• Tips for a blocked nose or deviated septum
• How to train your diaphragm for easier breathing
• Why softer modern diets can affect your airways
• Whether “mewing” is worth trying
• Easy breathing habits you can start today

🎬 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.