Today, I’m joined by Professor Leigh Breen, a leading expert in muscle health and ageing. He’s Professor of Translational Muscle Physiology at the University of Birmingham, where he researches how exercise and nutrition can help us maintain muscle as we get older.

We’ll be covering:

✅ Why strength training is essential for healthy ageing

✅ The key exercises every older adult should be doing

✅ How much protein you actually need as you age

✅ Is walking enough to keep your muscles strong?

✅ How to start strength training if you’ve never done it before

✅ The hidden benefits of exercise, from sharper thinking to blood sugar control

✅ Supplements, new therapies, and what’s on the horizon for muscle health

We’ll also talk about the most important muscle groups for longevity, the best compound exercises to focus on, and how progressive overload can help you stay strong for life.

This is essential information, whether for you, your parents, or someone you love. So share this episode with family and friends who need to hear it! And as always, let us know your thoughts—your feedback helps make the podcast even better.

“Couch to Compound” exercises. These are the ones that give you the most bang for your buck and focus on the muscles that you need to prioritise for healthier ageing.

1. Squat

2. Deadlift

3. Bench or Chest Press

4. Pull Up

5. Lunges / Farmers Walk

6. Planks

And as always, give us feedback to help us make the podcast even better.

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Before we dive in, my new cookbook Healthy High Protein is out now…and it’s a Sunday Times bestseller! I'm super proud of this book and hope you love it too. You can get your copy here.

We know it can be hard to keep up with hours of podcast content every week. In fact, over the past couple of months alone, we’ve shared more than 48 hours of conversations!

So in today’s episode, we’ve distilled some of the key takeaways to save you time and go straight to the expert advice they’ve so generously shared.

If you’re a regular listener, you’ll recognise some familiar voices. You can find the full episodes on The Doctor’s Kitchen website:

• #281 How Phone Fasting and Nature Can Build Dopamine and Support Your Brain with TJ Power
• #280 The Cholesterol Numbers We Should All Know with Professor Kausik Ray
• #285 What a Gut Healthy Day Looks Like with Dr James Kinross PhD, FRCS
• #286 Why Looking at Your Poo Is Key to Understanding Your Health with Dr Emily Leeming
• #267 Think Clearer and Stay Sharp with These Brain Health Strategies from Neurophysiologist Dr Louisa Nicola
• #282 How to Move Better with Exercise Strategies for Longevity, Fat Loss, and Sharper Brains with Kiran Chopra
• #251 Women's Health and Problem Periods with Dr Anita Mitra
• #279 How to Make Habits Stick with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

We want to hear from you! 🎙️ Ask questions, give feedback and help shape the podcast!

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Is ‘organic’ worth it or just clever marketing? We’ve all been there, standing in the supermarket, holding two identical-looking apples and wondering if the price difference is actually doing anything for our health. And if we want safer food, how do we push for a system where pesticide-free isn’t just for those who can afford organic? Today, I’m asking these big questions to Nick Mole from PAN UK.

We’ll dive into:

• What pesticides are and why they’re used?
• Whether washing fruit and veg actually removes them
• And if organic is worth it and if so, which ingredients are the most important to go organic?

This is a scary topic that goes beyond food, and where you may find a lot of people on the internet making definitive claims about the harms of pesticides and GMO, the honest answer to a lot of these questions is unfortunately … we don’t know.

But from what we do know, I think we can all afford to be more pragmatic, skeptical and aware, particularly when it comes to the “cocktail effect”, as we get into later.

Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) is the only UK charity focused solely on tackling the problems caused by pesticides and promoting safe and sustainable alternatives in agriculture, urban areas, homes and gardens. 

Nick joined PAN UK in 2007, having previously worked as a campaigner for the Environmental Investigation Agency. He leads on PAN’s national policy work, undertaking research, analysing data and gathering evidence to support the organisation’s calls to government, regulators, policy-makers, industry and retailers to reduce the impacts of harmful pesticides to both human health and the environment.  

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“High protein” has turned into a bit of a marketing buzzword. I’m seeing it plastered on everything from snack bars to cereals and even crisps. Is this actually necessary? 

Are we getting enough protein in our diet, or are some of us actually under-consuming this vital macronutrient? Do we need supplements and powders or are whole foods enough? And what about the debate between animal based proteins and plant based?

That’s why I’ve put everything I’ve gleaned from the research and years of cooking into my new book, Healthy High Protein, which is out tomorrow.

I’m sitting down with our Science Content Lead, Sakina, to share my take on some of these big questions about protein.

We’ll discuss:

• Why I think the protein guidelines are set too low
• How eating more protein affects brain health, metabolic health and energy
• How to eat more protein in a healthy way that supports your gut and reduces inflammation
• Plus, my favourite protein sources and how I use them in recipes

Buy Healthy High Protein here

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Feeding children can feel like a minefield. When should you start weaning, what should you start with, how to handle fussy eaters, and whether certain foods should be avoided altogether? In this episode with Charlotte Stirling-Reed, we’re diving into the science and practicalities of feeding babies, toddlers, and beyond to help parents feel more confident and less overwhelmed .. like me!

We explore weaning from the ground up, covering key questions like:

✔ How do you know when your baby is ready for solids?

✔ Should you start with vegetables?

✔ Is baby-led weaning (BLW) the best approach?

✔ What foods should be avoided in the early years?

But we don’t stop at weaning—we tackle common struggles like:

🥦 How to encourage kids to eat more than just beige foods?

🍽️ Managing food refusal and picky eating (why toddlers reject food at home but eat it at nursery!)

🥕 The best ways to sneak more fruit and veg into your child’s diet

🥜 Navigating food allergies and safe school lunch alternatives

This episode is packed with practical tips, expert insights, and realistic strategies to help make mealtimes smoother and healthier. Charlotte Stirling-Reed, known as “The Baby & Child Nutritionist”, is a registered nutritionist, bestselling author, and founder of SR Nutrition. 

She started her career in the NHS before specialising in maternal, baby, and child nutrition. Charlotte is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller How to Wean Your Baby, an incredible book. Her latest book “The Ultimate Weaning & Toddler Cookbook” will be a go to for me and my family for sure!

And here are links to some of the articles we mentioned during the podcast:

Probiotics and Children, Kids eating fish, Kids throwing food, Vegan weaning

Note: At one point, we said "normal birth" but quickly corrected it to "non-C-Section birth". Some people use "normal birth" to mean vaginal birth, but that can be a bit confusing because vaginal birth isn't always the "normal" choice for everyone.

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What is your gut trying to tell you? It might not speak in words, but it’s always sending signals through your energy levels, mood or even our skin. But most of us don’t think about those little signs as part of a bigger picture.

And a blatant way your gut communicates your general state of health, is through the state of your poo! Quickly flushed away, many of us don’t take the time to examine our poop for signs of health, but if you’re interested in gut health, keeping a track of your stools could be more informative than any wearable or microbe test you can buy!

Today, we’re diving into the world of what our poop says about our gut health with Dr. Emily Leeming, a scientist at King’s College London, registered dietitian and the author of Genius Gut.

You’ll learn:

• What to look for in your poop and how to tell that your digestive system is working optimally.
• Whether the evidence for eating 30 Plants a week is actually that strong
• How menopause can affect the gut
• How long it would take to reset or ‘heal’ the gut after years of excess sugar, poor eating or antibiotics

We also talk about the superpowers of fibre. How it creates “an obstacle course for sugar”, how it can stretch the gut and signal to your brain that you’ve eaten enough and even how it can lower your cholesterol.

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We know that gut health plays a crucial role in everything from digestion to immunity, weight management, and even mental well-being. But what does looking after your gut actually look like in practice?

In this episode, I’m again joined by Dr James Kinross a senior lecturer in colorectal surgery and consultant surgeon at Imperial College London, he’s a researcher, and author of Dark Matter, to explore the science behind our gut microbiome—and how we can take actionable steps to support it every single day.

🔍 Key Topics We Cover:

• Should everyone be doing a gut microbiome test?
• Are daily probiotics necessary, or is food enough?
• Can our gut bacteria influence how easily we lose weight?
• What’s the link between stress, mood, and our microbes?
• Does a healthy gut help us live longer?

But rather than just theory, today’s episode is all about practical strategies. We walk through what an ideal gut-health day looks like—from the moment you wake up to your morning routine, commute, meals, work stressors, and even how you wind down at night. Dr. Kinross breaks down:

✔ The best foods to start your day for optimal gut function

✔ What supplements to take (or avoid) for microbiome health

✔ How movement, stress, and even pollution affect your gut

✔ Why gut bacteria plays a role in breaking down food, recycling nutrients, and producing essential compounds

✔ How gut health shifts across different life stages—from newborns to aging adults

We also dive into some big health questions, including:

🧠 The gut-brain connection – how microbes influence serotonin, dopamine, and mood

💊 Post-antibiotic recovery – what to do if you’ve just finished a round of antibiotics

⚖️ Weight control – how gut microbes affect appetite, fat burning, and metabolism

🦠 Cancer risk – why are cases of bowel cancer rising in younger people?

If you’ve ever wondered how to support your gut and why it matters, this is the episode for you.

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What makes a mushroom ‘medicinal’ and are they worth the hype? How do these fungi differ from the everyday varieties we cook with? On this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Kitchen podcast, we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of mushrooms with our expert guest Tom Baxter. 

From Lion’s Mane to Reishi, we’ll explore the unique healing properties of these incredible organisms and what the research reveals about their potential benefits. We’ll discuss their effects on cognitive function, stress, fatigue, and even menopausal symptoms. 

You’ll learn:

🍄 How to source high-quality mushroom products to avoid contaminants

🧑🏽‍🍳 The culinary and nutritional benefits of everyday mushrooms and their environmental impact

🧠 Whether there is evidence that mushrooms can improve mental well-being and support immunity. 

🔎 Whether you’re a skeptic, a mushroom enthusiast, or just curious about these fascinating fungi, this episode is packed with insights to inspire you to add more mushrooms to your diet and daily life.

Tom Baxter is a farmer and founder of The Bristol Fungarium, which produces the UK's first organic certified medicinal mushrooms. Ever conscious of the unfolding ecological collapse that confronts us, Tom made the fateful move away from city life in 2008 to find meaning through working the land. After several educational years establishing his organic vegetable farm and two decades of largely unsuccessful foraging excursions he pivoted from farming and invested everything into creating The Bristol Fungarium, pioneering organic medicinal mushroom production in the UK.

If you’re in the mood for mushrooms, one of my favourite recipes on the doctors kitchen app is the “Cashew Curry with Chickpeas and Crispy Mushrooms” or better still, type in mushroom into the search bar at doctorskitchen.com to see what comes up ;)

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In February 2018, Rebecca Devine, a mum of 4 children, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive form of brain cancer, and given just 12-15 months to live.

Remarkably in 2025 she’s still here. And today we’re going to talk about her incredible story from diagnosis and treatment, to continual perseverance and ongoing health.

I met Rebecca recently at a small gathering hosted by Dr William Li for the angiogenesis foundation, a non profit whose mission is to beat cancer by targeting blood vessels that feed tumours. And it was there that I first came across her story that I’m privileged to share with you today.

Today we’ll talk about how Rebecca’s first experience with cancer was over 20 years ago when her mother was struck with the same diagnosis, and the emotional and physical journey Rebecca went on since 2018. We’ll talk about her blend of conventional therapy, diet and lifestyle pursuits as well as the novel vaccine based treatment that she currently uses to keep her condition in remission.

Peptide vaccine technology is an emerging immunotherapy strategy aimed at stimulating the immune system to target tumor-specific antigens. GBM, is aggressive and resistant to standard therapies and peptide vaccines hold potential for transforming treatment by leveraging the immune system for tumor-specific targeting.

I also firmly believe that the use of novel treatments combined with Rebecca's tenacity, mindset and unwillingness to give up is the reason why she’s defied all odds and is currently thriving.

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I spend a ton of time exercising, but more recently I’ve wondered if I can direct my training to be as efficient as possible. If I’m going to spend hours each week on this activity, I want to ensure that I’m extracting the maximum amount of value I can from this time investment.

Coupled with the new perspective of being a father, I’m also interested in staying as fit, healthy and mentally sharp as I can. That’s why at the start of 2024, I decided to invest in a few investigations to determine my level of fitness and direct my training for efficiency.

On the pod today is Mr. Kiran Chopra a highly skilled Sport and Exercise Physiologist who actually performed my investigations that you’ll be able to see on YouTube if you’re interested in seeing me huff and puff, sweating away on a watt bike with my top off.

Kiran specialises in physiological testing, evaluation, and strength as well as reconditioning. He has expertise working with both athletic and non-athletic populations and has a strong research interest in muscular physiology, environmental performance physiology, and blood flow restriction training.

Today we’re going to focus our conversation around 3 tests that he believes are just as useful as cholesterol testing and blood pressure monitoring, which are RMR, Dexa and VO2 Max.

If you’ve never heard of these, don’t worry we’re going to break down what they are and why they’re useful as a guide to what you should be eating and how you should be exercising to keep you strong and fit into your later years. Of course, the first uphill battle is to make exercise a habit, but once you have it as a non-negotiable in your week like myself, the next step would be how to prioritise specific types of exercise to make your training as efficient as possible.

We also talk about protein requirements, how training changes as we age, the effect of exercise on our mitochondria, what we should eat if we train late in the evening and whether fasted cardio is better for fat burning.

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In this episode, TJ is going to walk us through a single day in the life of your brain through the lens of 4 neurochemicals - dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. 

From the moment you wake up to the way you wind down at night, TJ will guide us through the incredible influence of our brain chemistry and how simple, everyday habits can reshape our mental and physical health.

TJ’s new book, The DOSE Effect, shares practical tools to unlock the power of your brain chemistry and create a happier, healthier, and more connected life. Available in all good book stores.

We talk about the importance of “fasting” from your phone

The impact of nature on our brains

Push up challenges to boost endorphins

How doing hard things changes our physical brain and can help us stay more disciplined and motivated

Cold and Heat therapies

TJ is a renowned neuroscientist, international speaker, and co-founder of Neurify, an organisation dedicated to transforming mental health through accessible, science-backed strategies. He’s worked with 1000s of people helping them break down the barriers between modern lifestyles and optimal mental well-being.

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