Fresh Heart Podcast

Robin Van Creveld is the founder of Community Chef, a social enterprise passionate about making good food accessible for all. We recorded this conversation about a year ago, however Robin’s message is increasingly relevant. He believes in the power of food as a tool to engage hard to reach communities. He has taught thousands of people including vulnerable individuals often excluded from such ...

THIS IS A SPECIAL CONVERSATION Emily is one of life’s unsung heroes. She is a coach (and quite frankly, one of the best out there!), a mum, a wife, an entrepreneur and an author. On the surface, it all seems perfect. What many people don’t know is that shortly after getting married, she found out she had bowel cancer. Following that, she went on a difficult and traumatic fertility rollercoast...

Zarrin speaks to business-owner, wife and mother Nathalie Larcombe, who shares her experiences of living with chronic pain caused by Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. This is a connective tissue disorder that affects the body's ability to make collagen, impacting everything from hair growth to joint pain to organ function. Nathalie shares her insights of handling childbirth, continuous pain and injury an...

We are delighted to share the final episode of this season with you and what an episode.    We spoke to Dr Kimberly Saddler, general practitioner, sports fanatic, triathlete and all-round role model.    In her late twenties, Kimberly developed a heart rhythm abnormality called atrial fibrillation or AF. As a GP the AF gave her a unique insight into the patient journey. She talks openly abou...

Do you know what you need to do for good health, but have difficulty actually doing it?   If so, you’re not alone!   That’s why we’re delighted to welcome Dr Orlena Kerek to discuss how you can create healthy habits. (Spoiler alert – it’s not about discipline.)   Orlena trained as a paediatric doctor and is now an advocate for family health. She is also an empowerment mentor, a pioneer, a...

In 2016, Brian suffered a life-changing heart attack. This came as a huge shock as he was just 48 years and in excellent physical health. He then set out to change the way he was showing up in the world. In 2017, he set out on a solo motorcycle trip searching for his purpose in life. He now calls himself the heart attack thriver and uses his social media platform to support others with heart co...

We are delighted to welcome Dr Harriet Holme to the Fresh Heart Project.    Harriet is a wealth of information. She is a registered nutritionist and a former experienced paediatrician. She is also an author, host of the Eating for Health podcast and a lecturer in nutrition. Harriet is passionate about sharing science-backed, credible information to empower you to eat for your health.    We ...

Welcome to this episode of the Fresh Heart Project.    We are delighted to bring you the second part of my interview with Dr Rupy Aujla. Rupy is an NHS general practitioner, a cookbook author and founder of the Doctor’s Kitchen.    This episode is much more personal as Rupy opens up about his own health journey.    Rupy was a newly qualified junior doctor when his life changed. He develop...

We are incredibly excited to share this episode of the Fresh Heart Project as we welcome the one and only Dr Rupy Aujla to the show!   Did you know that eating well has medicinal effects? It not only protects your heart, but it can change your brain, alter your mood, support your immune function AND reduce inflammation. This is Rupy’s powerful message. His mission is to educate us on the beau...

Mohsen Mirza retired from his global, high level IT job with much excitement. What followed was a heart attack and major heart surgery. Through his recovery, Mohsen discovered the magic of community and simple lifestyle changes to power health.    Mohsen shares his journey with us in this episode.    Join us for a story of unexpected illness and finding peace in recovery.    For more info...

We are delighted to welcome Lucile Allen-Paisant to the show.   In 2016, after a gruelling schedule of working 6 -7 days a week Lucile experienced burn out. She says, “I just wasn’t the positive person I used to be, inside work but also outside work.”   Lucile eventually left her job, moved to the UK and set up Mind It, a training company to support employees to thrive both at home and at w...

BONUS EPISODE ALERT!!! We are delighted to give you a special bonus episode on sleep.    We are joined by 2 experts, Dr Anita Jayadev, a respiratory medicine consultant specialising in treating sleep disorders and Jay Jaye, a sleep technician who is an expert in sleep and ventilation. They share a wealth of information about when to get referred to a sleep service and what to expect. We highl...

We are delighted to welcome Dr Chloe Sellwood to the Fresh Heart Project. Chloe is an academic scientist, the national lead for pandemic influenza and the Deputy Head of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR), for NHS England and NHS Improvement for London. She is also a keen runner and in February 2019, midway through a month-long running challenge, Chloe had a cardiac arrest. ...

Welcome to Season 2 of the Fresh Heart Project!   We kick off this season by welcoming the amazing Savvy Psychologist, Dr Jade Wu for a deep dive into insomnia. If you or your loved ones suffer with insomnia, we guarantee you’ll come away from this episode with actionable tips.   Jade Wu, PhD, is a Board-certified behavioural sleep medicine specialist and sleep researcher at Duke University...

As we enter the unknown territory of 2021, the Fresh Heart Podcast is getting ready to evolve.  Please join us for this final episode as we take a short break ahead of our return later this year with a bigger, bolder and more inclusive show. Remember, be kind to yourself and small, sustainable steps create great change.

With the dawn of every new year comes the same offering of messages. Improve your health, shred the weight, start a new diet, manage your money, think better, do better, be better, live your best life…….and so the list goes on. There’s a tendency to embrace the concept of a new year, a new you. On this episode of the podcast, we discuss why this is a problematic message.    There is strong ev...

We would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas. It is the season of goodwill so on this episode, we dive into the topic of giving to others without expecting anything in return. The overwhelming evidence suggests that giving has multiple health benefits. It makes you happy, improves your physical and mental health, improves social connections, benefits the workplace and best of all, it’s ...

PROFESSOR SHAKEEL QURESHI is an award-winning paediatric cardiologist who has dedicated his life to serving children born with heart abnormalities. He has saved the lives of countless children both here and around the world. He has published over 170 papers, several reviews and book chapters. He has masterminded the development of key-hole procedures so that children avoid open heart surgery. H...

What is your morning routine like? What wakes you up? What is the first thing you do? What is the first thing you reach for? Is it a mad rush to get ready? How does your morning routine make you feel?   This podcast episode delves into the subject of morning routines. A good morning routine sets you up for the day as well as improving both physical and mental wellbeing.   We discuss the 3 “...

On this podcast episode we discuss why there is an association between the morning hours and heart attacks.    As species of planet earth, we have all evolved in tune with its rhythms. When the sun rises, our day begins and when the sun sets, we rest. It’s like we’re instruments in an orchestra and the rotating earth is the conductor. As a result, almost every organism that inhabits this plan...

We are delighted to welcome Ricky Kapoor onto the podcast for our very first interview. Ricky has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a genetic condition that affects the heart muscle and makes the walls of the heart chambers thicken.  For most people HCM doesn’t have a big impact on life. Some don’t have symptoms. Ricky is one of a small number for whom it is more serious. He is at risk of dev...

As a physician, the biggest lessons that I have learnt are not from a textbook or from passing an exam. They come from the experiences, the courage and the generosity of my patients who have shared their experiences and advice.   On this episode, I share the wisdom from a patient who is 102 years old.   We all take different messages from things we hear. I hope that within this person’s wis...

The UK has officially entered an economic recession but what does that mean for your health? On this episode of the Fresh Heart Podcast we explore the health effects of financial downturns and how you can protect your heart in difficult economic times.    Research looking at health in times of economic hardship is counterintuitive. Did you know there is data suggesting that when high income c...

In this episode of the Fresh Heart Podcast we discuss the stigma and discrimination associated with obesity.     Weight based discrimination is one of the most common forms of discrimination in society and sadly, it’s a global issue. Research shows that even at a young age, children have been conditioned to have a weight bias. We address the damaging consequences and discuss measures we can t...

On this week’s podcast, we discuss the final Fresh Heart pillar: honesty. We go into why it’s important to be honest about your feelings, your health goals and how you can achieve those goals.    What is right for others is not necessarily right for you. Recognising that can prevent the shame that comes with not sustaining a particular lifestyle change. Honesty with self-compassion brings wit...

On this week’s podcast, we discuss Natures miracle healer, otherwise known as Sleep.   Sleep is fundamental to health. As humans we spend one third of our lives sleeping. A great deal of what happens to us is unknown, but it is clear that our biological need for it is irrefutable. It’s also clear that as a society we’re not getting enough and this has health consequences. Not getting enough s...

If exercise could be bottled, it would be THE wonder drug of all wonder drugs. There is not one condition, not one aspect of physical or mental health that exercise does not benefit.   On this episode we discuss why exercise is so beneficial to our health. We’ve evolved to exercise on a daily basis, however through time, with improvements in technology, we’ve become less active. Convenience c...

When was the last time that you felt relaxed? What were you doing at the time? How long did that last?   We are a society that is constantly on the go. We celebrate activity and this parallels the rapid rise in our collective stress levels.   On this episode, we discuss stress and how it is a protective mechanism for acute situations. We also discuss how we’re not designed for the chronic, ...

Dr Zarrin provides an overview of her approach to food and how it fits into her overall health and wellbeing philosophy.

Dr Zarrin outlines the five pillars of the Fresh Heart Project: Food, relaxation, exercise, sleep and honesty with yourself.