The Doctor's Kitchen Podcast

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 mig

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

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 experimentWhy

I talk a lot about what we eat for our health. But what about the air we breathe at home?If you or your kids have asthma, constant sniffles, a lingering cough, sinus issues, or you’ve noticed damp patches and that musty smell, this episode could change how you think about your home.As a new dad, I'm personally really interested in how our home environment shapes early immune development. This conversation made me think differently about ventilation, condensation and what really matters.My guest is Dr Peter Cook, a Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellow at the MRC Centre for Medical Mycology at the University of Exeter. His research looks at how airborne fungal spores interact with the immune system and drive allergic and asthmatic disease, an area that has been surprisingly neglected.In this episode, we go into:What mould actually is and when it becomes a problemWhat is a safe level of mould?How mould exposure can trigger asthma and allergic diseaseWho’s most at riskWhether mould testing kits are worth your mon

Today we’re having an uncomfortable but very necessary conversation about antidepressants and the theory that these drugs work for those with depression by correcting imbalanced chemicals in their brain.Our guest to discuss this topic is Joanna Moncrieff, a Professor of Psychiatry at University College London, and works as a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS. She is author of numerous scientific papers including a major review that showed there was little evidence to support the idea that depression is caused by a serotonin abnormality. Her most recent book "Chemically Imbalanced: the making and unmaking of the serotonin myth” is what we’re going to be discussing today.This was a complete eye opener for me. For years I believed in the pharmaceutical washed message that antidepressants worked because of a genuine brain chemical imbalance that we corrected with medications. This is not proven.Today we’ll discuss over-use and misrepresentation of psychiatric drugs in the public sphere, the changing philosophy o

Even though I’m a skeptic I love health tech. I wear a wearable, I play with red light therapy gadgets and I monitor my bloods more regularly than a lot of my peers. Rather than being overwhelmed with the data, I thrive in it, and I’m able to reasonably weigh up the information from all these inputs because of my experience of being a medical doctor for over 15 years.But with so much health tech interest, the landscape has become confusing and it can be hard to separate health from hype.So we’re chatting to Lara Lewington today who’s covered some of the world’s greatest innovations, presenting the BBC’s flagship technology show, Click and many more. She’s explored Artificial Intelligence in health, the use of home hormone testing and whether there are any devices that can actually help us meditate better.This is a super fun episode where we discuss what tech is available today that can help us eat, sleep and exercise better as well as stress less and prevent disease. I learnt both about the world of breath te

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weedkiller. It’s found on farms, in parks, and in over 50% of UK urine samples. Today you’re going to find out more about its impact on human health and why it should be banned, from Professor Michael Antoniou.Professor Michael Antoniou is a molecular geneticist and gene engineering expert at King’s College London, whose research explores how agricultural chemicals like glyphosate affect our bodies, our microbiome, and our long-term health.We discuss:

We’ve long been told that health starts in the gut, but what if the key to ageing well begins with your muscles?This week I’m joined by Dr Gabrielle Lyon, physician, author of Forever Strong, and founder of the muscle-centric medicine movement. Gabrielle’s work reframes how we think about muscle not just for strength or aesthetics, but as a powerful metabolic and endocrine organ that drives longevity, energy, and resilience.In this episode we discuss:

What we eat isn’t just about taste or health, it’s shaped by a powerful global system that connects farmers, supermarkets, climate, and culture.This week I’m joined by Mallika Basu, food writer, consultant and author of the new book ‘In Good Taste’, to unpack how our everyday food choices link to much bigger issues from biodiversity loss to culture, inequality and the economy.But this is a conversation about sustainable eating from a food lover's perspective.You’re going to find out …

Your mouth isn’t separate from the rest of your body, it’s a key part of your airway, your microbiome, and even your inflammation levels. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Staci Whitman, functional dentist, to explore the everyday habits and products that can make a real difference to oral and whole-body health.We talk through mouth taping and why nasal breathing matters for oral health, sleep quality, and overall physiology. Who should avoid mouth taping, and safer options.How chronic mouth breathing affects dry mouth and the oral microbiome, gum health, cavities, bad breath, airway, sleep, and long-term facial/jaw development (especially in kids).Ancestral diets and how that plays a role in jaw development, and the dental impact of modern snack foods. Plus nutrients for dental health like vitamin D, K2, Calcium and vitamin C.And controversially we talk through fluoride in our water and toothpaste. What fluoride is used for and what the controversy tends to be about, and practical oral-health “non-negotiable

I don’t think GLP-1 meds are the answer for everyone, but I also don’t think they’re the villain of the story. For many people they can be genuinely life-changing, when they’re used with the right support. So this episode is for anyone who’s made that decision (or is seriously considering it) and wants to do it safely, sustainably, and with as much information as possible. -I can’t stop you from taking these medications, but I can help you be informed: what to ask, what to monitor, what to eat, and how to protect your muscle, gut, and long-term health along the way.Today’s episode is all about one of the biggest health conversations happening right now: GLP-1 medications.I’m joined by Ashley Koff, RD, to give you the straight dope on what’s really going on beneath the surface: why so many of us are struggling with food noise, why some people never reach that “80% full” feeling, and what it means when your metabolic switches (the appetite and satiety systems that should be working in the background) aren’

I’m seeing “perfect” wellness routines everywhere! Red light masks, infrared saunas, ice baths, supplements lined up on the kitchen counter, breathwork, journaling, grounding mats… the list goes on.And yes, my wife has been trying most of them.So today, we’re doing something a bit different. We’re recreating those little “sofa consults” we have at home. We’ll be casually watching TV, and out of nowhere she pauses the show, turns to me dead seriously, and hits me with a question like…“Babe… what are your thoughts on grounding mats?”So the format is simple: she’s going to take us through her wellness routine from morning to night, and after each bit she’ll ask me what I think.I’ll give it a verdict, the why behind it, and a quick takeaway you can actually use, so you can make a choice as to whether you want it in your routine or not.If you liked this episode let me know by leaving a comment on Spotify, or shooting us a message on instagram. I’ll be watching out for them! 

In 2025 we’ve had world experts come into the DK studio, meet the team, sit right here in this room and let me tease their brains, challenge their ideas and help us bring you the most up-to-date, practical advice out there.These guests changed the way I personally eat, the way I move, the way I recover, the way I think and even the way I structure my day.So in today’s episode, I want to share the 5 health habits I changed this year because of this very podcast you're listening to, because I’m on this journey with you.I’ll talk about my changing perspectives on:Red Meat and whether you can safely eat it regularly or not?How to consume more variety of fibreWhy movement snacking is just as important as structured workoutsIf sauna is worth it and what an evidence based protocol looks likeHow to reduce screen time and improve your dopamine levels

Constipation might not sound like the most glamorous topic, but it’s one of the most common and overlooked health issues in the UK. Around 1 in 7 adults and up to 1 in 3 children experience it, and it’s responsible for thousands of hospital admissions every year.This week I’m joined by Dr Angad Dhillon, Consultant Gastroenterologist and accredited Bowel Cancer Screening endoscopist at Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. With advanced training from St Mark’s Hospital, one of the world’s leading centres for intestinal disorders, Dr Dhillon specialises in complex endoscopy, bowel health, and digestive wellbeing. He also happens to be my best friend from medical school who I’ve literally known over 2 decades!We talk about lesser known constipation strategies, what functional constipation means, how it can be related to other medical issues and what you should be optimising before you reach for a laxative, medications or supplements.Today we explore:

If exercise were a pill, it would be the most powerful drug on the planet. It protects the brain, lowers the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s, reduces stress, boosts energy… and yet, most of us still struggle to fit it in.Today, we’re putting together a practical, evidence-based guide to exercise for everyone. If you’re a busy parent or professional who struggles to find the time to move, we’ll show you the minimum that makes the biggest difference. If you’re older and thinking about healthy ageing, we’ll talk about protecting bone, muscle and independence as well as how to approach going to an intimidating weight section of a gym for the first time.For teens and young people, we’ll cover how movement shapes brain health and sets you up for life. And if you’re already into fitness, we’ll dive into how to break plateaus, track progress, and optimise performance.  This episode will show you exactly how to move for a longer, healthier life.Today I’m joined by Dr Andy Galpin, one of the world’s leading

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:

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: 

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:

When we think about brain health, most of us jump straight to memory, dementia, or even Alzheimer’s. But what if the real starting point is our metabolism?In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Shahrukh Mallik, Consultant Neurologist, to explore how conditions like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation don’t just affect the body, they directly impact the brain.We dive into: ⚡ Why people with type 2 diabetes have up to a 50% higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s

Why is it so hard to put our phones down even when we know they’re making us anxious? Today we’re going to unpack the neurochemistry of why we get hooked on devices and games, and how to reclaim our mental wellbeing from somebody who’s helping millions of people do this everyday. This week I’m joined by Dr. Alok Kanojia, Harvard-trained psychiatrist and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, to discuss digital devices, the science behind dopamine loops and how to develop a healthy relationship with our phones and more.We explore: