Delicious Ways to Feel Better

Why should we be optimistic about the solutions to climate change? Why is positivity more likely to give us better results and what does the latest research show? We talk to Lily Cole about everything from rewilding to the power of technology, the role of food, the limits of the individual, eco-anxiety, conscious consumerism, green washing and how contradictory and imperfect many of the solutions are. Plus what Elon Musk thinks and how hard it was to follow Greta Thunberg’s advice.   Lily Cole: Who Cares Wins  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We spend about a third of our lives at work so finding joy, balance, purpose and structure is so important. Yet so many of us feel instead that our jobs are a daily grind that have a negative impact on our mental wellbeing, so today we’re asking Samantha Clarke how we can change that. From tips on working from home to the myth of the overnight success, finding inspiration, dealing with burn out, the over glamorisation of entrepreneurship and truly switching on and off at the start and the end of the day, we look at creating better relationships at work, reconciling work life balance and taking control of our everyday.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We speak to Helen Lewis, author of Difficult Women, about feminist hero’s, the importance of embracing our imperfections and flaws, why we airbrush certain parts of stories, why we tear each other down and why women can’t always support women.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We talk a lot about the importance of sharing our worries and anxieties, but what can we do on a practical level to change negative cycles and to create consistent patterns that support our mental health. Physiatrist, Dr Sarah Vohra, talks irrational thoughts and beliefs, why we catastrophise, what causes negative thought patterns and sabotaging cycles, the role of our senses, why quick fixes don’t work and what’s the role of those around us.   Dr Sarah Vohra, The Mind Medic  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Body image concerns are prevalent, so the question is how do we proactively fight against that pressure and foster a body sense of self and in doing so create a positive body image. Should we just stop talking about body image altogether, how far reaching are the consequences of a negative view on ourselves, what role does social media play and how do we change it for our children? We explore all this and much more with body image researcher Nadia Craddock. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/play-episode/id1428704212?i=1000427670685   A starter list of recommendations: Social Media Accounts - @car_uwe - @nadia.craddock - @phillippa.diedrichs - @emily.l.matheson - @honeykinny - @beauty_redined - @maxineali - @yrfatfriend - @munroebergdorf - @scarrednotscared - @antidietriotclub - @bodyposipanda - @bodyimage_therapist - @chr1styharrison Books - Shrill by Lindy West - Body Positive Power by Meagan Crabbe - Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings - Hunger by Roxane Gay - The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf - Body Respect by Lindo Bacon (published as Linda Bacon) and Lucy Aphramor Podcasts - Appearance Matters – the official podcast of the Centre for Appearance Research – with Nadia Craddock and Jade Parnell - The Body Protest with Nadia Craddock and Honey Ross - Food Psych with Christy Harrison RD  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We so often see perfectionism as a positive flaw but could it be having a detrimental impact on our mental health? We speak to LSE professor Dr Thomas Curran about the rise in perfectionism, the conflict of who we really are versus an idealistic view of ourselves, our increasing focus on meeting unrealistic expectations, the correlation to anxiety, how social media comes into it and how focusing on our self-esteem and purpose can counteract the concerning trends that we’re seeing.    Thomas’ Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/thomas_curran_our_dangerous_obsession_with_perfectionism_is_getting_worse?language=en   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the course of the day we take about 25,000 breaths. It’s a process that is so automatic for so many of us but could it be a missing pillar of health? Today we explore the topic of breathing looking at the history and latest scientific research with journalist James Nestor, author of Breath. We look at the potential power of consciously breathing from the roots of breath in Buddhist, the Chinese Tao and the history of yoga to its links to stress, anxiety, mental health; why we should be breathing through our nose; why breathing less can give us more; how office life stops us breathing and how the little things can have a big impact on our lives.   James Nestor: Breath   Book Links for Quick and Easy: UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deliciously-Ella-Quick-Easy-Deliciousness/dp/1473639247/ref=zg_bs_books_17?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=611B9X4WM0Y13KJ08QGZ AU https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/aEA5M NZ https://www.whitcoulls.co.nz/product/deliciously-ella-making-plant-based-quick-and-easy-pre-order-6514060 CA https://www.amazon.ca/Deliciously-Ella-Making-Plant-Based-Quick/dp/1529325161/ref=pd_lpo_14_t_0/143-7550823-4337857?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1529325161&pd_rd_r=82a80e66-4323-40c6-b510-2caad50ae135&pd_rd_w=5FqGN&pd_rd_wg=Iz1hO&pf_rd_p=256a14b6-93bc-4bcd-9f68-aea60d2878b9&pf_rd_r=AGH47NRSK1FWBQC482PG&psc=1&refRID=AGH47NRSK1FWBQC482PG US https://www.amazon.com/Deliciously-Ella-Making-Plant-Based-Quick/dp/1529325161/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=deliciously+ella+quick+%26+easy&qid=1593163576&sr=8-1 Free worldwide delivery of the UK edition: https://www.bookdepository.com/Deliciously-Ella-Quick-Easy-Ella-Mills-Woodward/9781473639249?ref=grid-view&qid=1593867179907&sr=1-5   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From the impact of coronavirus and quarantine on our relationships to online dating, marriage, divorce, the ups and downs of being single, love at first sights and whether soulmates exist, we’re looking at fifteen facts on love and relationships with Laura Mucha.   Laura’s Book: We Need to Talk About Love Laura’s first podcast episode on attachment theory: https://play.acast.com/s/deliciouslyellapodcast/who-whyandhowwelove Paul Dolan’s podcast episode on Happy Ever After: https://play.acast.com/s/deliciouslyellapodcast/ishappyeverafteramyth- Half price links for Quick and Easy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/deliciously-ella-quick-and-easy/ella-mills-woodward/9781473639249 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deliciously-Ella-Quick-Easy-Deliciousness/dp/1473639247/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=quick+and+easy+cookbook&qid=1590666905&sprefix=quick+and+easy+&sr=8-1  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why should we believe in human goodness? Today we’re exploring the power of human kindness and why the theory that most people are governed by self-interest is possibly totally inaccurate. Our guest Rutger Bregman instead argues that history shows we are fundamentally altruistic and kind, it’s a refreshing, optimistic view of the world that we hope will give you a little hope.   Books Rutger Bregman, Humankind Hans Rosling, Factfulness – the book on why the world is getting better   A link to an article detailing more about the real Lord of the Flies: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/09/the-real-lord-of-the-flies-what-happened-when-six-boys-were-shipwrecked-for-15-months  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What happens when life as you know it disappears in an instant, when the world is swept from under you and every part of your day to day shifts. We’re talking to our friend Lauren who experienced extreme isolation eight years ago about finding blessings, appreciating connections, not losing sight of the future or gratitude in adversity, as well as the importance of looking to the future even when the future is so hard to predict, the lessons we can take from disconnection and distance and the importance of perspective at all times. A how to in living by the moto ‘live life as though everything is rigged in your favour’   Lauren’s Vogue article: https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/cancer-diagnosis-self-isolation   You’ll find the By Sarah products on www.deliciouslyella.com in the next couple of weeks  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From finding motivation to boosting your energy levels, emotional eating, boredom snacking, morning routines and managing any pressure to be using this time productivity, we’re talking staying healthy at home with nutritional therapist Eve Kalinik  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A calming, grounding guided meditation to make you feel a little more calm and peaceful during this strange time. The meditation itself runs from 5.30 - 21.20 and is led by Phoebe Greenacre   https://phoebegreenacre.com   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A shorter episode focused on what we’ve been enjoying reading, watching and listening to during these strange times and how we’re trying to keep happy and productive. Poem: The Rainbow Children, Gemma Peacock    Books:  - Playing to win, A. G. Larfley and Roger L. Martin - Different: Escaping the Competitive Herd, Youngme Moon - When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi - Any Human Heart, William Boyd  - Educated, Tara Westover  - A Monk’s Guide to Happiness, Gelong Thubten    TV Show: - Unorthodox, Netflix    Podcast - How I Built This, Guy Raz  - How To Fail, Elizabeth Day - Mo Gawdat episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/special-episode-how-to-fail-mo-gawdat-on-how-to-cope/id1407451189?i=1000469228528 - The Dropout, ABC News  - Can We Just Ask, Season 2, What’s the Good News  - Gelong Thubten on Happiness as a Choice: https://podcasts.apple.com/sk/podcast/happiness-as-a-choice/id1428704212?i=1000444555778   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How can we manage the huge shifts and monumental changes we’re dealing with across the world right now? How do we find joy and keep our sense of self when the way we define ourselves and our everyday has shifted so drastically and so quickly? Can we reframe the uncertainty and anxiety that so many of us our feeling? Psychotherapist Anna Mathur is helping us get to grips with it all, bringing us a little group therapy and helping us find a little more compassion and understanding for ourselves and each other. For more info on Anna’s reframing anxiety course: www.annamathur.com  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does our quest for a seemingly perfect life, a constant need to keep up with the Joneses and a series of unachievable expectations fuel our growing levels of unhappiness and anxiety? We’re looking at the social norms that surround marriage, children, careers, education, income and so much more with Paul Dolan, a professor of behavioural science at the London School of Economics, looking at the research and the science behind the narratives.   Happy Ever After: Paul Dolan  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.