Biohacking News by Zestology

Master meditator, author, and globetrotter. Brett Moran is back - and he's had a rollercoaster year. A disastrous project in Thailand that didn't work - you'll hear all about that. A brilliant project that did work. And what's being naked or nude in a field got to do with anything. All is revealed as the podcast goes on, honest! We covered Brett's story the first time we chatted on Zestology, but basically, at young age he got in with the wrong crowd: experimenting with drugs and in trouble with the law. He quickly progressed and started dealing drugs to friends, which seemed like harmless fun. By the time he was 18, he was addicted to crack, boozing every day and fighting on the weekends. Brett felt lost and suicidal and at 21, after his daughter was born, Brett was sentenced to HMP Highdown prison. Prison, he says, was the best thing that ever happened him. And he sees his adversity as a blessing in disguise. Brett woke-up inside prison after reading a book on mindfulness and meditation. Since his experience, Brett's been meditating, visualizing and manifesting the exact life he desires. Remember to check out Brett's tribe and retreats here https://www.brettsyoga.com/

You'll know the answer by the end of this podcast, and you'll know what to do about it. Linda Stone coined the phrase continuous partial attention. Stone also coined "email apnea" which means "a temporary absence or suspension of breathing, or shallow breathing, while doing email." And it's all the more interesting because she has a real tech background… at a very high level. She was at Apple, in the early early early days. She was a Microsoft Vice President. And then she became a celebrated thinker and writer about the world we live in. You'll be fascinated by her stories of working at Apple. And you'll love her dinner party tactics… which I'm definitely going to be using.

Renowned addiction expert, speaker and author Dr. Gabor Maté is famous for his expertise on trauma, addiction, stress and childhood development. I went to see him speak in London at an absolutely packed out venue in Notting Hill. And then went to interview him at the offices of Penguin and Random House the next day. Coincidentally this is where my publisher Virgin Books is, though I haven't been there for about 8 years though. In this podcast we talk Addiction and addictive behaviour. How to live a more conscious life Parenting styles. Technology and how to use it mindfully. And lots, lots more. The day before this recording, Gabor was interviewed by Russell Brand, and had travelled to Russell's house for the interview. I joked with Gabor that if I get a few more listeners he'll come to my house but until then I'm happy to meet him anytime for a chat at Penguin's offices. I hope you enjoy this one. I feel privileged to have met Gabor.

Or... Why you should never put your phone in your pocket (part 2) Today: EMF and tech dangers explained in depth. How many times do you check your phone per day? Since Apple brought out iOS12, I know now, and it's fairly shocking - about 70 per day. And I thought I was good at this stuff. And the negative effects of smartphone and technology extend beyond distraction - perhaps we should be worrying a lot more about EMFs. Daniel DeBaun is the man - and comes back to Zestology again to helps us know what to do

Yes, Jason Wittrock is another Zestology guest that puts butter in his coffee. He's #keto - hmmm, there's a theme here isn't there. Actually, some guests really surprise me on Zestology. I already knew Jason Wittrock really knew his stuff about ketosis, the high fat low carb diet that gives you more energy, helps with inflammation and a host of other things (Disclaimer, check with your health practitioner before starting on this). But I didn't know how much fun Jason would be, and how much energy he'd have. It's infectious, and he's great. Enjoy!

Slightly embarrassingly last time I had today's guest on my show, I got his name wrong. It's supposed to be Drew Canol-ee, but I called him Drew Canole (as in Sausage Role). Bearing in mind how well known he is in the States, I probably should have known this. Drew Canol-ee. He's a proper famous juice expert, regular guest on top tv shows, has one of the biggest organic green powder companies in the world…, he is in a nutshell, juicing up the world. Now got his new book out this week - You Be You - available everywhere. In this podcast we talk juicing, obviously, but we also talk meditation, jumping in the sea every day, the best ways to chill out when life get stressful. Then things start to get a bit crazy. We talk lucid dreaming, astral projection, going to different dimensions, it all starts to get a bit trippy. And Drew can get away with it because he really knows his stuff. In a nutshell, he's fantastic, and I hope this podcast helps juice you up and inspire you.

Are you extending the gap a little bit these days between dinner and breakfast? Or lunch? If not, you might want to consider it, as the evidence is starting to mount up. Obviously this has been quite a zesty topic for a while. I interviewed Max Lowery a few weeks ago, and now I've gone full science. Dr. Jason Fung is a legend when it comes to intermittent fasting, low-carb diets and so on. He's a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low carb, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. He's got a hardcore scientific background, and has written perhaps the bible on intermittent fasting. In this podcast we talk about the benefits, and pitfalls of intermittent fasting. I go through some of my experiences and Jason tells us his. Plus... a tea that helps you fast, anyone? Pique teas can help. This is the tea that can help with intermittent fasting, (and it's also a special discount link for Zestology subscribers). I'm an intermittent faster as you know, and I'm enjoying this stuff.

Tony Robbins does it, Jennifer Aniston does it, Professor Green does it. And me and Ryan Carter do it. #189 You probably saw Mark Wahlberg's viral description of his working day a couple of weeks ago. A 2.30am start, mega-workouts and cryotherapy. In honour of this completely bonkers schedule, I met up with my mate, health influencer Ryan Carter to record a podcast whilst doing the cryotherapy part of Mark Wahlberg's daily routine. I can assure you, no 2.30am starts occured in the making of this podcast. The thing is, Mark Wahlberg's not the only one... there are a lot of interesting people who do this stuff; Tony Robbins, Joe Rogan, Jennifer Aniston, and as you'll hear in this podcast, Professor Green was at the Cryo clinic while we were recording. We recorded it at the wonderful London Cryo. If you mention Zestology, you'll get ££ off. On that particular day, I was feeling quite low energy, and it was quite surprising the 3-minute cryo session picked me up. See if you can spot the before and after difference, and enjoy hearing me freezing my knackers off in the process. And Ryan Carter is just a cracking guest, a good friend of mine, and he's got loads of spot-on, cutting-edge health and wellness knowledge. So what you'll hear in this podcast is me and Ryan chatting while we are in the chamber at London Cryo. Then you'll hear the fantastic Maria Ensabella who owns the place and just talks about why the cold is so good for us. And then you'll hear me and Ryan trying out another one of their gadgets. Enjoy.

Ariel Garten is a Canadian artist and scientist. That's a pretty unusual combination and gives her a unique insight into the powers of meditation. She's a neuroscience expert and in this podcast, gave what I thought was probably the best description of why we need meditation that I've ever heard. Listen on to the end of the podcast for this. It'll blow your socks off. Ariel's also has a company - Muse meditation devices that help make meditation easy, and you can find them here.

Have you ever heard the word biohacker, and not really known what it means? Okay, here's my definition. Biohacking = optimising mind, body and lifestyle to perform at your best. That's what I'm coming up with anyway. Whether you call it biohacking or something else, today's podcast is all about optimising with one of the world's top biohackers. Ben Greenfield. I saw Ben speak in Austin earlier this year and left with a long list of action points, things to do and buy. Ben was named as one of the world's top 100 most influential people in health and fitness, and has coached the world's top CEO's, chefs, biohackers, poker players, tennis, motocross and endurance competitors, and professional athletes from the UFC, the NHL, the NBA, the NFL and beyond – all while advising and investing in top companies in the health, fitness and nutrition industry. Ben is a brilliant, and as you'll hear, very unique individual. Will you do everything he recommends? Almost certainly not. You might think some of it is a little extreme, I'm not sure. Will you come away with a few new ideas… for sure. Here he is. 39 biohacks to optimise your health and life - Ben Greenfield #187

He's a trainer to the Made in Chelsea stars… but he has the substance and the knowledge to back up the style. Max Lowery is a personal trainer and online health coach, and his particular area of expertise is intermittent fasting, something that can help you burn fat, boost energy levels and banish hunger pangs. He's developed his own method known as The 2 Meal Day, and it was fun to chat to him, at his base at Marble Arch in Central London.

Nike insist their new trainers improve your running speed by 4%. I was quite interested in this, especially as I've been getting involved recently in minimalist footwear. Turns out, that this 4% stat might not be all its cracked up to be. And you could get 4% exercise improvement by natural means, not by buying a flash pair of trainers. Check out today's podcast with the awesome Dr. Ray Mclanahan. And check out CorrectToes too - that stuff is GOOD!

We start today with a stat that may blow your mind. Ever since Scott Nelson from Joovv told me this, I've been changing my daily routine quite considerably. Listen on to find out what it is. Scott owns Joovv - the company that makes the infrared light I use most days - bonkers good for energy, skin health etc and the brightest thing you've ever seen in your life. He knows all about light, and the importance of getting plenty of good light.

Burning Man is on at the moment, so without being too worthy (promise) I ask, what could one festival in the desert teach us about life. What we can learn from my guest's experiences without heading to the middle of nowhere to get copious amounts of dust in our face? And how does a productivity expert apply his professional skills to festival-going, and shouldn't he be just focusing on having fun? Stever Robbins is a well-known productivity expert, and he also happens to love Burning Man. And when I say love, he plans months in advance for this thing. He's known as the get-it-done guy, and it seems he's applied his get it done guy's skills to preparing for the world's most celebrated festival.

Our favourite Law of Attraction expert is back, as seen on Oprah and as heard on Zestology (multiple times). Jeannette Maw is more fun and attracting more good vibes than ever before, after something small, unexpected, and weird happened. It led to big, big consequences and positive changes. Not surprising for the woman who describes herself as "full time manifesting geek". In this podcast you will explore; Choosing to feel good. Finding a way to feel better Expanding Consciousness (the biggie) Enjoy

Why are we obsessed with the things we want and bored when we get them? Dopamine is the chemical of desire that always asks for more — more stuff, more stimulation, and more surprises. In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Simply put, it is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. Yet, at the same time, it's why we gamble and squander. Tech has a part to play with dopamine too. Daniel Z. Lieberman finds it as hard as any of us to put the dopamine-providing phone down. So he wrote a book on it... What I love: he has a potentially life-changing proposal in the book: for how we can channel our dopamine more effectively. What is it? Listen on to find out. ​

You could be 30% more attractive after listening to this podcast! Donna Lancaster is a well-known life and relationship coach who specialises in the area of grief. Or as she puts it, she loves talking about grief. Which might sound weird, but once you hear how she helps us to properly cope with grief and loss, you'll get it. And there is a link between grief and being 30% more attractive. Honest! Bear with me. She used to be the head of training for The Hoffman Process and she now owns and runs The Bridge Retreat which is a personal development experience here in the UK. It's described as an emotional detox and a chance to rediscover your zest for life. Hmm, zest... I'm sure there's a relevance to this podcast somewhere. DISCOUNT ALERT: After the interview, Donna got back in touch and offered £250 off the six day retreat. You just need to mention ZESTOLOGY when you book. ​

Dr. Satchin Panda is a bit of a ledge. He's possibly the world's most respected area in the field of Circadian rhythms and daily routines that optimise our health. We talk; How to stop peeing in the middle of the night! Bright light at night and eye masks. All the fun of time-restricted eating Supplements - is it okay to take them outside the feeding window. My fasting experiments (geeky I know) coffee, can we drink it as part of an intermittent fast (you might not like this bit…) saturated fat… in evening melatonin supplements what to go for. And an amazing book recommendation too. This is one of my favourites. Satchin is a real expert in his field. Enjoy. And his new book is called The Circadian Code: Lose Weight, Supercharge Your Energy, and Transform Your Health from Morning to Midnight.

Brandon Block is a British club DJ. He has appeared on reality shows like Celebrity Come Dine with Me and Celebrity Big Brother. He's also had a high-profile battle with addiction, and now launched his own wellness project to bring self development to the masses. It's called Happy Days. After his addiction issues, he trained to help others affected by drugs and alcohol. That training helped him to form his own ideas around his new self development project. Part of Happy Days is about mapping your dreams, and setting your goals in an effective way. Who would have thought it? Celebrity hellraiser Brandon Block is now on the straight and narrow, and he's an absolutely lovely chap as well. He starts by talking about just how bad things had got, when he was at his substance-abusing worst. Check out Brandon Block's Happy Days group on Facebook.

Listen up if you want the extra 5/10/15% in your day to day life. As well as the crazy influence your thyroid has on your health, we talk lifestyle and weight loss plans in harmony with paleo/primal/ancestral health principles. Elle Russ wrote The Paleo Thyroid Solution. It dispels outdated, conventional thyroid wisdom, and provides the in-depth guidance necessary to achieve vibrant health, and optimise thyroid fat-burning hormone metabolism. She knows her stuff.

Is it possible to feel calm and strong at the same time? I think so... I've been getting more and more into Qi Gong workshops and youtube videos over the last couple of years, there's something about it that makes me feel chilled out and powerful, all at the same time. But I don't really know what I'm doing, hence today's guest. Breathing exercises, Qi Gong, and eastern healing, are the subjects of this week's podcast on Zestology. With my cool new friend Justin Ehrlich - https://www.justinehrlich.com/about-justin

Okay, if you are partial to the odd pie or sandwich, you need this podcast. I love this guy. Dr. William Davis hit the big time with his book on gluten years ago, and he's still crushing it worldwide. Every day we eat food products made of wheat. Well I don't, having given it up years ago, but many do, and as a result millions of people experience some form of adverse health effect. They range from minor rashes and high blood sugar to the unattractive stomach bulges that preventative cardiologist Dr. William Davis calls 'wheat bellies'. In this podcast we discuss gluten sensitivity, how good / bad gluten is for us, and what we should do if have no symptoms at all and feel great after chowing down a large sandwich. BONUS BITS: Also, there are great recommendations today on Vitamin D (which I've already acted on), and stand by for the crazy yoghurt chat, that's one of the best bits of the podcast.

NOTE FROM TONY - UPDATED AFTER AUDIO ISSUE BUT ON SPOTIFY ORIGINAL FILE IS STILL THERE. DON'T ASK ME WHY BUT THIS IS ONE YOU'LL HAVE TO LISTEN TO SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE SOME LOUD MUSIC COMES IN HALF WAY THROUGH. CHECK TONYWRIGHTON.COM OR ANOTHER SERVICE. HAVE A GREAT DAY Fasting is a regular topic on Zestology. Not eating for a certain length of time every day. There seems no doubt it's good for us. But for how long? How strict should we be? What's allowed and not allowed? I've delved deep into this stuff and I've still got more questions than answers. So my friend Phil White is back to talk fasting for a very specific 17 hours a day. Rest assured I pepper him with questions about it, cos when you look at the promises and the benefits of fasting, it seems important to get it right... - Cut cholesterol, reduce bacterial overgrowth, and lower toxins - Start making lifestyle changes that lower body weight and BMI and reduce body fat - Improve digestive issues like IBS, fatty liver disease, and acid reflux - Boost physical and cognitive performance - Break free from habitual and boredom-related eating - Create a rich, fully engaged experience before, during, and after fasting - Achieve many of the benefits of a 48-hour fast in less than half the time, while avoiding many of the risks of more extreme fasts - Overcome food-related psychological and behavioral issues while turning destructive habits into healthy ones - Reduce sugar dependence - Achieve more restful and restorative sleep - Use fasting to strengthen work-life balance, improve relationships, and focus on helping others Okay I'm in. Listen on for more.

A chinwag with my old mate Dr. Stephen Simpson, all about focus and the problem of getting distracted by our phones. This is timely after I've probably spent a little too long instastorying this weekend. Studies prove that there's more to distract us than ever before. It can be hard to put down the phone or switch off the laptop, and the constant little dopamine hits we receive from notifications, likes, emails and more have a seriously negative effect on our lives. Our brains are all over the place. So Dr. Stephen Simpson and I have tackled this problem head on in today's podcast. *Don't worry, after listening to this podcast you won't have your phone confiscated your smartphone for the next month. The idea is you can start to control your tech usage, rather than letting the tech control you.

Non-monogamy/monogamy/celibacy. The strange relationship world of Luke Storey 18 years ago, my friend Luke Storey started using himself as a guinea pig to change his life, spiritually, physically, and in every way. Spending time, money, research into improving his physical and mental health. Now he's sorting out his relationships... he's tried everything and he's now going celibate. Eh? It wouldn't be my approach, but he's my mate and I always love chatting to Luke Storey. Check it out.

A list of things that can help with happiness. Being present... Letting go... Having a cup of tea... Meditation and mindfulness… Being in nature... For the definitive guide to happiness, today's Zestology podcast is with Dr. Robert Puff, and he is an internationally acclaimed author on feeling good. For several years, Dr. Robert Puff was the number one ranked individual on Google search engines in the entire U.S. for the term "clinical psychologist." He is regularly sought by the media for his expertise on a variety of mental health issues and has been quoted in the media over 1000 times. He co-hosted the weekly TV program, The Holistic Success Show, which was featured on the Discovery Channel's Fit TV for six months.

This is the doctor who helped Tony Robbins get rid of record amounts of mercury in his body. Dr. Chris Shade is a world leader in detox protocols, and knows his stuff. Plus he's a great guy and has some interesting practices that help him to relax after a hardcore day helping patients. I recorded it on the scene at the magnificent Paleo f(x) conference in Austin, Texas. We recorded this sitting outside in Austin, and you can hear all the fun of the festival vibe in the background. Enjoy.

How could this little gadget dramatically improve your sleep quality? The Oura ring. I've been using the OURA Ring (and have been talking about it on the podcast) for quite some time. It's a tracking device that you wear on your finger. It measures your sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing pace, body temperature, and exercise. And loads of other stuff. I've found out some very interesting and unusual things using it. Listen on to find out more. By the way, if you want one of the new Oura Rings, use the code ZESTOLOGY to get $$$ off. These new rings look way thinner and less mafia-like than the old ones.

Boosting your brain and body is the theme of today's show, where I've plucked three of the best guests (different format alert) when they go big-time in depth. Their subjects could be dry, but they are so good and knowledgeable that they make it entertaining. I love depth, and that's why I've called it the smartest ways to boost brain and body. Dave Asprey on Stem Cells (brain and body) Dr Pompa on Water (brain and body) Todd White on Alcohol (brain and body) Enjoy getting the old grey matter working hard.

Marek is my personal functional medicine practitioner and one of the most in-demand practitioners in London - almost too much in demand as you'll hear. Working with him has meant for me: reduced body fat, reduced inflammation, increased methylation, a way better gut. And feeling pretty awesome. In this podcast - some of the finest supplements to optimise your health. And you'll hear about the one test you should take to establish wellness. It's a good 'un. Why this podcast? Sometimes it is important to have a little help, and I've found it great to have someone who cares and takes the time to really get to the heart of the problem.

He had the Number 1 book in the world on Amazon in every category for a few days. Dr. Dale Bredesen is one of the world's most acknowledged experts on Alzheimer's, and today's podcast is frankly astonishing. He's seen case upon case over many years of patients who had sometimes advanced neurological decline. And he reversed it. I am a carrier of the gene that makes Alzheimer's more likely APOE3/4, just one of the many reasons to interview him. Dr. Dale says in his book "Virtually no-one in the future should have to die from Alzheimer's." That's a big claim. Listen on to find out more.

Challenging conventional wisdom on dietary fat. That's today's podcast guest Nina Teicholz. She's read the science, she's read SO much science! Nina is an investigative journalist and author of the International (and New York Times) bestseller, The Big Fat Surprise (Simon & Schuster). The Economist named it #1 science book of 2014, and it was also named a 2014 *Best Book* by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Mother Jones, and Library Journal, The Big Fat Surprise has upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat and challenged the very core of our nutrition policy. She also was a vegetarian for 25 years.

New rules for energy, vitality and motivation. In almost 15 years of being an NLP Master Practitioner and trainer and over the course having written 3 books, I've come across a loot of weird and wonderful hacks for better energy. So on Zestology, we look at the ones that work, the ones that don't, and the ones you should avoid at all costs. Today - Dr Andy Galpin. When technology goes bad. Beware of the trackers! Hmm, I like using trackers (as you'll hear), and often have a max geekout on all the stats they give me. But there are ups and downs, trials and tribulations associated with using tracking and tech for better health. Dr. Andy is a (deep breath): Professor, PhD Human Bioenergetics, Muscle Physiology, Weightlifting, MMA, Scientist, Author and all round top bloke.

Repeat guest alert! This podcast is all about energy, and I've had lots of questions about a parenting podcast relating to energy, so here it is with my friend, repeat Zest guest and incredible author on parenting, Anna Williamson. An hour in Anna's company is seriously energising! I think you'll agree when you listen. Anna Williamson is a television presenter, radio broadcaster, life coach, counsellor and Master NLP practitioner. (The NLP link we explore in this show). She is also as you'll hear, 'mind coach'. Anna is also an Ambassador for Mind, The Prince's Trust, The Young Variety Club and Childline.

When you get your breathing right, you'll notice some incredible results. Probably just listening to this will make you breathe deeper. Brian Mackenzie is a world-renowned strength and conditioning coach. He's trained gold and olympic medalists including, as you'll hear, his wife. He's also a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and all-round good guy. He created Cross Fit Endurance which is wildly popular and has written genuine bestsellers. I loved this chat, and I'm wel jel of Brian's health kit that he's got rigged up in his home. Enjoy!

Happy stomachs feature this week. Recently I put something in my weekly blog that became the most clicked on link I've ever included in my '3 zesty things' newsletter (sign up at www.tonywrighton.com if interested). So this podcast is all about my quest to find out why it was such a popular link, why it captured the imagination so much, and why so many people were interested in a link about gut health. Dr. Zach Bush came up with the concept behind the link. He's a triple-certified so knows a thing or two about gut health. He's a Triple Certified physician, Scientist, Biologist, University lecturer and more. And he made an incredible discovery in his research...

I've been intermittent fasting for a while now and definitely notice the benefits energy-wise. But I'm a proper fasting lightweight compared to today's Zestology guest. Fasting is a real theme on Zestology, so many experts seem to recommend the benefits of not eating every once in a while. So I got in touch with Loren Lockman. He is the director of the TanglewoodwellnessCenter.com and has been coaching people to better health since 1992, and supervising water only fasts since 1997. He's guided more than 2000 people through water-only fasts averaging 24-25 days and has seen countless "miracles" over the years. So what are these "miracles"? Listen on to find out.

Martha Beck is a best-selling author, speaker, and sociologist. She is also a columnist for Oprah Magazine. On this podcast we cover subjects including Integrity Meditation Happiness How to get wild turkeys to chill out. She says this about happiness: The first step in creating your right life is acknowledging where you've gone wrong. She's great fun, a brilliant guest for Zestology, and very revealing on the subject of happiness. So listen on.

We check our smartphones hundreds of times a day. 53% of people say they waste at least an hour at work every day, and most of their distractions are digital. So are you distracted by digital? Addicted to tech? It's time to stop, take a breath, and hit the reset button in a big way. The techlash has started.. Phil White is a good person to talk to about this - he's the author of Unplugged... and provides a blueprint for using technology to meet your health and performance goals in a much smarter way. ​Here's a good quote from Phil: "In our culture many of us have come to view sleep as a time-sucking inconvenience. We're trying to run our lives with precise efficiency like the Henry Ford assembly line, and cram as much into each day as possible. As a result, our sleep gets short shrift. A recent NPR story revealed that 37 percent of Americans don't get adequate rest. This means that more than a third of us are wandering around like blurry eyed zombies. For athletes that's a real problem. When you exercise you not only break down tissues that sleep repairs, but also place strain on your nervous, musculo-skeletal and many other systems that don't work without enough shut-eye. And it's not just the duration of sleep that's important (it's hard to make a case for less than seven and a half hours), but also the quality."

We talk beating jet lag the natural way on this podcast, then we look at hypnosis, workouts, blocking blue light in the evening and lots more. And I'm hanging out with friend of the podcast and absolute authority on all things health, Ryan Munsey. His new book is called… very provocatively called F*ck Your Feelings. Make sure you check it out - it's out today and I'm sure will be great. We recorded this for both Zestology and Ryan's podcast. Enjoy.

A podcast on cutting-edge natural anti-ageing methods. Some of this stuff is radically new and exciting. So ditch the botox, there's some much healthier and more natural alternatives! An awesome chat with the highly qualified and highly respected Dr. Amy Killen - by the time you've finished listening you may well be booking in for Platelet-Rich-Plasma, a vampire facial, stem cell therapy, or even the incredible O-Shot. (Don't know what that is? Listen to the podcast...) For more on Dr. Amy Killen, visit here https://www.doceremedical.com/our-staff-docere-medical/

One of the world's foremost relationship experts is on Zestology today - Esther Perel. If you haven't seen her TED talks, do yourself a favour, get googling and come back to me in half an hour. Her take on bickering is especially good. I was grateful to meet Esther Perel recently and interview her for Zestology and Balance mag. I think the interview is useful listening for anyone in a relationship (or wanting to be in one). In this Valentine's week I think this podcast might be one of the most important I've recorded. This podcast could help you. Enjoy.

It was great to meet Joe Wicks recently, in conjunction with the awesome Balance magazine. His latest book, The Fat-Loss Plan, came out on Boxing Day. Joe is changing the lives and shapes of gazillions of Brits - he's the author of the UK's biggest-selling diet books since records began and he keeps building his fanbase. His philosophy about both diet and exercise is to keep it simple. "People try and change too much at once, and it never works. Pick something that you can do 15 minutes a day, rather than one hour a week." Which is solid advice. I always feel better when I do a little exercise, than on a day when I do none. Bearing that in mind, you might want to listen to the whole interview now.

Author Brett Moran and I discuss digital addiction and distraction. He's got a great system for focus, productivity and avoiding the online rabbit hole. And I've got an important(ish) question for you at the end of the podcast. The final podcast in my series recorded over here in South-east Asia.

Continuing my series of podcasts recorded here in Asia - you may know that I was planning to go off to a monastery to meditate. It didn't quite go to plan. Here's what happened...

This was recorded in London at a nice casual Saturday morning biohackers meetup - 7 energy hacks for 2018. Huge thanks to Nick Elvery of the Daily Habits podcast and Leanne Spencer of Remove The Guesswork podcast for their excellent contributions - make sure to check out their podcasts too. You can listen to the show here right now, or if you are short of time you can read on below. Please note: the below does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your doctor before starting new supplements or regimes. This is just what worked for me. The "setlist" was: L Tyrosine (for focus) Colostrum (for hay fever) Keto diet (for energy and wellness) Blue blockers (to improve sleep) Viome (for wellness and stomach) Oura ring (for sleep) Joovv (for energy and wellness) But which one didn't I like? Listen on to find out.

This podcast includes the frankly shocking results of my alcohol/ sleep experiment. Coming up in this podcast, you'll hear about my experiments with: The Oura ring Sleep and alcohol - my tests. Drinking less / aka Dryish January The Oura Ring As you may know, I've been road-testing the Oura Ring (and have been talking about it on the podcast). It's a tracking device that you wear on your finger. It measures your sleep, heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, and exercise. Sleep and alcohol And, rather shockingly I've found when I even have a small amount of wine, my heart rate variability scores are way down, my resting heart rate increases and my deep sleep drops off the chart . What's interesting about this is we all kind of know that we get hangovers when we drink and we are not at our best the next day. But this is cold, hard data that proves that my body don't work as well even after a small amount of alcohol. The graphic on my blog is on my resting heart rate when asleep (the two arrows were after the two nights out, and only 2/3 glasses of wine. Oof). Drinking less So for more on this, I'm definitely cutting down on the drinking in January - Dryish January as I'm calling it. I've talked to former professional footballer Andy Ramage on today's Zestology podcast. He is a successful trader these days, as well as running the popular site One Year No Beer and being an author at the same time. It's a brilliant interview, and if you're thinking of cutting down on the booze in January, or anytime this year, then I hope you enjoy. And if you want to read his article - How to do dry January without hating your life - it's here.

Feeling sluggish after the New Year's festivities? This will perk you up - incredible info on diet and how it affects your focus: This year, I wanted to focus on creating a podcast for you right at the start of 2018 that focuses on optimum nutrition for body and brain. Because let's be honest, a few too many mince pies have probably been consumed over the last month. (Side note: Americans don't have mince pies, which is a shame.) And today's guest knows how that can have an impact in surprising areas. Steven Masley is one of the world's top experts in this area. He's a bestselling author and TV Doctor in the States, and he knows his stuff. His new book, The Better Brain Solution, is out tomorrow and I heartily recommend a cheeky pre-order as he is one of the top people in the field. It focuses on the link between body, brain and what we eat.

Should you call a Christmas podcast 'Best Bits'? My decision - yes. So take a listen and see if you agree that these are Zestology 'Best Bits', or maybe you'll just think they're Zestology Average Bits! Coming up. Best bits 2017 Some extra bits recorded for this podcast 2018 sneak preview, guests lined up A few thank yous I've really enjoyed this year - doing my podcast Zestology as well as my telly work with Sky. So I've compiled a review of the year. Call it Best Bits if you like. Three of my favourite Zest moments were chatting with Dave Asprey on injecting stem cells into your unmentionables!, Meghan Currie on switching off, and getting away from screens. And interviewing the author of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, John Gray on his trip to London. They're in here, as are many more personal highlights.

This week, a slightly different format on Zestology, it's my first ever 'Zestology Stories' podcast. And it includes Julia Immonen, a friend of mine and colleague at Sky Sports. How to deal with fear (from someone who knows) Getting outside your comfort zone An incredible breakthrough in treating migraines More great stories Having known Julia for many years, I was astonished when one day she casually announced, "I'm going to row the Atlantic". Astonished because she'd never before mentioned rowing, and you'll hear in this interview how in fact, she'd never even rowed on open water before. Genuinely crazy. We recorded the interview in our lunch break at Sky, and she told me about some terrifying moments in the middle of the Atlantic. Talk about dealing with fear. It is alongside a couple of other good stories on Zestology podcast this week featuring other short interviews that I've recorded recently.