The Health Scientist Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Kimberley is a chartered psychologist and a governor of the Tavistock & Portman NHS mental health trust as well as the former chair of the British Psychological Society's training committee in counselling psychology. She is also an award-winning food producer with a degree in nutrition, and her work looks at the role food and lifestyle plays in our mental health, including disordered eating, the gut-brain axis and our emotional relationship with food. Kimberley was even a finalist on the Great British Bake Off and on top of all that Kimberley is also author of "How to build a healthy brain", which was published in March, 2020.

Kimberley's instagram

Kimberley's website

Kimberley's book: How to build a healthy brain

Stronger Minds Podcast

In this episode we cover:

• How Kimberley decided to combine her career in psychology with her interest in nutrition
• A discussion about research into how improved nutrition can reduce violence in prison populations
• The apparent disconnect between mental health and the physical body and where it comes from
• The ways stress and other mental health issues can present themselves as physical health issues
• The taboo around mental health that exists within different factions of society
• The role that better nutrition can play in keeping children in school and away from crime.
• Why is hunger a major issue for school aged children, even in the UK?
• How can dealing with childhood hunger reduce the likelihood of bad behaviour in schools
• How are charities like "Magic Breakfast" doing to improve the situation?
• What are some of the key nutrients involved in mental health?
• The important role of DHA in brain development and function
• How a mother's diet can influence a child's brain health
• What role can leafy green vegetables play in brain aging?
• A discussion about the SMILES trial, a nutrition intervention in depression
• The importance of understanding that each person's mental health issues is different and what works for one person may not work for others.
• The importance of an inclusive diet for building brain health
• The importance of plant foods as sources of fibre and polyphenols for brain health
• The incredibly important role of sleep in mental health.
• Kimberley's book "How to build a healthy brain"

David is a physicist, cancer researcher, and science writer. His work encompasses everything from how tumours use oxygen to why conspiracies tend to fail. He has a strong focus on public understanding of science and medicine, contributing to BBC, RTE, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Irish Times, and PBS and he was the recipient of the 2014 Maddox prize.

David's Instagram

David's Twitter

David's book: The Irrational Ape

In this episode we cover:

• David's background and achievements
• How David made the transition from physics to cancer research
• What spurred David to learn more about science communication and disinformation?
• What are the different types of false information and what negative effects can they have?
• Why does disinformation spread so quickly and why do people hold onto such ideas so strongly?
• How does disinformation or conspiracy theories play on human emotions?
• The general population's lack of ability to "research" anything online (hint, it doesn't involve a google search)
• What are the character traits of people who actively spread conspiracy theories online?
• How many individuals buy into conspiracy theories out of fear
• The risk of blindly following the ideas of individuals just because of their position or reputation
• The damage the anti-vax movement has done to public health and the spread of previously declining diseases
• The inability of the public to determine the risk of catching a disease in relation to the risk of vaccinating against it.
• The risk of asymptomatically spreading disease to someone who may suffer serious consequences
• How can we help people to identify disinformation on a society-wide level?
• What is information hygiene?
• Some tips form David on how to identify a health-related conspiracy theory
• The importance of empathy, skepticism and admitting the limits of our own knowledge when speaking to people about their beliefs
• The limits of what social media companies will do to stem the spread of disinformation.
• David's book, The Irrational Ape

Jackson is a competitive boxer, bodybuilder, rower and sports nutritionist, currently completing his PhD in Clinical & Sports Nutrition at the University of Western Australia. He has completed a BSc in Sports Science, and Exercise & Health, and an Honours degree (First Class) in Exercise Physiology. Jackson’s research focuses on novel strategies for maximising performance and muscle retention while reducing body fat. He has also directed the largest athlete weight-loss trial in Australia, and the first randomised controlled trial investigating diet breaks in weight-trained athletes.

Jackson's Instagram

Jackson's YouTube

In this episode we cover: Jackson's sporting and bodybuilding background and his interest in the science around making diets more successful The difference between weight loss and fat loss and it's importance for athletes What are some of the negative effects of long term or chronic weight loss diets? Why does weight often rebound so quickly at the end of a diet? The differences on the effects of a diet between lean people and people with high amounts of body fat What is intermittent dieting and why might it be useful? What's the difference between a diet break and a diet refeed and how might they help make a diet easier or more effective? What should a refeed look like in terms of macronutrients and why is it very different from a cheat day? What changes happen to resting metabolic rate and different hormones after an refeed? What did Jackson's study, the ICECAP trial, look like and what observations has Jackson made so far?

Amaeze is a Registered Nutritionist (ANutr) with a Masters degree in Clinical Nutrition, Diploma in Counselling and is the founder of the health consultancy Life’s Recipe. With a background in product development Ameze now works in both the private and public sectors with individuals and groups to cultivate a sustainable, healthy relationship with food to improve health outcomes. Her passion for inclusive wellness and nutrition led her to start the @wellness_in_colour on Instagram – a community dedicated to supporting Black and Ethnic people.

Amaeze's Instagram

Life's Recipe Website

Wellness In Colour Instagram

In this episode we cover:

• An intro to the fun involved in growing your own vegetables
• Amaeze's career path in nutrition and role in promoting an understanding of diversity in health care
• How a Euro-centric model of nutrition doesn't take into account the food traditions of minority groups
• Why is one, single message or set of guidelines not sufficient for a diverse population.
• The importance of continued education and professional development in nutrition to help us understand and cater to diversity
• The palm oil example of how a culinary staple for a minority group can be incorrectly demonised by a majority group when taken out of context
• Health inequalities amongst black and ethnic minorities (BAEM) and their relation to nutrition
• How nutrition messages need to be tailored to the specific needs of minorities in order to reduce the inequalities
• Unconscious bias and the power distance index and how they affect health care amongst black and ethnic minority groups
• The many other barriers to improving health care and nutrition support to BAEM groups
• Why learning more about other diet-traditions is as important as learning to tailor a diet to individual needs
• How to navigate conversations around diversity with nutrition professionals
• The lack of diversity in the nutrition field and how it may deter some people from BAEM backgrounds from moving into the field
• Why BAEM groups may feel unrepresented and therefore discouraged when looking for nutrition help
• The importance of having these conversations about diversity

Dr Gabrielle Fundaro CISSN,CHC, holds a PhD in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise from Virginia Tech and is is a former Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Georgia Gwinnett College. She is also a Renaissance Periodization coach, an ISSN-certified sport nutritionist, and an ACE-certified health coach. Gabrielle has a particular interest in combining her knowledge of nutrition and motivational interviewing techniques to promote intrinsic motivation and behavior change in clients to facilitate long-term weight management and healthy lifestyles.

Gabrielle's Instagram

Gabrielle's Website

Bridging the Gap series on behaviour change

In this episode we cover:

• What is diet culture and what is the anti-diet movement?
• What are some of the main negative points of "diet culture"?
• How has the fitness/nutrition industry contributed to a globally skewed body ideal and focus on weight-loss
• Some of the main tenets of the anti-diet movement
• The danger of forming an opinion on either movement, based on the extremist voices coming from either
• What's the difference between the anti-diet movement and the Health At Every Size movement
• The dangers of weight stigma and forming opinions on people's health based solely on their body weight
• What are "weight neutral" approaches to lifestyle change?
• The importance of thinking holistically when implementing lifestyle change and understanding the risks of dieting for weight loss
• Is weight loss as an outcome the right goal or should we focus on behaviour changes instead?
• The benefits of not subscribing to any particular diet philosophy and the importance of being aware of our "diet" biases
• What are the common principles shared by HAES, anti-diet and those who use weight-loss inclusive approaches?

Jenny Rosborough (RNutr) is Head of Nutrition at Jamie Oliver and is Registered with the Association for Nutrition. Jenny works across the Jamie Oliver Group to implement nutrition standards and is particularly passionate about improving the food environment through policy change. She is part of the Expert Advisory Group for Bite Back 2030, a youth-led movement calling for a food system that puts children's health first. Jenny was previously Campaign Manager at Action on Sugar and developed MEND (child weight management) programmes, upskilling health professionals internationally to deliver these. She has an MSc in Nutrition from Kings College London and a BA in English and Sports Science from Loughborough University.

Jenny's Instagram

Jenny's Website

NOTE: THERE WAS A SLIGHT ISSUE WITH MY AUDIO NEAR AT THE START OF THE PODCAST. THIS ONLY LASTS FOR A FEW MINUTES BUT I APOLOGISE FOR THE POOR QUALITY.

In this episode we cover:

• Jenny's background in nutrition and her experience in behaviour change programs and food policy
• The importance of understanding people's background and barriers when working in food policy change
• Learning that not everyone's situation is the same and how that greatly affects food choices
• What is the food environment and how does it affect nutrition
• How the food industry shapes our palate and therefore our food decisions
• The reasons ultraprocessed foods are so commonly marketed
• The triple challenge of undernourishment, hidden hunger and obesity
• Why government food policies are needed to level the economic playing field for industry so they will comply with changes
• The success of the "Sugar-Tax" in the UK and how it has reduced sugar intake from soft drinks
• Is there a backlash from people who don't want a nanny state changing their favourite foods?
• How industry reformulations due to new government policies have reduced sugar and salt intake without needing the consumers to make any changes.
• The role of marketing in influencing people's food decisions
• The incredible complexity of societal, economic, psychological and biological factors that go into food choice
• The dissonance between the foods/diets promoted on social media and what some people actually have access to
• The reality of food insecurity during lockdown and how it is very unequally experienced by different socioeconomic groups
• What is holiday hunger experienced by some children when they aren't in school
• What are some of the most important issues that the government needs to deal with regarding food policy
• Why systemic changes are just as important as public education/awareness campaigns

A slightly different podcast this week as I'm the guest.

I was honoured to speak with Astrid Naranjo, otherwise known as the Antidiet_dietitian. We spoke about my PhD research into sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity, body fat distribution and metabolic health and Astrid was good enough to allow me to share it as a podcast.

Astrid is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) originally from Venezuela but now practicing in Southport Private Hospital, Australia. Astrid has a masters degree in Nutrition and Dietetic Practice from Bond University, Gold Coast.

Astrid's Instagram

Astrid's Twitter

In this episode we cover:

• What is sarcopenia and when does it start?
• What causes muscle loss as we age?
• What is anabolic resistance and why do we need more protein as we age?
• What is the relationship between muscle loss and conditions like heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis?
• How can sarcopenia lead to an increase in body fat?
• Why is sarcopenic obesity such a major public health issue?
• How much muscle can people lose from their 20s to their 80s?
• Why is the loss of muscle strength even more important?
• How can menopause affect muscle loss in women?
• Why does fat distribution change in women after menopause and how does it affect health?
• What role can HRT play in metabolic health?
• What is inflammation, what is its role in disease and why the term used too frequently in popular media?
• What can lead to chronic, low-grade inflammation?
• How we store fat, fat cells and its role inflammation.
• What is dysregulated fat tissue and how can it lead to diabetes and heart disease?
• Are all people with a normal body weight healthy and are all people with obesity unhealthy?
• What is metabolic healthy obesity and is it common?
• Why can some people with normal body weight be metabolically unhealthy?
• What is visceral fat?
• The importance of lifestyle change for improving metabolic health
• What are some of the exercise options for people (especially those with mobility problems) to improve their metabolic health?
• Should we argue about whether cardio or resistance exercise is better?
• The importance of finding a type of exercise that you love
• My research into how COVID-19 lockdown may affect food and physical activity and its effects on sarcopenia

Artin is a licensed medical doctor and family medicine resident in Sweden as well as being a PhD candidate in the field of primary care at Lund University. On top of that he is co-founder of the brand EBT: Evidence Based Training, which is dedicated to making wellness science simple and understandable.

Artin's Instagram

EBT Official Instagram

EBT Website

EBT Diet Guide

Self Determination Theory Website

Big Five Personality Test

In this episode we cover:

• Artin's work as a medical doctor, his PhD research in Primary Care

• His company, Evidence Based Training and it's goal to promote evidence based training and nutrition information

• The importance of knowing WHY people do what they do and how it applies to medicine, nutrition and fitness

• Self determination theory and how it relates to people's motivation

• The 3 factors necessary to motivate people to make specific behaviours happen

• What are intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and how to they apply to our behaviours

• How to leverage intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to help form new habits

• What are some options to help maintain motivation when progress plateaus

• Why is "autonomy" so important in changing behaviours and how can coaches apply it with their clients

• The main different personality types/components

• Do people's personalities affect the ways that a coach should work to help motivate them

• The importance of relatedness or letting a client know that you care about their progress

• Why knowing you're own personality type can help you better interact with and help others

• Are there any differences in giving advice as a doctor and giving advice as a coach

• The importance of being a good listener and allowing a client to speak their piece

• Some resources for people to learn more about self determination theory and personality traits

Dr Jake Linardon is a Research Fellow at Deakin University, Australia. His research involves evaluating a broad range of treatment approaches for eating disorders, with a keen interest in understanding how we can use innovative technology to better reach those in need. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers, is on the editorial board for the International Journal of Eating Disorders and Body Image, and is the founder of Break Binge Eating.

Break Binge Eating Instagram

Break Binge Eating Website

ebook: 5 Proven Steps To Break The Binge Eating Cycle

In this episode we cover:

• Jake's research into eating disorders and his prolific research output
• How Jake's observations of the effects of physique ideals on eating and exercise behaviour led to his research interest
• What are some of the most common eating disorders and how are they diagnosed?
• The role of over-evaluating body shape and weight as a common root in the development of eating disorders
• Is there merit to treating all eating disorders in a similar fashion due to their common root cause?
• Why treating surface symptoms of eating disorders without dealing with the deeper issue results in a much greater risk of relapse
• What are some of the most commonly used treatments for eating disorders?
• The importance of real-time recording of binge eating episodes
• How effective are the commonly used eating disorder therapies?
• Are there certain types of people that are more likely to recover with treatment?
• How likely is it that someone who has "recovered" from an eating disorder may still be suffering the underlying issues?
• How might the COVID-19 pandemic affect people suffering from eating disorders?
• The role alcohol can play in binge eating
• What type of dietary patterns are related to the development of eating disorders?
• What is the difference between rigid and flexible dietary restraint?
• Is "flexible dieting" as it's commonly interpreted a type of flexible or rigid restraint?
• Where does intuitive eating fit in with flexible and rigid dietary restraint?
• Is there evidence for the use of intuitive eating in the treatment of eating disorders?
• Jake's free E-book to help people suffering with binge eating
• How can people in the fitness/nutrition industry ensure they aren't promoting disordered eating?

Dr Louise Newson is a GP and menopause specialist with an Advanced Menopause Specialist certificate with FSRH and the BMS. She feels passionately about improving education about the perimenopause and menopause and also improving awareness of safe prescribing of HRT to healthcare professionals. She has written many articles and editorials and in 2019 launched her first book, Menopause Manual with Haynes Publishing, which went on to be an Amazon bestseller.

Louise has lectured extensively at numerous meetings (including the RCGP annual meeting) on the topic of menopause. She has been a director for Primary Care Women’s Health Forum and an editor for the British Journal of Family Medicine. She is the director of Newson Health Ltd and has also set up a not-for-profit company – Newson Health Research and Education – and is involved in research with colleagues in Warwick University, London School of Tropical Medicine and also Kings College London.

Louise's Instagram

Louise's Website: Menopause Doctor

In this episode we cover:

• Dr Newson's career path to becoming a menopause specialist
• What exactly is the menopause and how is it diagnosed
• What are some of the commonly known and not-so-commonly known symptoms of menopause
• Why every case of menopause can be different
• The relationship between menopause and heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, dementia and obesity
• Why misdiagnosis of menopause is so common (memory problems, chronic fatigue, depression, urinary health issues etc)
• What are hot flashes and night sweats and why their effects can be so serious.
• How long can menopause last in some women?
• How can menopause affect a woman's sex life and why is it still taboo for many women?
• Why does a woman's body shape change around menopause and why is weight gain common?
• How sleep disturbances around menopause can contribute to weight gain.
• Why are women so poorly informed about the symptoms of menopause and why is change needed in the medical field.
• What is Hormone Replacement Therapy and how can it help with the symptoms of menopause.
• The importance of speaking with a menopause specialist when seeking guidance on HRT
• Why is there so much misinformation about the risks of HRT (The Women's Health Initiative)
• Is HRT natural and does it even matter?