The Wellness Scoop

Mindfulness, Baking and Slowing Down

Pauline Beaumont – therapist, author, mum of six and passionate baker – outlines the importance of slow, calming, mindful activities for nurturing our mental health. We talk about why balancing the frenetic, technology led parts of our lives with activities that allow us to find more presence, creativity and community is so important, why we need to celebrate life’s imperfections, what simple ingredients like flour and water can teach us about life and how emotional eating plays a role in our everyday.   Pauline Beaumont, Bread Therapy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Is Exercise Good For Us?

Dr Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor, talks us through why we’re over simplifying exercise in the modern world; why ‘just do it’ doesn’t work and why exercise really does matter. We look at how it’s connected to our mental and physical health, from coronavirus to depression; whether there is an optimal form or duration of exercise; how we’ve evolved – the biological and anthropological foundations of movement and whether sitting is the new smoking?   Book: Daniel Lieberman, Exercised Our app: IOS: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/deliciously-ella-app/id1445510165?mt=8 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.deliciouslyella.delella See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Science of Happiness

Tal Ben-Shahar created the most popular course in Harvard’s history, studying the science of happiness. He guides us through the universal pillars of happiness from the importance of learning and curiosity to our relationships, meaning and purpose, as well as the universal detractors from the downfall of technology to the gap in our expectations, the modern rat race and the misunderstanding of the connection between, wealth, success and happiness.   Poem – The Guest House by Rumi Book – Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar The Happiness Studies Academy - https://www.happinessstudies.academy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10 Ways to De-Stress Your Life

Our September back to school special is on how to de-stress and de-clutter your life, looking at how we can bring more joy, ease and efficiency into our every day. We talk to author of Life Skills Erin Zammett Ruddy about morning routines, skipping the snooze button, boosting our energy in three minutes, organising the house, creating a positive working from home environment, streamlining our overflowing inboxes, de-stressing in less than a minute, meditation, saying no and walking into a room with confidence with tips from wellness leaders like Arianna Huffington and Dr Oz. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reasons for Optimism About Climate Change

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding Work Life Balance

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Celebration of Imperfect Women

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Practical Approach To Mental Health

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to Create Positive Body Image

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Flaws of Perfectionism

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simple Tools for Health: Breath

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:  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love and Relationships: 15 Facts

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Human Kindness

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding Gratitude in the Hardest Moments

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Easy Ways to Stay Healthy at Home

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A Calming Meditation

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Checking In and What We’re Loving

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coping with The Current Uncertainty

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is Happy Ever After a Myth?

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reframing Our Thinking: How to Believe Good Things Can Happen

How do we reframe our thinking to believe good things can happen, how do we spread good in such a difficult time and how can we manage our mindset to stop us drifting into negativity bias, especially in such an uncertain period? Neuroscientist Dr Tara Swart talks us through the power of the mind, the law of attraction and whether creating the life we want is luck, faith at work or something explainable by science. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Embracing Life’s Challenges

Today’s guest, therapist Sasha Bates, talks embracing vulnerability, expanding our emotional bandwidth, why we shouldn’t cut ourselves off from difficult emotions and the importance of stopping the ‘I’m fine’ mentality. From loosening the protective emotional armour we can create in childhood to understanding avoidance and denial, creating space for feelings, finding gems in the rubble and treating vulnerability and pain with kindness, we discuss all manner of ways to embrace and understand life’s challenges.   Sasha Bates, Languages of Loss See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eco-Anxiety and The Healing Power of Nature

Does our cultural move away from the natural world impact our mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing? Does it really change things in our brains, guts and our ability to heal? What does the science say? Our guest is the science journalist Lucy Jones – looking at the most recent studies on our relationship with nature and how it interacts with human biology, neuroscience and psychology, as well the impact of pollution and the concept of eco-anxiety and how our disconnect from nature impacts on climate change.    Lucy Jones: Loosing Eden   Deliciously Ella Live: https://www.fane.co.uk/our-shows/deliciously-ella-live/about-the-show#book   Bristol, 11th May - Gelong Thubten  How to Find Genuine Happiness    How do we find peace, presence and happiness in the business of the world around us? Can we make happiness an internal quality rather than something we’re on a constant quest for and that needs external validation to happen? We’re looking at compassion, discipline, the science of meditation and how to navigate the modern world with Buddhist monk Gelong Thubten.      London, 13th May, Dr Rangan Chatterjee The Quick and Easy Ways to Create a Healthier Life   Can five minutes make a difference to our lives? Can we really create healthy habits that impact our mental and physical wellbeing in that time, lower stress and boost our relationships. Dr Rangan Chatterjee believes we can, and that’s what he’ll be able to tell us all about.      Edinburgh, 17th May, Dr Megan Rossi  The Power of Our Gut Health   How can what we eat, our stress levels and the way we move impact the gut and why does that matter? How does the gut brain connection work and how can I make it all work a little better? We’ll be delving into the science behind our gut health and how that impacts on almost every part of our physical and mental wellbeing with Dr Megan Rossi, a leading expert in the field.      Cardiff, 19th May, Gelong Thubten  How to Find Genuine Happiness    How do we find peace, presence and happiness in the business of the world around us? Can we make happiness an internal quality rather than something we’re on a constant quest for and that needs external validation to happen? We’re looking at compassion, discipline, the science of meditation and how to navigate the modern world with Buddhist monk Gelong Thubten.      Dublin, 21st May, Shahroo Izadi  Making Positive, Long Lasting Changes   How many times have you tried to break a negative cycle, give up a habit that doesn’t help you or make a change in your life only to find yourself back at square one a week later? We’re talking to behaviour psychologist Shahroo Izadi about making these habits stick, about creating true change in our lives and allowing the healthier habits that we know may help us become an easy, enjoyable part of our every day.      Manchester, 26th May - Amelia Freer Healthy Eating 101   Healthy eating can feel very confusing - what to believe and what not to? With contradictory headlines in the media almost daily it can be hard to get a clear sense of what we should be doing to feel our best. We’ll be talking myth versus fact and breaking down what really matter and what doesn’t when it comes to balanced, healthy, sustainable, delicious eating habits with nutritionist Amelia Freer.      Leeds, 27th May, Shahroo Izadi  Making Positive, Long Lasting Changes   How many times have you tried to break a negative cycle... See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How To Build A Healthy, Happy Brain

Can we build a healthy brain? Are there psychological and lifestyle factors that impact on our brain’s functioning and therefore our wellbeing? We’re talking to Kimberley Wilson, a psychologist who’s passionate about education on the preventative measures we can take when it comes to brain health. We talk everything from why we ignore mental health symptoms to dementia, depression, anxiety, stress, diet and managing our emotional health.   Kimberley Wilson, How to Build a Healthy Brain: Reduce stress, anxiety and depression and future-proof your brain - https://www.kimberleywilson.co/about See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Setting Boundaries & Our Christmas Reading List

For our final episode of series 4, we're joined by the wonderful journalist Toni Jones, founder of Shelf Help: global platform, book club and community dedicated to self-help and self-development. Toni kicks off the episode by interviewing Matt and Ella about the whirlwind year they’ve had and how much they’ve learnt from our incredible podcast guests. From setting boundaries to work life balance, daily routines and new year’s resolutions. We then go on to discuss three gorgeous books, recommended by Toni, to help kickstart 2020. Shelf Help Gelong Thubten 100 Days of Self-discovery Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers The Source: Open Your Mind, Change Your Life by Dr Tara Swart See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Morning Routines

Can a morning routine change your life? Is making a big transformation really as simple as bringing together passion, belief and effort? Can we actually all set our alarms a little bit earlier every day? Today we’re talking to international bestselling author of Miracle Morning, Hal Elrod, about whether implementing just six things over the course of an hour, every single morning, every single day of the year, can really help us live our lives to the fullest. Hal Elrod - Miracle Morning - https://www.miraclemorning.com/ Will Smith on Ellen Degeneres - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoldJNDLZHc Hal Elrod & Michael J Maher - The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Miracle-Morning-Real-Estate-Agents/dp/194258900X See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diet Myths

Should we eat little and often or three big meals? Why does one meal make one person lose weight and another person gain it? Is it really calories in versus calories out? What about ultra-processed food, how does it impact on us? What happens if we eat just McDonalds for 10 days? We’re exploring personalised nutrition, diet myths and nature versus nurture with scientist Tim Spector. Sign up to our newsletter here - www.deliciouslyella.com Tim Spector, Identically Different and The Diet Myth - http://www.tim-spector.co.uk/# Link to the DIETFIT study - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2673150 Link to the British Gut Project - http://britishgut.org/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Friendship, Sisterhood and Jealousy

Exploring the topic of friendship: how to support one another, how to let go of toxic relationships and why we need to strengthen our relationship with ourselves in order to further our relationships with others. We’re answering all your questions from why can we be so catty to why do we judge so much. Are women really supporting women, how can we be happy for others when we feel intense jealousy, how to handle the shift to motherhood and how can we change the paradigm of constant comparison? One of my favourite episodes yet, a warm and open talk with Xochi Balfour. Holly Lynch's letter expressing support for Megan Markle can be read here Chameli Ardagh, Awakening Women: https://awakeningwomen.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Meat Myth

James Wilks, producer and presenter of the best-selling documentary Game Changers, joins us to explore a plant-based diet from a totally new angle, looking at how it fuels some of the strongest and most dynamic athletes in the world. From Roman Gladiators to UFC fighters, Olympic champions, the world’s strongest man and American Footballers, we look at the myth of meat and challenge the stereotype that real men eat meat. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Building Bridges In A Divided World

How do we create real change, build community, find a sense of togetherness and heal the divisions that currently exist in our society? A recent Harvard study concluded that 80% of millennials want to be rich and 50% famous, are we aiming for the wrong things and focusing so much on the big, on grandeur and impossible-to-reach goals that we miss the joy, the purpose, the connection of the small, the everyday, the local? We’re talking to independent Politician Rory Stewart about his experience here and the often toxic divides of politics today. 700 Tesco stores for frozen Gelong Thubten Podcast Episode: https://play.acast.com/s/deliciouslyellapodcast/f6f90e87-5875-40f9-981e-7899babfc209 Harvard Study Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/8KkKuTCFvzI Statistics on loneliness in the UK: https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/the-facts-on-loneliness/ Rory references Tempus Novo, an award winning charity that works with serving prisoners and ex-offenders: https://tempusnovo.org/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do We Need a Digital Detox?

We tap, swipe and click our devices 2,617 times a day, 34% of us have checked Facebook in the last ten minutes, we answer an email within six seconds and we’re now spending more time on screens than we do sleeping. Is it too much? How is it affecting us all? Should we need a digital detox? How can we wean ourselves off the addiction and control the social anxiety that can come with it? Today we’re talking about finding that balance, looking at the small steps we can take making tech something that makes us healthier and happier rather than more frazzled with Tanya Goodin. All statistics cited by Ella and Tanya can be found on: https://www.itstimetologoff.com/digital-detox-facts/ All information about Tanya’s retreats, books and everything else can be found at: https://www.tanyagoodin.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices