Neuroinflammation is one of the clearest connections between the gut, brain, and immune system. Neuroinflammation is a broad term for an inflammatory response in the brain or the spinal cord. There could be a different name for neuroinflammation - a hot brain. Learn more about how the immune system uses inflammation to activate and direct itself to critical areas … [Read more...]
Free and Inspired Radio
From bloated and tired to free and inspired! Welcome to Free and Inspired Radio with Philip Watkins.
The title says it all. This show is all about feeling free and inspired and exploring the many different avenues you can take to get there. Whether it’s deep dives on digestive and mental health solutions or guests who offer their own stories and answers, we hope the podcast can be a guide you can rely on to unlock the agency you have to reach your mental and physical sovereignty.
FIR Episode 44: Three steps to get your IBS under control.
IBS can take over your day and hijack your mind in such a short time. I did a radio spot on RTHK national radio here in Hong Kong, where we introduced how it can affect people. To explain the context of how it affects people, consider the following question: Can you imagine feeling progressively more unwell with every meal you eat, every day, for months or years? It … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 43: Melatonin for IBS and Depression?
In this episode of Free and Inspired radio, discover how Melatonin works in the body. For example, find out how it interacts with other hormones such as cortisol, some things you didn’t know (Melatonin and IBS?!) and, of course, some guidelines on how to take it. Melatonin use is rising sharply post-pandemic and is often polarising in its effects. Some find … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 42: Hydrogen sulphide and SIBO symptoms that won’t budge
In this Free and Inspired radio episode, find out if hydrogen sulphide is the missing link if your SIBO breath test comes back clear, but you still have IBS symptoms. You’ve been through the biphasic diet to fix your SIBO and gut health issues and have worked hard to get to the retest to see how things have gone. You feel better than you did when you started. However, the … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 41: Is coffee good for you or not?
Is coffee good for you? In this Free and Inspired radio episode we're going to answer that question. Most people think they should give it up especially when it’s time to change something about their health. But what if, contrary to popular belief, it’s healthier than you think? Finnish people, on average, consume around four cups daily. This daily amount can increase … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 40: Herbs and Supplements for Poor Sleep
Although the prevalence of insomnia in Hong Kong is high, out of four thousand five hundred people surveyed, only forty per cent of adults and ten per cent of children and teenagers sought help to fix it. Let alone tried herbs or supplements for sleep. That’s sixty per cent of people, or six out of ten, experiencing less than optimal sleep in Hong Kong. This deficit … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 39: Half the world has H.pylori, do you?
Based on a study in 2015, H.pylori infection has affected up to 4.4 billion individuals worldwide. How come so many people have had this, and I’ve never heard of it? There are a few reasons. Most of the time, the higher prevalence rates are in developing countries, with the African continent estimated to have up to an eighty per cent infection … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 38: How much dietary protein is needed for longevity in 2022?
Saying dietary protein intake is critical for longevity and quality of life seems dramatic. However, did you know we lose up to fifty per cent of our muscle mass between the ages of forty and eighty? However, protein is considered the most fundamental nutrient for animals and humans. This Free and Inspired radio episode on protein intake will help you assess your … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 37: Omega 3, fish oil and mental health
This Free and Inspired radio episode explores Omega-3, Fish oil, depression, and your mental health. Omega-3 intake and fish oil have had some confusing evidence for mental health over the years. One study will show it’s positive for mental health and even for reducing mortality risk. Then there’ll be a contradictory study on mental health that confuses patients and … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 36: The oral microbiome and your digestive and mental health
The health of the oral microbiome can influence most of the common conditions we see in the brain, the gut and everything in between. For example, did you know that cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease are linked with your oral health? This Free and Inspired radio episode will explore the silent epidemic occurring “right under our noses.” Learn about how the … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 35: Uniting appetite control, your hormones and the gut.
Appetite control, or suppression as some refer to it, is a complex symbiosis of hormonal, environmental, behavioural and bacterial influences. Suppressing your appetite can be like going to the beach, kneeling at the ocean’s edge and trying to stop the waves from coming in. In this Free and Inspired radio episode, you can discover what we know about the dynamics of hunger … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 34: Meditation in 2022
Is meditation more effective than medication in managing your mental health and health in general in 2022? Lifestyle practices such as meditation are the cornerstone of taking control of your health. Systematic reviews on meditation have also found beneficial effects on anxiety, depression and chronic pain scores. Not only this, but physical effects are also … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 33: One dietary change can improve your executive function
How can one small dietary change immediately benefits your quality of life through the lens of your cognitive executive function? Click here to read the full article, or scroll down to listen to the podcast on your favourite platform! In this Free and Inspired radio episode, learn about what executive functions are, how they relate to the quality of your day and … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 32: NAC for mental health.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a nutritional compound that seems beneficial for mental health and a variety of other conditions such as fatty liver, PCOS and gut issues. This episode of Free and Inspired radio focuses on the role that NAC can play in some mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety and addiction. NAC is an amino acid and has multiple actions in … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 31: A Beginner’s Guide to SIBO
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO as an acronym, is one of many modern ways of handling and, in some cases, explaining irritable bowel syndrome and its symptoms. In this Free and Inspired radio episode, get a beginner’s look at small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Some estimates have SIBO positive in up to seventy per cent of IBS cases. One study … [Read more...]