"Everyone tells me to manage my stress as it's affecting my health. Honestly, I don't know where to start or what managing my stress even means?!" In this Free and Inspired radio episode, Philip deconstructs stress and offers better questions to ask to start managing it. Stress, by definition, occurs when the balance or stasis of the body is affected by something either … [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 14: What is a leaky gut, and does it affect the brain and gut?
Do you have "leaky gut?" “The title says it all. I remember walking through an airport and seeing the caption on the front of Women's Health and smiling as it seemed to have finally crossed over into the public vernacular.” Of course, this was when we could fly freely, as a side note. The term "leaky gut" and its symptoms and causes are becoming highly ambiguous … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 13: Zinc is essential for your mental and digestive health
Zinc is undoubtedly one of the most important forms of currency your body uses to pay its bills. “You walk around with around 2-3 grams of zinc in your body every day. It's in all tissues in the body, with eighty-five per cent found in your muscles and bones and eleven per cent seen in your skin and liver.” In this Free and Inspired radio episode, Philip looks at … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 12: Is histamine worsening your mental and IBS symptoms?
We've all been affected by histamine at one stage in our lives. Hay fever and skin rashes aside, there are more profound effects of histamine in the gut and the brain that you might not know about. It can be surprising how intrinsic it is. For instance, histamine plays critical roles in immune defence, brain activity, growth and development, fertility and … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 11: Going on a gluten-free diet – Things you need to know.
“It doesn’t take too many consultations into my practice day to have the “gluten-free diet conversation.” I don’t think I’m overstating things when I suggest that it might be the most hotly contested dietary conversation of the last decade.” In this Free and Inspired radio episode, Philip introduces gluten, how it might affect you, and some of the disadvantages of a … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 10: “By 3 pm, I’m ready to sleep.” Discover the 3 pm slump
Ever get an hour in after lunch and feel like it's time to sleep? Learn more about the 3 pm slump in this episode! The 3 pm slump is a common symptom for a lot of people. You just have to see the queues forming at your local coffee spot to see how many people are silently going through the same thing. We've all been there. Lunch is over, the afternoon workload is looming, … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 9: Can your fatigue be linked to your digestive system?
In this Free and Inspired radio episode, we will examine how your digestive system can worsen your fatigue. The microbiome is as unique as your fingerprint. We have a lot to learn, but we know that the proportions of the different species of bacteria in your digestion play a huge role in how you’re feeling. Especially in fatigue or your sense of mental and physical … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 8: Is blood sugar affecting your sleep and waking you up?
In this Free and Inspired radio episode, we will be looking at how to identify if your blood sugar is affecting your sleep and waking you up at night. “Now, it’s fair to say I prescribe a few things in the clinic that raise my patients’ eyebrows. No more so than when I prescribe a herbal and nutritional formula for blood sugar levels to be taken in the morning to fix a … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 7: Treat your nutrition as currency?
In episode 7, we explore a concept very close to the heart—nutrition as currency. In this episode, Philip introduces the analogy he’s used with his patients for over a decade now. Definitely a popular concept from Philip’s speaking engagements too! Nearly once a day, I hear a familiar request. “I want to know if I’m getting what I need from my diet.” This Free … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 6: Can digestion make my anxiety worse?
Pre-COVID-19 studies suggest that just over a third of people will experience an episode of anxiety in their life. In Hong Kong, an estimated 26 per cent of people have reported mental health deterioration since the pandemic began. Pandemic aside, for those with another illness, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the prevalence of an accompanying anxiety disorder can be … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 5: Using food to unlock your anti-ageing genes
Fun fact about reversing ageing: If we cured heart disease and cancer, we would most likely increase our life expectancy by less than five years. That’s even with the absence of two of the biggest causes of death on the globe. In contrast, if we were to reverse ageing, the extension in life expectancy is estimated to be in the decades. Around three years ago, … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 4: How are IBS and SIBO connected?
Discover how small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may be the breakthrough that clears up this mystery of IBS for many people. The chances that either you or someone you know experiences some form of IBS. Whether in the form of bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux or nausea, are pretty high in these modern times. IBS is a chronic functional disorder of … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 3: Had to take an Antibiotic? What to do next.
Probiotics, prebiotics or a combination of both? Sometimes an antibiotic prescription is unavoidable in Hong Kong. For most, it’s when you’ve got an infection that isn’t getting better. For most, there can be a reluctance to take the antibiotics prescribed, and this may be warranted. The O’Neill report released in the UK defined this predicting that by 2050 … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 2: Is your digestion causing food sensitivities?
Have you ever said, “I can’t pinpoint which food sensitivities are making my digestion worse?” It’s possible then that something may need to change to make your digestion more effective. Food sensitivities may not be the cause of your IBS or digestive symptoms. Instead, they may be a by-product of a deeper issue within your digestion function. "So, the equation … [Read more...]
FIR Episode 1: What is Naturopathy in Hong Kong?
Click here to learn more about how naturopathy can help you in Hong Kong. In contrast to traditional Chinese medicine in Hong Kong, naturopathy is a western traditional natural medicine modality combining three pillars of treatment. The first is herbal medicine, the second is “nutrition as a therapy,” and the third is “diet as a prescription.” A holistic, … [Read more...]