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Good Mood Flat Tummy

From Bloated and Tired to Free and Inspired.

  • Start Here
  • Bloated, Full, and Tired?
  • Sleepless, Restless, and Sad?
  • Diet as a Prescription
  • Free & Inspired Radio (FIR)

Sleepless, Restless and Sad?

Sleep deprivation in Hong Kong is so prevalent it’s almost considered part of the lifestyle. An HKU study showed that 92% of the people studied showed signs of sleep deprivation without even knowing it. The same trial suggested that over 60 per cent of people woke up more than once in the preceding seven days before the survey.


If you feel as if you are one of those people, just because it seems normal does not mean it can’t improve. Maybe you’ve always been a good sleeper, but things have changed recently without a good reason why.


Most of us can handle the odd night where we don’t hit the magic eight hours, but when you find yourself waking at 3 a.m. every night, struggling to sleep from then until the alarm goes off every morning, it’s then that you start to feel anxious, restless and even sad. From there, it becomes difficult to know where one starts and the other begins. Sleepless, restless and sad offers articles and podcast episodes to explore the origins and solutions around fixing your sleep, feeling less anxious and improving your mood using natural medicine.

FIR Episode 37: Omega 3, fish oil and mental health

September 3, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this episode of Free and Inspired Radio, discover how fish oil might help your mental health, along with two commonly made mistakes people make when taking fish oil.

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...]

Article: Meditation for mental health in 2022?

August 13, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Young Asian man with eyes closed, enjoying meditating with his headphones

A question asked many times over the last decade is whether meditation is more effective than medication in managing your mental health and health in general. I put together a small workup about meditation’s role in the brain when taking some personal responsibility for stress. In that article, I promised I would do a deeper dive and feel the time is right, so here we … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 34: Meditation in 2022

August 13, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this episode of Free and Inspired radio, learn more about the power of meditation.

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...]

Article: N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for mental health?

July 30, 2022 by Philip Watkins

young woman feeling calm and less anxious

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a nutritional compound that seems beneficial for mental health and everything in between. Or at least that’s how the initial research presented. Let’s look into how it might help you.  NAC, as it’s usually known, is a popular over-the-counter supplement and FDA-approved drug used for paracetamol overdose.[1] Interest in NAC’s use spans … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 32: NAC for mental health.

July 30, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this episode of Free and Inspired Radio, learn more about how NAC might be able to help your 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...]

Article: Herbal medicine for Anxiety and Depression – Part One

June 4, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Women can use lavender to help with generalised anxiety

Herbal medicine used for anxiety and depression is becoming more common. One study of two hundred and sixty patients with depression showed that up to fifty per cent had tried some form of natural medicine.[1] Another study from the USA found that forty per cent of people with moderate depression and anxiety had tried some form of natural medicine, including herbal … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 29: Three Herbs for Anxiety and Depression

June 4, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this episode of Free and Inspired Radio, we introduce research on three herbs that have studied for anxiety and mild to moderate depression.

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, we look at some key herbs for anxiety and depression. One study of two hundred and sixty patients with depression showed that up to fifty per cent had tried some form of natural medicine. Seventy-four per cent of mental health sufferers don’t seek professional help. A survey conducted in Iran articulated some common reasons why … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 28: Is the gut the missing link for your hormones?

May 28, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this episode of Free and Inspired radio, learn about the link between your gut and your hormonal and menstrual issues.

Women with hormone issues such as premenstrual symptoms like cramping, bloating or unexpected emotional changes typically have gut symptoms at the start or different times during their cycle. "I didn't know there was a connection between my gut and my hormones." In this Free and Inspired radio episode, discover why the link between the gut and hormones may be the missing … [Read more...]

Article: Insomnia in a post COVID world – do the same solutions still help?

May 7, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Depressed woman with insomnia unable to get to sleep at night

It seems so. However, as with insomnia in the pre-COVID era, unravelling what might have caused it in the first place is an important, complex and personalised priority. In this article, we’ll be looking at what the most recent studies say about how the prevalence of insomnia has changed during and post-pandemic, chronic insomnia in general and some solutions that you may or … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 25: Can the same solutions still help insomnia post-pandemic?

May 7, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, learn about how sleep patterns have changed during and post-COVID and what solutions are available to help.

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, find out what the most recent studies say about how the prevalence of insomnia has changed during and post-pandemic. Learn about the causes of insomnia in general and some solutions that you may or may not have considered. “Coronasomnia,” a phenomenon described in many research articles, is believed to be caused by a variety of … [Read more...]

Article: Is there a connection between the gut, your brain and chronic pain?

April 23, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Woman experiencing chronic pain in her neck and shoulders. Is her gut and brain the real origin of it?

The answer is yes, there is a connection between the gut, your brain and chronic pain. Around 2 billion people are living with chronic pain worldwide.[1] For most people living with chronic pain, it is often considered a symptom of another condition. Usually, unfortunately, this leaves it inadequately treated. In my early years of practice, I saw many fibromyalgia … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 19: Cortisol is a friend to all but an enemy to some.

March 26, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this Free and Inspired Radio episode, learn more about the hormone, Cortisol, that helps you deal with stress.

Cortisol, the infamous stress hormone is a friend to all, but an enemy to some. In this Free and Inspired episode, Philip looks at how it affects the body.  We’ll also look at the best natural way to harness cortisol so it doesn’t harness you. Cortisol allows your body to deal with stress but may also slow your digestive system, metabolism and suppress your immune … [Read more...]

Article: Introducing Cortisol, the stress hormone.

March 25, 2022 by Philip Watkins

Woman wondering how to manage her stress.

“I think stress is affecting my hormones.” And it’s so true. But not in the way many people may think. It’s not just your sex hormones like oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone that are causing reactions in your body but others such as insulin and the hormone we are looking at today, cortisol. Introducing cortisol, the hormone that allows your body to deal with stress … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 17: Can probiotics help your brain and mental health?

March 13, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, get a sneak peak into the new first Good Mood, Flat Tummy e-book about how probiotics can help your brain and mental health.

The answer is yes, probiotics can be beneficial for your brain and mental health. It's essential, though, to understand where the research is at. That's what we're going to be looking at in this Free and Inspired radio episode. Want to read the full breakdown in an e-book? Simply sign up to our newsletter for your free copy or scroll down to listen to the podcast on your … [Read more...]

FIR Episode 15: Three questions to begin actively managing your stress.

February 12, 2022 by Philip Watkins

In this Free and Inspired radio episode, learn the three questions to ask to actively start managing your stress.

"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...]

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Did you know probiotics are beneficial for your brain and mental health?

Learn more about the brain and the gut connection in this free e-book created just for you!

Testimonials

  • "He does not silo the physical from the mental and approaches things in a very holistic manner. I really found this invaluable as I feel a number of my complaints were not only driven by physical triggers but also emotional/mental triggers."

  • "Philip took his time to explain what was possibly going on. Philip also took the time to digest the results of a recent annual medical, a recent allergy test and a genetic test. This level of care and attention was highly appreciated."

  • "I now manage to fall asleep after waking and generally get at least 6 hours sleep a night. The treatment avoided addictive medicine and was without daytime grogginess. Early morning waking is not a concern."

  • "I finally had a diagnostic to work with. I was so happy with the lack of pain and getting sleep at night that I embarked on a 6 month protocol. It was the first time in years that I saw any relief and progress."

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Recent Posts

  • Article: Melatonin in 2024 – What you need to know
  • Article: Assessing the realistic value of food sensitivity testing in 2024: 
  • FIR Episode 60: Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine
  • Serotonin, Dopamine and norepinephrine and how they affect your day.
  • FIR Episode 59: What are spore-based probiotics, and how can they help?
  • Article: What are spore-based probiotics, and how can they help?
  • FIR Episode 58: Is Choline missing from your diet?
  • Choline: the essential nutrient you need to know about
  • FIR Episode 57: Get to know your sleep cycles and wake up better.
  • Get to know your sleep cycles.
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16 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong

Contact Us

Recent Posts

  • Article: Melatonin in 2024 – What you need to know
  • Article: Assessing the realistic value of food sensitivity testing in 2024: 
  • FIR Episode 60: Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine
  • Serotonin, Dopamine and norepinephrine and how they affect your day.
  • FIR Episode 59: What are spore-based probiotics, and how can they help?

Contact

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getintouch@philipwatkins.health

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Free E-Book – How can probiotics help your brain?
Free E-Book – How can probiotics help your brain?