What are you feeding your brain?

Just as the food that we eat impacts our physical bodies, the culture we consume impacts our how our brains work – which regions of the brain is activated, how the brain is stretched, how the brain learns and grows.  What we choose to watch or do directly relates to how we feel and behave. Whether it is a stream of endless bad news, box sets, podcasts, You Tube clips, TikToks, novels or video games. What do you think they do to your mind or even soul over time?

If you don’t pay attention to what you let into your mind, negative thoughts from yourself or others allows weeds to grow and spread. So, what is the best way to feed your brain? To be proactive about what you consume. Even if it’s as small as choosing to read for 10 minutes a day or choosing to meditate, being conscious of what you listen to on your way into work. Making good choices about what you fuel your brain with will help you elevate your thoughts and mood and feel more in control of life.

I have whittled down some of my favourite go to podcasts that I feel fuel my brain,

Happy Place by Fearne Cotton

Listening to Fearne interview all sorts of guests is like listening in on a chat between mates, it’s relaxed, casual yet honest. I always come away pondering on something that was discussed.

Feel Better Live More by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
This has been my go to podcast for better understanding health, science and the body‘s fundamental workings. Deep dive into health and wellness. I often listen to discussions twice as there is too much good information to take in in one listening!

Sleep With Me by Dr Ackerman
No whale music or white Noise but instead a bedtime story that’s riveting enough to distract you from your thoughts but not so riveting that it keeps you awake. Dr Ackerman has had his own struggles with insomnia. His storytelling began when he had to tell his younger brothers bedtime stories to get them to sleep.

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
If you love watching the BBC2 Couples Therapy series on TV you will love listening to this – a real life couples therapy session. Esther Perel has become one of the World’s renowned experts on relationships and all matters relating to love. Her Belgian accent and insights are soothing and hypnotic.

Life Lessons From Sport and Beyond with Simon Mundie

Simon was an Arsenal and England football player now turned broadcaster, life coach,  motivational speaker and author. He interviews the biggest sporting names as well as neuroscientists, philosophers and psychologists, using sport to explore life’s bigger issues.

 The Netflix show that I have been binge watching is Sex Education a series about a teenager Otis, his mum who is a sex therapist (played amazingly by Gillian Anderson) and his high school. Every episode foregrounds issues around sex in an effortlessly funny way.

I would love to know what are you favourite things to fuel your brain with?


Nicola Strudley