We know that gut health plays a crucial role in everything from digestion to immunity, weight management, and even mental well-being. But what does looking after your gut actually look like in practice?

In this episode, I’m again joined by Dr James Kinross a senior lecturer in colorectal surgery and consultant surgeon at Imperial College London, he’s a researcher, and author of Dark Matter, to explore the science behind our gut microbiome—and how we can take actionable steps to support it every single day.

🔍 Key Topics We Cover:

• Should everyone be doing a gut microbiome test?
• Are daily probiotics necessary, or is food enough?
• Can our gut bacteria influence how easily we lose weight?
• What’s the link between stress, mood, and our microbes?
• Does a healthy gut help us live longer?

But rather than just theory, today’s episode is all about practical strategies. We walk through what an ideal gut-health day looks like—from the moment you wake up to your morning routine, commute, meals, work stressors, and even how you wind down at night. Dr. Kinross breaks down:

✔ The best foods to start your day for optimal gut function

✔ What supplements to take (or avoid) for microbiome health

✔ How movement, stress, and even pollution affect your gut

✔ Why gut bacteria plays a role in breaking down food, recycling nutrients, and producing essential compounds

✔ How gut health shifts across different life stages—from newborns to aging adults

We also dive into some big health questions, including:

🧠 The gut-brain connection – how microbes influence serotonin, dopamine, and mood

💊 Post-antibiotic recovery – what to do if you’ve just finished a round of antibiotics

⚖️ Weight control – how gut microbes affect appetite, fat burning, and metabolism

🦠 Cancer risk – why are cases of bowel cancer rising in younger people?

If you’ve ever wondered how to support your gut and why it matters, this is the episode for you.

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What makes a mushroom ‘medicinal’ and are they worth the hype? How do these fungi differ from the everyday varieties we cook with? On this week’s episode of The Doctor’s Kitchen podcast, we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of mushrooms with our expert guest Tom Baxter.

From Lion’s Mane to Reishi, we’ll explore the unique healing properties of these incredible organisms and what the research reveals about their potential benefits. We’ll discuss their effects on cognitive function, stress, fatigue, and even menopausal symptoms.

You’ll learn:

🍄 How to source high-quality mushroom products to avoid contaminants

🧑🏽‍🍳 The culinary and nutritional benefits of everyday mushrooms and their environmental impact

🧠 Whether there is evidence that mushrooms can improve mental well-being and support immunity.

🔎 Whether you’re a skeptic, a mushroom enthusiast, or just curious about these fascinating fungi, this episode is packed with insights to inspire you to add more mushrooms to your diet and daily life.

Tom Baxter is a farmer and founder of The Bristol Fungarium, which produces the UK's first organic certified medicinal mushrooms. Ever conscious of the unfolding ecological collapse that confronts us, Tom made the fateful move away from city life in 2008 to find meaning through working the land. After several educational years establishing his organic vegetable farm and two decades of largely unsuccessful foraging excursions he pivoted from farming and invested everything into creating The Bristol Fungarium, pioneering organic medicinal mushroom production in the UK.

If you’re in the mood for mushrooms, one of my favourite recipes on the doctors kitchen app is the “Cashew Curry with Chickpeas and Crispy Mushrooms” or better still, type in mushroom into the search bar at doctorskitchen.com to see what comes up ;)

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

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In February 2018, Rebecca Devine, a mum of 4 children, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive form of brain cancer, and given just 12-15 months to live.

Remarkably in 2025 she’s still here. And today we’re going to talk about her incredible story from diagnosis and treatment, to continual perseverance and ongoing health.

I met Rebecca recently at a small gathering hosted by Dr William Li for the angiogenesis foundation, a non profit whose mission is to beat cancer by targeting blood vessels that feed tumours. And it was there that I first came across her story that I’m privileged to share with you today.

Today we’ll talk about how Rebecca’s first experience with cancer was over 20 years ago when her mother was struck with the same diagnosis, and the emotional and physical journey Rebecca went on since 2018. We’ll talk about her blend of conventional therapy, diet and lifestyle pursuits as well as the novel vaccine based treatment that she currently uses to keep her condition in remission.

Peptide vaccine technology is an emerging immunotherapy strategy aimed at stimulating the immune system to target tumor-specific antigens. GBM, is aggressive and resistant to standard therapies and peptide vaccines hold potential for transforming treatment by leveraging the immune system for tumor-specific targeting.

I also firmly believe that the use of novel treatments combined with Rebecca's tenacity, mindset and unwillingness to give up is the reason why she’s defied all odds and is currently thriving.

🎬 Watch the podcast on YouTube here

📱 Download The Doctor’s Kitchen app

🌐 View full show notes, including guest details, on our website

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