Healthy Beast

Genetic testing is simple and can save lives

Clare Brenner is CEO of the genetic testing company Myogenes. Fifteen years ago, Clare lost her sister to mental illness. Her sister's life could have been saved if she had been given the right medication, and Claire says genetic testing is the answer.

For psychiatric medication, for cancer treatment, and so much more, testing can save billions of pounds and more importantly save many lives.

Myogenes provides tests that tell you what food and exercise is most suited to your genetic makeup, and also which medicines may not work for you. 

Royal Marines brave 'horrendous' storms to row Atlantic for charity

You don't expect a 3,000-mile unsupported row across the Atlantic to be easy, but this trip got incredibly rough very quickly. The four Royal Marines - two serving, two veterans - were forced to rely on grit, teamwork and some improvised surgery on each other's battered bodies. The enthusiasm in telling their story is a great example of how tough experiences bring out the best in people. 

The boys are well on the way to a target of raising £100k for the Royal Marines Charity. They are also supporting REORG, a charity promoting mental and physical recovery through martial arts. 

To help them hit the £100k target, please go to instagram.com/rm_cockleshell_atlantic and click on the link in the bio.

 

Dr Harry: what is the best prescription for wellbeing and longevity?

How do we combat the innate desire to do things that are bad for us? Dr Harry Weisinger is a doctor and university professor who specialises in nutrition and recovery, with a focus on little changes that can make life healthier and happier - and hopefully last longer. As well as helping a whole range of athletes (and normal humans) to perform better, Harry uses his own body as a test tube, putting himself through the mill as a competitive cyclist who shows no signs of slowing down as he prepares to sprint past his 50th birthday.

Dr Harry is medical adviser to the premium CBD company Truth Naturals.

 

 

I did a 45-minute ballet class and then went into labour - Studio K founder Sarah Kleio

Professional dancer and choreographer Sarah Kleio danced her way all around the world before starting Studio K in Richmond. They teach high-energy streetdance moves to everyone from tiny children through to people who are old enough to know better. 

Sarah talks about the challenge of keeping the business going through the pandemic, having a baby in the middle of the lockdown, and how dancing is the easiest and most fun way to get yourself back in shape. 

Silat master Steve Benitez on martial arts, yoga and the power of staying still

The Indonesian martial art of Silat is beautiful to watch, but deadly. Grand master Steve Benitez teaches people to fight, but first he shows them the importance of finding peace through stillness. 

‘If you were a horse, we’d shoot you’ – how Leon Taylor fought back after Olympic dreams took a dive

Leon Taylor broke a British diving-medal drought of 44 years when he won silver in the 2004 Athens Olympics along with diving partner Peter Waterfield. In the process, Leon also broke quite a lot of his body. The gruelling training, not to mention somersaulting from a very high platform, left him with multiple reconstructive surgeries, before the doctor decided to put Leon out of his misery.

But he fought back, and Leon has turned the highs and lows of Olympic diving into a successful career coaching, speaking and mentoring. I highly recommend his TEDx speech, which you can see here. Not before listening to the podcast, obviously, in which Leon talks about staying lockdown healthy, and treating movement as medicine for both our physical and mental health.

Robin Emerson: my daughter lost her smile

Robin's daughter Jorja was just 10 months old when she started having terrifying epileptic seizures. They got so bad that doctors told her parents that Jorja was going to die. Refused a second opinion, Robin began to campaign for medical cannabis to get the seizures under control.

After a tireless campaign, with help from the charity End Our Pain, Jorja became the first child to get a UK prescription for cannabis. Her seizures reduced dramatically and the joy came back to her face. Medical cannabis is legal in the UK, but Jorja has no option but to get an expensive private prescription. Robin is working with Brains Bioceutical to increase awareness of cannabis to make sure that other children can get access to the life-saving medicine they need.

Triple-amputee Mark Ormrod: strangers asked if I was going to do the Paralympics

Being told he was going to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair didn't wash for Mark Ormrod. The former Royal Marine Commando lost both legs above the knee and his right arm above the elbow in a blast in Afghanistan in 2007. Not only did Mark learn to walk again, he has won medals at the Invictus games and driven fast cars. And now he trains Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His work as a motivational speaker makes total sense - he has certainly made me think differently about the so-called injuries I have worried about. 

Find more about REORG, the Royal Marines charity that teaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu to serving personnel and veterans to help them overcome mental and physical health challenges. 

 

Vinny Shoreman: the daft things people say about hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapist and mind mechanic Vinny Shoreman has a no-nonsense and often humorous approach to fixing problems. He helps a wide range of clients deal with grief, fear, anxiety and depression. He has many years of experience and has learnt to be patient with people's misunderstandings about hypnotherapy. He makes the point that hypnotherapy is a very useful therapeutic tool that can help people overcome severe trauma. Stage hypnosis, on the other hand, can only help people "make dicks of themselves", something they have "no problem doing all on their own".

76 days alone: para-athlete rows solo across the Atlantic

Kelda Wood was hoping for a career as a show jumper when a one-ton bale of hay fell on her, crushing her leg. Through this life-changing accident she grew even more determined, starting the charity Climbing Out to help people who have survived injury and trauma.

Last year Kelda spent three months in total isolation, becoming the first para-athlete to row solo across the Atlantic, driven on by thoughts of the many people her charity is helping. It is an incredibly inspiring story of pushing through pain and loneliness, day after day, as strong winds threatened to push her right back where she came from. Just the sort of thing you need to hear if life's little problems are getting you down.