Dr Kate Dawson is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at National University of Ireland, Galway. Her study primarily focuses on sexual health promotion and educating the youth on key areas like consent, communication, and intimacy. Her PhD was based upon the development of a pornography intervention programme for young adolescents in an effort to improve sex education in Ireland. Kate is no stranger to the media eye, in her efforts to de-stigmatise conversations on sex. She has featured on ITVs daytime talk show ‘This Morning’ speaking about the benefits of sexual health promotion and why we should talk more openly about it. She recently completed a Ted Talk, talking about her research, that focuses on how we can approach the topic honestly with our children, communicate things better with our partners and feel more at ease with ourselves. In today’s podcast, we talk about the most common questions asked in a primary and secondary school settings, relating to sex. We explore the reason why it has been seen as shameful for women to want sex and why men have been afforded more sexual freedom in the past. We discuss the reasons why kids may feel uncomfortable talking to their parents about sex and some useful approaches that can be taken. Kate also debunks some of the myths that exist around sex and pornography. She explains how much is too much masturbation, the importance of genital compliments, and how important body exploration is.

Trish Scanlon is a Paediatric oncologist from Ireland. Dr. Trish has revolutionised survival rates for paediatric cancers from 12% to 60% in Tanzania, a country of over 50m people. She established the first Children’s Cancer Unit at Muhimbili National Hospital, refurbished a new paediatric oncology ward and maintained survival rates at 60%. In December 2012, Dr Trish was diagnosed with breast cancer. She fought back tooth and nail but it unfortunately returned within the year. Now the statistics of surviving cancer a second time around are slim to none. Luckily for every child suffering from cancer in Tanzania, she was in the minority. Trish fought breast cancer twice and won, giving her the unique perspective and understanding of the doctor patient relationship. Interestingly, she talks about the importance of lifestyle medicine in ensuring remission. In this week’s podcast we speak to a lady who has seen countless children agonisingly suffer, discussing the impact it has had on her physically and emotionally. We talk about the importance of showing emotion as a healthcare professional and why families appreciate it so much. We discuss the impact traditional healers have on modern day medicine and a potential roll they may play in the future. And finally, we try to comprehend the bravery and resilience of kids who just never know when to give up.

Frankie Maston is a young Tanzanian musician with an unmatched vocal prowess. Frankie finds the pleasure in writing and singing Afro-pop, soul, reggae and RnB. His original composition is a tapestry of romance, happiness, betrayal, letting go, heartbreak, hidden passion and liberation. His music voices feelings of love and the triumphs of youth. Frankie bravely uses his music as a platform to express his deepest thoughts, interests and sexual desires which unfortunately go against the cultural thinking of his beloved country. Anyone from the LGBTQ community in Tanzania face criminal offence for any private or consensual same sex act that is caught. The offence is punishable with life imprisonment In this week’s episode we discuss the differences between Gender and sexuality. We talk about the fear of the unknown and why people often respond negatively to it. We delve into the religious debate and where the anti anti LGBTQ sentiments stem from. We also touch upon the power of music and its ability to unify, the importance of being true to yourself and finish with a song from this brilliant musician.

Jack Kavanagh is a life coach, motivational speaker, business analyst, a pharmacy masters graduate and a wheelchair user. On the first day of a summer holiday to Portugal back in 2012, Jack dived into the ocean hitting his head off a sand bank and breaking his neck. This left him paralysed from the neck down with less than 15% global muscle function. Jack has a gift. His mental clarity is refreshing. His outlook on life; Inspirational. Here is a young guy who was left in a wheelchair after a freak accident at the age of 20. He lives with no resentment, no bitterness, no anger. After the event, he went through a transformative time whereby experiencing his rock bottom, he began to rebuild, forming a mind so strong that it made him unbreakable. When there’s a will, there’s always a way and there certainly was when it came to jack. In this week’s episode we speak about body image issues and the destructive role its playing in young people’s lives. We talk about the importance of using a constructive and positive internal voice when speaking to yourself and how valuable some self-compassion can be in times of stress. We delve into the issue of how society perceive abilities and disabilities, restricting you from being your true authentic self. We touch upon the new era of medicine and tapping into the mind. And finally the importance of gratitude and it shifting your mental framework completely. Website: https://www.jack-kavanagh.com/ Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMvMW6YNXxI Documentary: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Boundaries-Jack-Kavanagh/dp/B01MYC17XS

In this week’s episode, I speak to Multiple sclerosis sufferer Conor Devine, an Ironman ultra-endurance athlete, and author of 2 best-selling books, a successful business man, a health promotions activist but most importantly a single dad to 2 gorgeous kids. In the podcast, we cover a wide array of interesting topics circulating around chronic illness and ways to overcome it. We talk about how Conor keeps his condition at bay without medication and on a plant based diet. We speak about engaging your passion, becoming self-reliant and the importance of finding a mentor.

John power is the Chief Executive and managing director of the international Medical device company Aerogen, who are the world leaders in aerosolised drug delivery. A Serial Entrepreneur in technology and innovation, John has worked in various novel sectors including biopharmaceuticals, Aerospace engineering and artificial intelligence. A Chartered Engineer, John is recognised as a technology innovator and is credited with over a dozen commercialised International patents in products ranging from robotics to life-support ventilation. In 2016, he won the coveted prize of entrepreneur of the year at the European business awards in Milan and was recognised for his contribution to innovation this century. John was also my next door neighbour for the first 12 years of my life and having the chance to sit and catch up with him again was an absolute pleasure. This episode is full of surprises! Its action packed with stories of how he was able to pave his way in the world after leaving school at 16. He talks about his humble beginnings, working underground connecting live sewage pipes by day and then completing an engineering degree by night. Like any successful businessman, you always find a way and john certainly did that when looking for the next round of funding off a banker for a business venture of his and designing a robot that had the ability to pour a gin and tonic. After going bust and seriously struggling financially with a young family, he speaks about being commissioned to build tanks for Colonel Gadhafi, coming up with the idea while sitting on the toilet. These are just some very small snippets to the wonderful stories john tells throughout this chat. He is a wonderful man who see’s potential in every human being and has touched the lives of over 6 million patients with his unique nebuliser device. For the first time ever, we can now medicate neonates and premature babies through inhalation thanks to john. He has recently established a sister company – Aerogen Pharma – which pairs the wonderful device with surfactant, allowing correct development of premature babies lungs.

In this week’s episode, I speak to best-selling author Caroline Foran. After releasing her book, Owning It – the bullshit free guide to living with your anxiety, she has been praised far and wide for providing a universal tool to dealing with daily stresses and anxiety. Caroline has always suffered from anxiety and in this episode we speak about how this initially presented in childhood. We talk about how important it is to recognise the early signs so that they can be dealt with practically and the journey she went through looking for a non-existent quick fix. We speak about her mental breakdown at the age of 26 after moving jobs and the things she did at the time which just ended up making things so much worse. Afraid to leave the house, she explains how it feels to hit rock bottom but more importantly how she started to put the pieces back together again. Caroline has just recently published her new book The Confidence Kit which details the transformation in her person but at the same time recognising that anxiety will always be a part of her and useful tools of how she keeps it at bay. Episode Breakdown 10.12 – Anxiety manifesting in childhood 14.02 – Owning your vulnerability 17.05 – Perception vs reality through the lens of social media 18.48 – Experiencing a mental breakdown 26.40 – The awareness of experiencing mental health difficulties 30.40 – Normalising mental health 36.10 – Practical advice overcoming mental struggles 38.08 – Negativity bias and putting your irrational thoughts on trial 42.30 – Exercise & nutrition 51.29 – Niche questions Website: https://carolineforan.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Owning-Bullsh-t-Free-Living-Anxiety/dp/1473657601 Article: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/living-with-anxiety-i-went-from-carefree-to-not-being-able-to-leave-the-house-1.3088199

The level of people suffering from obesity and diabetes has exploded in recent years. There is now an unprecedented proportion of people suffering from cardiovascular disease due to westerns societies eating more than ever and not maintaining a healthy balanced diet. For years, cholesterol has been blamed as the primary culprit due to its ability to clog arteries causing heart attacks or strokes. Professor Sherif Sultan denies this fact. In today’s podcast, I speak to a controversial yet globally recognised endovascular consultant. Professor Sherif Sultan boasts 30 years of endovascular experience and heads a team of dedicated vascular specialists focused on prevention of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. He has pioneered some of the most intricate stroke and heart attack prevention surgeries, and has over 120 international peer reviewed publications with 32 clinical awards to his name. He is a man who has saved countless lives to immanent death But Sherif has a very different philosophy to many medics. He doesn’t believe in modern day medicine and the tight grip the pharmaceutical industry holds a over clinicians. In this podcast we go back to basics and discuss what is truly important in life. We talk about the physiological benefits of receiving a hug or a kiss, the importance of being in a loving relationship and the detrimental effects a bad one can have on you. We speak about the bacteria living in every persons gut and the important role it play to picking a partner. We discuss whether vitamins are actually worthwhile taking and what foods are really important to take. We also talk about the science behind intermittent fasting and why it’s the way forward. And how the national healthcare services can be uprooted to turn it around

Seamus Hennessy was just 11-years-old when his mother, Josie, took her own life. Now the 28-year-old former Tipperary senior hurler is planning to run the Antarctic Ice Marathon, with the aim of raising over 200,000 euro for suicide prevention charities. In this weeks podcast, he speaks about how getting counselling after his mother's death was "the most important intervention" in his life

Brian Keane is an online fitness trainer hailing from the west of Ireland. He is author of the Amazon best-selling book, the fitness mindset and hosts the no.1 rated health and fitness podcast in Ireland & the UK. He is the proud owner of Brian Keane Fitness, a company that serves thousands of people each year through their online fitness programmes. Brian is also just a normal guy trying to make his and the life of others around him better. I first came across his material during an ambiguous time in my life. Rejected from medicine for the 4th time, the mindset side of his material really helped me get over the opinions of others and staying focused on the task at hand. Working as a primary school teacher in London with a chid on the way, Brian, feeling totally unfulfilled, decided to pack it all in. In this podcast he explains about going broke TWICE, hitting rock bottom and the many failures he had before making it to the top. We speak about our type A personalities and the inability to appreciate the moment by always looking too far into the future which only leads to feelings of anxiety. We discuss money and if it truly is the be all end all. We dissect what it means to be a Dad and the pressures it brings but also how much perspective it affords a person. Finally, we chat about his astounding 250 kiliometer run through the Sahara desert and how a guy who hates running was able to finish it.