Healthy Conversation: the 10 most listened to episodes

1. Fat important

This episode is the undisputed number 1! No wonder, because the internists Liesbeth van Rossum and Mariëtte Boon provide a great deal of insight into the role of our body fat and the development of overweight in this conversation. They are the authors of the bestseller ‘Fat important‘ in which they explain that our adipose tissue is an active organ. Van Rossum and Boon talk about diets, the yo-yo effect, what brown fat is and how medicines or hormones can increase your risk of being overweight. This episode is a must if you often struggle with your weight, or if you are having a hard time losing weight. Listen here for this captivating conversation.

2. Healthy Aging

A very deserved second place is the episode about healthy aging with immunologist Eric Claassen. He has a broad view of aging and lifestyle, and for this he mainly looks at the ‘blue zones’, the areas in the world where people reach an advanced age on average. Claassen tells very entertainingly how you can apply these worldly lessons to yourself. Together with Heidi Klijsen and Lisette de Jong, he wrote the book ‘Healthy to 115‘ about. Listen to this conversation here!

3. Irritable Bowel

As many as 1 in 10 Dutch people suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Then you often have abdominal pain, diarrhoea, constipation or a bloated feeling. How does such an irritable bowel arise and what can you do about it? Gastrointestinal liver doctor Ben Witteman explains it very clearly in this episode of Healthy Conversation. So bright, that it’s in the top 3 of the most listened to episodes! Does your stomach ever do what you don’t want? Be sure to listen to this episode.

4. Carbohydrate Restriction

More and more people are trying to lose weight by eating fewer carbohydrates. And for people with diabetes, carb restriction is a much-loved approach to controlling blood sugars. How is it possible that it works so well to reduce sugar, bread and pasta? For that you really have to listen to dietician Connie Hoek. She understands the art of explaining and explaining this super clearly from the physiology of our body. This conversation will change your view of carb restriction, even if you’re a little skeptical about this way of eating. Here you can listen to Connie Hoek.

5. No pills but paprika!

More than 8 million Dutch people have one or more chronic conditions. We take gastric acid inhibitors, anti-constipation drugs, blood pressure lowering drugs and cholesterol lowering drugs en masse. How come? General practitioner Tamara de Weijer is looking for it in our lifestyle. She prefers to prescribe peppers to her patients rather than pills and she sees a lot of benefits in exercising more, sleeping better, relaxing and eating healthy. This conversation will certainly give you motivation to take a closer look at your own lifestyle! Listen to Tamara de Weijer here.

6. What can you do about rheumatism yourself?

Rheumatism seems to be one of those diseases that you can’t do much about yourself. But that is not the case, says rheumatologist and researcher Dirk Jan van Schaardenburg. He conducts research into the effect of diet on rheumatism and osteoarthritis. The right diet can reduce inflammation in your body and therefore reduce flare-ups and pain. And what is the right diet according to Van Schaardenburg? It is largely plant-based, with lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, grains and nuts. In addition to nutrition, factors such as exercise, sleep and coping well with stress can also reduce rheumatic complaints. Do you know someone with rheumatism or osteoarthritis, or do you suffer from it yourself? Be sure to listen to this interesting podcast.

7. Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Internist Hanno Pijl specializes in the treatment of diabetes, in particular type 2 diabetes. He does not believe that pills or injecting insulin are the solution for type 2 diabetes. They can only suppress the symptoms. You can only really reverse type 2 diabetes if you make permanent lifestyle changes. Eat differently, exercise more, reduce stress, sleep well, fast regularly. Arrow tells it very clearly in this very first episode of our podcast series!

8. Keep your brain healthy

Who doesn’t know Erik Scherder? This enthusiastic professor of neuropsychology tirelessly draws attention to the importance of exercise for a healthy brain. This podcast is a cheerful conversation with an urgent undertone: in this day and age the importance of exercise is greater than ever. Exercise for at least half an hour every day, get up regularly while sitting and don’t make it too easy on yourself, says Scherder in this conversation. This podcast is ideally suited to listen to during a nice walk, or as Scherder calls it: a walk.

9. Give yourself a push

You will probably have noticed that ‘a healthy lifestyle’ is a common thread in our Healthy Conversation series. Everyone knows that it is good to eat healthy, exercise a lot and avoid stress. But we also know that it is quite difficult to change your behavior. This episode gives you a much-needed boost. Professor of Vitality David van Bodegom says that it works very well to make your own environment healthier. Because when your environment is healthier, it becomes much easier to live healthy. How does that work? Listen to this podcast and notice how nice and easy it is to give yourself a friendly push!

10. Vegan food

It is a trend to eat plant-based and avoid all animal products. No meat, fish, egg, dairy and honey. Why would you do that, and how do you do it in a healthy way? Dietitian Saraï Pannekoek explains in this podcast episode about the power of wholesome food. Not strict and dogmatic, but with a love for food! Listen to this episode if you’d like to eat more plant-based, or if you just want to know why ‘vegan’ is such a trend.

Tips from the host

This was the top ten! As a host, I find every conversation with these experts instructive and entertaining. If I – as host – can add some gems to this top 10, I’ll choose three more episodes. The first is the episode with gynecologist Dorenda van Dijken about the menopause. You will not often hear such a clear conversation about menopause. The second tip is the conversation with professor of geriatrics Marcel Olde Rikkert. This conversation is about dementia. You may think it is a heavy and depressing topic of conversation, but Olde Rikkert has a very positive view on (the prevention of) this condition. And finally there is the current podcast about vaccinations against corona with Marjolein van Egmond. An answer to all your questions!