Podcast appearances and mentions of julian abel

Julian Abel & Peter Guy Planet Funk Ep 576

This episode we chat with Dr. Julien Abel, retired palliative care physician, Director of Compassionate Communities UK, author and podcaster. In this episode we talk about what compassionate communities are, what a public health palliative approach looks like and what community support of serious illness should look like. To learn more about Compassionate Communities UK visit: https://compassionate-communitiesuk.com/ For more information visit: www.waitingroomrevolution.com   Our theme song is Maypole by Ketsa and is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0  

This week on the Wonderspace Podcast we ask our six questions to Dr Julian Abel. Julian is a retired palliative care physician and the Director of Compassionate Communities UK whose vision is to see a world where people's natural gifts of compassion, togetherness and equity are more powerful than medicine alone. Julian hosts a podcast called Survival of the Kindest and was nominated by a previous guest on Wonderspace Jennifer Nadel from Compassion in Politics.“Good social relationships are more effective at stopping us dying than giving up smoking, drinking, diet, exercise and anything else you care to mention.”More info: https://compassionate-communitiesuk.com To view the episode page with a summary of the interview, links to social media and projects mentioned, go to https://ourwonder.space/episodes/_130

On today's episode with have the incredible Dr. Julian Abel to talk with us about the critical role of relationships, kindness, and compassion in human health.  Links and Resources: "Creating Compassionate Communities and Promoting Health" edition of the Lifestyle Medicine journal Compassionate Communities UK The Compassion Project, by Julian Abel "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation" - Surgeon General's Advisory Research Is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods, by Shawn Wilson Survival of the Kindest podcast   To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question. To subscribe to The Brainjo Connection, a free, twice-monthly newsletter about the latest science of how to keep the brain fit and healthy, along with our recommended products, books, tools, and other resources for doing so, go to: brainjo.academy/connection To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy.  Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.  Show Notes: 00:35 Introducing the Special Guest: Dr. Julian Abel 01:22 Understanding Compassionate Communities and Their Impact on Health 01:50 Dr. Julian Abel's Journey into Compassionate Communities 03:04 The Impact of Social Relationships on Health 05:11 The Role of Compassionate Communities in Healthcare 06:33 The Importance of Social Relationships in Healthcare 07:28 Survival of the Kindest: A New Perspective on Evolution 16:59 The Role of Elders in Compassionate Communities 18:57 The Importance of Compassion in Schools and Workplaces 23:14 Building Compassionate Communities: Practical Steps 36:00 The Role of Compassion in Politics 42:31 The Importance of Embracing Complexity in Healthcare 49:58 Closing Thoughts on Compassionate Communities  

In this heartfelt conversation, Julia is joined by Brendan Cox, a passionate campaigner and activist dedicated to counter-terrorism and community cohesion. Brendan is also the father of two bereaved children, a role he assumed tragically after the murder of his wife, MP Jo Cox, in 2016. From listening to this conversation, you'll quickly discover Brendan's emotional thoughtfulness and intelligence as he shares his journey, providing insights on several crucial aspects of life: KEY DISCUSSION POINTS:  The Unfixable Tragedy: Brendan opens up about the profound impact of Jo's death and how he grappled with the painful realization that this tragedy was unfixable. It forced him to confront the limits of his power and ultimately surrender to them. A Clear Purpose: Amid the complexity and trauma, the need to focus on his children gave Brendan a clear sense of purpose and meaning in his life. This newfound clarity motivated him to strive to be "a better dad every day." Embracing the Unvarnished Truth: Brendan learned that, for himself and his children, honesty, no matter how difficult, was far better than a lie or false protection. This unwavering trust they built in one another prevented them from being manipulated by external forces providing conflicting information. Living Life to the Fullest: Brendan shares his philosophy of living life to the full, a commitment to "burning the candle at both ends and sort of throwing ourselves into adventures." This approach infused him with the energy to not only persevere but to find joy, adventure, and inspiration in his role as a parent. The Power of Community: The Cox family found solace and strength in their community. Being known by neighbors, feeling safe, and fostering connections played a vital role in their healing and growth. Brendan also reflects on the evidence of how a community can act as a safeguard against mental illness, violence, and extremism. A Call to Connect: As you listen to this conversation, you may find ideas to strengthen your connection to your community and the thought-provoking question: "Out of 10, how connected do I feel?" In the face of adversity and loss, Brendan Cox's story is a testament to the power of embracing tragedy, finding support in community, and nurturing compassion. Support Links:  For further exploration, Julia recommends Julian Abel's book, "The Compassion Project" and encourages you to explore the concept of compassionate communities.  Compassionate Communities: https://compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

85: Professor Gilbert - The Compassionate Mind "Your strength comes from your community, how you care and what you share - not from putting a fence around yourself and keeping others out." Professor Paul Gilbert is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Derby and Visiting Professor at the University of Queensland. He founded and developed Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and established the Compassionate Mind Foundation which supports thousands of clinicians around the world to develop, practice and promote CFT. Professor Gilbert as spent decades researching evolutionary approaches to mental health alongside working as a Consultant Clinical Psychologist in the NHS. He has over 300 publications including 22 books. In his conversation with Dr Julian Abel, they talk about the Buddhist view of consciousness and compassion, the development of CFT, evolutionary theories of mental health, societal shifts from 'hold and control' to 'care and share', and much, much more.

Compassion doesn't just make us feel good, it can have powerful effects on our health.Feel Better Live More Bitesize is my weekly podcast for your mind, body, and heart. Each week I'll be featuring inspirational stories and practical tips from some of my former guests.Today's clip is from episode 138 of the podcast with Dr. Julian Abel - a retired consultant in palliative care.In this clip, he explains why compassion and social connection matter so much for our health, our happiness, and our longevity.Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com.Thanks to our sponsor http://www.athleticgreens.com/livemoreShow notes and the full podcast are available at drchatterjee.com/138Follow me on instagram.com/drchatterjeeFollow me on facebook.com/DrChatterjeeFollow me on twitter.com/drchatterjeeuk DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"What matters most for any baby with a brain injury is the environment they go home to and grow up in... What happens in hospital has a relatively minor effect." Dr. Tommy Wood is currently the assistant professor of paediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington. He originally trained in biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, going on to study medicine at the University of Oxford, and complete a Ph.D. in Norway on neonatal brain injury. His research now focuses on improving brain health and function across the life-course and supporting recovery from brain injury. He is also Associate Editor of the journal, Lifestyle Medicine, competes in Powerlifting and Strongman competitions, and is a strength and conditioning coach. In his conversation with Dr Julian Abel, they talk about neuroscience, nutrition, and how learnings from neonatal care can help us support people in later life. Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

"Death and life are bound together. Without life, there would be no death." This week's Survival of the Kindest podcast is a joint interview between Professor Allan Kellehear, Dr Libby Sallnow, Dr Richard Smith and myself. Richard was editor of the British Medical Journal for 25 years. Libby and Richard are lead authors in the Lancet Commission On The Value Of Death. Allan founded the field of public health palliative care back in the 1990s and has overseen the development over the last 25 years. Libby is a consultant in palliative care in London and a leader in the field of public health palliative care. Both Allan and Libby have featured on previous episodes of Survival of the Kindest. The story of dying in the 21st century is a story of paradox. COVID-19 has meant people have died the ultimate medicalised deaths, often alone in hospitals with little communication with their families. But in other settings, including in some lower income countries, many people remain undertreated, dying of preventable conditions and without access to basic pain relief. The unbalanced and contradictory picture of death and dying is the basis for the Lancet Commission on the Value of Death. Drawing on multidisciplinary perspectives from around the globe, the Commissioners argue that death and life are bound together: without death there would be no life. The Commission proposes a new vision for death and dying, with greater community involvement alongside health and social care services, and increased bereavement support. Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Firstly, the reason for the title becomes clear during the chat. Dr. Julian Abel is awesome. I wish he lived in Melbourne, because we would definitely be friends. I love how he thinks, his compassion and kindness, his philosophy around health, healing and dying and I love that it's all wrapped in a wicked sense of humour and great story-telling skills. Every now and then I chat with someone on TYP and I sense I'm getting the ‘show' but with the Doc, he's a genuinely beautiful soul who (despite his medical training) believes that compassion, connection, kindness and care are the greatest healers (literally, not metaphorically) and by the way, there's significant research to back his ideas up. For me, this episode literally felt like I was hanging out with a mate having a fascinating conversation. *BIO: Julian is a retired palliative care physician, Director of Compassionate Communities UK Author and Podcaster. Over the last decade, he's become increasingly interested in the impact of compassion being the basis of human relationships and he's applied this in healthcare, in communities and beyond. He believes that society has developed in such a way to facilitate a drastic malnourishment of community, connection and compassion. Enjoy the Doc.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

'A cathedral turned into a toy shop'The Blues Busters, Walter Mosley. David Byrne, Philippa Perry, NozL, Old Man Saxon, Julian Abel, Ibeyi, Patience & Prudence, Dean Wareham, Slim Gaillard, Carol King, Scritti Politti, Mathilde Santing, The The,  Paul Timlett

CAUTION: Contains swearing and themes of an adult nature.This is the final podcast episode of the year - I have decided to take a short break from the podcast over Christmas to switch off and relax with my family and it's that sentiment that has influenced the topic of this final compilation episode.This is the time of year where many of us take a pause, spend time with our loved ones and think of others. So, I thought this was the perfect time to celebrate the magic that happens when community comes together. This week, my team and I have put together some of the very best inspirational clips around this topic.Humans are not designed to be alone. We've evolved to live our lives as individual members of a large supportive group. Back when the human brain was doing much of its evolution, we hunted together, we ate together and we sat around a campfire in the evenings and talked together, swapping stories, songs and smiles. We're designed to survive and thrive by being connected to one another. This is why we feel joyful and safe when we‘re getting along well with the people we share our lives with. But our modern, busy, disconnected lives can do great damage to these connections and our health.A rising number of us are suffering from loneliness and this is not only affecting our mental health, but also our physical health. In fact, high social stress is an even bigger risk factor for dying from chronic disease than physical inactivity, alcohol intake and smoking put together! The good news is though, there is plenty we can do to build new connections and nurture the important relationships in our lives.Research has shown time and time again, that by giving to others and to our community, we can increase our own happiness, as well as the happiness of others. In today's episode, you will hear some heart-warming stories and uplifting advice about the healing power of community from some of my former guests including: Gabor Mate, Johann Hari, Dan Buettner, Tommy Wood, Laurie Santos, Julian Abel, Pippa Grange, The Happy Pear, Kelly McGonigal and John McAvoy.My team and I really enjoyed putting this episode together for you. I hope you enjoy listening, and I hope it inspires you to live a more contented and connected life.This episode includes clips from: Episode 37 Gabor MateEpisode 94 Johann Hariepisode 67 Dan BuettnerEpisode 167 Tommy WoodEpisode 138 Julian AbelEpisode 151 Laurie SantosEpisode 38 Happy PearEpisode 126 Pippa GrangeEpisode 109 Kelly McGonigalEpisode 91 John McAvoyThanks to our sponsors: https://leafyard.com/livemore https://vivobarefoot.com/livemore http://www.blublox.com/livemore Show notes available at https://drchatterjee.com/226DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"A gift is not a gift until it is given." In the final part of our mini-series which has been focusing on how and why our social health has impacts on our physical health Julian talks to Cormac Russell. Having described the how and why social relationships are so important to human health and wellness, in so many different ways, the next question is what on earth can we do about it. There is no better place to start than with Cormac's work, Asset Based Community Development. Cormac describes how community building works, how it must be built on relationships and what is strong in communities and how professionals need to prioritise this over their services. It is only through the relationships that are built through community can we hope to solve the many, many problems the world faces. Transcript available here on our website This week Julian talks with Cormac Russell, student and expert practitioner at the same time of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) and founder of Nurture Development. Cormac grew up in rural Ireland, embedded in the warmth of his community. He studied psychology and philosophy to doctoral level, working in the field of child psychology. His ambition to do what is helpful to his fellow citizen, combined with clear insight into what he was doing, led him to believe that institutions were not the way to best help the children contained within them. As Cormac quotes ‘it takes a village to raise a child'. Children are in need of security, physical and emotional nourishment and a sense of belonging, much of which is best provided by communities. He researched different initiatives that might help develop this approach and when he came across the work of John McKnight he instantly recognised that this approach provided exactly what he was looking for. Cormac spent the next few years communicating with, learning from and implementing the work of ABCD, initially within child psychology. But he knew his time was up and that ABCD had so entranced him, he started Nurture Development to spread it more widely. Over the last 20 years, he has travelled the globe supporting communities and professional organisations, whether this be healthcare, social care, political bodies and others, to start using community development. The starting point of this, as Cormac says, is to find out what is strong, not what is wrong. It is also to discover the gifts we all have that can benefit our community. And a gift is not a gift without a receiver, so we had better work out how we can give this gift and who it might benefit from it. Communities are built from there. Cormac's latest book, Rekindling Democracy: the professional's guide to working in citizen space', highlights the journey for professionals and community members alike on how to become community builders rather than community disablers. Nurture Development now have a training platform, The Community Renewal Centre, for anyone who is interested and willing to dip their toes into the world of Asset Based Community Development. Things mentioned on the podcast: Cormac Russel - Rekindling Democracy Cormac Russell Twitter Centre for Community Renewal Asset Based Community Development Angela's Ashes John McKnight Building Communities From the Inside Out Peter Macfadyen Flatpack Democracy Blog about Pokot Holly Prince episode of SotK Parker Palmer Peter Block Jody Kretzmann Tom Dewar The Littlest Hobo Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Ben Greenfield is a human performance consultant, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including the popular titles “Beyond Training”, “Boundless” and “Fit Soul”. Former collegiate tennis, water polo, and volleyball player, bodybuilder, 13-time Ironman triathlete, and professional obstacle course racer, Ben has been voted by the NSCA as America's top Personal Trainer and by Greatist as one of the top 100 Most Influential People In Health And Fitness. In 2014, my NBT co-founder and medical doctor Jamie Kendall-Weed and I appeared on the Ben Greenfield podcast, and to this day people tell me that's how they learned about Nourish Balance Thrive.  ​For this podcast, Ben and I met up on the UCLA campus during the Ancestral Health Symposium in August to walk and talk about the harmful effects of loneliness and the importance of social connection. Ben shares some of the innovative ways he's increased connection with others, despite being a self-proclaimed introvert. We talk about some of the downsides of social isolation and the best reasons for opening yourself up to the “messiness” of others.  Here's the outline of this interview with Ben Greenfield: [00:01:48] Previous podcasts with Ben Greenfield featuring Christopher Kelly: Why Is My Cortisol High Even Though I'm Doing Everything Right? Hidden Causes Of High Cortisol, The DUTCH Test & More!, The Little-Known Test That Tells You Everything You Need To Know About Your Metabolism, and 7 Signs Your Cortisol And Adrenals Are Broken. [00:03:21] James Nestor; Podcast: How to Fix Your Breathing to Improve Your Health. [00:03:27] Diana Rodgers; Podcast: Kale vs Cow: The Case for Better Meat. [00:03:50] All the 2021 AHS videos are on YouTube. [00:06:52] Book: Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, by John T. Cacioppo. [00:07:01] Book: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping (Third Edition), by Robert M. Sapolsky. [00:09:56] Book: The Martian, by Andy Weir. [00:11:47] Introversion. [00:12:00] Book: The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous, by Joseph Henrich. [00:12:25] Recent podcast with Lucy Mailing, PhD: Rewilding the Gut: Restoring Ancestral Diversity to the Microbiome. [00:13:53] Book: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain [00:18:21] Loneliness is as bad for you as smoking; Study: ​​Dyal, Stephanie R., and Thomas W. Valente. "A systematic review of loneliness and smoking: small effects, big implications." Substance use & misuse 50.13 (2015): 1697-1716. [00:18:49] Loneliness vs. social isolation. [00:25:20] Book: Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi. [00:26:39] Mastermind Talks, created by Jayson Gaignard. [00:27:34] Ben's dinner parties. [00:33:04] Julian Abel, MD; Book: The Compassion Project: A case for hope and humankindness from the town that beat loneliness; Julian's Podcast: Survival of the Kindest.  Listen to Julian's most recent interview on the NBT Podcast. [00:35:40] Opening yourself up to the messiness of other people. [00:38:38] Ben's article on the dopaminergic response while experiencing pain or pleasure with others. [00:39:40] Book: Friendship in the age of loneliness: An Optimist's Guide to Connection, by Adam Smiley Poswolsky. [00:40:40] Contacts+. [00:42:26] Community events; Realm Church Management Software. [00:48:23] Ben's expanded spiritual practice. [00:52:34] Books by Jamie Wheal: Stealing Fire and Recapture the Rapture. [00:53:13] Book: The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name, by Brian C. Muraresku. [01:01:59] Church and the monogamous nuclear family. [01:11:05] Eye gazing. [01:14:44] See Ben's show notes for this recording. [01:15:52] Join the NBT Elite Performance Club Forum by supporting NBT on Patreon.

At the 2021 Ancestral Health Symposium (AHS) in Los Angeles last month I was able to catch up with microbiome researcher and writer Lucy Mailing, PhD. This year Lucy presented on the topic of Rewilding the Gut, noting the detrimental effects of our modern environment, diet, and lifestyle on the gut microbiome. Lucy has been on the podcast twice before, talking about optimising the gut microbiome and debunking microbiome myths and misconceptions. Lucy's research and writings are truly cutting-edge and have consistently shaped our recommendations and approach to gut health with our clients.  ​On this podcast, Lucy shares some of the concepts she outlined during her AHS Talk, including the specific aspects of modern living that interfere with microbiome diversity and establishing a basis for chronic disease.  She talks about the hygiene hypothesis, including the need for early childhood exposure to microbes, and some of the best ways to support a healthy gut ecosystem. Here's the outline of this interview with Lucy Mailing: [00:00:32] Video: Rewilding the gut - Lucy Mailing (AHS21). [00:02:27] Book: ”Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character, by Richard P. Feynman. [00:03:25] Environmental mismatches. [00:04:35] Book: Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, by Martin J. Blaser MD. [00:05:03] Effects of diet on the microbiome; Study: Smits, Samuel A., et al. "Individualized responses of gut microbiota to dietary intervention modeled in humanized mice." Msystems 1.5 (2016): e00098-16. [00:05:29] The Hadza people of Tanzania. [00:06:53] Herman Pontzer, PhD; Paper: Pontzer, Herman, Brian M. Wood, and David A. Raichlen. "Hunter‐gatherers as models in public health." Obesity Reviews 19 (2018): 24-35; Podcast: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy. [00:07:37] Jeff D. Leach, microbiome researcher. [00:07:55] Article: I spent three days as a hunter-gatherer to see if it would improve my gut health, by Tim Spector. [00:09:47] Rewilding. [00:12:11] Video: What are the ethical implications of anti-meat dietary policies? - Diana Rodgers (AHS21); Podcast: Kale vs Cow: The Case for Better Meat. [00:12:10] Allan Savory on desertification. [00:13:06] Keystone predator species; Blastocystis hominis. [00:13:55] Blastocystis associated with distinct microbiome ecological patterns; Study: Nieves-Ramírez, M. E., et al. "Asymptomatic intestinal colonization with protist Blastocystis is strongly associated with distinct microbiome ecological patterns." Msystems 3.3 (2018): e00007-18. [00:15:04] Lucy's previous appearances on the NBT podcast: How to Optimise Your Gut Microbiome, and Microbiome Myths and Misconceptions. [00:17:05] Article: The oxygen-gut dysbiosis connection, by Lucy Mailing, PhD. [00:18:33] 4-Quadrant Model. [00:20:13] Podcast: The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters, with James Estes, PhD. [00:20:55] C-Sections and the microbiome. [00:22:41] Mom-to-baby fecal transplant; Study: Korpela, Katri, et al. "Maternal fecal microbiota transplantation in cesarean-born infants rapidly restores normal gut microbial development: a proof-of-concept study." Cell 183.2 (2020): 324-334. [00:25:22] Are we over-sanitizing? [00:28:33] Benefits of exposure to animals. [00:29:09] Podcast: The Dog as the Ultimate Health Upgrade (an Introduction for Pre-Contemplators), with Toréa Rodriguez. [00:31:30] Rewilding the nervous system. [00:34:37] Secure attachment; Podcast: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, with Jessica Fern. [00:37:41] Dr. Julian Abel; Podcasts: 1. Building Compassionate Communities to Improve Public Health, 2. Maintaining Social Connection in the Era of COVID-19, and 3. The Compassion Project: The Power of Hope and Human Kindness. [00:40:12] Eating for a healthy microbiome. [00:40:32] Metabolic flexibility of the gut; Study: Sholl, Jonathan, Lucy J. Mailing, and Thomas R. Wood. "Reframing Nutritional Microbiota Studies To Reflect an Inherent Metabolic Flexibility of the Human Gut: a Narrative Review Focusing on High-Fat Diets." Mbio 12.2 (2021): e00579-21. [00:41:21] Jason Hawrelak's new course: Functional Gastrointestinal Testing: A Critical Review; Podcast: How to Use Probiotics to Improve Your Health. [00:44:06] NBT Podcasts with Ben Bikman, PhD and Ted Naiman, MD. [00:45:51] Find Lucy at lucymailing.com; Patreon, consultation.

Dr. Ruth Tapsell is an NHS GP and an ambassador for the UK's Public Health Collaborative, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of public health education. She and her colleagues have been having outstanding success helping patients to reverse their type 2 diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet. During a time when improving metabolic health is more important than ever, Ruth is showing that it is indeed possible to turn the metabolic supertanker around quickly and effectively. ​On this podcast, Ruth shares her perspective as a GP treating type 2 diabetes and prediabetes with a low carb approach. We discuss the effects this approach could have on a societal scale, including improved public health outcomes and huge financial savings, should the NHS adopt lifestyle interventions as the first-line treatment for metabolic disorders. Ruth also offers resources for making the change to low carb, for both health care consumers and practitioners. As a reminder, the information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. Here's the outline of this interview with Ruth Tapsell: [00:00:13] Public Health Collaboration; The Real Foods Rocks Festival. [00:00:19] Podcast with Sam Feltham: Real Food Initiatives for Public Health in the UK. [00:00:36] Ruth's background and interest in low carb. [00:00:59] David Unwin, Scientific Advisory Board member for the Public Health Collaboration in the UK. [00:02:54] Treatment options prior to using a low carb approach. [00:06:02] In patients with prediabetes, 93% attained a normal HbA1c; Study: Unwin, David, et al. "Insights from a general practice service evaluation supporting a lower carbohydrate diet in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes: a secondary analysis of routine clinic data including HbA1c, weight and prescribing over 6 years." BMJ nutrition, prevention & health 3.2 (2020): 285. [00:07:31] Virta Health. [00:11:13] Public Health Collaboration on YouTube. [00:12:42] Low carb and heart disease. [00:13:46] Effects of ketogenic diet on cardiovascular indices; Virta Health paper: Athinarayanan, Shaminie J., et al. "Impact of a 2-year trial of nutritional ketosis on indices of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes." Cardiovascular diabetology 19.1 (2020): 1-13. [00:14:17] Podcasts with Malcolm Kendrick: Why Cholesterol Levels Have No Effect on Cardiovascular Disease (And Things to Think about Instead) and A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-health World. [00:14:21] Malcolm Kendrick's blog. [00:14:49] Women's Health Initiative and the effects of diet on cardiovascular risk; Howard, Barbara V., et al. "Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial." Jama 295.6 (2006): 655-666. [00:15:17] Lead increases risk of cardiovascular disease; Study: Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study. [00:15:46] Lunchtime and evening webinars. [00:16:10] Dr. Kesar Sadhra, working with a 90% South Asian patient population. [00:18:44] Freestyle Libre. [00:19:09] Video: Type 2 diabetes in South Asian's: Achieving control in general practice - Dr Kesar Sadhra. [00:19:59] Video: 55 people improved HbA1C with lifestyle interventions. [00:21:03] Video: Patient who lost 49kg during lockdown. [00:23:18] Reducing diabetes medications. [00:25:10] Professor Marcus Saemann. [00:27:02] Potential savings on NHS diabetes medication budget: slides from David Unwin and Kesar Sadhra. [00:27:06] OpenPrescribing: website to compare prescribing trends, funded by NHS England. [00:27:29] Video: Savings of £117K/year.  [00:29:32] Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. James Bailes, MD. [00:29:38] Podcasts with Type 1 diabetics: Will Catterson and Tim Harsch. [00:31:28] Challenges to the program; emotional eating. [00:31:46] Video: Food Addiction: What's to be Done? by Dr Jen Unwin & Heidi Giaever. [00:37:30] Social prescribers in the UK. [00:38:19] Podcast: The Compassion Project: The Power of Hope and Human Kindness, with Julian Abel. [00:40:55] Podcast: Professor Tim Noakes: True Hydration and the Power of low carb, High-Fat Diets. [00:41:54] Scaling low carb. [00:43:10] Dr. Michael Bazlinton, low carb practitioner. [00:44:19] Advice for people who don't have a low carb doc. [00:44:31] Dr. Campbell Murdoch; scientific articles by Dr. Murdoch. [00:45:04] Ruth on Twitter. [00:45:25] Diet Doctor.  [00:45:29] New Forest PCN. [00:45:36] Dr. David Oliver at Freshwell Low Carb Project. [00:46:11] Get onto the webinars: lowcarbhcp@gmail.com.

Dr Julian Abel is a recently retired consultant in palliative care, former Vice President of Public Health Palliative Care International, and co-author with Lindsay Clarke of The Compassion Project: A Case for Hope and Humankindness from the Town that Beat Loneliness. From childhood Julian has tried to seek out what he can do that is “meaningful and helpful.” Going into healthcare was a direct expression of that. When he first entered medicine he discovered that it had a pronounced hierarchy. “The patient was nowhere near the top.” After a spell studying Chinese medicine and cranial osteopathy, he became a palliative care consultant in Weston-super-Mare within a service that covered hospice, community and hospitals. He became particularly interested in the community dimension of this because he came to understand that “the thing that makes the biggest difference is not the professional support but the love, laughter and friendship.” He says that it is deeply embedded in our nervous system: “we have a prosocial nervous system.” Julian's book The Compassion Project is largely based on the Compassion Frome Model initiated by Dr Helen Kingston and Jenny Hartnoll, and which Julian helped to lead. It spun out of a paper initiated by Helen. Julian supported the paper with some statistics, which included that emergency admissions in Frome had decreased by 14% whilst in the rest of Somerset they had risen by 29%. It was clear that they were onto something. Up until this point no-one had come across an intervention that would reduce population emergency admissions. The team decided that they need to ‘go public' and explain the building blocks of what they were doing and the benefits. Julian co-authored an article in Resurgence magazine, that was reported in the Guardian. Someone read the publicity and approached the Frome team concerning the possibility of writing a book. The Compassionate Frome model provides a means of connecting lonely and isolated patients with the plethora of activities that are going on in the community. The friendships brokered by Compassionate Frome create mental wellbeing which, via the mind-body connection, is reflected in physical wellbeing. Community connectors and health connectors play a key role in the Frome model. There are around 700 of the former (in a population of 28,000). The role of the community connectors is, by reference to a web directory, to signpost people to activities in the community that might be of interest. Julian the conversations that each connector has as a “little explosion of compassion in the community.” The health connectors are fewer in number and help people gain clarity on what is important to them and what they need when they are not in touch with these things. They are trained in motivational interviewing. His son Bewick has taken compassionate thinking into his primary school, located in a hard-pressed community. The first thing he did was help children recognise and name their emotions. And then they talked about which ones were beneficial to school life and which ones were harmful. More recently they have introduced a morning check-in, where they ask one another how they are, and if there is anything they can do to make it better. In time the children became happier and more connected and educational attainment improved dramatically. Julian feels that one of the challenges of the UK education system is that many of the ministers and civil servants are emotionally inarticulate themselves. Julian has formed an organisation Compassionate Communities UK (you can find it on the web at compassionate-communities.co.uk). It is focused on sharing, developing expertise, and education. Some of its work is professional facing and some is public facing. Julian's podcast ‘Survival of the Kindest' is also part of it. Julian is looking to develop expertise around community sources of support for trauma. “If you just rely on professional services, it's never going to...

Since 2016, he has worked with Frome Medical Practice in Somerset, UK to develop a new model of primary care combined with compassionate communities, one of the most effective therapeutic tools we have in improving length of life and well-being. The health outcomes of this model have been dramatic, with this being the first intervention that has been effective in reducing population emergency admissions. Along with Professor Allan Kellehear, Dr. Abel formed Compassionate Communities UK, which he is Director with a mandate to develop the broader rollout of compassionate communities in both primary care and end-of-life care. Projects are underway in multiple areas in the UK, and several international cities. Dr. Abel is joint author of The Compassion Project, along with the prize-winning novelist Lindsay Clarke. The book describes the background to the Frome Project, its implementation and the wider implications of the application of compassion both in medicine and in society at large.He has published regularly on models of public health palliative care, is an international keynote speaker, appears in media and runs a podcast, Survival of the Kindest. He will also be speaking at the Elevate compassion virtual summit. You can register to attend the summit for free here.

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In the week where we saw town council meetings dissolving into unfettered chaos its seems appropriate that our guest week is Peter Macfadyen, pioneer of Frome's extraordinary town council. Macfayden talks to Julian about how it runs, how to connect councils to their residents, to the web of support they live in, and have lost contact with.Peter's career early career saw him spending a decade away from the UK in Zambia, India and Guyana, working with the rights of disabled people. After moving back to the UK, and getting caught up in the boxing day tsunami in Sri Lanka, Peter focus turned to climate change, and through that he moved towards local community organisations and into Frome's town council, where he spent ten years. Peter's unique stance on how to change the way our communities run was originally put down in Flatpack Democracy which in turn spawned a movement, which at its core has the belief that true democracy, where the people's views shape the people's society, is achievable. There is no manifesto, no ulterior motive for the good of a “party” or political movement; it works by opening up to the town, asking residents what they need, what they lack, giving them continuous access to the council so there is an ongoing flow of ideas and dialogues about things that need addressing. Since the release of Flatpack Democracy many other towns have taken the bones of Peter's idea and applied it successfully to their own locale. As this number grows, and we emerge from covid with a government particularly avoidant of listening to its people, there is a hope that the lessons from Frome will be widely applied to shift an increasingly broken democracy. Peter Macfayden on twitterFlatpack Democracy 2021 Campaign, twitterFlatpack DemocracyRebel Ideas Matthew SyedFrome Town Council Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall KimmererCormac Russel - Rekindling DemocracyEntangled Life - Merlin SheldrakeSwampy Guardian article Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

"If we can understand fully the situation our parents were in we can gain compassion for ourselves, and maybe even able to extend that out to the world." This week I talk with Dr Brion Sweeney. Brion was brought up in the warm community of a very rural village on the west coast of Ireland. He went on to study medicine and specialised in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Training in psychiatry at that time included psychotherapy, which is no longer the case. He then developed a special interest in the treatment of addiction. From his earliest days, Brion had an interest in the spiritual and the philosophical components of life. This eventually led him to contact Dr Akong Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist lama recognised at an early age as a reincarnation of the first Akong Rinpoche, a great meditator who led a monastery in a very remote area of Tibet. Dr Akong Rinpoche left Tibet during the Chinese invasion, went to India and subsequently set up Samye Ling Buddhist Centre in Eskdalemuir, in the Scottish borders. Brion became deeply engaged in helping Akong Rinpoche in developing Tara Rokpa Therapy. The therapy is a way of working with our minds which develops compassion and understanding, for our past, our parents past, our environment and how we move through the world. It draws on the wisdom and compassion of Mahayana Buddhism but does not require any religious faith to become involved or benefit from it. In some ways, it is less a therapy and more a way of developing ourselves as human beings, to make our lives worthwhile and wholesome and this is a journey of discovery and wonder. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

This week I talk with Dr Brion Sweeney. Brion was brought up in the warm community of a very rural village on the west coast of Ireland. He went on to study medicine and specialised in psychiatry and psychotherapy. Training in psychiatry at that time included psychotherapy, which is no longer the case. He then developed a special interest in the treatment of addiction. From his earliest days, Brion had an interest in the spiritual and the philosophical components of life. This eventually led him to contact Dr Akong Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist lama recognised at an early age as a reincarnation of the first Akong Rinpoche, a great meditator who led a monastery in a very remote area of Tibet. Dr Akong Rinpoche left Tibet during the Chinese invasion, went to India and subsequently set up Samye Ling Buddhist Centre in Eskdalemuir, in the Scottish borders. Brion became deeply engaged in helping Akong Rinpoche in developing Tara Rokpa Therapy.The therapy is a way of working with our minds which develops compassion and understanding, for our past, our parents past, our environment and how we move through the world. It draws on the wisdom and compassion of Mahayana Buddhism but does not require any religious faith to become involved or benefit from it. In some ways, it is less a therapy and more a way of developing ourselves as human beings, to make our lives worthwhile and wholesome and this is a journey of discovery and wonder. Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

“Anxiety is the new plague […] I might be having fist fight or robbing a bank, […] but I couldn't get on a bus by my self. My self esteem was so low I couldn't actually have interaction normally.” This week Julian talks to Gary Crooks. Gary's life in a mining village in the North East of England was turned upside down by the closure of the mines. From living in a community where ‘were always there for one and other they would give anything to one and other', they were forced into a situation where ‘the rules were take what you want to take and if you don't go out and get it its not going to come to you'. People were starving and the original sense of togetherness and rebellion from the start of the miner's strike turned to ‘a sense of rage, but negative rage, against the government, against the police force and eventually against one and other to some extent.' Gary, like many others across the country in his situation, were forced to turn to crime as food, fuel and money ran out ‘I began to steal food wherever I could get it […] following the bread man round, we were literally starving'. Gary's first prison sentence was when he was 15. Throughout his youth, and while he had to steal to survive, he carried with him a strong sense of justice and standing up to bullies and those who were suffering. As he continued to use crime as a way to survive it culminated in his mother being attacked, and Gary's urge to defend his mother and seek retribution from the attacker saw him being sent back to prison. During his second stint in prison Gary became a Samaritans listening volunteer, which he initially saw a road to early parole; ‘I thought I was manipulating people but really I can see I was screaming out for change'. Gradually after a coincidental introduction to campaigner Mandy English Gary's found that his new work helping people back into society from a plethora difficult situations; ‘Whatever void the crime was filling, helping people filled that void by ten thousand'. After a wrongful arrest in 2013 Gary teamed up with Mandy English and started a couple of not-for-profit organisations. First Point Training and Positive Directions NE are two fantastic organisations each with a different remit, but both with huge positive impacts. Positive Directions NE works within its local community to help people at risk, from supporting those bereaved through suicide, the homeless, connecting elderly people with primary school children, to just making sure people have had their immediate needs, including their social interaction needs, met. First Point Training works particularly with those who have experienced trauma in their past to help them move onwards to where they want to be. Gary's life experience, and his mantra of ‘In a world where you can be anything be kind' shines through everything he does. When he says at the end of his interview that ‘you don't have to be alone', hearing it from him is a comfort. An acknowledgement that even when you are, as Gary was ‘filled with fear [&] screaming out for change and another kind of life, but too terrified to actually walk over the bridge and ask someone for help', when you reach out and there are people there, it makes all the difference. Things mentioned on the podcast: First point Training: Website Twitter Positive Direction NE: Website Twitter Asset Based Community Development Website, Twitter Cormac Russel Twitter Bearpark short film about Gary's life Samaritans can be found on free phone 24/7 on 116123, or on email: jo@samaritans.org If you are struggling with feelings of suicide or know someone who is, please contact the Samaritans. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

This week Julian talks to Gary Crooks. Gary's life in a mining village in the North East of England was turned upside down by the closure of the mines. From living in a community where ‘were always there for one and other they would give anything to one and other', they were forced into a situation where ‘the rules were take what you want to take and if you don't go out and get it its not going to come to you'. People were starving and the original sense of togetherness and rebellion from the start of the miner's strike turned to ‘a sense of rage, but negative rage, against the government, against the police force and eventually against one and other to some extent.'Gary, like many others across the country in his situation, were forced to turn to crime as food, fuel and money ran out ‘I began to steal food wherever I could get it […] following the bread man round, we were literally starving'. Gary's first prison sentence was when he was 15. Throughout his youth, and while he had to steal to survive, he carried with him a strong sense of justice and standing up to bullies and those who were suffering. As he continued to use crime as a way to survive it culminated in his mother being attacked, and Gary's urge to defend his mother and seek retribution from the attacker saw him being sent back to prison.During his second stint in prison Gary became a Samaritans listening volunteer, which he initially saw a road to early parole; ‘I thought I was manipulating people but really I can see I was screaming out for change'. Gradually after a coincidental introduction to campaigner Mandy English Gary's found that his new work helping people back into society from a plethora difficult situations; ‘Whatever void the crime was filling, helping people filled that void by ten thousand'.After a wrongful arrest in 2013 Gary teamed up with Mandy English and started a couple of not-for-profit organisations. First Point Training and Positive Direction NE are two fantastic organisations each with a different remit, but both with huge positive impacts. Positive Directions NE works within its local community to help people at risk, from supporting those bereaved through suicide, the homeless, connecting elderly people with primary school children, to just making sure people have had their immediate needs, including their social interaction needs, met. First Point Training works particularly with those who have experienced trauma in their past to help them move onwards to where they want to be. Gary's life experience, and his mantra of ‘In a world where you can be anything be kind' shines through everything he does. When he says at the end of his interview that ‘you don't have to be alone', hearing it from him is a comfort. An acknowledgement that even when you are, as Gary was ‘filled with fear [&] screaming out for change and another kind of life, but too terrified to actually walk over the bridge and ask someone for help', when you reach out and there are people there, it makes all the difference.First point Training: Website TwitterPositive Direction NE: Website TwitterAsset Based Community Development Website, TwitterCormac Russel TwitterBearpark short film about Gary's life Samaritans can be found on free phone 24/7 on 116123, or on email: jo@samaritans.org If you are struggling with feelings of suicide or know someone who is, please contact the Samaritans. Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

"The sense of wonder, the remarkable nature of creation" Charles's insight in to the state of campaigning today highlights so many areas that are open to and ready for change; from the lack of diversity in the sustainability movement which translates to a lack of diversity in Britains parks and nature reserves, to the pitfalls of campaigns which rely solely on rationality and facts, and don't touch the emotional or spiritual side of nature and our planet. Clearly there is an urgent need to address the climate crisis, and Charles makes it clear that this is a joint responsibility - ‘life is about connectivity, about cooperation, about looking after each other', and that includes our planet, its biosphere, its animals and so on. In order to change the bleakness of our future as it looks at the moment we have to pull together, our facts, our stories, our connection to nature, our right and left wing politicians, to make real change: ‘All the elements have to be woven together into a narrative that is not just a story but that leads to real change for people's lives in the here and now' Charles has worked with every level of Britain's hierarchical system and having been put through the wringer of politics and it's over fondness for talking and distinct lack of action, Charles is still (mostly) hopeful. As he describes it himself -‘I go to bed a pessimist […] but I absolutely wake up as an optimist'. It is in the rest of our hands now to mobilise together no matter how small we feel, or how in effective - we can all wake up optimists. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Charles's insight in to the state of campaigning today highlights so many areas that are open to and ready for change; from the lack of diversity in the sustainability movement which translates to a lack of diversity in Britains parks and nature reserves, to the pitfalls of campaigns which rely solely on rationality and facts, and don't touch the emotional or spiritual side of nature and our planet. Clearly there is an urgent need to address the climate crisis, and Charles makes it clear that this is a joint responsibility - ‘life is about connectivity, about cooperation, about looking after each other', and that includes our planet, its biosphere, its animals and so on. In order to change the bleakness of our future as it looks at the moment we have to pull together, our facts, our stories, our connection to nature, our right and left wing politicians, to make real change: ‘All the elements have to be woven together into a narrative that is not just a story but that leads to real change for people's lives in the here and now'Charles has worked with every level of Britain's hierarchical system and having been put through the wringer of politics and it's over fondness for talking and distinct lack of action, Charles is still (mostly) hopeful. As he describes it himself -‘I go to bed a pessimist […] but I absolutely wake up as an optimist'. It is in the rest of our hands now to mobilise together no matter how small we feel, or how in effective - we can all wake up optimists. Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

"It is amazing what kind of behaviour you can find from people in the worst situations[..]That's what people need to stay human" Adrian has travelled extensively in the Middle East; from his first journey there as a post-school adventurer saw him arrive into Syria on the day they withdrew from Lebanon in 2005. Now a fixture in Beirut he talks about the reality of the influx of refugees from Syria in recent history, and from Palestine before. Throughout the conversation Adrian explains his understanding of the middle east, and his view of it as the intersection of East and West, where language, racism, and citizenship hold different meanings to how they are understood in the West. He cites Lebanon as the ‘country that has seen it all' and elucidates its millennia old history to prove the point. He sees this turbulent area of the world, which continues to struggle with the impact of colonialism and its aftershocks, as a place which, for westerners ‘breaks our conception of boundaries'. The fluidity of race, religion and language in this area has been the status quo for many hundreds of generations, and there is beauty and empathy throughout. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Adrian has travelled extensively in the Middle East; from his first journey there as a post-school adventurer saw him arrive into Syria on the day they withdrew from Lebanon in 2005. Now a fixture in Beirut he talks about the reality of the influx of refugees from Syria in recent history, and from Palestine before.Throughout the conversation Adrian explains his understanding of the middle east, and his view of it as the intersection of East and West, where language, racism, and citizenship hold different meanings to how they are understood in the West. He cites Lebanon as the ‘country that has seen it all' and elucidates its millennia old history to prove the point. He sees this turbulent area of the world, which continues to struggle with the impact of colonialism and its aftershocks, as a place which, for westerners ‘breaks our conception of boundaries'. The fluidity of race, religion and language in this area has been the status quo for many hundreds of generations, and there is beauty and empathy throughout. Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

"You can do something different, something that you haven't done before, and actually that is quite a small choice - you know, you just start, and that is huge" This week Julian talks to Frome town councillor, former mayor, and long-time friend Sheila Gore about making a difference. Sheila originally worked as a teacher, and in education for the Natural History Museum working with a large community of parents and children up and down the country. As of now, Sheila has been living in Frome for around 20 years and the former owner of the first health-food shop in Frome she has always been at the heart-centre of the town. She describes being a shop owner as being a beacon, being available and seen by residents. After many years of listening to residents, hearing their struggles and their wishes for the town, and one fight against a large supermarket development Sheila became ensconced in the town council, which was the UK's first fully independent council, and from there she became mayor. Her ethos, and the aim of the council in general, is that everyone should be listened to, even those that disagree and those that may present conflict. In Sheila's eyes, the connection between residents and councillors is integral to Frome's success - the direction of the town is decided by what is best as defined by residents rather than governance far outside of the town's boundaries. The story of Frome, and particularly from Sheila's perspective is one where small things can always make a huge difference; from checking on five neighbours during covid, to sporadically buying a whole food shop. More information on Flatpack Democracy can be found here (and the book can be bought there too) Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Frome Town Council's homepage is here Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

This week Julian talks to Frome town councillor, former mayor, and long-time friend Sheila Gore about making a difference. Sheila originally worked as a teacher, and in education for the Natural History Museum working with a large community of parents and children up and down the country. As of now, Sheila has been living in Frome for around 20 years and the former owner of the first health-food shop in Frome she has always been at the heart-centre of the town. She describes being a shop owner as being a beacon, being available and seen by residents. After many years of listening to residents, hearing their struggles and their wishes for the town, and one fight against a large supermarket development Sheila became ensconced in the town council, which was the UK's first fully independent council, and from there she became mayor. Her ethos, and the aim of the council in general, is that everyone should be listened to, even those that disagree and those that may present conflict. In Sheila's eyes, the connection between residents and councillors is integral to Frome's success - the direction of the town is decided by what is best as defined by residents rather than governance far outside of the town's boundaries. The story of Frome, and particularly from Sheila's perspective is one where small things can always make a huge difference; from checking on five neighbours during covid, to sporadically buying a whole food shop. More information on Flatpack Democracy can be found here (and the book can be bought there too)Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.comFrome Town Council's homepage is here

The feeling of hopelessness when faced with the climate crisis is something that many of us will recognise. For Maddy it felt like despite the world's efforts, her community's efforts, there had been no systemic or radical movement towards tackling climate change. However when she came across Extinction Rebellion, and the community that came with it she felt suddenly that change was possible, and that there was hope. Since then she has stayed supporting XR while also working from within the music industry. The task of dismantling the reliance that we all have on fossil fuels sometimes seems too large to comprehend but as Maddy talks it becomes clear that we all play our part, and that we can make a difference. For the music industry that looks like (amongst many other things) divesting pensions, organising tours to involve the least amount of flying, as well as supporting causes such as XR. There are many ways to get involved, Extinction Rebellion can be found here, Music Declares Emergency is here, and is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Each month Music Declares Emergency has a show on Soho Radio. You can donate to Music Declares Emergency here. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

The feeling of hopelessness when faced with the climate crisis is something that many of us will recognise. For Maddy it felt like despite the world's efforts, her community's efforts, there had been no systemic or radical movement towards tackling climate change. However when she came across Extinction Rebellion, and the community that came with it she felt suddenly that change was possible, and that there was hope. Since then she has stayed supporting XR while also working from within the music industry. The task of dismantling the reliance that we all have on fossil fuels sometimes seems too large to comprehend but as Maddy talks it becomes clear that we all play our part, and that we can make a difference. For the music industry that looks like (amongst many other things) divesting pensions, organising tours to involve the least amount of flying, as well as supporting causes such as XR. There are many ways to get involved, Extinction Rebellion can be found here, Music Declares Emergency is here, and is on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Each month Music Declares Emergency has a show on Soho Radio. You can donate to Music Declares Emergency here.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

“The dead are also grieving - they miss you" We are back this week with Professor Allan Kellehear to discuss the release of his new book Visitors at the End of Life. Allan's refusal to go into the categorisation of the visions and his focus on what they mean, and what they offer gives a moving look at who they are, what we can learn from these encounters, what to expect from them, and how they make people feel. Allan's research was the first trans-cultural study done on these visitations, and as such it offers a new perspective; these are common, and as he says ‘a sign of strength and wellness' the world over, rather than a western phenomena indicative of mental unrest. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

We are back this week with Professor Allan Kellehear to discuss the release of his new book Visitors at the End of Life. Allan's refusal to go into the categorisation of the visions and his focus on what they mean, and what they offer gives a moving look at who they are, what we can learn from these encounters, what to expect from them, and how they make people feel.Allan's research was the first trans-cultural study done on these visitations, and as such it offers a new perspective; these are common, and as he says ‘a sign of strength and wellness' the world over, rather than a western phenomena indicative of mental unrest.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

After a two week hiatus we are back with an extraordinary guest, the environmental campaigner Jonathon Porritt CBE, whose new book ‘Hope in Hell' works on repairing the cognitive dissonance between our understanding of our role in the climate crisis, and our actions and emotional responses. His stance on the climate crisis is all encompassing, and is consequently compassionate and inspiring. While encouraging a radical turn away from fossil fuels he reminds us not to forget those whose entire livelihoods are dependent on them. When talking about rising sea levels, the spectre of wealth which has seen the northern hemisphere able secure its cities and lands against floods, compared to the poverty and vulnerability elsewhere, hangs over the conversation. However, while the destruction of the natural world is happening rather than ‘on its way', and we appear to have already set in motion a chain of events which will roll us steadily towards the “tipping point” i.e. the point of no return, he is hopeful. He still fights for change, and supports the young generation of campaigners, fighting for the future. He believes we can close the gaps between the recommendations of scientists and policies which do too little, but that we need to connect our compassion to our actions in order to motivate us to change: acknowledging the deep fear we feel when we fully confront the future of our planet can be our hope. Extinction Rebellion can be found here. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

After a two week hiatus we are back with an extraordinary guest, the environmental campaigner Jonathon Porritt CBE, whose new book ‘Hope in Hell' works on repairing the cognitive dissonance between our understanding of our role in the climate crisis, and our actions and emotional responses.His stance on the climate crisis is all encompassing, and is consequently compassionate and inspiring. While encouraging a radical turn away from fossil fuels he reminds us not to forget those whose entire livelihoods are dependent on them. When talking about rising sea levels, the spectre of wealth which has seen the northern hemisphere able secure its cities and lands against floods, compared to the poverty and vulnerability elsewhere, hangs over the conversation.However, while the destruction of the natural world is happening rather than ‘on its way', and we appear to have already set in motion a chain of events which will roll us steadily towards the “tipping point” i.e. the point of no return, he is hopeful. He still fights for change, and supports the young generation of campaigners, fighting for the future. He believes we can close the gaps between the recommendations of scientists and policies which do too little, but that we need to connect our compassion to our actions in order to motivate us to change: acknowledging the deep fear we feel when we fully confront the future of our planet can be our hope.Extinction Rebellion can be found here. Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

Waleed's life story, and personality, are nothing short of extraordinary. He speaks candidly and humorously, revealing the truth of what it means to be a child growing up in a war zone, what that is like in day-to-day life, how he learnt to be human against the backdrop of family members in prison, and losing close friends and many members of his community to the violence of war. Waleed's later experiences in the West highlight the difference between being raised in Iraq with war, sanctions, invasions, and being raised in Canada where he now lives. His life, like the life of so many others, has been shaped by the aggression of world leaders, and their proxies who curated environments of fear. However, rather than focusing on difference and negativity, he looks for the similarities, the humanity in all of us, and the moments where he can give and receive compassion. He focuses on the video games we all played in the 1980's, the music that we all love (for him - heavy metal), and the connections that can be made across political and cultural boundaries. Waleed is an inspiring man who tells stories that serve as reminders that compassion can be found in dark places, and that rehumanises a period of history that we know well on a geo-political level, but tend to ignore its human cost. Julian was introduced to Waleed by Jo Abel who can be heard talking about the series in Episode 5. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Waleed's life story, and personality, are nothing short of extraordinary. He speaks candidly and humorously, revealing the truth of what it means to be a child growing up in a war zone, what that is like in day-to-day life, how he learnt to be human against the backdrop of family members in prison, and losing close friends and many members of his community to the violence of war.Waleed's later experiences in the West highlight the difference between being raised in Iraq with war, sanctions, invasions, and being raised in Canada where he now lives. His life, like the life of so many others, has been shaped by the aggression of world leaders, and their proxies who curated environments of fear. However, rather than focusing on difference and negativity, he looks for the similarities, the humanity in all of us, and the moments where he can give and receive compassion. He focuses on the video games we all played in the 1980's, the music that we all love (for him - heavy metal), and the connections that can be made across political and cultural boundaries.Waleed is an inspiring man who tells stories that serve as reminders that compassion can be found in dark places, and that rehumanises a period of history that we know well on a geo-political level, but tend to ignore its human cost.Julian was introduced to Waleed by Jo Abel who can be heard talking about the series in Episode 5.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

Julian and Jason discuss the fascinating contents and implications of Jason's PHD into whether having self-compassion correlates with kindness to others. Their conversation is a mix of the personal and the academic as Jason takes us through his experiences that led him to nursing, and to his research into compassion for others and for the self. He talks openly about how his experience of racism and the continued othering he felt in Australian society led him to a deeper understanding about the presence and lack of compassion, and how to rebuild it, and how we can extend this to our environs and to the earth itself. Jason's work has profound impacts and implications outside of healthcare. His resources engage with self-compassion from a plethora of angles, how to actively apply changes to address what he sees as an imbalance in our relationship between self and outward compassion. His resources can be easily accessed here https://palliativecare.org.au/resources/self-care-matters and are designed to be helpful to us all. Jason reminds us that to be human is to be interdependent, it means to have love and kindness for everyone, including yourself. He describes himself as a life long student of compassion, and encourages us all to join him. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Julian and Jason discuss the fascinating contents and implications of Jason's PHD into whether having self-compassion correlates with kindness to others.Their conversation is a mix of the personal and the academic as Jason takes us through his experiences that led him to nursing, and to his research into compassion for others and for the self. He talks openly about how his experience of racism and the continued othering he felt in Australian society led him to a deeper understanding about the presence and lack of compassion, and how to rebuild it, and how we can extend this to our environs and to the earth itself.Jason's work has profound impacts and implications outside of healthcare. His resources engage with self-compassion from a plethora of angles, how to actively apply changes to address what he sees as an imbalance in our relationship between self and outward compassion. His resources can be easily accessed here https://palliativecare.org.au/resources/self-care-matters and are designed to be helpful to us all.Jason reminds us that to be human is to be interdependent, it means to have love and kindness for everyone, including yourself. He describes himself as a life long student of compassion, and encourages us all to join him.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

Mary-Lou and Holly's work addresses the disruption of colonisation on (amongst other things) traditional practices, on parenting, on education, on intergenerational communication, on end of life practices, and colonialism's continuing legacy. Mary-Lou's career led her from an undergraduate degree in English Literature where she learnt to observe people's stories, to delivering pioneering palliative care projects, focused on bringing dying at home back to communities to an area the size of France in remote Canada. Mary-Lou and Holly's work was community development in its truest form. Giving up control of the project and asking the communities what they needed lies at the crux of the success of their work, where the project bends to fit the community that it is in and not vice versa. Julian finds out about how the work came about, how it worked, and what happens next for community care for death and dying. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

Mary-Lou and Holly's work addresses the disruption of colonisation on (amongst other things) traditional practices, on parenting, on education, on intergenerational communication, on end of life practices, and colonialism's continuing legacy.Mary-Lou's career led her from an undergraduate degree in English Literature where she learnt to observe people's stories, to delivering pioneering palliative care projects, focused on bringing dying at home back to communities to an area the size of France in remote Canada. Mary-Lou and Holly's work was community development in its truest form. Giving up control of the project and asking the communities what they needed lies at the crux of the success of their work, where the project bends to fit the community that it is in and not vice versa.Julian finds out about how the work came about, how it worked, and what happens next for community care for death and dying.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

  In this episode, Allan turns interviewer to ask Julian about the background of The Compassion Project. Julian discusses how why he wrote the book and how it draws on themes that have taken 30 years or more to mature. He goes on to talk about why compassion is important and how it can be used throughout our life, whether this be at home, at work, in schools and not to forget politics. Both Julian and Allan answer the two questions asked of all of our guests: about a moment when the smallest thing made the biggest difference and their favourite public moment of compassion? Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Full transcript available on our website hereIn this episode, Allan turns interviewer to ask Julian about the background of The Compassion Project. Julian discusses how why he wrote the book and how it draws on themes that have taken 30 years or more to mature. He goes on to talk about why compassion is important and how it can be used throughout our life, whether this be at home, at work, in schools and not to forget politics. Both Julian and Allan answer the two questions asked of all of our guests: about a moment when the smallest thing made the biggest difference and their favourite public moment of compassion?Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

Dr Julian Abel and Professor Allan Kellehear talk about all things compassion from vaccines, to love, laughter and friendship. Our first podcast starts with Professor Allan Kellehear. He is the founding father of public health palliative care. His background is in social science and public health and he became the first non clinical palliative care professor at La Trobe University in 1998. In this podcast, we discuss the background and basic principles of public health palliative care. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Dr Kerrie Noonan is a clinical psychologist and social researcher who has spent 25 years creating a more death literate society, where people and communities have the practical know-how needed to live with dying death and grief. She is involved in so many projects: the founding executive director of The Ground Swell Project and national initiatives Dying to Know Day, Film Life Project and Com Com Hub among many others. Kerrie was awarded her PhD in 2018 by Western Sydney University for her study titled Renegade Stories: A study of deathworkers using social approaches to dying, death and loss in Australia. Kerrie has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, a BA (Psychology), and a Grad. Dip. in Systemic Therapy (Family Therapy) and a fellow of the Sydney School for Social Entrepreneurs. Julian Abel can be found on Twitter Follow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us on sotk@compassionate-communitiesuk.co.uk

Dr Kerrie Noonan is a clinical psychologist and social researcher who has spent 25 years creating a more death literate society, where people and communities have the practical know-how needed to live with dying death and grief. She is involved in so many projects: the founding executive director of The GroundSwell Project and national initiatives Dying to Know Day, FilmLife Project and ComComHub among many others.Kerrie was awarded her PhD in 2018 by Western Sydney University for her study titled Renegade Stories: A study of deathworkers using social approaches to dying, death and loss in Australia. Kerrie has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, a BA (Psychology), and a Grad. Dip. in Systemic Therapy (Family Therapy) and a fellow of the Sydney School for Social Entrepreneurs.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com

Our first podcast starts with Professor Allan Kellehear. He is the founding father of public health palliative care. His background is in social science and public health and he became the first non clinical palliative care professor at La Trobe University in 1998.In this podcast, we discuss the background and basic principles of public health palliative care.Julian Abel can be found on TwitterFollow Survival of the Kindest on Twitter, Instagram and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you like to listen to get our episodes as they are released. Email us compassion.pod@gmail.com