MOHIVATE

Mohi Sarawgee
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Hosted by Dr. Mohi Sarawgee, a GP, MOHIvate is your doctor’s dose of heart and science — with just a touch of humour — because health and feeling good shouldn’t feel complicated. Each episode breaks down medicine and everyday science in a simple, thoughtful way, serving as a reminder that real health can still feel human. I hope you enjoy listening, learning, and carrying a little feel-good factor with you. Thank you for tuning in! Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. It is not intended to be, and should not be taken as, personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your own doctor or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health, and never ignore or delay professional medical advice because of something you’ve heard here. The views expressed are my own and do not represent the views of any organizations or institutions I’m affiliated with.

  1. 8h ago

    48. Circadian Rhythm & Sleep (Part 1) | Caves, Light and the Science of Your Body Clock

    Send us Fan Mail In this first episode of a new four-part series on circadian rhythm and sleep, I explore one of the most fascinating things about the human body: the clock that quietly keeps time inside us. Our story begins in 1938, deep inside a Kentucky cave, where two scientists set out to discover whether the human body could learn to live on a 28-hour day. What they found was one of the first clear clues that our bodies carry a clock of their own. From underground caves and curious fruit flies to the tiny master clock in our brain, we discover how almost every cell in the body keeps its own time, and why keeping those clocks in step matters for our sleep, metabolism and everyday health. We explore how daylight resets our body clock, why the timing of light matters as much as its brightness, and how two powerful forces work together to decide when we feel sleepy and when we finally fall asleep. A journey through history, biology and the remarkable rhythms that connect us to the world outside. And perhaps, by the end, a new reason to step into the morning light. References Konopka RJ, Benzer S. Clock mutants of Drosophila melanogaster. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1971;68(9):2112–2116. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC389363/Czeisler CA, Duffy JF, Shanahan TL, et al. Stability, precision, and near-24-hour period of the human circadian pacemaker. Science. 1999;284(5423):2177–2181. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10381883/Damiola F, Le Minh N, Preitner N, et al. Restricted feeding uncouples circadian oscillators in peripheral tissues from the central pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Genes & Development. 2000;14(23):2950–2961. https://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/14/23/2950Arble DM, Bass J, Laposky AD, Vitaterna MH, Turek FW. Circadian timing of food intake contributes to weight gain. Obesity. 2009;17(11):2100–2102. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2009.264Czeisler CA, Shanahan TL, Klerman EB, et al. Suppression of melatonin secretion in some blind patients by exposure to bright light. New England Journal of Medicine. 1995;332(1):6–11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7990870/Berson DM, Dunn FA, Takao M. Phototransduction by retinal ganglion cells that set the circadian clock. Science. 2002;295(5557):1070–1073. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2002Sci...295.1070B/abstractKhalsa SBS, Jewett ME, Cajochen C, Czeisler CA. A phase response curve to single bright light pulses in human subjects. Journal of Physiology. 2003;549(3):945–952. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2342968/Stefani O, Cajochen C. Should we re-think regulations and standards for lighting at workplaces? A practice review on existing lighting recommendations. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2021;12:652161. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.652161/fullThe forbidden zone for sleep is more robust in adolescents compared to adults. Frontiers in Sleep. 2023. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sleep/articles/10.3389/frsle.2023.1304647/fullThe 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash and Michael W. Young, for their discoveries of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm. https://aasm.org/nobel-prize-awarded-circadian-rhythm-discoveries/Railway time and the Bristol Corn Exchange dual-time clock. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/corn-exchange-dualtime-clockJust a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  2. Oct 29

    47. Life, Light & a Few Ghosts | A Seasonal Interlude

    Send us Fan Mail In this seasonal interlude of Mohivate, I'm checking in with a few life updates, some behind-the-scenes podcast confessions, and a fair bit of humour along the way. From Halloween ghosts and ancient traditions to Diwali lamps, we explore why we reach for warmth and connection as the days grow darker , with a little science on seasonal affective disorder (SAD) woven in. A gentle catch-up, a few laughs, and a reminder of the light we make for one another. Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  3. Oct 1

    46. Happiness, Hedonia & Eudaimonia | The Science of Feeling Good & Living Well

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mohivate, I explore happiness, and why the things that make us feel good may be only part of what makes a life feel full. From the ancient ideas of hedonia and eudaimonia to modern research on purpose, relationships, stress, gene expression and longevity, I unpack what science can tell us about the difference between pleasure and flourishing. Why does the happiness of getting what we want fade so quickly? Why do meaning and connection seem to reach deeper? What can nearly ninety years of the Harvard Study of Adult Development teach us about living well? And can the way we experience our lives leave traces in the body itself? Along the way: the hedonic treadmill, purpose and health, the biology of chronic stress, PERMA, the importance of relationships, and some surprisingly simple practices that may help us build a richer sense of wellbeing. And, one year into Mohivate, I return to a very ordinary moment, involving my niece, a few pieces of crockery and a family kitchen, and ask a much bigger question: What actually makes a life feel full? An episode about pleasure, purpose, connection, and the things that stay with us long after the moment has passed. References:  1.Hedonia, eudaimonia and gene expression (Fredrickson, Cole et al., 2013): https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1305419110 2.Critical reanalysis of the gene-expression findings (Brown et al.): https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1407057111 3.Sense of purpose and reduced mortality (Boyle et al.): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19420517/ 4.Purpose in life and reduced risk of Alzheimer's / cognitive decline (Boyle et al.): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20194831/ 5.The Harvard Study of Adult Development: https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.harvard.edu/ 6.The hedonic treadmill / adaptation (Brickman & Campbell; overview): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16523124/ 7.The "happiness set point" and sustainable change (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon & Schkade): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16351375/ 8.PERMA and wellbeing theory (Seligman, overview): https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/learn-more/perma-theory-well-being-and-perma-workshops 9.Self-determination theory, autonomy, competence, relatedness (Deci & Ryan): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11392867/ 10.Positive psychology interventions, gratitude, kindness, savouring, strengths (Seligman et al., 2005): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16045394/ 11.VIA Character Strengths survey (free questionnaire): https://www.viacharacter.org Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  4. Sep 16

    45. Fibremaxxing | Beta-Glucan, Psyllium Husk & Feeding the Trillions Within You

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi explores the surprising science behind one of the biggest nutrition trends of 2026: fibremaxxing. Once dismissed as little more than "roughage," fibre is suddenly everywhere. Beta-glucan is appearing on longevity podcasts, psyllium husk is back in the spotlight, and the nutrient we spent decades overlooking is finally having its moment. But what does fibre actually do once we eat it? We travel from the work of surgeon Denis Burkitt in 1960s Uganda to the extraordinary microbial world inside the human gut, where trillions of bacteria transform the fibre we cannot digest into molecules such as butyrate, with effects that may reach far beyond the bowel. Along the way, we look at beta-glucan and psyllium husk, what makes them different, the evidence for cholesterol and blood sugar, the emerging science of the gut-brain axis, a timely twist linking fibre to the new weight-loss injections, whether supplements are really worth taking, and how much fibre we actually need. And, of course, what happens when a genuinely good idea gets taken a little too far. Because going from hardly any fibre to "fibremaxxing" overnight may give your microbiome rather more excitement than you intended. A story about roughage, remarkable biology, the trillions within us, and why a good life rarely needs to be maxxed. Sometimes, it simply needs to be nourished. References : 1.UCLA Health — Is "fibermaxxing" a sound nutrition trend? https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/fibermaxxing-sound-nutrition-trend 2.Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future — Food Trends for 2026 Focus on Fiber-Maxxing https://clf.jhsph.edu/viewpoints/food-trends-2026-focus-fiber-maxxing-global-foods-and-more 3.Cummings JH & Engineer A — Denis Burkitt and the origins of the dietary fibre hypothesis, Nutrition Research Reviews https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nutrition-research-reviews/article/denis-burkitt-and-the-origins-of-the-dietary-fibre-hypothesis/1DA569CF06DB93A4FF2DA54629A5D566 4.Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat β-glucan: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523048426 5.Silva YP, Bernardi A & Frozza RL — The Role of Short-Chain Fatty Acids From Gut Microbiota in Gut-Brain Communication, Frontiers in Endocrinology https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7005631/ 6.Gut microbiome predicts personalized responses to dietary fibre in prediabetes: a randomized, open-label trial, Nature Communications (December 2025) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-66498-x 7.Mayo Clinic — High-fiber foods chart https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948 Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  5. Aug 12

    44. Water | The Pathogen, the Plastic & What's in Your Glass

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee follows the remarkable story of water, from the cholera-stricken streets of Victorian London to the microplastics turning up in the water we drink today. We meet John Snow and the Broad Street pump, explore how clean water and sanitation became one of the greatest advances in human health, and look at just how much science and human effort sits behind something as ordinary as turning on a tap. Then we come to the question facing us now. Microplastics and nanoplastics are being found in drinking water, bottled water, and even human tissues. But what do those findings actually mean for our health? And how much should we really be worried? Along the way, we look at bottled versus tap water, what water filters can and cannot do, simple ways to reduce unnecessary plastic exposure, and what to do if the water coming from your own tap suddenly looks, smells, or tastes different. This episode is a story about a pathogen, plastic, uncertainty, and the extraordinary science hidden inside an ordinary glass of water. References:  1.John Snow, cholera and the Broad Street pump (1854) — London Museum: https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/john-snow-cholera-broad-street-pump/ 2.Clean water and sanitation voted the greatest medical advance since 1840 — BMJ readers’ poll (2007): https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1779856/ 3.The Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak and record fine — Drinking Water Inspectorate (2026): https://www.dwi.gov.uk/2-june-2026-south-west-water-fined-a-record-1-853-million-for-drinking-water-failures-in-brixham/ 4.Microplastics in drinking water: WHO assessment (low risk at current levels, more research needed) — World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/news/item/22-08-2019-who-calls-for-more-research-into-microplastics-and-a-crackdown-on-plastic-pollution Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  6. Jul 29

    43. Lipoprotein (a) | Inherited, Overlooked & Finally Understood

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee explores Lipoprotein(a), a tiny particle carried in the blood, inherited almost entirely through our genes, and largely unchanged by diet, exercise, or most current cholesterol-lowering treatments. For more than sixty years, medicine knew it was there but rarely spoke about it. Now, that is beginning to change. We look at what Lipoprotein(a) is, why high levels can raise the risk of heart attack, stroke, and aortic valve disease, who may be more likely to carry it, and why a single blood test can sometimes reveal something important about an entire family. The conversation also turns to what “high” really means, whether you should be tested, and why the guidelines have suddenly shifted, with the 2026 US guidelines now recommending Lipoprotein(a) be measured at least once in every adult. I share whether I’d test myself, and why knowing a number you can’t change can still be a kind of power. And finally, the hopeful horizon: a new generation of medicines designed to switch Lp(a) down at the source, and the landmark trials, unfolding right now, that may finally tell us whether lowering it saves lives. This is also an episode about inheritance, uncertainty, and the difference between what we are given and what remains within our hands. Because we may not choose every card we are dealt, but we can still choose how we play the rest of the hand. References: 1. Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/Multisociety Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia. Journal of the American College of Cardiology.2026 May 19;87(19):2624–2757. (The guideline that, for the first time in the US, recommends measuring Lp(a) at least once in every adult — a Class I recommendation.) https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.016 2. American Heart Association newsroom summary of the 2026 guideline (plain-language overview, March 2026). https://newsroom.heart.org/news/accaha-issue-updated-guideline-for-managing-lipids-cholesterol 3. HEART UK — Lipoprotein(a): what it is, why it matters, and testing. https://www.heartuk.org.uk (search “Lp(a)”) 4. British Heart Foundation — Lipoprotein(a) and your heart. https://www.bhf.org.uk 5. Lp(a) HORIZON trial (pelacarsen) — design and rationale. American Heart Journal, 2025. The first-ever cardiovascular outcomes trial for an Lp(a)-lowering drug (~8,300 patients). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002870325001012 6. OCEAN(a)-Outcomes trial (olpasiran) — ClinicalTrials.govlisting. https://clinicaltrials.gov (search “OCEAN(a) Outcomes olpasiran”) 7. ACCLAIM-Lp(a) trial (lepodisiran) — ClinicalTrials.gov listing. https://clinicaltrials.gov (search “ACCLAIM-Lp(a) lepodisiran”) 8. Enas EA, et al. Lipoprotein(a) and its role in the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease in South Asians. (Reviews the ~25% high-Lp(a) prevalence and earlier-onset heart disease.) Search via PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  7. Jul 22

    42. Insect Bites & Cellulitis | When the Body Remembers

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee explores the surprisingly complex story behind insect bites and cellulitis, following the journey from a tiny break in the skin to one of the most common bacterial infections seen in general practice. The episode begins with something most of us have experienced. An insect bite. An itch. The temptation to scratch. But beneath that familiar story lies another, involving bacteria, the skin’s remarkable barrier, and a hidden drainage network that quietly protects us every day. We explore why cellulitis develops, why it so often affects the legs, and the fascinating history of St Anthony’s Fire, the strange red fire that people once could only pray to survive. We look at the difference between cellulitis and the conditions that can mimic it, such as venous eczema, and the rare warning signs that should never be ignored. Along the way, we uncover the remarkable role of the lymphatic system, why cellulitis sometimes returns to the very same place, and how caring for the skin can help break the cycle of recurrent infection. With clinical insight, practical advice, and a story that begins with a simple insect bite, this is a conversation about one of the body’s most overlooked systems, and the remarkable ways it remembers, protects, and heals. References:  1.The PATCH I Trial (penicillin to prevent recurrent leg cellulitis), New England Journal of Medicine: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1206300 2.NICE Guideline: Cellulitis and Erysipelas (NG141): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng141 3.British Journal of General Practice: Management of Cellulitis: https://bjgp.org/content/68/677/595 Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

  8. Jul 15

    41. The Pineal Gland & Melatonin | Descartes, Darkness & How the Body Keeps Time

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee explores the pineal gland and melatonin, and the ancient system that tells every cell in your body what time it is. In the 17th century, René Descartes pointed to a single structure buried at the centre of the head, a gland the size of a grain of rice, and called it the seat of the soul. For four hundred years, this tiny gland has drifted between mysticism and medicine. It has been linked to the third eye, to spiritual vision, to “brain sand,” and, more recently, to some genuinely serious neuroscience. But what is the pineal gland actually doing in there? And why is the hormone it makes, melatonin, so much more than the sleeping pill most of us believe it to be? From an organ that was once, in our evolutionary past, a literal light-sensing eye, to the darkness signal that governs your sleep, your ageing, your immune system, and even your gut, we follow melatonin’s extraordinary reach across the whole body. We explore why you wake at three in the morning, what blue light really does to your biology, why melatonin sits at the centre of research into Alzheimer’s and cancer, the truth about “decalcifying” the pineal gland, and the honest facts about the supplements sold online. With clinical insight, a little history, and a personal thread that runs through meditation and stillness, this is an episode about the small gland that keeps time for all of us, and what it means to let the body remember a rhythm it has known for millions of years. References:  1. IARC Monographs Vol 124 Group (2019). Carcinogenicity of night shift work. The Lancet Oncology, 20(8), 1058–1059. Night-shift work classified by the WHO/IARC as a probable cause of cancer (Group 2A). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(19)30455-3 2. International Agency for Research on Cancer (2020). IARC Monographs Volume 124: NightShift Work. World Health Organization. The official WHO/IARC source; lists breast, prostate, colon and rectal cancers. https://www.iarc.who.int/news-events/iarc-monographs-volume-124-night-shift-work/ 3. Rhythms of life: melatonin, nutrition, sleep, and antioxidant strategies for healthy aging. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 20:1736978. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1736978/full 4. The melatonin–microbiome axis: a new frontier in gut health (2025). Inflammopharmacology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10787-025-02005-4 5. Microbial melatonin metabolism in the human intestine as a therapeutic target for dysbiosis andrhythm disorders (2024). The gut producing far more melatonin than the pineal gland; gut–microbiome interaction. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41522-024-00605-6 6. Hardeland, R. (2015). Melatonin and brain inflammaging. Progress in Neurobiology.Melatonin declining with age, lower in Alzheimer’s, and its role against brain inflammation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25697044/ 7. Melatonin as an Anti-Aging Therapy for Age-Related Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases (2022). Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9204094/ Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.

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Hosted by Dr. Mohi Sarawgee, a GP, MOHIvate is your doctor’s dose of heart and science — with just a touch of humour — because health and feeling good shouldn’t feel complicated. Each episode breaks down medicine and everyday science in a simple, thoughtful way, serving as a reminder that real health can still feel human. I hope you enjoy listening, learning, and carrying a little feel-good factor with you. Thank you for tuning in! Disclaimer: The information shared in this podcast is for educational and inspirational purposes only. It is not intended to be, and should not be taken as, personal medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your own doctor or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health, and never ignore or delay professional medical advice because of something you’ve heard here. The views expressed are my own and do not represent the views of any organizations or institutions I’m affiliated with.

Information

  • Creator
    Mohi Sarawgee
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 MOHIVATE
  • Show Website
    MOHIVATE