Modern Rituals by Exhale

Can you completely rebuild your life – from booze, drugs and chaos to discipline, endurance and real health?

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with Matt Pritchard – best known from Dirty Sanchez – to unpack one of the most dramatic transformations we’ve had on the podcast. They dive into addiction, sobriety, discipline, 4am wake-ups, ultra-endurance, vegan nutrition, contrast therapy, and the mindset shift that helped Matt go from self-destruction to purpose.

Matt shares how he used endurance challenges as a lifeline, why consistency matters more than motivation, what he eats to fuel training and recovery, and the simple habits that helped him stay sober and become the fittest version of himself in his 50s.

✍️ Matt's Modern Rituals:

• Sign up for an ambitious challenge
• Get up at 4am
• Get exercise done in the morning
• Morning coffee first thing
• Start each day with swim, bike and a walk
• Give your partner a compliment every day
• Protein shake and creatine
• Bed at 9pm
• Vegan diet
• Add nuts, raisins and fruit to protein shake
• Rice cake for lunch with salad and veg
• Lentils at dinner time
• Dates for a healthy snack
• Sauna and ice baths

🎙️ About the guest:

Matt Pritchard is a TV personality, endurance athlete, author, chef and entrepreneur. Best known as one of the stars of Dirty Sanchez, he has since transformed his life through sobriety, veganism, endurance sport and health-focused routines. He’s completed brutal challenges including rowing the Atlantic and 10 Ironmans in 10 days, and now co-runs Dirty Health retreats designed to help others feel stronger, healthier and more resilient.

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:

Instagram: @yourexhale
TikTok: @yourexhale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Matt:
Instagram: @pritchardswid
Dirty Health: dirtyhealth.com

#exhalecoffee #healthpodcast #dirtysanchez

Are you tired... or just dopamine-depleted?

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with TJ Power – lead neuroscientist at The DOSE Lab and author of The Dose Effect – to unpack the four 'happy chemicals' (dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins) and the modern habits that quietly wreck them.

They dive into why dopamine will never satisfy you, how phones fry your motivation for real life, the underrated power of boredom, and the small 'effortful' rituals that rebuild drive and focus. TJ also helps Alex troubleshoot his sleep in real time – from sunset light to a surprisingly effective bedtime ritual: reading fiction out loud.

If you’ve felt overstimulated, scattered, or like you’re doing everything wrong, this conversation will give you a simple framework and a handful of habits you can start tomorrow.

🎙️ About the guest:
TJ Power is the lead neuroscientist at The DOSE Lab and the bestselling author of The Dose Effect. His work focuses on helping people optimise dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins through practical, everyday behaviours – especially in a world built for stimulation addiction.

✍️ TJ's Modern Rituals:

• Never bring your phone into the bedroom
• Breath work before bed
• Tidy the area next to your bed
• Immense discipline within your home (do the boring tasks!)
• Always make your bed
• At least 15 mins of ‘boring’ activity each day
• Plan a social meeting and don’t bring your phone with you
• Watch the sunset before bed
• Don’t brush your teeth under a bright bathroom light
• Read in the evening
• Read out loud to your partner
• Add an app-blocker on your phone

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:
Instagram: @yourexhale
TikTok: @yourexhale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow TJ:
Instagram: @tjpower
TJ's DOSE Lab: https://thedoselab.com/
TJ's YouTube: @tjpowerofficial

00:00 – Dopamine will never satisfy you (why you always want more)
01:49 – The DOSE method explained: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins
06:50 – ADHD & dopamine: why ADHD brains crave stimulation
10:09 – Signs your dopamine is “fried” (boredom, focus, motivation)
14:19 – Phone addiction fix: no phone in bedroom + morning dopamine rules
31:34 – The “boredom barrier”: 15-min walk/run that sparks better decisions
40:36 – Oxytocin vs dopamine: the calm chemical you’re missing
52:45 – Sleep fixes: sunset light, avoid bright bathroom lights, wind-down
01:00:21 – Bedtime ritual that works: read fiction out loud (10 minutes)
01:10:09 – Endorphins for stress: move your body, don’t scroll it away

#dopamineaddiction #exhalecoffee #TJPower

Get ready for no nonsense nutrition with Dominique Ludwig!

Can you fix cravings, energy crashes, and gut health — without counting calories or cutting carbs?

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with Dominique Ludwig — one of the UK’s leading nutritionists and author of No Nonsense Nutrition — to cut through the fear-mongering and make healthy eating simple again. They unpack her “Triple 30” framework (protein, fibre, plant diversity), how to build the perfect plate, why snacking can hijack appetite, and the small shifts that can improve bloating, sleep, mood and inflammation fast. Expect practical, real-world strategies you can actually stick to.

🎙️ About the guest:
Dominique Ludwig is a King’s College London qualified nutritionist, nutritional therapist and a fellow of the British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine. With 20+ years of clinical experience, she’s known for evidence-led, no-nonsense nutrition advice that helps people improve energy, gut health, cravings and long-term health.

✍️ Dominique's Modern Rituals:

• Oily fish
• Whole spelt flour, bulgar wheat, quinoa
• Colourful fruit and veg
• 30g protein per meal
• 30g fibre per day
• 30+ different plants a week
• Raw veg in morning, cooked veg after lunch
• Vegetable dicer
• Avoid eating after 7pm
• Oura ring
• Monounsaturated fats
• Omega 3
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Focus on breakfast first
• Sprinkle your food with nuts and seeds
• Greek yogurt, flax seeds, kefir, berries
• Eggs, Greek yogurt, garlic, herbs
• Red lentil bagels

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:
Instagram: @yourexhale
TikTok: @yourexhale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Dominique:
Instagram: @dominiqueludwig
Book: No Nonsense Nutrition (out 26 Feb in the UK)

📘 Buy Dominique's new book No Nonsense Nutrition here: https://dominiqueludwig.com/product/book/

#nutrition #nutritionist #exhalecoffee

Can you reverse burnout, build resilience, and feel years younger – without overcomplicating your health?

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

In this episode, Alex sits down with Angela Foster — award-winning nutritionist, high-performance health coach, and host of the High Performance Health podcast — to unpack the 7 daily habits she credits with transforming her health (and helping her test with a significantly “younger” biological age). They explore her journey from corporate law and burnout to recovery, and break down the foundations that matter most: daily movement, strength training, VO₂ max, protein + plants, omega-3s, consistent sleep timing, and the overlooked power of purpose, connection, and nature.

🎙️ About the guest:
Angela Foster is an award-winning nutritionist and high-performance health coach specialising in women’s health. She hosts the High Performance Health podcast (550+ episodes) and shares practical, science-backed strategies to help busy people build energy, resilience, and long-term health.

✍️ Angela’s Modern Rituals
• Daily movement
• 10x body weight squats
• Standing desk
• Take the stairs, not the lift
• Norwegian 4x4 once a week
• Prioritise protein and plants
• Breakfast idea: oats with protein shake with blueberries, matcha powder and seeds
• Breakfast idea: spinach, mushroom and onion omelette
• Make extra dinner to eat for lunch the following day
• 12 hour overnight fast
• 15mg of EPA and DHA a day
• Stick to regular bed time and wake up time
• At least 5g creatine a day
• Commit time to talking with no phones allowed
• Go outside everyday

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:
Instagram: @yourexhale
TikTok: @yourexhale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

Follow Angela:
Instagram: @angelasfoster
Podcast: High Performance Health

📧 Sign up for Angela's Fresh Start email newsletter. Each Sunday, she shares a powerful science backed habit to boost energy, balance hormones and enhance longevity. Sign up here: https://academy.angelafosterperformance.com/fresh-start

00:00 Burnout to comeback: stress, depression & recovery
04:03 Mental health reset: self-compassion & getting support
08:05 Biological age explained: inflammation, VO₂ max, DEXA
12:08 Daily movement hacks: NEAT, squats, stairs & VILPA
16:11 Best cardio for longevity: Norwegian 4x4 training
20:14 Strength training for aging well: muscle & injury prevention
24:17 Nutrition fundamentals: protein, plants & energy
28:20 Fasting & meal timing: the 12-hour rule
32:23 Fasted training, cortisol & women’s recovery
36:26 Anti-inflammatory health: omega-3 index, EPA vs DHA
40:29 Tinned fish, mercury & clean ingredients
44:32 Sleep optimisation: circadian rhythm & HRV
48:35 Creatine for brain health & sleep deprivation
52:38 Purpose & longevity: mindset, resilience & meaning
56:41 Relationships & health: connection as medicine
1:00:44 Nature therapy: walking, stress & forest bathing
1:04:47 Final habits: stop working late + walk daily

#biohack #healthpodcast #exhalecoffee

What if you could skip the noise and go straight to the habits that actually work?

📧 Hear more health hacks and wellness news by subscribing to our (free!) newsletter: https://exhalecoffee.com/pages/email

In this special compilation episode, your host and Exhale Co-Founder Alex Higham pulls together the 10 most powerful, practical and talked-about moments from our first 10 Modern Rituals guests.

From creatine dosing and fasting science to cold exposure, breathwork, sleep optimisation and stress resilience – this episode is your shortcut to the rituals that high performers actually use in real life.

You’ll hear:

• Dr Rupy on how much creatine most people actually need
• Tony Riddle’s simple starting point for breathwork
• Davinia Taylor’s non-negotiable sleep upgrades
• Fenwick Ridley’s step-by-step cold shower protocol
• Sarah Ann Macklin on what fasting gets right – and wrong
• Laird Hamilton on nature, light and performance longevity
• Grace Kingswell on why your oral microbiome matters more than you think
• Alex Manos on building real resilience (not just chasing biohacks)
• Dame Kelly Holmes on instinct vs data in health and performance
• Kevin O’Neill on using heat and cold to reset stress patterns

If you’re new to Modern Rituals, this is the perfect place to start!

If you’ve been with us since episode one, this is your reminder of the habits worth keeping 💪

🤝 Stay up to date with Modern Rituals podcast on:
Instagram: @yourexhale
TikTok: @yourexhale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourexhale/

☕️ Brought to you by Exhale Coffee: https://exhalecoffee.com/

#productivity #biohacking #exhalecoffee