Health Versus Wealth With Dr Ben

Steve Spriggs and his son, Ben, 21, bring a fresh perspective to the ‘Health Versus Wealth’ discussion as they recount their remarkable family story of how Ben, a couple of weeks before his 16th birthday, fell ill and was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma (BL), a rare and fast-growing type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), namely blood cancer.At first, their GP thought Ben just had “a bacterial infection”, but after a trip to A&E, and after Ben’s blood sample was sent to Germany for checking, his diagnosis was confirmed. Dad Steve, from Coventry, a teacher for 13 years, wife Jenny, a teaching assistant, and their 2 other kids suffered a huge strain. Recently, Ben celebrated 5 years in remission. What’s Steve’s message to listeners who pursue wealth and neglect their health? He replies: “I’d say to them there are more important things in life than work, like family and your own health. Business and work can be enjoyable and it’s nice to have more money. Everybody would like more money to have the freedom to go and do more, and better things. But at end of the day the value of that is miniscule compared to the health of the people you love and sharing time in their company.” 

Daksha Parekh, also known as ‘Chef D’ and ‘The Veggie Virtuoso’, has been a chef for 25+ years, and describes herself as “a visionary, serial entrepreneur”. She is Birmingham born & bred, and after suffering a family bereavement, and then also a ‘pivot’ in Covid lockdown, she changed from ‘cheffing’ to teaching others, including children, about how to achieve better health through the power of nutrition.Daksha champions the power of Millets, super ancient grains grown in China, Russia, Ukraine, Africa and India, originally for fodder, not for humans. Wheat and rice took over precedence, but millets hold important healing properties and can reverse lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, gut issues and more, she says.Daksha is also an expert in “non-toxic cooking equipment”. People buy non-stick pans which are coated in chemicals, she says. “The minute you clean or scrub them, you are taking off protective layers and the toxins go into your food. You also inhale the fumes. People can be caused all sorts of problems with autoimmune illnesses, mental and physical problems, too,” she says. Having researched this in depth, she advises that it is best to buy good-quality stainless steel cooking equipment.

Rachel Jessey (MSc, DipNT, mANP, mNNA, mGNC) is a Registered Naturopathic Nutritionist and a Long Covid and Chronic Illness Nutrition Specialist. Rachel has recently joined the award-winning team at Dr Finlay’s Private Practice.Born in Nottingham, she grew up in Southampton, by the New Forest, a well-known hotspot for Lyme Disease. “I used to roll round on the forest floor. My Dad was always pulling ticks out of me, I had more ticks than the dog.” Rachel has encountered many health challenges in her life and believes that when the body is provided with the right environment, nutrients and conditions, many issues resolve on their own. Her approach is to blend naturopathic principles, nutritional science, circadian and quantum biology into a practical, holistic approach tailored to each person's life.Rachel provides specialised care to clients seeking nutrition and lifestyle support. With her wealth of experience in the nutrition and integrative healthcare space, she has developed a particular interest in circadian biology, the microbiomes and lifestyle medicine.At home, she’s up at 5.30am, takes a daily walk at sunrise, eats breakfast, and doesn’t switch on any electronic screens until work starts at 9am. 

Rob Butler, 31, born and bred Solihull, is the Founder & Director of Tri Wellness in Solihull, a personal trainer and successful business owner. His flourishing 4-year-old business is the first multidisciplinary wellness centre in Solihull. He says: “My purpose is to use my experiences and education to help as many individuals as possible live happier and healthier lives.”In 2017, Rob graduated with a first-class degree in Sports Therapy from University College Birmingham, then 2 years later founded Tri Wellness. But during his early years growing up, Rob faced challenges at home. He suffered anxiety, depression and self-esteem issues growing up. He felt “crippled inside”, he says. He was diagnosed with anxiety and a year ago was also diagnosed with ADHD.Rob believes that a lot of personal trainers do the job because they have personal issues and want to look good. He’s used his own knowledge and experience, gained through overcoming his own personal obstacles, to grow his business, which now employs 12-15 people, e.g. personal trainers, sports therapist, psychotherapist, yoga instructors, Pilates instructor, breathwork practitioner, meditation practitioner, remedial massage therapist & nutritionist. Business growth and success are very important to him and he’d like to build a nationwide franchise with more Tri Wellness branches. First and foremost, he genuinely wants to help people.

Dr Lalitaa Suglani is an award-winning psychologist, leadership empowerment expert, international speaker and author. She’s just published her first book, ‘High-Functioning Anxiety’, about high-performing businesspeople who suffer from anxiety in a stage she describes as “just before burnout”. She supports clients in the areas of health and wealth, so feels great synergy with podcast 'Health Versus Wealth With Dr Ben'. Born in Birmingham as a member of “a second-generation ethnic minority”, her Dad “lived in a field in a hut in India” and came to the UK when he was 17. Both parents had big work ethic & traditional Indian values, so Lalitaa was brought up strictly. “As a female, that meant you were primed to get the right skillset to look after your husband and the family you were going to be married into. You weren’t allowed to cut your hair, wear makeup or paint your nails until you got married. That's when you got freedom. But I was the cycle-breaker, the rebel in the family, the only one in my family who went down a very different route and did not get married.” The pressures she felt brought her own taste of anxiety, this partly inspiring her book. In her late 20s, was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. \Her name ‘Dr Lalitaa’ is the name of her business, which launched 11 years ago in 2013. Her clients are business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals who are outwardly very successful, but inwardly very stressed and worried. Lalitaa says they hide their stress, which often comes from not having set boundaries and saying “yes” all the time. "Highly sensitive and empathetic, they feel responsible for everyone else and carry people's emotions. I help them understand these patterns and to pick up the pieces, otherwise they remain on the treadmill of “go, go, go” until they hit burnout."

Mitesh and Minal Parmar have been called “a Power Couple”. They set up their business, Wellspace Architects, in 2020 and won Architects Firm of the Year at the 2023 Midlands Property Investment Awards. Their mantra and guiding principle for their business is “Design Well, Live Better” and their focus when creating buildings is very people-focused. Their clients include not only homeowners, but many others in the education, health and care sectors, and their consultancy work also helps the corporate sector better to support the people in their work buildings, which improves their performance. In this episode, Mitesh and Minal share a fascinating conversation with Dr Ben about how people's choice of (1) colours can have a major impact on a building's occupants; (2) how the positioning of walls and windows can create shadows in corners, which can adversely affect people with dementia; (3) how ventilation, if poor, can create “Sick Building Syndrome” and migraines. Wellspace Architects’ clients include homeowners (who may have a family member suffering from a health condition), organisations in the education, health and care sectors, and the office / corporate client, keen to support employees in their buildings. Says Mitesh: "We thought, ‘What can we do to give back and make a difference? What could we do together to use our skills and knowledge of how the built environment, the buildings we are in make an impact on people?’. That’s where we came up with the name Wellspace Architects. Our philosophy is designing around health and wellbeing."Minal (who keeps herself fit as a keen Hoola-Hooper) adds: "The company came from our own personal situations and experiences. There is research by scientist, doctors and psychologist on how buildings impact people. A lot of the time, architecture is about bricks and walls and the hard elements of a building. People often forget to acknowledge that we are designing and creating places and spaces for people.”

Narinder Sheena, a solicitor and mother-of-two from Bromsgrove, has been on a deeply transformative personal and professional journey in the past few years. Having worked in the legal sector for 15 years, she suffered a severe right disc prolapse and was advised by a neurosurgeon that she needed surgery. However, despite encountering chronic pain – she couldn’t even stand up to brush her teeth and could hardly walk – she decided to explore another route. She connected with some authors, experts and health and wellness coaches in America and felt determined she would tackle her medical problems without medical intervention. She became a coach herself, placing her legal career on hold, and has instead written a moving story about her experiences. The book, her first, is titled ‘From Pain To Power’, and has just been published. She describes it as “a toolkit to help people get through pain barriers”.Narinder’s business is MAP Coaching (MAP stands for Mind Action Progress). She says she is aware that, as a business owner now, she is coaching and writing her book for profit as well as for a wider purpose. She is also interested to pursue opportunities for public speaking. Keen to strike a healthier balance in life, she still works hard to build up her coaching business and raise her professional profile.

Jim Thorp, 49, who was born in Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital, recalls: “As a child, all I ever wanted to do was fly planes and play rugby for England. I did neither, though I came relatively close to doing both!” Rory Underwood, England's record international try scorer, who was also an RAF pilot for 18 years, was Jim's childhood hero. Jim spent 9 years in the Air Force but never flew. He made the England Under-21 rugby squad, turned professional in 2000 and as a loosehead prop, lining up on the left of the scrum next to the hooker, he suffered many injuries over the years. Forced to retire from rugby after “4 shoulder reconstructions, 1 neck surgery, countless back injuries, numerous shoulder dislocations, broken bones and a barrel-shaped body that topped over 19 stone, Jim has, for past 21 years, run ‘JT Ethos’, the Midlands’ leading corrective exercise and holistic health company”. Based in Sutton Coldfield, Jim helps clients find long-term solutions to back, neck & health problems and specialises in scoliosis, sciatica and long-term & repetitive back and neck issues. He also helps 35–60-year-olds overhaul their health.