Life and Depth with Ryan McDaid

Natural immune shots, turmeric, garlic, cholesterol and arthritis – why did nobody tell us this at 25?
Paddy Diver went from a 20‑something in construction who thought he just had a “bad back” to barely bending down to put on his socks – then built Pat’s Powerful Bottle out of desperation.
If you’re living with inflammation, fatigue or “I’ll sort my health later” thinking, this one’s for you.

*What we really get into*How turmeric, ginger, garlic and other “war‑time” foods can support immune health and lower inflammation when used consistently.
Why most of us never learn how our liver, cholesterol and plaque actually work – and what simple food choices can do over time.
Paddy’s story of ankylosing spondylitis, chronic pain, physio visits on lunch breaks and the moment he realised diet was flaring everything up.
Building a small health‑drink business from his kitchen, while the house was falling down, the money was gone and the regulations said “you can’t claim that.”
Real‑world reviews: arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, blood pressure, type‑2 diabetes – and why Paddy still has to be careful with what he publicly promises.
The cost of being “always on” for customers, giving out his personal number and trying to scale without losing the human touch.

*Who this is for*
People with chronic inflammation, pain, arthritis, autoimmune or “mystery” symptoms. Men and women in their 20s–40s who’ve lived on deli food and only now feel the cost. Anyone curious about grassroots health entrepreneurship and community‑level change.

*Why this conversation might help*
Instead of miracle‑cure hype, Paddy and I walk through what he actually changed – food, mindset, consistency – and what still feels hard. It’s part story, part practical language you can take into your own conversations with doctors, family and yourself.

*Micro‑FAQ*Q:
Is this medical advice?
A: No. This is one man’s story, plus general education about food, inflammation and lifestyle. Always talk to your own doctor.

Q: What’s in Pat’s Powerful Bottle?
A: A mix built around turmeric, ginger, garlic and other anti‑inflammatory ingredients Paddy found helped his own body.

Q: Can it fix arthritis / psoriasis / asthma / diabetes?
A: No drink is a magic fix. Paddy shares real reviews from people who saw changes while also working on their health in other ways.

Q: Where can I learn more?
A: Start by understanding inflammation, gut health and blood sugar, then experiment slowly with food, movement, sleep and stress.

Welcome to Life & Depth with Ryan McDaid – the place where surface‑level conversations go to die. Most people walk past nettles, dandelions and docks and see nothing but *weeds* , herbalist, forager and soil advocate Claire Thompson sees *nutrition* , *medicine* and allies that can help us thrive. In this episode we explore how *wild plants* , living soil and a different approach to home and education can change our health, our farms and our sense of belonging.

Claire is based in Malin Head, County Donegal, where she works to rebuild relationships between people, plants and living soil through wild food, *herbal medicine* and hands‑on community projects. She co‑directs KPM Soils with her husband Kevin, focusing on soil restoration, regenerative farming, composting and a four‑year European Innovation Partnership project on biologically inoculated slurry to cut nutrient runoff and rebuild soil life.

We talk about why there is “no such thing as a weed,” how neat‑and‑tidy culture and patriarchy erased plant knowledge carried through the maternal line, and why wild plants often have far higher nutrient density than supermarket food. Claire explains how she and Kevin test soils under the microscope, grow biology in compost “mother piles,” and help farmers shift from simply sustaining broken systems to genuinely regenerating land, habitat and nutrient‑dense food.

The conversation also touches on conflict and hope in the face of planetary boundaries, what overshoot day really means, and how raising and home‑educating their daughters inside this work has shaped their family’s idea of success. If you care about health, food, parenting, or just feel the pull to reconnect with the living landscape around you, this episode will give you practical ideas and a very different way of seeing the “weeds” at your feet.

Timestamps
00:00 – She sees medicine where we see weeds
03:31 – Why we hate weeds and lost traditional plant wisdom
15:00 – Wild edible plants, nutrition and foraging for families
32:00 – From tidy lawns to wildflower allies and ethical foraging
48:00 – Planetary boundaries, climate overshoot and regeneration
1:05:00 – Soil health, compost “mother piles” and regenerative farming
1:25:20 – Raising wild kids, hope and living with the land

What would the land say about how we live today? In this episode of Life & Depth, Ryan sits down with writer, ecologist and indigenous‑Irish thinker Lorcan to explore what our hills, rivers and old stories remember – and what we’ve tried to forget.

Lorcan led the reintroduction of golden eagles to Glenveagh National Park and has spent decades at the intersection of wildlife, archaeology, myth and the Irish language. He talks about how the landscape is alive, how older beliefs were grounded in nature and being, and how much wisdom was lost when golden eagles, Gaelic manuscripts and indigenous ways were suppressed.

They dive into questions like: How far back do humans on this island really go? What happens when you treat land as kin rather than property? How did ancestors understand oneness, water, food and other species long before modern science tried to dissect everything into separate parts? Along the way they discuss “pagan” baggage, St Patrick and literacy, the age of the Gaelic languages, Neolithic memory, and why we might need unvarnished truth more than comforting stories right now.

If you’re curious about indigenous Ireland, land‑based spirituality, ecology, or just feel a pull back to something older and more honest, this conversation offers a grounded, poetic and challenging lens on who we are and where we come from.

Welcome to Life & Depth with Ryan McDaid – the place where surface‑level conversations go to die.

This is a space for deep dives into resilience, human experience, consciousness, and the lessons we learn the hard way. I sit down with people who have lived extraordinary lives – survivors, healers, entrepreneurs, scientists – to explore the "why" and the "how" behind their stories.

**NEW SEASON 2026:** Nature & Seeds, Resilience & Breaking Barriers, and Consciousness & Community. Subscribe to join the conversation.

In this episode, Ryan sits down with regenerative farmer, artist and holistic management practitioner Clive Bright to explore what it really means to live “of nature” – not just on the land, but in how we think, farm, eat and make decisions.

Clive runs a 120‑acre organic, 100% pasture‑fed beef farm in County Sligo, selling his meat directly through his Rare Ruminair beef boxes, and designing his landscape as a living habitat rather than a production line. He explains how holistic planned grazing, agroforestry and embracing “messy” diverse pastures create resilience to floods and droughts, healthier soil, and nutrient‑dense food – while actually reducing labour and inputs.

You’ll hear how thinking in “tree time” (hundreds of years instead of one season), understanding simple cycles like water and photosynthesis, and focusing on habitat for wildlife, livestock and humans can change every decision on the farm and beyond. Clive and Ryan dig into tradition vs wisdom, breaking from family patterns without breaking respect, and why holistic management is less about following rules and more about learning to ask better questions.

If you care about nature, food quality, climate resilience, or just want to see what a different future of farming and community could look like, this conversation will give you a grounded, hopeful and deeply practical lens on how we might get there.

Key themes:
Why humans need a “natural habitat” and what that looks like in modern life.
Holistic planned grazing, litter layers and year‑round grazing without housing cattle.
Diversity as resilience: plants, landscapes, farms, community and business models.
Tradition vs innovation: honouring the wisdom, questioning the habits.
Direct‑to‑consumer beef boxes, fair prices for farmers and premium nutrient‑dense food.

00:00 – Why humans need a natural habitat
00:18 – Meet Clive Bright & Rare Ruminair farm
00:52 – Holistic planned grazing and year‑round grass
02:51 – Natural cycles, health and thinking with nature
04:40 – Water cycles, floods and soil resilience
09:36 – Diversity vs simplification in farming systems
12:23 – Thinking in “tree time” and long‑term decisions
16:53 – Holistic management as a decision framework
19:19 – Inheriting the family farm and questioning tradition
21:17 – Shifting towards organic: curiosity and first steps
23:50 – Mentors, homesteads and closed nutrient loops
25:33 – Scaling regenerative ideas to 120 acres
28:19 – Culture, advice and learning to think for yourself
36:23 – Diversity as resilience in land, business and community
51:46 – From 80s dairy model to designing a perpetual farm

In this episode, Ryan sits down with learning and development consultant, author, and founder Marie McLaughlin to explore *what really happens in the body* when life becomes too much.

Marie shares how her childhood on a small farm in Donegal shaped her resilience, work ethic and connection to nature, and how losing her 17‑year‑old brother overnight shattered the “perfect family life” she once knew. She opens up about navigating *perimenopause* while working in high‑pressure corporate finance, and why understanding *stress biology and physiology* completely changed how she lives, works, and parents.

You’ll hear a grounded conversation about grief, nervous system regulation and what stress actually is – not just “in your head,” but in your sleep, irritability, and body signals you’ve probably been ignoring. Marie and Ryan talk about breathwork, movement, getting outside, and simple ways to create steadiness when your world has been turned upside down.

​*If you’re dealing with burnout, loss, hormonal changes, or you just feel like life is “too much,” this episode will help you* make sense of what’s happening inside your body – and show you how small daily practices can reconnect you to yourself, your community, and the natural world around you.

Key themes in this episode:
What really happens in your physiology when you’re stressed (beyond mindset and “positive thinking”).
How sudden grief and trauma reshape identity in your 20s and beyond.
Perimenopause, performance at work, and why so many women are silently struggling.
Farm life, community, and how nature teaches emotional resilience from childhood.
Breath, movement, and simple nervous system tools for regulating overwhelm.

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Welcome to Life & Depth Podcast with Ryan McDaid: https://ryanmcdaid.com/podcast/This is the place where surface-level conversations go to die.

Timestamps:
0:00 – When life feels like too much
3:10 – What stress really is: physiology vs “in your head”
10:45 – Losing her brother at 17 and the shock of sudden grief
21:30 – Farm life, community and resilience in rural Ireland
32:00 – Perimenopause, corporate pressure and burning out quietly
44:15 – Breath, nature and movement as regulation tools
56:40 – Finding meaning after loss and coming home to yourself

I started this channel because I was tired of the "highlight reel" version of life we see online. I wanted the raw, unfiltered truth. My mission is simple: to explore the extremes of the human experience through deep conversations, radical honesty, and resilient storytelling on my podcast.

What You Can Expect: Based in the heart of the North West of Ireland, I sit down with people who have lived extraordinary lives, survivors, soldiers, fighters, healers, and entrepreneurs. We don't just talk about "what" they did, we dig into "why" they did it and "how" they survived it.

Whether I'm talking to a man who spent years in prison during the conflict, a mother healing herself from chronic illness, or a CEO building a legacy, the goal remains the same: To find light in the darkest places.