In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK Podcast

Did anyone ever try to make you feel guilty about eating the 'Green Gold'? Do you feel you need more avocado facts? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then this Nutshell Nugget is for you.

This week we speak to the authors of the brilliant book 'Preventing Prostate Cancer: Reduce Your Risk with Simple Proactive Choices' , Dr Benny Gavi M.D and Maya Eylon. Dr Gavi is a Harvard trained medical doctor who works at Stanford Hospital and Stanford Medical School in California, and Maya Eylon is a medical researcher and medical student . In this episode they talk to us about how lifestyle...

Ever wondered whether you can do more for your eye health than just eat carrots? Turns out a plant-based diet can protect against common diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts. https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com/take-action/

This week we talk about all things bone health on the podcast.  From what foods to eat to improve bone health and reduce the risk of hip fractures, to the calcium 'thieves' hidden in our diets, to exercise and much much more.  Dr. Rajiv Bajekal (MS, FRCS Orth., MCh Orth., IBLM) is a Consultant Spinal Surgeon based in London with over 35 years of expertise in Orthopaedics and Spinal Surgery. Specia...

Often touted as a health food, and a common ingredient of cakes, biscuits and plant-based cheeses, we ask whether we should be favouring, or avoiding, products made with coconut oil.

This week we are discussing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with Dr Tila Kansagra. Dr Kansagra is a UK based GP of British South Asian heritage who’s Board certified in lifestyle medicine and has a certificate in plant based nutrition as well as lifestyle medicine for cancer prevention and survivorship. She practices as a GP specialist in ME/ CFS and fibromyalgia. She is a passionate advocate for p...

In this Nutshell nugget, we're branching into the pillar of lifestyle medicine known as avoidance of toxic substances. We're discussing vaping. If you choose to vape, make sure it's a regulated product. And don't share vapes if you can't be sure nothing toxic has been added. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(24)00183-X/fulltext https://www.gov.uk/government/publicatio...

This week in the Nutshell we have the honour of welcoming back our first ever guest, founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals U.K. and Consultant Haematologist, Dr Shireen Kassam. This episode is released on World Food Day to highlight the problem with poor diets globally and how our current food system is at the intersection of the health and climate crises.  Shireen talks us through the last...

There's something missing from what we learned in school about eggs. Hopefully Daisy and Clare have it covered in this nugget. Evidence based, of course. See below: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32524644/ https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2728487 https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003508 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fu...

This week in the Nutshell we have a real first for you - a plant-based dentist, Dr Keval Shah.  In this fascinating discussion we covered all sorts of topics related to the health of teeth and gums, including whether fruit is bad for our teeth and how our oral microbiome and dental health may affect our overall health. But there is so much more to this episode than a reminder to floss! Keval is a...

The closest we will ever get to producing a chicken nugget is this mini-episode to evaluate whether chicken has earned its place as a healthier choice ingredient. https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/eating-eggs-an-extract-from-the-book-eating-plant-based-scientific-answers-to-your-nutrition-questions In charts: how chicken went from luxury to staple - https://www.ft.com/content/3802180c-a60d...

In this episode we take a deep dive into Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS),  a complex yet common condition. We discuss how the diagnosis is made, what symptoms to look out for, how to manage IBS and how to tackle FODMAPs on a plant-based diet, as well as the all important gut microbiome and gut-brain axis.  Hazel started her dietetic career as a Research Dietitian at Kings’ College London, where she...

Whilst this nugget may not help you tell the difference between kimchi and kombucha, we do talk you through what is meant by a prebiotic, a probiotic and a postbiotic. We hope this will allow you to start reading the studies critically for yourself. And whether and how to get the biotics into your gut? The choice is (partly) yours!

Season three of the Nutshell begins with an interview with Dr. Carlijn Wagenaar, who joined us from the Netherlands, to discuss the findings of the randomised controlled trial ‘Plants for Joints’  This trial assessed the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary lifestyle programme with a plant-based diet in people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.  Useful links below: https://academic.oup....

Lectins: even the word sounds like they might be something not nice. Here we discuss these proteins which have received a lot of attention in recent years because of concerns they cause digestion problems and a reduction in the absorption of other important nutrients.

In episode 14 we speak to Cardiologist, Dr Kim Williams, a Fellow and former President of the American College of Cardiology, guest editor and editorial board member for the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Cardiology Today and US Cardiology . He is currently professor of medicine and chair of the University of Louisville Department of Medicine. Aside from his extensive clinical expe...

We've had a listener question! We were asked whether plant-based diets can cause magnesium levels to drop, and whether taking supplements can help with a neurological condition - benign fasciculation syndrome. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1510603 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34472123/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8065437/ Don't forget you can register for...

In Episode thirteen we welcome Dr Hannah Short a GP Specialist in Menopause, Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) and Premenstrual Syndrome.  Hannah graduated from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine in 2009, after first studying Human Sciences at the University of Oxford. She is a member of the British Menopause Society (BMS), the International Menopause Society (IMS) and The...

We've had a listener question! Do you need to do anything differently if planning a pregnancy on a plant-based diet? Or if you are pregnant and want to eat plant-based? Daisy and Clare outline the main considerations in diet planning. Don't forget Monday 9th September and Saturday 9th November are the dates of the Nutrition and Lifestyle Conference. https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.co...

In episode twelve we welcome Vanessa Sturman, a Plant Based Health Coach and founder of Energise and Thrive Plant Based. She helps people reduce fatigue, get a healthy weight and glow with vitality using the most delicious plant-based food (whether you want to be fully plant-based or not). No fads, no ‘dieting’ and no missing out. Her approach is to make healthy and plant based eating fun, filling...

In this nugget we explain what is meant by wholegrains, discuss good examples of edible ones, and why it's important to eat them above their white alternatives.

In episode eleven we focus on one of the top causes of premature death in the western world - cardiovascular disease, as we speak with Dr Sundhya Raman about how cholesterol, diet and lifestyle can have an impact on the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Sundhya is the co-founder and director of My Wellness Doctor - a Lifestyle Medicine Health consultancy. She has a degree in Pharmacolog...

In this nugget we spend a few minutes unpacking the recent study from researchers at the University of Bologna, 'Cardiovascular health and cancer risk associated with plant based diets: an umbrella review'. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38748667/

In episode 10 we have a wonderful chat with Jane Thurnell -Read on the subject of older adults, plant-based diets, and health. Jane is an author, blogger and is a real inspiration as she promotes healthy ageing through lifestyle interventions.  And her message is very much that it’s never too late to start eating healthier and moving more. In fact there’s very little in what we discussed with her...

In this nugget we take a few minutes to sing the nutritional praises of seitan. If you're keen to make your own, like Daisy: https://veryveganval.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/seitan.pdf