In this week's nugget, take some time to relax and drop the pressure as Plant-Based Health Professionals' researcher and dietitian Michael Metoudi explains how increasing whole grains in the diet cuts the risk of high blood pressure.

Aune, D., Metoudi, M., Sadler, I. et al. Whole grain and refined grain consumption and the risk of hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies. Sci Rep 15, 21447 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05197-5

This week we cover the topic of omega 3 fatty acids with Dr Tim Radak.

Dr. Radak has a masters and doctorate in Public Health Nutrition from The Loma Linda University, the leading university for vegetarian science and nutrition.

He is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and has worked in the nonprofit sector and academia for over 20 years, authored or co-authored articles related to plant-based diets in peer-reviewed scientific journals, written several plant-based and vegetarian textbook chapters, and is passionate about helping the public discover the link between good health and plant-based diets via evidence-based nutrition.

To connect with Tim: 

https://radaktim.wixsite.com/websiteComprehensive review on essential fatty acids and brain health:

  https://radaktim.wixsite.com/website/post/omega-3-diet-and-lifestyle-factors-influencing-brain-healthTo join the PPOD conference:

 https://www.preventionofdisease.org/And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today.If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership

You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health; and with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

Last month there were positive headlines on how opting for a plant-based diet could significantly reduce cancer risk. This was following the latest study using data from the Adventist 2 Health cohort. Daisy and Clare discuss the study's exciting conclusions.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916525003284

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/plant-heavy-diets-link-reduced-cancer-risk-strengthened-2025a1000mhu?ecd=WNL_trdalrt_pos1_ous_250828_etid7673504&uac=299177SR&impID=7673504

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-024-01870-z

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/diet-and-prostate-cancer

Welcome back to Season 5 of In A Nutshell

We are so excited to be back and we have a fantastic season lined up for you, full of inspiring guests and science backed, evidence based conversations on nutrition and lifestyle medicine. 

We kick off season five with Blue Zones founder, National Geographic Fellow, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author, Dan Buettner. 

In this episode we explore the various reasons why people in the Blue Zones live the longest and healthiest lives;  from plant-based diets, regular movement and meaningful social connections, as well as hearing all about Dan's own favourite meals and that famous minestrone for breakfast!

To find out more about Dan Buettner's work and to buy his new book follow the links below:

https://danbuettner.com/

https://www.bluezones.com/

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-blue-zones-kitchen-one-pot-meals/dan-buettner/9781426224126

And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today.

If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership

You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health; and with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

For our season finale we speak with the octogenarian vegan athlete Paul Youd, who discovered a new lease of life after choosing veganism at the age of 66. 

He now raises money for charities with his ultra-marathon and press-up challenges, and is well on his way to complete 100 ultra marathons before his 100th birthday.

We're sure you will be inspired by this conversation where we dive into how shifting to a plant-based diet cured Paul's arthritis pains, to his favourite meals and his biggest challenges, and of course the documentary showcasing his incredible achievements called ' More Like Paul'.

To find out more:

https://shortstopfilms.co.uk/more-like-paul

To buy tickets for the premier screening:

https://exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/more-like-paul

To connect with Paul on Instagram @youdpaul 

To read more about Paul's work and sponsor him :

https://nobreadisanisland.blogspot.com/2013/02/52-diet-cake-in-mug-vegan.html

And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast to be informed when we're back for season five!

For episode 15 we are joined by Plant-Based Health Professionals U.K. member, Ailsa McHardy, registered paediatric dietitian, and founder of Little Nutrition, to get her advice on food with a focus on children. 

Ailsa has over 14 years experience as a dietitian. We discuss trends in children's diets, healthfully bringing up children plant-based, fussy eaters, growth concerns, and, in seasonality discussions, the joys of salad and watercress.

To get in touch with Ailsa: www.littlenutrition.co.uk

Instagram: @littlenutritionwithailsa

The links to the Family and children's zone on the PBHP website and the  factsheets discussed:

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/kids

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IronFactsheet201123.pdf

In this bonus episode Daisy and Clare talk to Georges Hayek, owner and general manager at Hayek Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. When you listen to Georges speak about the health benefits and the context for patient 'choice', you may wonder why we make such a meal out of hospital food in the UK and beyond.

Inspired? Help us take action on hospital food in the UK

https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com/

In episode 14 of this season we are joined by Cóilín Nunan, to discuss the growing global threat of antibiotic resistance and how the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture is contributing to this silent pandemic.

Cóilín is the Policy and Science Manager of the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, an alliance of seventy-one member organisations campaigning against the overuse of antibiotics in animal farming.

Cóilín breaks down how antibiotics are used not only to treat infections but also prevent disease in crowded, unsanitary conditions. This results in a breeding ground for drug-resistant bacteria that can affect both animals and humans.

This discussion highlights why we view the shift to plant-based diets as one of the key ways to drive down this overuse, and protect antibiotics for when we actually need them within healthcare.

Please share this episode widely to help raise awareness and be part of the change towards a better future for all.

To find out more about the alliance's work and to get involved: https://www.saveourantibiotics.org/

If you've heard that you'll get doughy trying to build muscle on beans, or indeed anything else that's made you doubt pulses even for a second, then this nugget's for you. Daisy and Clare discuss the nutrition of a range of legumes, as well as health benefits and environmental impacts, and how best to cook and eat them.

Didinger, C.; Thompson, H.J. Defining Nutritional andFunctional Niches of Legumes: A Call for Clarity to Distinguish a Future Role for Pulses in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Nutrients 2021, 13,1100. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13041100

Mullins AP, Arjmandi BH. Health Benefits of Plant-BasedNutrition: Focus on Beans in Cardiometabolic Diseases. Nutrients. 2021 Feb5;13(2):519. doi: 10.3390/nu13020519. PMID: 33562498; PMCID: PMC7915747.

In episode 13 of this season we are joined by the Food Foundation's Rebecca Tobi, and Plant-Based Health Professionals UK's founder, Dr Shireen Kassam to discuss the latest Food Foundation report 'Meat Facts'.  

Rebecca is a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr), has a masters in Nutrition for Global Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is the Food Foundation's Senior Business and Investor Engagement manager.

Rebecca's in-depth knowledge of the report, combined with Shireen's expertise on the health implications of eating red, processed, and other meats, ensure this is a really rich discussion. 

The UK may continue to ignore the health warnings that are associated with meat consumption but hopefully anyone who is listening to this episode will take action to curb their own consumption for individual and planetary health.

Find the full report  here: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/meat-facts

The latest UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023/national-diet-and-nutrition-survey-2019-to-2023-report

The excellent Food Foundation Podcast, Pod Bites: 

https://foodfoundation.org.uk/podcasts