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

Veganuary could be the excuse you need to light some fires, or just send smoke signals on a healthy plant-based diet into the work or community space. So, in this week's nugget, Daisy and Clare talk to PBHP-UK member, Vanessa Sturman - a Multi-Award-Winning Speaker and Transformational Health Coach - to get her ideas on how to bring people with you on sustainable healthy eating. Regularly featured on Sky News, BBC Radio and other media outlets, Vanessa is experienced in bringing healthy, enjoyable, flavour-filled food ideas to the wider public. Educated at Cambridge University in Social and Biological Anthropology, Vanessa is also a published recipe developer and respected 1:1 coach.

Follow Vanessa on Instagram for more ideas https://www.instagram.com/vanessaforhealth?igsh=MTZnOHhzMDRweTl1NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-sturman-plant-based-health-coach/

Vanessa's recipes: https://theveganlarder.com/recipe-index/

And factsheets you can trust for your displays:

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/factsheets

This week on the Nutshell we hear from Dr Shireen Kassam, founder and director of Plant-Based Health Professionals U.K. alongside research dietitian Michael Metoudi, and research assistant Isabelle Sadler speaking on the landmark scientific research, 'Eat Lancet'.

Last month saw the release of the updated version, Eat Lancet 2.0 and our guests today will be telling us more about what the report says, how it’s built on the 2019 version, and what it could mean for diet change going forwards.

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

Links discussed:

https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet/

https://www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/EAT-2025

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/the-food-system-and-planetary-health

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/sustainable-farming

https://sites.google.com/convene.space/eatcfas/communities-for-action/healthcare-professionals?authuser=0

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

No (potato) waffling this week as we're speaking up for potatoes. We summarise results from a study which assessed associations between eating potatoes and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The results may surprise you.

https://www.bmj.com/content/390/bmj-2024-082121

This week we welcome Plant-Based Health Professionals U.K. campaign manager Sarah Bentley to the Nutshell.

On the eve of World Food Day, Sarah gives us an update on the exciting progress made with the Plants First Healthcare initiative, working to prioritise plant-based meals in healthcare settings. 

Follow the links below to read more about the initiative, download the toolkit, and buy Sarah's new book 'We Cook Plants'. 

https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com/

https://www.greenerbydefault.com/

The toolkit:

https://plantsfirsthealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HowTo-PPBF16.09.25.pdf

To buy Sarah's book:

https://www.waterstones.com/book/we-cook-plants/sarah-bentley/9781848994454

https://madeinhackney.org/

https://globalplantkitchens.org/

https://proveg.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;  with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

Is it true that it is climate and health friendly to eat deer? Whilst our excessive love of meat from the usual farmed sources continues to dominate climate and health concerns,  we ask whether we are paying enough attention to whether the proposed benefits of eating wild animals -or 'game' -are accurate. So, in this week's nugget episode, Daisy and Clare discuss issues relating to the sustainability claims of the UK's wild meat industry.https://www.scottish-venison.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SVA-Carbon-Report-Final-v2.pdf

This week on the podcast we speak to Dr Matthew Nagra.

Dr Nagra is a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine having studied at the Boucher Institute in Vancouver Canada, after graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Microbiology at the University of Victoria. He has also carried out additional training in nutrition, holding a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification from Cornell University and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies where he’s authored multiple articles on the subject.

And when he isn't in his clinic helping patients improve their health through nutrition, you’ll find him on social media myth-busting and and countering misinformation.

In this episode we review the science on plant versus animal protein, the considerations for plant based athletes, recommendations for the older person and we finally get to ask Matthew all our creatine questions!

To connect with Matthew:

https://drmatthewnagra.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dr.matthewnagra/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/@dr.matthewnagra

All the details on Plant-Based Health Professionals forthcoming conferences:

https://nlmc.org.uk/

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;  with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

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.