Top 10 Foods, Nutrients and Health Actions To Take You Into 2022

Whilst this article is talking about which foods are going to help improve your vitality in 2022, there’s also so much more to consider when eating than just the food that goes in your mouth.
Plus let’s focus less on what we need to cut out and more on what we can add into our existing diets - to help feel stronger, switched on and bursting with energy.

We’re all unique and how we respond to exercise, food and drinks is so individual.
So find what suits you best and makes you feel great!

1. My first recommendation to you isn’t one but 30!
Eat 30 different types of plant foods per week.
Why would you bother?
Increasingly research points towards the health of our gut and it microbiota being so important to overall mind and body health. It turns out that just like us, our gut microbes get ‘bored’ of the same foods all the time, and don’t flourish. Loaded with beneficial nutrients and fibre, plant foods provide fantastic nourishment to the gut’s microbial environment.

Prof. Tim Spector says "The wider diversity of fiber-packed plants you eat, the happier and more diverse your gut microbiome will be".

Give it a try, eat 30 different plant foods a week - including veggies, whole grains, pulses, legumes/beans, nuts/seeds, fresh fruit, spices and herbs — any plant foods are good; It’s easier than you might think.

 

2. Vitamin C
There’s a reason that the humble vitamin C is known to be advantageous for things as diverse as skin health through to hormone & adrenal health. That’s because it beneficially affects so many different actions in our bodies. But importantly it doesn’t work in isolation, in nature it is found in all plant foods that contain a complexity of phytonutrients. Some of the best sources are red peppers, pomegranate, plum, brussels sprouts, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants/blueberries, cabbage, broccoli and oranges. However our daily lives can sometimes mean we don’t eat enough of this important and fundamental vitamin, that’s why I suggest the Newson Health Berry C supplement, which contains not just Vitamin C but a range of fruit concentrates to act in synergy with the vitamin C.
I take 2 of these Berry C capsules with my lunch each day in Winter, this helps me to keep alert during the afternoon and to stay well. 

3. Fermented Foods
Regularly eating live fermented foods such as kefir and sauerkraut, can lead to an improvement in gut health and it’s microbiota. I see this in clinic, after suggesting a particular fermented food or probiotic to a woman. Depending on her symptoms, she can dramatically feel an improvement in bloating, bowel movements and/or wind in a short space of time. Each fermented food has a different set of beneficial bacteria/yeast, so its about finding the one/s that suit you. I love mixing a couple of heaped tablespoons of kefir into my breakfast and having a dollop of sauerkraut with my main meal, it helps not only my gut microbes but also stimulates my digestion.
My passion for fermented foods lead me to offer workshops, including my very popular Fermented Food Masterclass, that deep dives into this aspect of health, plus everyone attending makes the fermented foods along with me. 
Eating fermented foods is not for everyone, for example in people with Histamine Intolerance it can exacerbate symptoms.

4. Magnesium 
Much talked about, the mineral Magnesium is a co-factor in over 300 biochemical reaction in the body from bone health to energy. It is an important mineral to maintain at healthy levels (generally low in the UK and Australian population) since it can affect mood, sleep and vitality. Plus it is used more in the body during times of stress. It is naturally found in varying amounts in many foods such as whole grains inc millet, green leafy vegetables, muesli, nuts and legumes/pulses. The NHS recommends an adult woman have 270mg of elemental magnesium per day. Sometimes this is hard to achieve from food, in fact even in supplements the actual elemental magnesium amount can be very low. In clinic I recommend the Newson Health Magnesium Plus supplement because it lists the therapeutic amount of elemental magnesium and provides other co-factor vitamins to help the body use the magnesium more effectively. For example it contains vitamin B6; Magnesium plus vitamin B6 potentially decreases the severity of PMS and symptoms associated with menopause.

5. Sea vegetables and Iodine
The essential mineral Iodine is particularly important for the thyroid gland. This gland (sitting at the base of your neck) produces important hormones which regulate metabolism, affecting how we use and create energy, plus our weight balance.
Worldwide women are affected by thyroid disorders 5-10 times more than men.
Sea vegetables are one of the best sources of iodine from food. Don’t be put off by using them, they are easy to buy dried and reconstitute. Then it's just a matter of throwing them into cooked dishes such as a bowl of steaming vegetables. Their flavour is only subtly of the sea and differs with each variety. Try one out and see if you like it.
Note if you are taking Thyroxine or other drugs for a thyroid disorder, consult with the prescribing practitioner before eating iodine rich food. 

6. Brazil nuts and Selenium 
Selenium is an essential mineral helping the immune and reproductive systems work properly and prevent damage to cells and tissues, including the health of the thyroid gland, mentioned above. Selenium in UK and Australian grown plant food is generally low due to UK soils being low. It is found most in fish and offal, plus one of it’s very best natural sources being brazil nuts. Just 3-4 Brazil nuts eaten daily usually gives a woman the NHS recommended daily intake of 60 mcg. I eat Brazil nuts chopped into my breakfast each morning.

7. Brain & DHA
What’s so special about DHA? DHA stands for Docosahexaenoic Acid and it  helps to support our brain function. DHA is found in Omega 3 oils. Those are the special oils found in seafood/fish, with smaller amounts found in pasture raised meats/offal/eggs. It is also found in it’s precursor, unconverted form, in nuts and seeds and sea vegetables - however DHA is poorly converted from plant sources, with women converting approx. 9%. So it’s important to eat plenty of sources if you are a vegetarian or vegan. Because of it’s importance with brain health and ageing I recommend a woman takes a daily supplement, which I do. One that is high quality, tested for heavy metal safety, with high DHA content at 500mg per capsule. Such as the Newson Health Fish Oil or the Newson Health Vegan DHA oil.

8. Best Time To Eat
Prof Tim Spector says that for most of us, roughly ¾ of the UK population, eating most of our food at breakfast and lunch is better than eating most at our evening meal time. This is because of the way we digest our meals and it’s subsequent effect on the health markers in our blood glucose, triglycerides (fats) and inflammation. Try eating more at breakfast and lunch and making your evening meal smaller.

9. How You Eat 
Do you often eat in a hurry and stressfully? How fast you eat and your mood at the time, affects how well your body digests it’s food, whether you get symptoms of reflux, and how well it travels through the gut. This is important because you want to absorb not just the quick easily digested carbs from your meal but also all the beneficial micronutrients for your health. The action of chewing is also de-stressing. I suggest you have an honest look at this, decide what you are doing and if you need to change. Begin with chewing more, and taking deep breaths during your meal by putting your cutlery down between each mouthful and breathing.

10. Prebiotics
The last point is possibly one of the most important!
Prebiotics are naturally found in plant foods and they provide food for our gut microbes and encourage their growth. I think concentrating on eating plenty of prebiotic foods is just as important as individual nutrients for overall health and vitality. Prebiotics can be found in many plant foods in particular garlic, leeks, asparagus, onions, cabbage, jersusalem artichoke, apples, blueberries, and wholegrains such as oats and rye.

Incorporating these nutrients and various foods into your every day eating can have an enormous effect on your quality of life. I have seen in my clinic work the benefits to a woman after she introduces in these various elements to her eating. 
All my recipes concentrate on containing some prebiotic goodness. 

A similar article, also written by Emma Ellice-Flint, first appeared in the Liz Earle Wellbeing magazine in 2021.