Dr Megan Rossi is a gut health scientist, dietitian and founder of The Gut Health Doctor. She is also the founder of the food brand Bio & Me and formulated the targeted probiotics brand, Smart Strains.
For our weekly series Life Lessons, she shares her daily habits, and the way in which they are informed by her research and experience in the field.
I’ll have a chocolate bar – but also eat a carrot stick
What I eat on a daily basis has really changed, informed by my research. This is super nerdy, but whenever I’m eating something snacky, like a chocolate bar, I also want to make sure I am feeding those trillions of bacteria in my gut that will have my back if I look after them, so I will also have a carrot stick.
New FeatureIn ShortQuick Stories. Same trusted journalism.
I eat leafy veg every day to keep my brain young
Recently I was delving into research around the gut-brain connection, and I read a study that showed people who had a serving of green leafy veg a day (a cup of raw spinach/kale/collard greens or half a cup cooked) had brains that were 11 years younger. I’m focused on trying to protect my brain for the future so I’ve incorporated that into my day.
I used to love Coke Zero, but now sweeteners are off the menu
When I was studying nutrition and dietetics we knew, same as now, that having loads of added sugar was not great for your health. But, back then, artificial sweeteners seemed to be an alternative without ill effects, based on the safety data.
But now we’re reassessing safety looking specifically at the gut microbiome, and a couple of years ago the World Health Organisation said they don’t recommend sweeteners like aspartame and stevia for weight management or reducing our risk of chronic conditions because of the way in which sweeteners impact those trillions of gut microbes.
As a result, I’ve decided to cut out Coke Zero. It’s not worth compromising my gut health anymore. This is even more important because I’m currently pregnant and studies show that a lot of these sweeteners can actually pass into the placenta and therefore into the baby.
I changed my mind about ham
Historically, it was considered fine to have ham in your diet – this is certainly what I was taught during my nutrition and dietetics degree. It’s a good source of protein, fairly low in calories and so on.
But now there’s research that shows if we were to replace one serving of processed or red meat (i.e. ham) with something like legumes or nuts, we could actually reduce our risk of dementia, for example, by 20 per cent.
There is quite convincing evidence to highlight that foods like ham and different processed red meats really aren’t great. Not just for our gut health, but in terms of increasing our risk of things like colon cancer, as well as impacting our mental health. I try to avoid it.
I don’t avoid all UPFs
We need to be cautious when we talk about ultra-processed foods (UPF). The health profile of a chicken nugget vs supermarket brown bread is very different.
I absolutely include certain UPFs in my diet. I love plant milks, for example, which contain important added nutrients, such as calcium and iodine. I love an oat latte as it becomes nice and creamy – that’s due to one of the acid regulators that prevents it from splitting, which is also what makes it ultra processed.
There are some additives included in foods that are completely inert. There’s no science to suggest they’re bad for us and they make foods more pleasurable and visually appealing.
That said, we also need to look out for health halos being used to sell certain UPFs. Protein is a big one. There is a fixation on protein that has led people to consuming protein bars and shakes rather than eating whole foods. That means that you’re adding a lot more unnecessary additives to your diet, which could be affecting your microbiome and which could be avoided by focusing on whole protein.
If you eat more fibre, you’ll burn more calories
Back when I was studying we were taught that to maintain a healthy weight the focus should be on calories in versus calories out. But we now know that this is quite oversimplified – not just in terms of what we need to achieve optimal body weight, but also for our overall health.
There are a couple of reasons for that. For example, almonds actually provide our body with around 30 per cent fewer calories than the label says, because the way we determine calories on a label is very different to how your digestive system extracts calories out of food. Then there’s the thermogenic effect of food, where the body typically burns 50 per cent fewer calories to digest UPFs vs whole foods, because the fibre is still there. That also means you’re fuller for longer and will eat less.
I now recommend clients think about the whole day’s food and not fixate on calories. I focus on two things: one is making sure I have something from the super six on my plate (the different plant-based food groups of whole grains, fruit, veggies, legumes, herbs, and spices).
The other is protein, but not in the way you think. It’s an important nutrient, key for muscle mass as well as brain function and our immune system, but if I can I like my protein to have other benefits. My general go-to proteins are things like oily fish which have protein but also long chain omega-3s; legumes which is one of the super six and also feeds my gut; and fermented dairy like kefir, a good source of protein that also has other beneficial bioactives.
I’d rather spend money on extra virgin olive oil than supplements
I think everyone needs to be aware that supplements are very individualised. The supplements I take I wouldn’t recommend everyone else take. But when it comes to the supplements I do take, I’ve got a rule where there has to be at least one placebo controlled trial to back them up.
Right now I’m taking magnesium L-threonate, as trial results showed this form of magnesium is more likely to pass the blood-brain barrier, while other magnesium can’t necessarily penetrate. It could improve things like productivity the next day and also sleep quality.
I also take a couple of very specific probiotics that have specific benefits. For example, as we head into winter I take the LGG and BB12 strain combined, as a controlled trial showed that that combination can reduce your risk of cold and flu severity and duration by over 30 per cent.
I also take the specific strains LA14, HN01 with some lactoferrin which have been shown to reduce recurrence of things like thrush threefold compared to placebo, and during pregnancy our vaginal microbiome is slightly more vulnerable to disruption.
I know this sounds very scientific, but that’s the way we need to use probiotics in order to have a benefit.
For general gut health, I prefer to spend money on good quality food rather than supplements. One area where I have invested is in extra virgin olive oil. I don’t have a specific brand but look for ones that fit my criteria (which I posted here) and will usually cost over £2 per 100ml.
Good quality extra virgin olive oil is expensive because of the manufacturing, the growing, the processing. The science has suggested that cheap olive oil won’t have as many polyphenols in it, which is one of the reasons why extra virgin olive oil has been associated with so many better health outcomes: better mental health, heart health, lower risk of type two diabetes etc.
But my coffee hack is completely free
On the other hand, one habit that is completely free is delaying my morning coffee by a couple of hours. You essentially get more bang for your caffeine buck by delaying it for a couple of hours. I’ve started doing this over the past six months and I really have noticed a difference. I get so much more out of my one coffee a day.
Dining and Cooking