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Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Nutritionist shares 'the new 5-a-day' we should all eat
These foods have been linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and even cancer A leading nutritionist has revealed the 'new five-a-day' we should all be eating. According to the expert, incorporating these foods into your routine ensures you are getting a healthy nutritionally balanced diet. We are all well aware of the five-a-day campaign that encourages us to eat at least five fruit and vegetables every day. This Government-backed initiative was launched in 2003 and is still cited by health bodies such as the NHS when it comes to having a healthy diet. While it is still important to eat as many fruits and vegetables a day as possible, a nutritionist has expanded on what we should be eating by sharing the 'new five-a-day'. In a video shared to her Instagram, Dr Federica Amati - head nutritionist at Zoe Health - explained more. She said: 'I often get asked about what I eat as a nutritionist. I am not a chef so these are not recipes that are designed to be beautiful masterpieces but this is how I think about the principles of pulling a meal together. 'What I try to do is include the new five-a-day.' According to Dr Amati, this should include: Whole grains - such as quinoa, oats, and barley Fruits or vegetables Nuts and seeds Legumes - such as beans, peas, lentils, and chickpeas Healthy fats - such as extra virgin olive oil, and oily fish. Her recommendation is in line with what is known as the Mediterranean diet, which is often considered to be the healthiest diet in the world. This diet prioritises plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, alongside moderate amounts of lean proteins, fish, and low-fat dairy. Olive oil is also a staple of the Mediterranean diet. Multiple scientific studies have looked into the health benefits of this diet, which include lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, obesity and even cancer. In her video, Dr Amati shared a simple 10-minute recipe that incorporates all five of the food groups. To make this meal yourself you will need: Quinoa Nuts and seeds Sweetheart cabbage (or any leafy greens) Black beans (or any legumes) Tinned sardines (or any oily fish) Extra virgin olive oil Spring onion Tomatoes A lemon or lemon juice Salt. Get dietary advice straight to your WhatsApp! With health trends constantly chopping and changing, the Mirror has launched its very own Health & Wellbeing WhatsApp community where you'll get dietary advice, health updates and exercise news straight to your phone. We'll send you the latest breaking updates and exclusives all directly to your phone. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. She started by adding half a cup of quinoa to some salted water in a pan on the stove. Next she chopped some sweetheart cabbage and added this to the water. Dr Amati said: 'I'm just going to take some leaves of a very simple, sweetheart cabbage. If you like kale, if you like cavolo nero, that's great. Free chop this here. 'We can literally add it in with the quinoa and it will be tender by the time the quinoa is done.' She then opened a jar of black beans and added them to a bowl. 'This can be any bean or it can be chickpeas,' she clarified. However, she warned: 'If you're starting with beans, and you're not used to them, stick to just one spoon for the first few days and then increase the amount as you get used to it.' To the bowl she added some chopped spring onion and tomatoes, and then sprinkled some lemon juice on top. She also added some tinned sardines. Dr Amati said: 'I love using tinned fish because usually the smaller fish are more sustainable. They are delicious, they tend to be affordable and they didn't require cooking. 'Of course, if you can get them in extra virgin olive oil, great. Otherwise, they often come in lemon and oil, or in tomatoes. Just be sure that they don't have lots of added sugar to them when you check.' By this point the cabbage had wilted and the quinoa was cooked. She drained this and added it to the rest of the bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. She added: 'You've got some greens, you've got lovely colours. A really delicious variety of polyphenols and proteins, healthy fats, fibres, and the finishing touch, always for me is a delicious drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.' For 'extra crunch' she sprinkled some sunflower and pumpkin seeds on top. 'There you have it - an easy peasy under 10-minute, nutritionally balanced, and delicious lunch.'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
5 high-protein, high-fiber foods a top nutritionist eats regularly instead of meat for better gut health
A top nutritionist thinks we should focus on where we get our protein, not how much we eat. Dr. Federica Amati focuses on eating plant proteins more than animal proteins. She shared some of the plant protein sources that she regularly eats, including oats and chia seeds. You don't need to be scoffing steaks or gorging on protein shakes to get enough of the macronutrient — a top nutritionist says plant-based protein is the best kind, and better for your gut health than meat, too. Federica Amati, Ph.D., is the lead nutritionist at ZOE, a science and nutrition company, and a postdoctoral medical scientist at Imperial College London. Hitting protein targets is currently a huge health trend. But Amati told Business Insider that most people get enough, and don't need to worry about eating more protein unless they're an athlete or actively trying to change their body composition. But where people get their protein from matters, she said. Amati referred to a 2024 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving 50,000 healthy nurses aged 30-55 at the start of the study, between 1984 and 2016. The nurses who ate more protein, and specifically plant protein, had a higher chance of being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having good mental health, and not having cognitive or physical impairments as they aged. Meanwhile, participants who ate more animal protein had an increased risk of chronic disease. This finding is echoed in a 2021 study by researchers at the University of Oxford, published in the journal BMC Medicine. The 474,985 middle-aged British participants who ate more red and processed meat were more likely to develop heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes, and growths in the colon. Participants who ate more poultry were at higher risk of gastrointestinal diseases and diabetes, the study found. Amati said the results of the 2024 study suggested that the health benefits came from eating more fruit, vegetable, and whole foods, not protein. The researchers argued this could be because the dietary fiber, micronutrients, and polyphenols in plant foods are associated with positive health effects, including reduced low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and decreased inflammation. Amati still has animal-based proteins: She eats oily fish twice a week, and eggs and fermented dairy — kefir and Greek yogurt specifically — regularly. But most of her protein comes from plants, she said. Even if you don't go fully plant-based, research suggests it's possible to make a "huge" reduction in your chronic disease risk by replacing some animal protein with plants, Amati said. She shared some of the best sources of high-fiber plant protein that she eats regularly. Nutritional yeast, or "nooch," is deactivated yeast that has a cheesy flavor and contains B vitamins. "It's a nice example of a food that has both protein and fiber," Amati said. In terms of nutritional value, 100 grams of nooch contains about 50 grams of protein and about 20 grams of fiber. A dietitian who follows the Mediterranean diet previously told BI she incorporates nooch into her diet by sprinkling it on savory dishes as a cheese replacement. Amati's colleague at ZOE, the gut health expert Tim Spector, uses it instead of bouillon cubes to add flavor to his cooking. Soy products are good sources of protein and fiber. For example, there are about 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in 100 grams of edamame beans, and around 20 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in 100 grams of tempeh. And 100 grams of tofu contains about 8 grams of protein but less than 1 gram of fiber. A 2020 study looking at 210,000 people, published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, found that participants who ate at least one serving of tofu a week had a lower risk of heart disease than those who ate it less than once a month. The researchers suggested that this may have been because the estrogen-like compounds in tofu could have led to effects that mirror the beneficial effects of estrogen in women who weren't taking supplemental hormones — or because the fiber and minerals found in tofu help to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Amati often eats oatmeal or overnight oats in the morning, adding kefir, chia seeds, and fruit. When it comes to nutrition, 100 grams of steel-cut oats contain about 10 grams of fiber and 12 to 13 grams of protein. Oats also contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has been associated with reductions in LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. Amati eats legumes every day as part of her personalized "five a day" target for gut health. She often eats lentils or canned beans with whole grains and leafy greens at lunch. Different types of beans have different nutrient contents, but 100 grams of canned chickpeas contains around 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. Nuts and seeds are also part of Amati's five a day. She said chia seeds are high in macronutrients: they have around 17 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber per 100 grams of dry seeds. To incorporate nuts and seeds into her day, Amati keeps a bag of mixed nuts in her bag at all times to eat as a snack, and she sprinkles nuts on her morning oatmeal. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
01-05-2025
- Health
- Business Insider
5 high-protein, high-fiber foods a top nutritionist eats regularly instead of meat for better gut health
You don't need to be scoffing steaks or gorging on protein shakes to get enough of the macronutrient — a top nutritionist says plant-based protein is the best kind, and better for your gut health than meat, too. Federica Amati, Ph.D., is the lead nutritionist at ZOE, a science and nutrition company, and a postdoctoral medical scientist at Imperial College London. Hitting protein targets is currently a huge health trend. But Amati told Business Insider that most people get enough, and don't need to worry about eating more protein unless they're an athlete or actively trying to change their body composition. But where people get their protein from matters, she said. Amati referred to a 2024 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving 50,000 healthy nurses aged 30-55 at the start of the study, between 1984 and 2016. The nurses who ate more protein, and specifically plant protein, had a higher chance of being free from 11 major chronic diseases, having good mental health, and not having cognitive or physical impairments as they aged. Meanwhile, participants who ate more animal protein had an increased risk of chronic disease. This finding is echoed in a 2021 study by researchers at the University of Oxford, published in the journal BMC Medicine. The 474,985 middle-aged British participants who ate more red and processed meat were more likely to develop heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes, and growths in the colon. Participants who ate more poultry were at higher risk of gastrointestinal diseases and diabetes, the study found. Amati said the results of the 2024 study suggested that the health benefits came from eating more fruit, vegetable, and whole foods, not protein. The researchers argued this could be because the dietary fiber, micronutrients, and polyphenols in plant foods are associated with positive health effects, including reduced low-density lipoprotein, or "bad," cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and decreased inflammation. Amati still has animal-based proteins: She eats oily fish twice a week, and eggs and fermented dairy — kefir and Greek yogurt specifically — regularly. But most of her protein comes from plants, she said. Even if you don't go fully plant-based, research suggests it's possible to make a "huge" reduction in your chronic disease risk by replacing some animal protein with plants, Amati said. She shared some of the best sources of high-fiber plant protein that she eats regularly. Nutritional yeast Nutritional yeast, or "nooch," is deactivated yeast that has a cheesy flavor and contains B vitamins. "It's a nice example of a food that has both protein and fiber," Amati said. In terms of nutritional value, 100 grams of nooch contains about 50 grams of protein and about 20 grams of fiber. A dietitian who follows the Mediterranean diet previously told BI she incorporates nooch into her diet by sprinkling it on savory dishes as a cheese replacement. Amati's colleague at ZOE, the gut health expert Tim Spector, uses it instead of bouillon cubes to add flavor to his cooking. Soy products Soy products are good sources of protein and fiber. For example, there are about 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in 100 grams of edamame beans, and around 20 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber in 100 grams of tempeh. And 100 grams of tofu contains about 8 grams of protein but less than 1 gram of fiber. A 2020 study looking at 210,000 people, published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, found that participants who ate at least one serving of tofu a week had a lower risk of heart disease than those who ate it less than once a month. The researchers suggested that this may have been because the estrogen-like compounds in tofu could have led to effects that mirror the beneficial effects of estrogen in women who weren't taking supplemental hormones — or because the fiber and minerals found in tofu help to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Oats Amati often eats oatmeal or overnight oats in the morning, adding kefir, chia seeds, and fruit. When it comes to nutrition, 100 grams of steel-cut oats contain about 10 grams of fiber and 12 to 13 grams of protein. Oats also contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which has been associated with reductions in LDL, or "bad" cholesterol. Legumes Amati eats legumes every day as part of her personalized "five a day" target for gut health. She often eats lentils or canned beans with whole grains and leafy greens at lunch. Different types of beans have different nutrient contents, but 100 grams of canned chickpeas contains around 7 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber. Nuts and seeds Nuts and seeds are also part of Amati's five a day. She said chia seeds are high in macronutrients: they have around 17 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber per 100 grams of dry seeds. To incorporate nuts and seeds into her day, Amati keeps a bag of mixed nuts in her bag at all times to eat as a snack, and she sprinkles nuts on her morning oatmeal.
Daily Record
21-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Professor Tim Spector says eat seven foods to slash inflammation
Inflammation is part of the body's healing process but it can also lead to diseases, or increase complications from them, including heart and circulatory diseases Gut health gurus Prof Tim Spector and Dr Federica Amati joined the Zoe podcast to chat about how your diet can impact inflammation—a body response that, while part of healing, has its downsides as flagged by the British Heart Foundation, linking it to heart conditions and more. The good news is, there's a host of food you can tuck into to whittle down those risks. Prof Spector — King's College London's genetic epidemiology professor — said the way you prepare these edibles can massively sway their power. Taking broccoli as a prime example of anti-inflammatory food, he said: "I think it's one of the brassica family, which includes all kinds of things like cabbages and leeks and onions and garlic and cauliflower. It's because it has anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown. And one of the main chemicals - and this is just an example of one of many, but there's a really cool chemical there that gets released when you eat broccoli called sulforaphane. "This has all these effects on the body, these anti-inflammatory effects on the body. And it's been shown to reduce obesity related inflammation when you give it to adolescents. It can reduce insulin levels as well." The expert continued: "And you get even more effects when you look at broccoli sprouts. And this is a general rule. Because the sprout comes out of the seed, and those first shoots have really concentrated amounts of all these nutrients, particularly sulforaphanes. And that gives them even more potential. So the younger that shoot is, the more you're getting of this really cool chemical.", reports Surrey Live. "Now, there are some problems with sulforaphane, because if you just throw your broccoli into a pan, you'll actually inhibit the sulforaphane from being released because the heat does this. So there's a little chemistry that needs to be going on here. So I've got a tip to overcome this, something called chop and stop. This is the same for broccoli, and it's the same for garlic and onions. You just chop it up, which releases the sulforaphane. "As you break down the cell walls, all leaks out, and rather than being instantly deactivated by the heat, you leave it for 10 minutes, have a cup of coffee or a sneaky glass of wine and you can then put it in the pan and you're getting all the sulforaphane. "The other tip is to maximize the sulforaphane is to actually microwave your broccoli. You get three or four times more sulforaphane when you microwave it than when you heat it. Most people think microwaving is really unhealthy, but actually in some, cases it can be a real boon, it because it works differently." Dr Amati and Prof Spector have also recommended other foods for a healthy diet. Extra virgin olive oil, as Dr Amati highlighted, is packed with polyphenols which are beneficial for our gut microbiome and heart health, and it also reduces inflammation. Prof Spector suggested dark chocolate, stating that if it doesn't contain much added fat or sugar, two or three squares a day could be beneficial. It contains polyphenols, and the darker it is, the better it tends to be for you. Chia seeds were also mentioned by Dr Amati as a strong option 'because they contain a great selection of nutrients - hundreds' including amino acids and plant protein. Turmeric was another food item highlighted by Prof Spector due to its curcumin content. He cited over 20 clinical trials linking it to improved chemotherapy results in cancer treatment. Berries, particularly raspberries, were recommended by Dr Amati due to their high polyphenol and fibre content, something more than 90 per cent of Brits do not consume enough of daily. Lastly, Prof Spector suggested red cabbage kraut as a 'wild card'. As a fermented food, he said it was excellent for the gut microbiome and could also reduce inflammation.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
You're Probably Not Eating Enough of This Nutrient
It's estimated that 95 percent of us are deficient in one key nutrient, and it's not protein. Or calcium. Or Vitamin D. It's fiber. 'It's a real crisis,' Federica Amati, PhD, the head nutritionist at health-research institute ZOE, tells us. But why are things so urgent? Isn't fiber's primary function to keep us regular — and to keep things moving down there? It turns out that's only part of fiber's job. In fact, the nutrient's importance to our overall health can't be understated, Dr. Amati tells us: Not eating enough of the stuff is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, as well as certain cancers and chronic diseases. 'Its effects touch every part of the body,' says Dr. Amati, a self-proclaimed fiber fanatic. Fiber is a carbohydrate that the body can't break down, and there are two types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, forming a sludge-like substance in the gut. (If you've ever let a glass of Metamucil sit too long, you've got a sense of what it looks like.) While insoluble fiber passes through the intestines mostly intact, providing 'roughage' and adding bulk to stools. Fiber also famously plays an important role in regulating the digestive system. It slows the rate at which food moves through the gut and it makes you feel full, which can help with weight management. But scientists have also known for a long time that fiber has a profound impact on our cardiovascular health, too, because it helps the body excrete excess cholesterol, Dr. Amati says. 'If you're eating enough fiber, that fiber surrounds the cholesterol in your intestines and keeps it from being reabsorbed,' she says. That's why a high-fiber diet has the potential to lower cholesterol and can help prevent heart disease. Beyond that, the nutrient supports the gut microbiome — the community of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes living in your digestive tract. There's a growing (ahem) body of evidence that this ecosystem plays an important role in regulating our immune system, making sure our hormone levels remain in check, and much more. Fiber provides fuel for the so-called 'good' microbes in the microbiome — the ones that produce beneficial vitamins and other metabolites that decrease inflammation. That may be why eating enough fiber appears to have so many different benefits, from heart health to cancer prevention and even longevity. One large-scale analysis found that people who had the most fiber in their diets had a 15 percent to 30 percent reduced risk of death and chronic diseases, compared with those with the lowest intake. One easy way to get your fill is to start your day with a bowl of high-fiber cereal, like Fiber One or All-Bran, per Harvard Health. You can also try taking a supplement, like Metamucil or Benefiber, which contain a type of soluble fiber. As we mentioned earlier, these powdered products turn into a gel-like substance, which may help with managing food cravings and lowering cholesterol. But to cultivate a healthy microbiome, you need to feed all the different types of microbes in your intestines with different types of fiber, Dr. Amati says. That means packing your diet with fiber-rich foods. Seeds are a great place to start, she tells us. Chia, flax, and pumpkin seeds are all very high in fiber, and you can sprinkle them into salads, soups, and even yogurt. Beans, nuts, and whole grains — like barley, quinoa, farro, and whole oats — are another excellent source. Currently, the average American eats about 14 grams of fiber a day. But it's recommended that we consume up to twice that: Men 50 and under should be getting 38 grams daily, while women need 25 grams, according to the National Institutes of Health. (Doctors recommended that older men have 30 grams and older women have 21 grams per day.) If we've convinced you to up your fiber game, Dr. Amati suggests changing your diet gradually — if you dive in with an extra-large lentil soup and bran muffin, you're going to experience some bloating, she warns. But over time, consuming the proper amount of fiber can have 'a transformative effect on your health,' she says. 'You'll be doing yourself a massive favor in the long term.' The post You're Probably Not Eating Enough of This Nutrient appeared first on Katie Couric Media.
