Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

These simple seven words, first coined by the author Micheal Pollan in 2009, to me represent the easiest and most straighforward advice on how to eat healthily that I've ever come across. Eat real, unprocessed food, don't overeat, and don't eat too much meat.

I was thinking about this when I realised that today is World Digestive Health Day. I know - it seems like every other day there is some day for this, or a day to celebrate that. I was also surprised to know there was a World Digestive Health Day.

But as I was thinking about this I asked myself a couple of questions: Is digestive health so important it needs its own day? And what can I do to improve my own digestive health.

Let me answer these in turn.

Digestive health is incredibly important. The digestive system serves as the gateway to how we feed our bodies, absorbing vital nutrients essential for sustaining our bodily functions and promoting optimal health. A balanced and nutritious diet, coupled with positive and healthy lifestyle choices, not only enhances physical health but also contributes to our mental and emotional wellbeing.

And then there's the gut microbiome.

Dr Mark Hyman in his book, Young Forever, describes your microbiome as "the most important organ in your body, orchestrating every function of your biology". We are just beginning to understand the different ways that your microbiome interacts with your DNA, your environment, your nerves and neural pathways. A diverse and healthy gut microbiome has been shown to influence everything from how your immune system is able to cope with threats, through to our risk, and the potential severity, of a stroke.

And then there's the impact of our guts on our mood. 95% of our serotonin is made in the gut. Serotonin is the hormone responsible for mood regulation, low levels have been linked to anxiety and depression.

So the clear answer is that digestive health is incredibly important. And if Wikipedia can have it's own Wikipedia Day (it's on the 15 January in case you wondered), then why shouldn't digestive health have its own day.

So what can I do to improve my digestive health?

Well quite simply, as I've looked into this, the most obvious thing that has jumped out as me is the need to think about de-westernising my diet. What do I mean by that?

• Eat fibre rich foods - vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains

• Cook my own meals - ditch the processed food and ready meals

• Eat colourful foods with polyphenols and spices (e.g. berries, turmeric, olives)

• Eat less red meat

• Add fermented foods into my diet (e.g. sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi)

• Vary my diet

So in short - eat food, not too much, mostly plants!! Turns out those simple seven words still have a lot going for them! Clear advice I will continue trying to follow.

And for the record I won't be celebrating Wikipedia Day, but I will be celebrating International Nose Picking Day next year!