Screens at Meals, The Ultimate Healthy Shopping List & Too Much Fibre?

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1:03welcome to the wellness scoop your twice weekly dose of health and wellness inspiration and as always we're here as your hosts i'm ella mills and i'm riannon lambert and today we get to cover all of your recommendations and questions on today's episode first of all how are you have you got any excellent recommendations for us do you know what in terms of recommendations i'm not sure I've got tons. However, I'm definitely here for seeing all these girl group reunions this week. I mean, did you see the Pussycat Dolls have reformed? Have they? Oh my gosh, it's definitely going on my feed. I mean, my algorithm at the moment is basically full of Pussycat Dolls getting together, the songs, they're releasing new music.

1:47I'm hoping Spice Girls will follow suit. We've seen Sugar Babes do it and they're still going. And then the book got number two health book in the UK when it came out and I don't really have anything else. Congratulations. Thank you. I just don't really have anything else to report, Ella. How about you? How about me? I don't have any life-changing recommendations today. As I said, I am loving my new hobby, playing tennis, which is really fun. I am just absolutely loving spending loads of time outside. That is completely changing my life and I just love spring. It's the first time of the year. Do you know, I'm reading, as you know, the ACOTAR series.

2:25And within it, they've got different courts. You've got the spring court, the summer court, the winter court, the autumn court. Yeah, it just reminded me that, you know, seasons, we're so lucky to have seasons in this country and to embrace it. I am still loving my bird feeder. And I love watching how the birds congregate. Even the robins don't mind sharing with like the yellow tits. I mean, I sound like I'm ancient right now. But that to me is such a wreck just peacefully watching the birds i love that bit of peace and calm the other thing we are watching but i haven't finished it yet but two episodes in and it's really good is a um i think it's quite new documentary about the murdochs and their family on netflix and it's really good it's one of those things you know sometimes with these documentaries about a person or a family that you don't learn a huge amount that you don't already know whereas they're obviously so wildly influential and have completely sort of changed the face of news and media.

3:21I'm definitely learning a lot. This is really good. I have finished a book though, actually, sorry, this is a really good recommendation. So there we go. It's not a pathetic week, guys. It's called The Most Fun We Ever Had. Oh my gosh, it's so good. Is it fun? It is. It is the most fun I've ever had or not quite, but it is a lot of fun. It's funny. I, if anyone's got it, you might feel the same way. I hate the cover and there's something about it. I don't know what it is. I bought it so long ago. That's strong, Ella. That is strong. You hate the cover. Yeah, I bought someone's recommendation and it's just sat there for so long.

3:58The cover just is really, someone said it looks really IKEA. I mean, I like IKEA, but like it doesn't look inspiring or like really engaging. I don't know. It's very lackluster and I just kept putting off and kept putting off. And then I got on the train a couple of weeks ago and I didn't have my book with me. And I left that. I literally abandoned it in the car in favor of a quick WH Smiths buy at the station. That's how much I didn't want to read it. So I took it, got it all wrong. Don't judge a book by its cover. It's so good. And it's one of those, I quote unquote, fun reads, but that has a lot of depth and kind of complexity.

4:34and it's basically a family with four daughters and the you know all looked great on the surface and then actually there's so many different dynamics and secrets and complications and the way everyone's relationships actually pan out it's really fun so we have the most fun we ever had that is a good recommendation I just suddenly thought I have been painting a little bit I love that, really. But more so like children's painting. But it did make me think I might try next time and get a piece of paper and do something while they're doing it. Because I keep seeing Fern do all her amazing painting, Fern Cotton, online.

5:11I mean, she's just talented. She is an artist. It does make me think some of these analogue acts are definitely worth doing. But let's go to our first question from Melissa. Yes. Melissa says, I have a huge interest in health, vitamins, minerals, whole foods, superfoods, etc. If you were to create a shopping list that you would advise everyone to aim to purchase or to eat each week, what would it be? I'm thinking nutritional, balance, the most important foods for immune health, gut health, brain function, etc. Should we do gut health first? Because I think it's important to look at the fact that your gut health directly influences your immune system.

5:49So the better the garden of gut bugs, the different diversity. So we're talking about diversity of fiber, diversity of plants, then you are going to be supporting your immune system. And then if you look at the quality of the diet, so the different types of plants, we discussed flavanols on Monday's episode, didn't we, from berries and dark chocolate and antioxidant rich foods, omega-3s, all of those sorts of things are so good for our brain health as well. So dark berries, Ella, contain anthocyanins, which is another really researched type of antioxidant or property. So you find it in things like cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and those are known to be protective for our brain health as well.

6:26So yeah, you want to keep all those junctions in your gut tight by eating enough fiber to support your gut bugs that protect your gut lining because you don't want things leaking into your bloodstream that spike a bit of an immune response. Exactly. So there is no kind of one perfect list because everyone has different preferences, needs, flavor, preferences, obviously. But I think if you were going to have like a very gentle for want of a better word checklist. This is what we came up with. I think you want to get some leafy greens in there. Again, that's going to be different for everyone. What's in season, what you like, but you're thinking like spinach, cavallonero, kale, rocket, chard, um, great base to make all sorts of things.

7:11You know, you can put them into stir fry, tray bake, salads, super, super versatile. You've obviously got your fiber, your antioxidants, your folate, all the good stuff in there. Colourful veggies, as Rhi said, just so important. You know, there's that old saying, you've got to eat the rainbow, but it's actually true. Like you really, really do. That diversity is huge. So it could be anything, peppers, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, like you name it. But mixing those up is a nice idea. So if you had colourful veggies, some varieties, one week, you maybe add in just one new thing the following week.

7:47keep the variety going everybody fruits and veggies don't forget whole grains count i think people often forget about poor old carbohydrates they're always left out aren't they um oats brown rice quinoa you know think of making your whole grain sourdoughs or those proteins that come from plants the beans the pulses the legumes let's embrace that and also things from soy products are really beneficial for our health like tofu edamame beans um tempeh which is actually fermented animal protein have in moderation but tend to opt for less red and processed meat of course more oily fish eggs that type of thing which are good for brain health because we know that eggs contain choline and you've got oily fish with sardines mackerel salmon i will say the quality of the oceans is not what it once was and perhaps opt for instead of a stereotypical salmon fillet every week try and mix that up for sustainability reasons go for mackerel one week or tinned sardines another and just keep mixing your variety up there sardines are having such a moment online i know but for the wrong reasons like the trending diets with sardines but you know what my first ever book renourished i just did sardines on toast because i've always just really loved the ones that came in the olive oil tin and that was 2017 you're a translator but people are never ready for it it's like with fiber like i feel we did well with the book but it's not had the same impact as the ultra processed food book because honestly when you look at the conversations around it we're still ahead of a curve unless you're a wellness keeper you are inside the curve exactly living it um some fermented foods ideal i mean tim spector when he was talking to us was saying you know we want three portions a day i think if we're reasonable with ourselves that's probably more than most of us are going to get in but across the week if you could get in some kimchi or some sauerkraut, some kefir, some live yogurt, definitely really beneficial for your microbes.

9:43Your nuts and seeds, we always talk about them, but you know, so great for healthy fats, minerals. You've got, you know, your classics, your almond, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, but then things like hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds. And again, with that, for me, if it's a shopping list, you were going to try and tick off, you know, component parts of every week, I would say just mix it up. So do almonds one week, pistachios another week, cashews another the week. That's the best way to do that, to get that diversity for your gut health. Extra virgin olive oil we know is so great for our heart health, anti-inflammatory compounds, trying to get that into your diet.

10:15Herbs and spices, don't forget herbs and spices count towards your 30 plants a week. You know, lots of basil, just as much as coriander or turmeric, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, all of that. Really great protective plant compounds in there and they do count for that diversity your bugs are going to love them dark chocolate we and i know we love that and then things like herbal teas to support hydration you know if you don't love drinking loads of water then just those little bits that make it more interesting no i've got licorice and peppermint here now best tea we've got it our favorite tea and then don't forget to supplement if needed vitamin d in the northern hemisphere b12 if you're vegan or not really eating any animal produce and to be honest that's a very extensive list but what is it a healthy balanced diet you probably are already most likely leading towards if you're a wellness scooper I'd say yeah I totally agree but lovely question very lovely question Ria they're like a few things you buy every single week without fail yeah kefir is always in the fridge because it's the one in fact it's kind of replaced greek yogurt in my house um with the kids always have dark chocolate and every week I know that we have the same veg on repeat but I always have peppers in because the kids love them raw and then I put them in sauces so it's one of the things like crudités snacks if I didn't have cucumber pepper sticks and carrot sticks in the house every single week that's just such a go-to in my household orzo and beans butter beans butter beans out of all the beans I just think they're so creamy and just versatile yeah every week that's kind of like me how about you yeah similar i actually um packs of lentils are one of my big things you're good at lentils do you know what it's because the kids always eat them and it's when i'm you know as i said we've got our big like kitchen renovation happening at the moment and i'll just do something like literally boil some pasta pop edamame beans and halfway through and a couple of tablespoons of lentil with a jar of pesto and it obviously is like absolutely no effort whatsoever no washing up It's literally just one pan.

12:15Yeah. In that dish, we've had good plant proteins, fiber. It's a solid effort for almost no time. I was just thinking while you were saying that, I'm going to do fried rice this afternoon. Love fried rice. I don't know why, but you were just saying, oh, I'm just going to chuck everything because I always do pasta. I was like, I think I'll just put some rice in the pan. You like egg fried rice, but do it with veg. Yeah, it's just a reminder that actually it can be easier than you think. Do you know what? we had a real went completely off topic i don't know if anyone needs to know this there's a really nice local indian to us and we my husband i love indian food but the girls have been we keep going and they keep just eating like naan and rice yeah what a balanced meal and um but they last night they got into it they had some sag and a little bit of aligobi and also anyways this is a big one in our house trying to make vegetables delicious anyways so kim has a question for us and um she said, firstly, may I say thank you for the incredible content.

13:16I've been a listener from the very start and you may have been my companion through a pretty traumatic time. Oh, bless you. She said, I'm so grateful for the down to earth advice and evidence-based approach. My question is around our favorite topic, fiber. Can you get too much? I'm fortunate in that I have worked hard on my nutrition over the last few years and I get around 40 grams a day. Well, that does sound very good. And it made me think, she said, is there anything negative in having a lot of fiber in our diets or is it not an issue? Rhea, I feel like this is really one speaking directly to you and all your amazing information after writing the fiber formula.

13:53I think when I've looked it up though, like generally, if I'm eating like kind of my normal type of food, I'm pretty much always not to gloat. But like, I think if you're having a plant first diet and you're having lots of different variety of plants in there you naturally are always going to have over 30 grams actually because as we know like one chia pudding is half your daily intake. Ella 100 % if you are able to embrace living with diverse plants in your diet or it's something you're starting then you will build up to that very quickly but there is a thing as too much but I just want to remind you that in some countries that are researched like Hadza tribes they have 150 grams a day and their body is adapted to that amount as well.

14:38You know, their gut bugs are used to it and that's how it thrives. So it's essentially what works for you. And it does sound like it sits with you really well. It's a nice positive range. And in the fiber formula, I do just talk about how you can have too much very quickly, or you can definitely have too much if you're not drinking enough water and if your body's not adapted and you haven't taken time doing it. But for most people, it really is individual. And I'd say your body is your best feedback system there. You know, digested is comfort, bloating, all sorts of things like that. More isn't always better though.

15:08It's about the quality of the diet. So this is where I have an issue of some fiber supplements or just trying to bulk up the overall number of fiber a day rather than thinking about why you're doing it. What is the underlying purpose of getting that total amount a day? It's not just about bowel movements, although that's really important. It's about your heart health. It's about your immune system. It's about your skin longevity, your brain, all these different areas we know a directly linked cancer risk reducing. So have a think about that. But also the only downside for more fiber without quality is also reduced absorption of other nutrients in different meals because of phytates.

15:47So instead of thinking volume, just keep the 30-30 formula in your head. Think about the diversity. Think about how you chew your food. Think about how much water you're having. Think about those plants are weak. And I think you're okay unless you've got an IBD or you've got ulcerative colitis or Crohn's or a condition where fiber will be very very tricky for you and some IBS symptoms when they're flared I think Ella that this sounds like you have got it right Kim that you're doing well for your body. Yeah I really like what you said as well it's like your body how you feel like that is the best feedback loop and trying to tune into that is incredibly important although hard to do with so much noise around us.

16:26Very hard to do but if you're the fiber formula you could do it. very easily. Yeah. And it's like anything, isn't it? It's like, there's so many trends and ideas, and we share trends and ideas on here. And you got to just take what works for you in your life. And if it's working, stick with it. Don't feel like you've got to change it because you saw someone on the internet doing it. Oh my goodness, Ella, there'll be some people don't like lentils. And we wax lyrical about them, you know, and that's okay. You don't have to like them. More than okay. Exactly. Other options are available. yeah it used to be when it was like you know kale was so symbolic of health and it was like it's okay if you don't like out you can still be healthy yeah yeah i know do you remember because didn't you say beyonce had that hoodie with kale on it she wore this sweatshirt this gray sweatshirt that said kale across the front in some music video and i was like okay we're really hitting peak wellness here and it was sort of i don't know 2016 or something like that yeah very symbolic when wellness really became cool um and if beyonce is doing it it's obviously cool oh 100 100%.

17:24Okay, question three. Yes. Which was really nice. I love your ex. And while shows and books are interesting to hear, I get that from other pods. Okay, we hear it. What I'd actually love to know is what your wellness routines are at the moment. What do you love? Please over to Ella, because I am apart from my nighttime routine and introducing a book alongside my red light mask and everything else. I don't think my wellness routine is as good as it's not as practiced and worked on as Ella's is. No, but you have habits and things that you do week to week that really support you. Thank you. I mean, I try, I try, but I think we should lead with Ella's example before mine.

18:04Yeah. I mean, I think I actually mulled this over for a little while. I have to say, I do like sharing book recs so they will keep coming. Yeah. I mean, I think certainly when I got interested in health and wellness, I was much more interested in or aware of or kind of focused on the like really obvious sides of wellness you know essentially like eating loads of vegetables starting to cook from scratch realizing that actually you know I sat in the camp with the majority of my calories coming from EPFs and having no idea about it like I would just buy a sandwich I didn't realize the sandwich had 35 ingredients in and or you know I'd always eat certain cereals I didn't actually realize they didn't really have any nutritional quality to them and then when I started to look at the overall pattern as we always talked about is actually realizing that my diet was lacking hugely.

18:53And so that was really my entry point. And my interest was, as I said, eating loads of veg, cooking from scratch, exercising. Your entry point, I think, is so, I mean, it's part of your story, of course, but it's so inspiring because it was a complete overhaul for you, I think. And it's so important that people remember that because I think it's very easy to look at Ella today and people are like, oh, it's deliciously Ella. She's a plant-based, she gets all her 30 plants. but actually it wasn't always that way for Ella and it's so important to just remember those roots I think I hated vegetables so it's very ironic and obviously you know those things you know eating well and all the rest of it is still important to me but I think it's probably part of the reason I'm so keen to get this across on on this show is I think what's been so clear to me is that that's so really one-dimensional and our well-being is just so much more than that it really really is and I think you know I've gone through some you know pretty significant burnout which I've talked about but there's been other points in my life where it was so clear you know that health and wellness was just so much more it's so much more about your emotional health your mental health your psychological well-being and not just what's on your plate and so I think if I think about my kind of yeah wellness routine I don't think I have any particular routine but I think it's realizing that actually those other pillars, community, meaningful time with friends and family, you know, five minutes of calm is actually just as important as what I put on my plate.

20:23And so if I think about a routine or focuses or practices or habits that I try and fit into my life, actually, I currently have a bigger focus on making sure that I'm spending time with people that I love and that matter to me, that I'm much more present and not distracted all the time by work that I'm managing stress that's all actually much bigger priority to me right now than my diet do you know what that is a very underrated thing actually and I think most people that's so important we forget about that social pillar straight away people say right what are you eating and what gadget do you have but actually it's so much more a hundred percent and I think that's why some of the like what I eat in a day and I know they drive you nuts for other other reasons but part of the reason they drive me nuts is it's like oh it's but it's just one part of how how you live and your health and I think you can eat as well as you possibly want but it just that can't make up for chronic stress or it can't make up from lack of sleep consistently it can't make up from feeling like you're not connected to something else and we know that these pillars really are from a kind of day-to-day how you feel in yourself but also from like genuinely from a longevity perspective at risk of chronic disease perspective etc these things are so so important so yeah my big focus from a kind of wellness routine as I said it's building in these factors into my life and making sure that I have space and time and priority for that which which I haven't in the past.

21:50I think that's really admirable actually and it's good to acknowledge because we can't work on everything all at once you have to get to different stages of your life to take things on. And Jane, maybe I have. So I have been working on my stress actually without realizing it because I wasn't measuring anything. I haven't been tackling anything particular. It's just, I've chosen in situations, I've just chosen, you know, I could get really angry right now that bedtime isn't happening on time and everything, but I kind of just keep my calm a lot more than I used to. And I've noticed that switch in myself.

22:24And it's because we've been discussing stress so much on the podcast as well. But I really notice it now with my breathing. So I've got since the pandemic and my first birth, I have breathing pattern disorder. And I'm very aware of when I'm anxious or stressed. And I've actually noticed huge improvements in the last few weeks, because I've just kind of shrugged so many things off. So that would be my wellness thing without realizing I even knew I was doing it. I am shredding and what do you call it shredding off the stress a bit more it's so important I think I also came at wellness originally from a more kind of perfectionist attitude if I'm completely honest and I look back on it retrospectively of feeling like I've got to do this and I've got to do that and that's what wellness is and I think as I said the more I look at it the more I'm like it's actually impossible to do that you don't need to check every box every day and I think that's part of what frustrates me online it's like you just aren't going to walk 10 000 steps a day and speak to your friend and build in time for calm and do your job and your other responsibilities and do weight training and eat 30 grams of fiber and get 30 plants a week and get you 5 billion grams of protein and be sane and get enough sleep and it's just not possible in a day and i think there's too much perfectionist mentality out there as opposed to like okay we know it's important to move.

23:45So across the week, I'll move. I know it's important to eat well across the week, I'll eat well, and it's not all or nothing. And I think the content is driven around all or nothing because that's much more compelling. And it's also much clearer in like a 10 second video. So yeah, I think it's a very round the house's answer. But I think in terms of wellness routine, it's actually probably what the opposite of what you'd expect, which is actually almost like deprioritizing, you know, the obvious and prioritizing the other aspects of... Strip it back. I love that. I think wellness should be more stripped back.

24:21But if you have time for a morning shed, then good for you. You have time for a morning shed. But you know, I think it's really what you can do.

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26:41So we've spent years obsessing over protein and other trends. And I'm delighted to share that after a year in the making, my new book, The Fibre Formula is available to purchase. I have answered every question from gut health and energy, cancers and heart disease to aging, skin longevity and even microplastics. Built on over a decade of clinical research, it gives you my fiber formula. 30 grams of fiber a day, 30 different plants a week, 30 chews and 30 minute meals, plus 60 delicious minimally processed recipes to make it doable. I've done the hard work. So the protein, fiber and plant points are all laid out for you.

27:24So the fiber formula is out now, everyone. If you head to the link in the show notes, you can purchase it from any bookstore or on Amazon. And I'd love to hear your feedback. Let me know how you get on. Our next question from Louise is what do you think of France's new food strategy? I think they've done a really good job of bringing together health, sustainability and getting people involved on a local level. Now, I can't wait to discuss this. Yeah, I mean, first of all, Louise, I completely agree. I think it's a really, I mean, how things actually pan out and the intention is obviously, you know, awaits to be seen.

28:01But as an intention, it is really, in my opinion, to be applauded. So basically, if you missed it, last month, France published its National Strategy for Food, Nutrition and Climate, and they set targets for the food system through to 2030. And they're bringing together food policy, public health and climate goals in one framework, which is what I think Louise and us felt was really exciting. The aim is to ensure healthier, more sustainable and locally sourced food becomes accessible to everybody, while also strengthening France's agricultural and food sovereignty, which all just feels highly logical.

28:38Why can't we do that here? It just sounds so logical. There's no speech about food sustainability in the UK in that way. So a central part of the strategy is shifting diet slightly to more plant forward. I mean, we love that here on the Wellness Scoop, encouraging higher consumption of pulses, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while limiting red meat and processed meat, particularly imports. And that's a really stark thing as well, which I think is very important to add, because I don't think people realize how much of their food is imported and transported. And I remember doing this map for the Unprocessed Platebook, the map of the world, and looking how much produce is imported and exported.

29:17And I pulled it from the science of plant-based nutrition, looking at our sustainability shifts and how much we are so reliant on this. And we're going to see a knock-on effect, of course, of other global things going on right now when it comes to food as well, interestingly, not just fuel. But France has a wonderful targeting place because they're responding to some clear dietary gaps. 87 % of adults in France do not eat enough pulses. Now they've identified that specifically as pulses. 72 % do not eat enough fruit and vegetables. 32 % eat too much red meat and 63 % too many processed meats. Exactly.

29:54So it's a strategy to tackle all of that, the low fibre intake, promote more legumes, fruit, veg, as we said, but also encourage seasonality and locally grown foods. So the action is aimed at the food industry, interestingly, particularly ready-made meals encouraging reformulation so that they contain this is what i loved actually is that i feel like for us it's always like take out the salt take out the sugar okay that only can go so far what are you putting in yeah exactly and it's like with the high um fat sugar salt thing where it's like okay so put take more sugar out and put in more upfs is what's happened basically so sure there's less sugar but there's more artificial sugar so i don't think it's a win whereas what they're saying is let's reformulate so these ready meals contain more pulses they contain more vegetables they contain more whole grains they are then also looking at sugar salt fat etc but to me it's a sense of again it's positive nutrition which is so so so so good and also their strategy contains the goal of 50 sustainable procurement in public catering including 20 % organic produce.

30:59It's really different. And they focus on early childhood settings and elderly care facilities, which again in the UK is lacking. And I'm sorry to keep comparing the UK to this policy, but we love this policy in France. I think we should take a really long look at it and think, what can we implement here? Because wider food environment measures they've got include limiting children's exposure to advertising for foods high in fat, sugar and salt, improving nutritional and environmental quality of food aid, strengthening enforcement against food waste, another huge issue that isn't tackled enough, and expanding environmental food labeling schemes so people will know on the packet what perhaps the carbon footprint is of their food and how local it is or where it's sourced from.