In A Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals Podcast

How do you stay healthy, strong and performing at your best- not just this year, but for decades to come? 💪

In this episode of The Nutshell, we welcome two leaders in lifestyle and performance medicine: Dr Sharon McDowell-Larsen and Dr Regan Stiegmann, co-authors of Staying in the Game.
Together, we explore the science of performance longevity and explain why the daily choices we make around food 🍎, movement 🏃🏻‍♀️ , sleep 💤 and recovery 🧘‍♂️ can help us maximise both healthspan and lifelong athletic performance.
Whether you’re an athlete, healthcare professional, weekend runner or simply want to maintain your physical and cognitive performance throughout life, this conversation is packed with evidence-based advice.
We discuss why it’s never too early-or too late-to invest in your future health and how the habits that support peak performance are often the same ones that protect against chronic disease; how a whole food, plant-predominant dietary pattern 🌱 can support endurance, strength and recovery, and why investing in your health today pays dividends for decades to come.
Whether your goal is to complete your first 5K, keep cycling into your seventies or simply maintain your health and independence, this conversation will inspire you to think beyond short-term fitness and provide an inspiring roadmap for staying in the game.

When we think about pandemic prevention, we may think about vaccines, 💉surveillance and emergency preparedness. 🆘
But what if the most effective way to prevent the next pandemic starts much earlier- by reducing the conditions that allow new diseases to emerge in the first place? 🤔
In this episode, we are joined by Esme Wheeler, a science policy and advocacy professional specialising in the connections between human, animal and environmental health. 🌎
Given that most emerging infectious diseases originate in animals, we explore how the One Health approach reveals the links between how we farm animals, our relationship with wildlife, and the risk of future pandemics.😷
The conversation examines the evidence linking habitat loss, biodiversity decline and the expansion and intensification of animal agriculture with zoonotic disease risk; and Esme sets out the case for addressing our human impact to reduce the risk of future pandemics and more.
If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast and leave us a rating or review- it really helps others discover the podcast 💚💚

Are plant-based burgers and sausages really as unhealthy as some headlines suggest? 🍔
Does the UPF label tell us everything we need to know about a food’s health effects? 📚
And how should we think about plant-based meat within the context of an overall healthy dietary pattern?
🍎 🥑🌭 🥒

In this episode, we are joined by registered dietitian and public health nutritionist Ginny Messina, RD, one of the most respected voices in plant-based nutrition 🌱
We dive into the growing controversy surrounding plant-based meat alternatives and ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
We cover:
• What the science actually says about plant-based meat alternatives
• The strengths and limitations of the NOVA classification system
• Whether all ultra-processed foods should be viewed equally
• The role of plant-based meats in supporting dietary transitions
• Nutrient considerations for vegans and vegetarians
• How to separate nutrition science from social media sensationalism
Listen on all the usual streaming platforms 🎧
And if you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may be interested in learning more too.
If you’d like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK 💚

When we think about oral health, most of us think about brushing, flossing, and avoiding cavities. 🦷
But what if the health of your mouth could influence your overall health and well being?
In this episode, we’re joined by Elizabeth Peters, a board certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional, to explore the fascinating connection between oral health and whole-person health.
With more than 30 years working closely with clients as a dental hygienist and earning a graduate degree in public health, Elizabeth has expanded her focus beyond oral health to support overall wellbeing. She now helps individuals make sustainable lifestyle changes through her work as a health and wellness coach and educator.
Elizabeth explains how the mouth is not an isolated part of the body but a gateway to overall health. We discuss how lifestyle factors such as nutrition 🍎, stress management 🧘‍♀️, physical activity 🚴‍♂️ and other pillars of lifestyle medicine can influence oral health, inflammation, and risk of disease.
We also dive into emerging research linking oral bacteria to chronic conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, and discuss why oral health professionals are increasingly recognising their role in supporting broader health outcomes.
Whether you’re interested in prevention, healthy ageing, nutrition, or simply understanding your body better, this conversation highlights why oral health plays an integral part of the health discussion.
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may be interested in learning more too.
If you’d like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join us
You don’t have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you’ll be improving your own health; with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see. 💚🌱💚

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Ayesha Sherzai MD, neurologist, researcher, and co-author of The 30 Day Alzheimer’s Solution, to explore one of the most important questions in modern medicine: how much control do we really have over the future health of our brains? 🧠
For decades, cognitive decline and dementia were often viewed as an inevitable consequence of ageing or genetics. 🧬 But emerging research is painting a far more hopeful picture.
Dr. Sherzai explains how lifestyle factors, like diet 🍎exercise 🏃🏻‍♀️ sleep, 💤 stress management 🧘‍♀️ social connection👭and cognitive engagement 📚may significantly influence long-term brain health and dementia risk.
We also discuss why brain health needs to become a much earlier public health priority rather than something we only think about later in life.
Listen on all the usual streaming platforms and to find out more about the Sherzai’s work follow
To buy the book:
https://www.thebraindocs.com/books/
If you’d like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:
https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership
You don’t have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you’ll be improving your own health; with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see 🌱
And if you liked this episode please consider leaving us a rating or a review, it helps more people discover the podcast and supports our mission to share evidence-based nutrition 💚

In this episode, we sit down with Kate Strong - multiple record-breaking cyclist, age-group World Champion triathlete, climate-activist adventurer and motivational speaker 🚴‍♂️
Kate shares her journey from competitive sport and plant-based performance to becoming a leading voice in sustainability and systems thinking 🌱💚🌱
Amongst her many achievements, in 2023 she completed Climate Cycle, a 3,300 mile bike ride around mainland Britain on a hand-made bamboo bike. During these three months, she visited 50 communities, charities, companies, initiatives and projects that are working towards mitigating climate change. 🌍
Kate explains how lessons learned through endurance sport mirror the mindset needed to address climate challenges - and why collective action begins with individual awareness. 👬👬
This conversation is both energising and practical, offering listeners a fresh perspective on how small steps can create meaningful change. 💫
This episode is available wherever you get your podcasts so listen today and don’t forget to rate, review and share 💚💚💚

In this episode we are joined by Dr. David Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, a globally recognised leader in nutrition science, research and metabolic health. 📚
Dr Jenkins is best known for developing both the Portfolio diet and the Gycaemic Index.
His work has shaped how we understand the relationship between carbohydrates and blood sugar, lipids and heart health, and continues to influence how clinicians and researchers approach nutrition science. 👨🏻‍🔬
In this episode we explore the cholesterol-lowering foods which make up the Portfolio diet, a dietary pattern that can have a powerful effect on lowering LDL cholesterol and reducing cardiovascular risk.
We break down the science behind the diet, how it works in real life, and why it’s gaining attention as a practical dietary strategy for improving heart health 🏩
And if you liked this episode please consider leaving us a rating or a review, it helps more people discover the podcast and supports our mission to share evidence-based nutrition. 🌱💚