Eat all your green veggies if you want fewer colds and bugs

Jane Arlow • August 5, 2024

Your Mum knew what she was talking about!

Recently, I've been listening to the audio book of Ultra Processed People (affiliate link).

And I'm still processing (pun intended) a lot of the things I learnt.

So today, I wanted to talk about food, your gut microbiome and how it interacts with immunity.

With the C-word making an unwelcome summer reappearance, I think it's appropriate.

What is "the immune system"?

It's the cells, tissues and organs including white blood cells, tissues and organs of the lymphatic system (thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, and bone marrow).

What does the immune system do?

Put simply, it acts as the first line of defense against viruses, bacteria and other microbes and works to destroy them if they enter the body.

What's the gut microbiome?

This is the collection of millions of bacteria (up to 1,000 different species) that live in our guts and which help with digestion as well as destroying harmful bacteria and helping to control your immune system.

How does the gut microbiome control the immune system?

These millions of microbes recognise invading bacteria and viruses (and kill some of them!) and send messages to the immune system.

This leads to the production of the immune response and the release of protective peptides, cytokines, and white blood cells that swarm to the invader to kill it.

Variety is the spice of life...literally.

To get the best response from our immune system, we want lots of gut microbes with lots of variety who can send lots of messages to activate it.

The more different types of microbes you have, the better.

Different types of microbes eat different things

Meaning that if we want to have lots of variety, we need to provide the gut with lots of different types of food.

What happens if we don't feed our gut microbiome right?

Recent studies indicate that if we have a reduced number of microbes or the balance of types of microbes gets disturbed - known as "gut dysbiosis" - and it can make you more susceptible to disease.

And not just illness caused by bacteria and viruses, but metabolic diseases such as diabetes, and other inflammatory diseases.

What should we eat to reduce risks of gut dysbiosis?

Lots of fibre, fruit and vegetables. Some protein. Some fats.

The more variety, the better. Aim for 30+ plant-based foods/ week.

Oh, and stay hydrated too.

(Want a tasty veggie-packed Moussaka recipe that will keep your microbes happy? Check out this moussaka)

Other things that help the gut?

It's becoming apparent that there's a very strong two-way conversation between the brain, the nervous system and the gut microbiome.

So things that reduce stress and activate your parasympathetic nervous system will keep your microbiome happy.

Antibiotics are known to wreak havoc (their job, after all is to kill bacteria!).

And while you can choose to only take them only if it's absolutely necessary, they can be hard to avoid in meat.

So reducing meat intake (particularly red meat) will help.

Finishing where I started with ultra-processed food - avoid it as much as you can.

Research is starting to show that it creates gut dysbiosis by starving your microbiota of the food it needs to survive.

I could go on..

I've really struggled to keep this email to a reasonable length. So much interesting stuff!

If you want to learn more, apart from Ultra Processed People, I strongly recommend Dr Jenna Macciochi who's an immunologist.

You can follow her on IG here and check out her book The Science of Staying Well (affiliate link).

In summary then - do as your Mum told you and eat all your veg up to be big and strong!

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Breast cancer - know your risks

By Jane Arlow • October 13, 2025

October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and if you haven't done it recently, please let this be the nudge you need to give them a good feel up. Here 's a link to the NHS website below showing how to perform your check and what to look for. If you're one of my gentlemen readers, please don't think this doesn't apply to you. It does. Men can still get breast cancer. And if you find something that doesn't seem right, please contact your GP as soon as possible. 80-90% of lumps are likely to be benign, but for the small percentage of those that aren't, early detection and treatment are your best chances of having successful treatment and being around to annoy friends and family for a long time. Don't skip your mammogram I know having mammograms is really uncomfortable. But this is one of the best ways to check for cancers that aren't otherwise easily spotted. So if you get invited, please go. (And don't skip your smear test either!!!) Know your risk factors 1 in 7 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Here are some of the risk factors: - Age : older women are more likely to get breast cancer than younger women and age is the highest risk factor. - Genetics : Breast cancer risk is higher if you have first-degree relatives who've had it (although 85% of women with a relative with breast cancer WON'T get it). - Breast density (relates to the percentage of non-fatty tissue): the risk is highest for those with the most dense tissue. You can ask your radiographer to tell you whether you have dense tissue at your mammogram. - Lifestyle factors: These include having overweight or obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco use and insufficient physical activity. - Exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals: These "forever" chemicals, such as pthalates and parabens, show up in makeup and toiletries. Risk doesn't normally come from one exposure to one chemical, but from prolonged exposure to many different chemicals over a long period of time. You can read more about the risks here It's worth noting that even if you get a diagnosis, it's unlikely you'll ever know if there was "one thing" that caused it. What happens if you get a diagnosis of breast cancer? I am in no way competent to comment on the treatment plan your medical team recommend for you. Everyone I know who's had breast cancer has had a different treatment plan, depending on: the stage of cancer; whether it had spread further; whether it was hormone-receptive; whether it was due to genetic mutation; and the age of the woman. I do know that for all of us, it was a really scary time. You should be given access to resources outside of the surgical and oncology team, often via a Macmillan nurse, who can answer questions on topics from your treatment and reactions, to claiming for extra benefits. They're also great if you're not sure what questions to ask. While you're in the heat of the panic, it can be difficult to think clearly about what you need to know. Using "what should I be asking that I'm not?" is super helpful. Keep moving after your diagnosis, during and after treatment The one thing I can advise you on with all confidence, is to keep moving. Exercise is safe, possible and helpful for individuals with breast cancer, throughout the treatment cycle. In fact, international guidelines say you should try to get back to your normal activities as soon as possible. Exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer coming back; and may stop stage 1 cancers from growing further; and can also reduce treatment side effects like tiredness, cognitive impairment or lympoedema. Yes, you may need to dial back your usual activities if treatment leaves you feeling exhausted. But whenever you can, please aim for 150 minutes of exercise in every week. Many forms of treatment also lead to a higher osteoporosis risk, so please also do resistance-based and/or some impact-based exercise every week. I'd also recommend paying attention to shoulder mobility. Scar tissue and "guarding" of surgery sites can reduce your range of movement a lot. Check in with your medical team to confirm if there's any specific movements you should avoid during your treatment plan, and when you'll be signed off to go back to them. One last piece of advice someone else gave me... When you tell people you have cancer, a lot of them will have an opinion on your treatment plan. Especially if they're of the "my friend cured their cancer by just eating this one thing.." type. Unless this person is an oncologist, you can safely ignore them! So, what are you still doing reading this? Go off and give yourself a fondle!