33. Final word My goal throughout this book, and in my recent work with ZOE, is to help empower people to make better food choices for their unique biology. Using my own lived experience plus the wealth of scientific evidence which continues to emerge on food, metabolism and the microbiome, I hope this book will be a good starting point for invest- ing in your future health. There are other important factors such as our environment, daily schedules and social context ~ which also play a huge role in our relationship with food. I have touched on some of these topics in this book, but there are plenty more to explore. As I finish writing, the war in Ukraine, as well as being a major humanitarian and diplomatic emergency, has caused new challenges to our food environment: the ubiquitous sunflower oil is now a rarity and wheat is becoming scarce. Meanwhile, a sudden environmentally motivated ban on fertilisers and pesticides in Sri Lanka is leaving farmers with no crops resulting in food riots. Food prices have soared worldwide, and food insecurity and poverty are issues faced by even more families in the UK and globally. At the same time, there have been some positive changes as I've written this book: the Covid-19 pandemic is slowly becoming a ‘nor- mal’ part of our lives, travel is open again and vaccine science has made great progress. A long-overdue move towards including women and women’s health in scientific studies is beginning to take place: the physiological impact of the menopause is now a well-reported scientific finding thanks to our diet study on over 20,000 women — the largest study on food and the menopause to date.' The use of the outdated calorie models to explain weight gain and obesity is becom- ing more and more distant to scientific practice, and the value of understanding the importance of quality and seasonality of food is gaining ground.419 Final word he food choices we make on each of the roughly at the food c roug Wekaow erage lives impact our health, the planet’s health days of our avera ay saith and livelihood of future generations. Moving away alth and g 2 a ae in d foods wrapped in plastic is the simplest way to eee ee inet el sore tools and knowledge to safeguard their health from a younger age and be more informed about their own food choices, We rust model this change for our own health and inspire those younger than ws to do the same ~ the prospect of being a healthy and active oo-year-old is far more accesible than we thought even ten years x when metabolic dseae and fialey seemed an inevitable pore of ageing. {Hope this book has provided you with the tools to make better food choices. Whether You are shopping for yourself and your fam- ily, helping your clients improve their health, o: Twenty tips to keep you and your microbes healthy : Slep well and exercise regularly, . aa snacking and allow occasional long fasting intervals. 1 0 €3t up to thirty plant varieties aweek, including nuts,15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. }. Support small food producers and . Think about the environmental i . Eat fungi regularly, ¢ - Don't use supplements unless you are ill or pregnant, ( » Always opt for real food when you have - If eating convenience foods, choose the | Food for Life local shops i inst supermarkets. ee pact of your food chon a choice, least processed ones, with the fewest ingredients. Don’t follow blindly what someone else says is good for them ~no one is average. Understand that food is medicine and the right diet can be 3s effective as many drugs. Eat something fermented every day and become an expert in fermenting. Cook for yourself whenever you can. Try to look at all food through a different lens. Experiment on yourself and try something new.34, Food Tables Fermented foods and dairy of fermented drinks ning and herbs every day"4 Polyphenol, fibre . and sugar conten t of Fruits ( (Per 80g sery ing) Fruit ~— | Polyphenot |, / A — (mg) Fibre (g) “sowie | ‘Acai berries 2560 8 las | ' Apple + PP 161 19 | 80 | Apricot + ° es [| wwocado: } { Avoca 2 a a | Banana 124 a [os | Blackberry 456 i | se | Black chokeberry | 1405 34 4 | Black grapes 148, 07 Black olives 94 34 Black raspberry 784 5.6 Blueberry 4n 19 | Blueberry | Cantaloupe 88 07 Cranberry 252 37 i Fig 1 ie [ref Goji berry 140 34 | ae Gooseberry | | Green olives jm | 4.0 [owe 8 06 - 144 ce Crea [temeePolyphenol | pip, { e Si (age | Fibre(e) | Sugar (g) git 23 \ 10 12.0 : oa a \ 2 Nectarine | 62 Orange \ 72 vaya \ 6s Passion fruit Ta - Peach Peat | Piss) BS | a Ta bee a aera 80 4 amet ea | 8.0 Redcurrant | \ 59 \ Red raspberry | ——— _|ss | Sour cherry enon | ny | 68 | Sea frit a | [este ete eae ee | Stromberry \ 231 | 16 | 39 ee |_ Sweet cherry | 140 2.9 \ 64 \ eee eee ee pees eee cae | Tangerin \ \ | Tangerine 1 | 88 | 8 | _ Watermelon 03 [48 | paoee | White grapes Buy in season to maximise nutritional benefits and minimise harm to: the cnvironment, Alternatively, enjoy yest-long tinned, dried, or frozen, Remember tht ae dil rae trative have highes polyphenol content thety sugar content wil also be higher so consume in renly sible values ne assed based on average of corzedy penal vale a a eval a now dats emer DA Food Survey, figures correctten fruits, ranked by average st frequently 0! ‘all ZOE users dis a composite score (from 0 t effect on personal gut health (microbes) ore for an individual fo 10 100) based on personal 1, responses to you as no one is ome fruits, such abolisms of these participants. to fats, and th A ZOB se average. The bats in values show the wide blood responses to sug 1s may not apply d responses £0 5 ly good for the met ‘These score ‘as bananas, whereas raspberries were range of personalise found to be universal Bananas ES € Grapes a ——— Go Blueberries TS @ Kiwis a” ——— @ Apples @ Peaches a Bears aS @ Scrawbersi S| Qe Chersies — TS @ Raspberries Nee 0 25 50 15 Have once in a while Enjoy in moderation ZOE score How frequently should we enjoy foods based on their score? 0-24~ "Have once in a while” “There are no foods you can never eat somal quantities. es ok to eat these items but you should have them rarely or in 25-49 ~ ‘Enjoy in moderation’ hese foods but having thet (2 bur having them from time to time (2-3 times per week) i ‘There are healthier swaps fort normal quantities is fine. 50-74 oioy regularly” ee ‘these foods regularly (every other day). However, lar : , large quantities may have a negative 75-100 — ‘Enjoy freely! These foods are predicted to be the best for your metabolism. You can have th 1 can have these frequently. aRainbow Diet Jeshows my tips for vegetables and legumes categorised by colour to help axe polyphenol diversity | Top tips iduey, rd, | High in protein and beneficial polyphenols as well as fibre, Try to a g include beans in your meals every day and polyphenols including anthocyanin, with pple. Eat raw when thinly sliced or cooked | (but avoid boiling the nutrients to death). Rich in fibre, vitami as little sugar as an a Higher in vitamin C than oranges. Eat raw in chopped salad for maximum vitamin C availability. Great for antioxidants and vitamin A. Add to curries and soups. | Slice into salads or sandwiches, ferment in kimchi, or roast. | Cooked tomatoes are better than raw for their lycopene availability Best cooked for greater beta-carotene availability. ‘A squash variety chat is overshadowed by Halloween but is packed with fibre and vitamin A. Delicious in stews, soups or curries. | Tap on the side to see if it’s edible: che denser it is the tastier it'll be. Great alternative to starchier white potatoes for a boost of polyphenols, ideally eaten with the skin on. | A nutritious power-packed vegetable; works well in stews, soups or Bere sugars ca vO) Set sprue sel cand protein and shown o reduce blood | Fanasic ours of ve and psc and shown odie \s | (based on trials). ca 6 fibre inulin, which benefits the gut microbionEat them every day for a great micronutrient boost, of protein and vitamin D without the supplements. | Mushrooms alternative. Delicious fresh but also when jarred or frozen. Contains starch so they are energy-dense and contribute o bre Artichoke High in the prebiotic fibre inulin to feed your gut microbiome and a source banana and | OUFCE of iron, Parsnips ae potato _ Always leave the skin on, Contains more potassium than | Potato more fibre than an apple; high in vitamin C and a good s [soybeans _| Asmall snack of edamame gives you around 11 grams of protein and 8 grams of fibre. Enjoy in tofu form as a meat | purple asparagus. ‘Asparagus ‘Asparagus is one of the few exceptions to the polyphenol colour rule ~ green and white varieties have more polyphenols than fibre and protein and helps make meals more filling. Avocado Excellent source of monounsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins and polyphenols. Broad beans Nourishing and versatile food frequently used in European and ‘Middle Eastern cuisine but underused in the UK. A good source of Broccoli ‘Try a range of broccoli varieties including purple. Can or cooked; contains iron as well as beneficial fibres. be eaten raw sprouts. A great seasonal vegetable packed with fibre. Brussel sprouts _| Roast them or steam them lightly to avoid the foul smell of boiled | egg smell. Ferment to feed your gut. Cabbage Steam for less than 5 minutes to retain nutrients and avoid the rotten otherwise nothing else special. | J; least favourite plant! gram-for-gram than steak or chicken. Cook from dried out their complex flavours. Lentils High in protein, iron, fibre and nutrients, they are higher ini form to brio Celery ‘When slowly braised it greatly enhances other flavours in tomatocs, olive oil and onions. ‘Cucumber A good snack with hummus and counts as one of your plants, but Tceberg lettuce _| Its only good point is that it lasts for weeks in your refrigerator. My | | |trueture well when frozen — keep a bag in the freezer to Maintain structui cheaply top up your meals. ‘The darker oF redder the leaf the higher the polyphenols on SSNPS Keep bag ofthis leaf in your freezer for an affordable, nutritious sya | boost to meals, Blue/purple \ ee GTR egy 5 ergnes [Salter quickly boil then drain aubergine before baking, lightly frying tat) |r ELCO oF adding to stews and cutties for oe excellent source . of fibre, polyphenols and flavour | - ————- =? ene | Kale | Retains nutritio | Radicchio a | butter or powdered formCereals, grains, pasta and bread “The following three tables show my personalised ZOE scores for cereals and grains, pase, sand bread, These responses will vary by individual and can change over time. My personal score was calculated from my blood sugar response to carbohydrates, my blood fat response to fatty foods and whether that particular food is good or bad for my gut health. I've included my responses here to show just how varied our individual responses to carbohydrates can be My responses to cereals and grains, ranked from worst to best Polenta* White rice* Basmati rice (white) A Instant oats} EEL Brown rice EA Popcorn, air-popped, sated [ETC Quin: EET Spelt GRRE Buckwheat SSRIS Steel-cut oatmeal ea TSE Bulgur wheat 22a Pearl barley i [autaat oats have th, ave the same C:F rat * they ae the same onan ngredsos fe a thelr different level of Gl index differ ect metabolism die root M8 rently,S>1po0u aee5u, %s mE % ST a Fw ve wer se wt vat 6c att te 8c bl rst ir eased reayas [eel os o nal pial vit z ve a te = eased 339 %S 19 oy snoosno> reaqa xs | re or 5 eased wey %0Z r “ 6s a eased | tresjesdememnt) | oppea (azo) | asoos qoz | = UI0I | e4qy-03-qzreD | 0807 Se l a {u sosuodsoa jenpratpur ing “poo8 {jyex9ua8 st ones a1qy-o2-aiespAyoqie) 9) © 2° 4S10M 03 S9q Woy PaxUDs ‘Dys0d 03 S9Su spurag Aq Savas osie jp sontMy responses to breads, Note that values will var ranked from best to Worst cooking techniques. Y depending on different recipes, brands and Bread type cone Lae (CB) ration Sourdough, rye 32 ae Sourdough, wholemeal 31 | sawed Loaf, rye, dark 30 Sear Poppadoms 27 4:1 to 5:1 Chapati 26 7:1 t0 9:1 Bagel, wholemeal 24 TA to 12:1 Sourdough, white 22 14:1 to 24:1 Supermarket loaf, seeded 20 7: to 12:1 Focaccia 14 13:1 to 20:1 Naan 9 16:1 to 19:1 Supermarket loaf, wholemeal 7 4:1 to 7st Supermarket loaf, white 4 17:1 to 22:1 | Pitta, white 3 23:1 t0 32:1 | Bagel, white 0 16:1 to 19:1 Baguette 0 22:1 to 23:1 Ciabatta 0 12:1 t0 23:1sons wood 2 oud ae 00 wore sen my eon peer mL ose wo OF oot uja30ud Jo saaunos (urprord jo a el,a | | sang poy00> aang | 06 sateng vqgeedee estas poner ot a ee I psu xa me eo sBesnes goveovs pea ee = 1610" uosy paxuns 's309u passer04d( 201049 aarysry ysypioms ‘eum wyanig aye w8 pedo ot ae eee ee wiea8 /sueaSor9n 6-9 pind aoyemysoag | S88 UBMOTPR dey WD, Pr a —) f ¢ adden, BIGOT sednoig a = wes sureaBosoiar jg Pmbg ‘Poppe, a HR ~ b surpreg M8 MOQuiey fie yusd weasg ve agD Hef G00 a ape ‘wea Sun gy wed Su g ae Suseason Axoysuy weal sureaSyqua ¢ ” Ae e-eBoo 30 spongy Suyseasouy 100. POOdD8S JOINdod 3° {UB\UOD Aindi9u Pun ¢-pbawc neoor ost void eeney serge does iy : Axiqouroysns 1930216 10) 309 pinoys am 204m 03 SO1DdWO> MOU 109 aM IDYAK MOHgad auaat109 arexpAyoqse> pue 283 “urar01d TH00T oxy A2isuap 3USTTINU AOYS Sztag {yo suuaoa ay (snorzzane ast) 53835 € 0 (snorayzane asvap) 2038 1 UH ooresn sven my 2myose PET Sx/suorsstm9 ZOD fl OMe sO inet Ores 0m 7101 20 C050. 0-4 E11 Aog ++ EES ET 320 +E ort + a yyw puowyy as sre Aaye AI!UL Jo sadA — i 7 JUS1AJJIP Jo yoDdWI FeBuoy #) 000 pate spear B00 ss 2HO14 0 apne eon ku 80 PE ig pen sper a ny awe dadarg onegesd HON = etane aan eng pasnoney903 35 ; pees ssporgosd ON. eee bene Seo | enn Bl | eee ee mans Press = ee par reels ua | sro9s sn01qotd sasuodsoi pasijouosiad Aw puo suoos agoigoid Aq payUD! 'sioNPoxd Aulop PUD spooy pezUeUtie, asjousy suyens.s9,_ S9pHEHDIeSSjodoxs ano, yowaydiqog, f ma Summenya sume sppeouny —— ea9eq prae onsey spe owe8ig {quo eqpnquioy wy sasn2vorg any je ut punoy saanseorg, VHONaWOX WT ALVA YD Ww arsaapip & S920 SUP pazUaUay Jo AysuaAlP [0!07N“poy wore Hog, r ‘moat fuoug] per we angaueoe ps mies omutqy, sasind pur suroq ‘yom en poppe 218 sas “ow Jos pa sued Spey Aseuseoy op | eso ny aed pur yy pod sarees 0 Pm Sump popqutds eo 5 yorynanoney Ke ove8a10) poseg-orewos 40 weauespaW Sgabana ase 01 poppe aq ut> ar ging apaeean soqpouy sagen | _poseespee cpm ppd gp oad png (yma) |2ee-__ EEfifcs Z 06-001 057-000" 00 2-000'9 0 06-0002 ow on0s-son aos oon 04 puoogasos (aids\ "x9 a9 wo | PopuS.a aon so%poi8ay| 2 Posioaoud (2) =H soo) | 20-4 1 pte sap0ud sojduexa, wonuyog. worayyese19 UOROIYISSO> Poo WAON