In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK Podcast

Clare Day and Daisy Lund
  • 4.2 (5)
  • NUTRITION

This podcast is hosted by NHS GP's, Dr Clare Day and Dr Daisy Lund who will take you through all things health and plant based. They are both experienced clinicians with an interest in plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, and a passion to share nutritional education with colleagues and the general public. But they don't do this alone. Episodes have interviews with experts within the field of plant-based nutrition, bringing the most up to date evidence-based information in an accessible way, all while sharing tips and recipes on plant-based eating to improve your health and wellbeing.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Lunch and learn: school food as a foundation for health, with Sophia Millar

    What children eat at school has the potential to shape their health for decades to come. In this episode, we speak with Sophia Millar from ProVeg UK about the School Plates initiative- a programme working with schools and local authorities to support more plant-rich, nutritious, and sustainable meals for children across the UK. For healthcare professionals concerned with prevention, childhood nutrition, and the growing burden of diet-related disease, school food represents a powerful but often overlooked lever for improving population health. We discuss why schools are such a critical setting for shaping lifelong dietary patterns and how initiatives like School Plates are helping schools make healthier food the default. To find out more: https://proveg.org/uk/https://proveg.org/fsd-article/ultra-processed-foods/To join us at this years Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conference and for early bird tickets:https://nlmc.org.uk/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/membershipYou 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.

    56 min

  2. 11 MAR

    Going oil-free for cardiovascular health, with Sue Brewer

    This week's nugget discusses the evidence around including oil in our diets, showcasing a special interview with expert patient Sue Brewer who in recent years has been managing the cardiovascular consequences of 40 years on dialysis with an oil-free plant-based diet. https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/oil-or-no-oil-a-viewpoint https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/seed-oils-bad-pressed-myth-busting-misinformation https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2831265 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.035034 https://www.dresselstyn.com/site/ 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/membershipYou 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.

    51 min
  3. Root causes: conservation agriculture for human and planetary health, with Professor Amir Kassam

    4 MAR

    Root causes: conservation agriculture for human and planetary health, with Professor Amir Kassam

    In this episode we explore how agricultural systems shape human and planetary health. We are joined by Professor Amir Kassam, a globally recognised expert in conservation agriculture (CA), whose work has helped advance sustainable farming systems worldwide. Professor Kassam explains the scientific foundations of CA and how it differs from the increasingly popular concept of regenerative agriculture. Drawing on his contributions to global food systems discussions, including work aligned with the EAT-Lancet Commission, we examine how agriculture must operate within planetary boundaries to safeguard soil, water, biodiversity, climate stability, and ultimately public health. For healthcare professionals, this episode reframes prevention at a systems level, highlighting agriculture as an upstream determinant of health. If we are serious about sustainable diets and long-term wellbeing, we must also consider how food is grown. To find out more:  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amir-Kassam https://fable.co/author/prof-amir-kassam https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/sustainable-farming https://www.thelancet.com/commissions-do/EAT-2025 Rockström J, Kassam A, Friedrich T, et al. Conservation agriculture: helping to return to within planetary boundaries. Global Sustainability. 2026;9:e11. doi:10.1017/sus.2025.10045 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-sustainability/article/conservation-agriculture-helping-to-return-to-within-planetary-boundaries/3641F08ABCEF6438590242B968C8FAD1 To get NLMC tickets: https://nlmc.org.uk/ 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/membershipYou 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.

    1h 4m

  4. 25 FEB · BONUS

    Organic produce: a healthy investment?

    This week on the Nutshell , Daisy and Clare discuss whether paying more for organic produce pays off in terms of health benefits. There are lots of things to think about from pesticide burden to the nutrient values in the foods themselves. But with ever rising food bills,  should you prioritise organic, or can we afford not to?  Smith-Spangler C, Bravata DM, Hunter-Goren A, et al. “Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives? A systematic review.” Annals of Internal Medicine, 2012; 157(5):348–366. DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-157-5-201209040-00007 Baranski M, Średnicka-Tober D, Volakakis N, et al.Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses.British Journal of Nutrition. 2014;111(5):794–811.doi: 10.1017/S000711451300284X Baudry, J., Assmann, K. E., Touvier, M., Allès, B., Seconda, L., Latino-Martel, P., Hercberg, S. (2018). Association of frequency of organic food consumption with cancer risk: Findings from the NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort study.mJAMA Internal Medicine, 178(12), 1597–1606. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.4357 https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php https://www.pan-europe.info/ https://www.pan-uk.org/ https://hodmedods.co.uk/ 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/membershipYou 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.

    12 min
  5. From controversy to clarity: the truth on soya, with Dr Mark Messina

    18 FEB

    From controversy to clarity: the truth on soya, with Dr Mark Messina

    From fears around hormone disruption, thyroid health, breast cancer, fertility, and even feminising effects in men, soy has been surrounded by controversy for many years. Yet at the same time, populations consuming soy regularly tend to have lower rates of chronic disease and longer life expectancy. So what does the totality of the scientific evidence actually say? To answer that question we’re joined by Dr Mark Messina, one of the world’s leading researchers on soya foods and health.  Dr Messina is Director of Nutrition Science and Research at the Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI) Global. He has dedicated his career to studying the health effects of soya foods and has published over 125 articles and book chapters over his three decades of work in the field. In this deep dive we will distinguish the scientific evidence from pervasive online misconceptions and examine what the current research indicates about soya's effects on cardiovascular health, cancer risk, endocrine function, and well being. To contact Dr Messina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-messina-985ba642/ To read more about Dr Messina's research papers: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Messina-Mark-2 And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today. 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. Discover evidence-based approaches to transform hospital meals in our upcoming Global Healthy Hospital Network webinar. Join us on 4 March 2026, 16:00 GMT to explore practical strategies to make hospital meals healthier for patients and staff while reducing environmental impact. This session is designed for healthcare professionals seeking actionable, evidence-based ways to transform hospital food environments. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/-rnYGLwqQ9-ZQPh-P1cfPw The Global Healthy Hospital Food Network is a collaborative initiative led by PAN International, Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, ProVeg International, and Greener by Default.

    1h 6m

  6. 11 FEB · BONUS

    Does your cancer doctor know what you should eat?

    In this week's nugget, Plant-Based Health Professionals' founder, Dr Shireen Kassam takes us through two recently published papers exploring what oncologists may and may not know about diet and cancer, the reasons for this, and what they tell their patients. Kassam S, Kassam Z, Nemirovsky D, et al. Oncologists Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Providing Dietary Guidance to Patients With Cancer. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2026;0(0). doi:10.1177/15598276251414349 Patel A, Kassam S, Shah UA. Food for Thought: Addressing a Research Gap for Dietary Trials in Hematologic Malignancies. Blood Cancer Discov. 2025 Sep 3;6(5):406-411. doi: 10.1158/2643-3230.BCD-25-0141. PMID: 40778663; PMCID: PMC12405862. And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today. 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.

    22 min
  7. Autoimmune disease: food as a first defence, with Karen Lee

    4 FEB

    Autoimmune disease: food as a first defence, with Karen Lee

    This week on the podcast we speak with nutritionist, author, and retired ITU nurse, Karen Lee. Karen shares her journey of following a whole-food plant-based diet to help manage her symptoms of the autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis. We cover the research showing how whole-food, plant-based dietary patterns may help reduce systemic inflammation, improve gut microbiome diversity, and improve symptoms relevant to many autoimmune diseases. To find out more and connect with Karen:https://thesensitivefoodiekitchen.com/ To buy Karen's latest book:https://www.hammersmithbooks.co.uk/product/healing-from-the-inside-out/ Published case study discussed:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/15598276221141403 PBHP Fact Sheet on MS:https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/MS-factsheet-210519.pdf To find out more on OMS:https://overcomingms.org/ Clare's vegan omelette recipe: 300g silken tofu 140g firm tofu  3tbsp gram flour 2 tbsp tapioca flour 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed in 2tbsp water 1/2 tsp turmeric  Good pinch of Kala namak (if available) Ground pepper Dash of plant milk if the mixture is a bit stiff Oil of your choice for frying (optional) Filling of your choice e.g vegan cheese, mushrooms, spring onions, kimchi! Blend together the silken tofu, gram flour, tapioca flour, flaxseed, turmeric, Kala namak and pepper. Crumble in the firm tofu and give it a final mix. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Add the mixture and give the pan a wobble to level it out. Adjust the hob heat so that you can see a bit of steam coming from the pan but it shouldn't be bubbling too vigorously. It will take up to about 20 minutes for the omelette to fully set. When it is starting to look set you can add the filling to the top to start heating through, or melting if it's vegan cheese. Just before serving, fold over the omelette in the pan, then you can slide it onto a plate and decorate with fresh herbs or chopped spring onions. And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today. 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.

    56 min

  8. 28 JAN

    Avoiding any unnecessary upset: bacterial pathogens and meat

    In this week's nugget, we explore some of the knowns and  unknowns when it comes to eating farmed animals who may carry bacteria known to cause disease in humans. The spotlight is on  helicobacter pylori, campylobacter jejuni, and e.coli. You might think twice about what you store in the freezer or throw on a barbeque.  The Ingest podcast: https://www.pcsg.org.uk/podcast/h-pylori/ Almagro-Martínez, C., Alenda-Botella, A. & Botella-Juan, L. Systematic review on the zoonotic potential of Helicobacter pylori. Discov Public Health 22, 432 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12982-025-00834-w Quaglia NC, Dambrosio A. Helicobacter pylori: A foodborne pathogen? World J Gastroenterol. 2018 Aug 21;24(31):3472-3487. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i31.3472. PMID: 30131654; PMCID: PMC6102504.Aziz M, Park DE, Quinlivan V, Dimopoulos EA, Wang Y, Sung EH, Roberts ALS, Nyaboe A, Davis MF, Casey JA, Caballero JD, Nachman KE, Takhar HS, Aanensen DM, Parkhill J, Tartof SY, Liu CM, Price LB, .2025.Zoonotic Escherichia coli and urinary tract infections in Southern California. mBio16:e01428-25.https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01428-25 https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/report-into-the-sources-of-human-campylobacter-infection-published-0 Harmful impacts of microplastic pollution on poultry and biodegradation techniques using microorganisms for consumer health protection: A review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124010344?via%3Dihub And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today. 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.

    12 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

This podcast is hosted by NHS GP's, Dr Clare Day and Dr Daisy Lund who will take you through all things health and plant based. They are both experienced clinicians with an interest in plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, and a passion to share nutritional education with colleagues and the general public. But they don't do this alone. Episodes have interviews with experts within the field of plant-based nutrition, bringing the most up to date evidence-based information in an accessible way, all while sharing tips and recipes on plant-based eating to improve your health and wellbeing.

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