Emily Leeming's Blog, page 6

Why choose extra virgin olive oil? 🧠

Hello to 750 new subscribers! Can’t quite believe I’m writing that.

Welcome to the secret hidden world of your gut microbiome, a bustling community of 100 trillion tiny living organisms, that live in your gut.

If any food highlights the rising cost of living, it’s extra virgin olive oil.

Prices have soared in recent years and are expected to climb even higher, as production hits a 10-year low, thanks to extreme weather caused by the climate crisis.

Yet, despite the steep price tag, I still buy...

Speedy satay prawn veggie stir-fry 🧠

A quick hi, hello! if you’re new - I’ve had a surprisingly big influx of subscribers in the past week, and it’s great to have you here.

Since starting a year ago, I’ve been posting a weekly Wednesday newsletter on the science of the gut-brain connection, filled with practical advice.

This Sunday edition, featuring a gut health recipe, is a new addition I introduced last month.

I’m always looking to shape and evolve , I’m always open to hearing what you’d like to see more of - or less of.

This new...

How to prevent a cold 🧠

Well it looks like we didn’t really get a proper summer did we.

It’s time to accept reality - I can’t pretend any longer. The leaves are turning, and there’s the usual uptick in sniffly colds and flu.

Autumn is here, marking the start of cold and flu season, as we cozy up indoors and shuffle through crowded transport, making it easier for those germs to spread.

It’s especially frustrating when sickness strikes on a weekend or holiday too, only to recover just in time for Monday.

What you eat can ...

Spiced kefir cherry chia pud 🧠

I feel a bit sorry for chia seeds.

They often get grouped with goji berries - those so-called 'superfoods' that can feel, well, a little new age and pretentious.

They’re a bit like marmite too in the sense that you either love them or hate them - their frogspawn-like texture is enough to turn some people off completely.

Yes, what a way to introduce a recipe!

But here's the thing, chia seeds have a huge redeeming quality (if, like me, you enjoy their taste).

Photo by Karyna Panchenko on Unsplash

They...

Wake up and drink up 🧠

Oh, how I do love a simple free health hack (ignoring the water bill). The only effort required?

The walk to your sink, filling a glass with water, and drinking.

Done.

I particularly like studies like today’s one, where there’s clear actionable advice from the results.

It’s also helpful that they studied different doses, varying amounts of water, too.

That’s not always the case, like the advice to eat ‘6 servings of fermented vegetables a day.’ While helpful, we don’t yet know if, in the long run...

Herby puy lentil and potato salad 🧠 with pickled red onion

Potatoes - it’s impossible not to love them.

My favourite Jane Austen quote may just be Mr Collin’s “what excellent boiled potatoes. Many years since I had such an exemplary vegetable.”

Never fails to make me laugh.

Most of the potato’s fibre content, and also plenty of its nutrition too, is found in its skin. The added bonus - not needing to spend time peeling them.

I’m always looking for ways to add in lentils or beans in some shape or form into my day.

Puy lentils do feel to be, well, the fan...

No more afternoon slump? 🧠

Coffee and tea, quite rightly, are what spring to mind when we think about cognitive-boosting foods.

But berries have an immediate and long-lasting effect on your brainpower too - and worth keeping in mind to ward off that 3pm afternoon slump (more on this later).

Something as simple as a handful of berries, either whole or blended into a smoothie, can give you a cognitive lift, and is delicious too.

Berries are rich in a type of polyphenols called flavonoids, some of which can cross into the bra...

Creamy sesame salmon crispy rice salad 🧠

The very first recipe!

I’m so happy to share this recipe with you, especially as it’s packed with ingredients for both your gut and brain.

This creamy sesame salmon salad with crispy chickpea rice and vibrant greens is loaded with omega-3s, fibre (12g per portion), and polyphenols - everything your gut-brain connection craves.

Plus, it’s a treat for your tastebuds, let’s not forget they’re the first of your gut.

Ingredients

Serves 2-3 as a main meal, more if paired with other dishes.

Crispy chick...

Is caffeine good or bad 🧠 for gut-brain health?

Many of us are so familiar with the daily ritual of a cup of coffee, that we almost forget that it’s the original cognitive enhancer.

Until we need it that is.

Could we call coffee an ultimate example of a gut-brain food?

It expertly demonstrates that what we eat (or drink in this case) can influence our brain function.

But, do these short-term mental boosts have long-term health consequences?

Could a regular caffeinated hit actually be a bad idea in the long-run?

Read on to find out.

Photo by Jakub...

Are you interested in gut health recipes? 🧠

Something you may not know about me - my first career was as a full-time private chef on superyachts.

Yes! Like the TV show ‘Below Deck’.

A far cry from my current life, where my time is split between researching nutrition and the gut microbiome as a scientist at King’s College London, writing articles for the , and my book Genius Gut.

I’m a firm believer that healthy absolutely can, and should, be delicious.

And understanding flavour and the practicalities of cooking helps bring the lat...