Let’s face it — as a nation, we’re getting bigger.
Around 64% of adults in the UK are now overweight or obese, and childhood obesity is rising at a worrying rate.

A recent report by Nesta and Frontier Economics estimates that obesity costs the UK economy £126 billion every year, including £12.6 billion in NHS treatment costs alone.

Beyond the numbers, obesity fuels a wave of chronic diseases — from diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease to poor gut health and even cancer.

While many factors play a role, the biggest culprit remains our food choices. Over 54% of calories in the average UK adult’s diet now come from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) — and that’s where the problem begins.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is all about consistency and regularly making good choices. Those choices include everything from the meals you eat, to the movement you fit into your day, how much sleep you get and even the snacks you reach for in between meals. 

This can look slightly different for each person, but when it comes to snacking there are certainly ‘good’ choices and ‘bad’ choices. Snacks might seem like a very small part of your overall health and wellness, but they play a big part in your energy levels, mood and ability to stay on track with your regular diet.

We’ve all experienced an unhappy gut at one time or another - whether it be bloating, cramps or irregular visits to the bathroom - but just how important is your gut health?

Well, the short answer is it’s very important! So much so in fact that the gut is often referred to as the ‘second brain’^[1]. This is because your gut doesn’t just impact your digestion, it actually also has a significant impact on your mood and general state of mind.

So, that being said, you might be interested in how you can start working on your gut health to improve your all-around wellbeing. Thankfully, mother nature has some tools to help.

Let’s dive into the impact of nuts and seeds for gut health.

Superfoods. This term has taken the health and nutrition industry by storm in recent years, and promises extraordinary benefits from some perfectly ordinary sources.

It isn’t a scientific term but rather a bit of a marketing spin. That’s not to say these foods are a gimmick, far from it in fact, but their immense popularity have actually made some people dubious about their health benefits because of their highly-publicised potential.

But not all foods are created equal. Where did the term ‘superfood’ come from, what qualifies as one, and what exactly can you expect from working some of these into your diet?

There are many examples of superfoods that include fruits like broccoli, berries (blueberries, acai berries, gogi berries), spices (ginger, turmeric) and much more.

Let’s dig into the origins of ‘superfoods’, some examples of ones we like the most and how you can go about getting these into your diet in the simplest way possible.

‘Moringa’, ‘moringa oleifera’, the ‘tree of life’ - whatever you call it, this plant native to northern India has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. Whether used as a food crop, a natural medicine or even a fuel source, moringa is no new discovery.

Let’s dig into what makes it so special and whether you should consider adding it into your supplement regime.

That’s quite a title - Queen of Superfruits. But it’s for good reason.

The baobab tree is an enormous ancient tree native to Africa and Australia.

It is also known as the tree of life and produces fruit that naturally dries on the tree.

Baobab, (or adansonia digitata if you want to get technical), is quickly growing in popularity thanks to its rich profile of nutrients and health benefits.

But what are these benefits, and how can you make baobab a part of your daily routine? Let’s talk about it.

Maca root - less commonly called lepidium meyenii - is a plant native to the Andes of Peru, but has recently become commonplace in the cupboards of health and wellness-focused people around the world.

Maca is a cruciferous vegetable related to vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.

There are a host of reported benefits of maca root, but what exactly are they, are they true, and how can you enjoy maca root as part of your daily routine?

Read on to find out.

If you’re looking for healthy snacks that benefit your body, sunflower seeds are a hidden gem. They’re tiny, sure, but behind that crunch is a nutrient profile that rivals some of the most talked-about superfoods.

Sunflower seeds are a nutritional powerhouse and are considered a superfood in their own right.  Sunflower seeds have been a staple food of Native Americans for over 5,000 years.  In native American culture, sunflowers symbolise harvest and provision.  In Chinese culture, sunflowers are said to symbolise good luck, long life and lasting happiness. 

Here are a few reasons why sunflower seeds are worth adding to your snack stash.

When you hear ‘cacao’, you probably think of your favourite chocolate or sweet treat, but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Cacao is the raw form of cocoa (the main ingredient in chocolate) that comes from the Theobroma cacao tree. The cacao tree is endemic to Central and South America, although the majority of the cocoa-based products come from Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire. (Ivory Coast)

Cacao powder is a minimally processed powder derived from the cocoa bean. The cocoa beans are fermented, dried, roasted and ground into a powder. Cacao powder is, therefore, pure with no added ingredients. In this form, it offers a wide range of nutrients and potential health benefits.

Read on to find out more about this Amazonian superfood.