I REALISE I am not exactly a ‘typical’ GP. In fact, you might say my practices are highly irregular.
For one thing, I know of no colleague who invites patients into their kitchen for cooking tutorials.
But we have been calling a for centuries and some new discoveries have now made this an irrefutable fact.
It is now impossible to ignore the pivotal role food plays in shaping our .
Simply put: the food you eat is one of the most influential things you can control, to shape not just your risk of disease but your ability to feel truly well.
Food is one of the most valuable parts of our social lives; it acts like a cultural glue, binding people no matter where they are from.
Traditionally, most socialising happens around food but sadly, this now fills so many of us with dread.
and culture have turned the simple act of eating into a baffling endeavour.
Equally, is often considered a compensatory punishment when really it can, and should, be enjoyable too.
In fact, physical activity is one of our most powerful and is intimately linked to good .
Luckily, there are many countries with better health outcomes who I believe we humbly need to learn from. They simply eat and live the way their great grandparents did.
We don’t need to learn to make drastic changes, we need to unlearn some of the changes we have made over the last 50 years!
So what is it you should actually be eating? How can you boost your all-important ? And what approach should you take if you want to live a long life and protect yourself from disease?
My goal, as yours should be too, is health and happiness – and anything else is a mere footnote in that quest.
I focus on eating food that I know will cleverly stimulate my evolutionary satiety (fullness) mechanisms and regulate my insulin (hormone that turns food into energy and manages blood sugar levels).
After years of in a binge-restrict cycle, my greatest epiphany was that trying to ignore my appetite meant I was fighting a losing battle.
The body simply perceives this as a famine and will do everything it can to protect your fat stores!
Instead I focus on eating food that will be delicious for both me and my microbiome, while keeping me comfortably satisfied.
So my first trick is simply an attitude: when you look at any plate of food, always think: ‘What could I add to this?'
Camilla StokholmGP
I try to instil this way of thinking in my patients. All my regulars have come to accept that when they leave my office, a prescription isn’t all they’ll take with them.
They will be pointed in the direction of hours’ worth of cooking videos on my (@whatyourdoctoreats) and receive a customised list of , , documentaries and tutorials.
As well as addressing current illnesses, I see each appointment as an opportunity to inject health and prevent future diseases.
The results are astounding. Sustainable , improved and , better energy, less pain – the list goes on. Sometimes diseases, like , simply disappear.
It would be impossible to share absolutely everything I eat, but one of the best techniques I follow to optimise my own microbiome and health is to add texture, flavour and colour to my plate.
This makes food infinitely more enjoyable to eat, and my gut agree.
Our healthy gut bugs thrive off variety – more really is more when it comes to the plants we eat – so I just want to keep my microbiome entertained and on their toes.
In any scenario, I can always add something to what I’m eating: a handful of mixed salad leaves, a sprinkling of herbs, spices, nuts, seeds, salsa and so on.
I know it will be more delicious for both me and my gut bugs that way.
So my first trick is simply an attitude: when you look at any plate of food, always think: “What could I add to this?”;
Variety and abundance in the plants you eat is the most powerful way to achieve a diverse and healthy microbiome.
Here are some of my favourites...
SPRINKLE:
- Sesame seeds, sliced kefir lime leaves or coriander on to Asian dishes
- Other fresh herbs on to anything savoury (mint works well on sweet dishes too)
- Nigella, pumpkin, sunflower seeds into salads
- Dried herbs (oregano on to Greek-inspired salads, basil, rosemary, za’atar on to grilled vegetables)
- Dukkah (a crunchy spice mix including nuts, sesame seeds, fennel seeds, salt and various spices) on top of chicken, dips, eggs, Middle Eastern dishes
- Sumac – a citrus-flavoured spice, often pinched out of a bowl on the dinner table in Middle Eastern countries and sprinkled on anything; it’s especially lovely in marinated or pickled red onions or any other salad
- Ras el hanout or baharat spice blend – Middle Eastern bombs of flavour, lovely on roasted vegetables (especially aubergine or sweet potato) or any fish or meat dish
- Cumin seeds – surprisingly delicious sprinkled on anything from boiled eggs to salad
- Cinnamon – into coffee and yoghurt bowls
- Chia, flax, hemp seeds into yoghurt bowls
- Pomegranate seeds – the tart flavour will elevate most savoury or sweet dishes (my family have a huge bowl on the table for most dinners, including Christmas dinner)
- Nuts – either on top of yoghurt bowls, added to salads or just enjoyed as a handful on the side; I try to eat two handfuls of different nuts each day
SPOON OVER:
- Houmous, muhammara, tzatziki, romesco, chimichurri, fresh pestos, tahini dressing, basil vinaigrette
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Pickles (I especially love pickled red onions or quick pickled red cabbage)
- Fermented food (for example, sauerkraut, kimchi, cheese, kefir)
ADD A SIDE DISH OF:
- A handful of salad leaves (whichever you have – every dinner has room for a salad, so be like my great-grandmother and serve a bowl with every meal)
- Quickly blanched green vegetables like peas, green beans, broccoli with some extra virgin olive oil and salt
- A spoonful or two of beans, lentils, peas – you can usually squeeze these onto any plate.
DRINK:
Could you add some plant variety to your meal with what you are drinking?
- Kombucha
- Even wine counts (but drinking 30 different types of wine is not a loophole I am suggesting!)
- Coffee
- Different teas
This is an edited extract from What Your Doctor Eats by Dr Camilla Stokholm, published on April 24, 2025.
