07 August 2024

Q&A with Dr Emily Leeming, author of Genius Gut

Microbiome scientist, registered dietician and former chef Dr Emily Leeming PhD MSc RD has recently published Genius Gut - The Life-Changing Science of Easting for Your Second Brain, an essential book for understanding our gut-brain connection. Packed with plenty of top tips on how to boost mood and energy through food, Genius Gut's straightforward style makes it easy to read and even easier to act on.

Read on for Emily's favourite feel-good salad recipe and to find out with whom she'd most like to share a meal...

Q1. What inspired you to write Genius Gut?

I wanted to write an easy guide to the gut-brain connection, packed with actionable tips on what and how to eat to boost your mood, sharpen your mind, and feel amazing. My first career was as a chef, before I trained as a dietitian, completed my PhD in diet and the gut microbiome, and moved into scientific research at King’s College London. My perspective on health is deeply rooted in the joy of food and the practicalities of cooking and eating. I’ve also been frustrated by how complicated and jargon-filled science can seem, so I aim to talk about it in a simple, fun way instead. Recently, we've seen a significant shift towards understanding how our diet affects our mood and cognitive function. It's clear that health isn't just about longevity but also about how you feel right now — your mood, energy levels, and brainpower. That’s what my book, "Genius Gut," is all about.

Q2. Without giving too much away, do you have a couple of top tips you could share with us on how to enhance the gut-brain connections?

Exciting early science shows that our gut microbes can signal to the brain, influencing mood and brainpower. One of the best ways to support a healthy gut microbiome is by eating plenty of fibre from plant foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. When your gut microbes break down fibre, they produce special molecules that can travel throughout your body, even reaching your brain. These molecules, called short-chain fatty acids, help maintain a strong blood-brain barrier—a protective membrane that surrounds your brain, acting like a fortress that keeps harmful invaders out while letting healthy nutrients through. Your gut microbes can signal to your brain in other ways too, influencing your ‘happy’ serotonin levels, and through your immune system.

Here are some of my top tips (you’ll find more in my book Genius Gut):

-The BGBGs aka beans, greens, berries, grains, (nuts and) seeds - these are particularly high in fibre and support both the health of your gut and your brain. Try and make them a regular feature on your shopping list, the new essentials.

-Breakfast for your gut microbes - there’s been a lot of confusion around whether to have breakfast or not, but when it comes to your gut microbes breakfast is only a good thing. Breakfast skippers tend to eat less fibre and other key nutrients, have more food cravings and a worse mood too.

-Ferments - try and add in more fermented foods into your day too, I like to add kefir to salad dressings for some added creaminess, blend into smoothies, or have for breakfast with berries, nuts and seeds.

Q3. Do you have a favourite feel good recipe?

There’s a salad that I keep coming back to that’s really simple and quick to make - and packed with fibre and flavour. I call it my tex mex spelt salad, and all I do is chop and mix together avocado, mango, red onion, tinned tuna, whole grain spelt (I buy it pre-cooked in a sachet), coriander, tomato, cucumber, and then lashings of extra virgin olive oil, a generous dose of ground cumin and lime juice. It never fails to make me feel good, and it makes for a very happy gut microbiome too.

Q4. Are there any particular herbs or spices that are particularly helpful for a healthy gut?

Herbs and spices top the chart when it comes to polyphenols, a group of antioxidants that feed your gut microbes - in particular cloves and cinnamon. One dose of spices a day has been shown to shift the make-up of your gut microbes, so even a small amount on a regular basis counts.

Q5. Who would you most like to share a meal with and why?

Probably Dolly Parton, I feel like it would be impossible not to have a great time with her (and I bet she has so many great stories from across her career too) - a good meal is laughing, enjoying food, and relaxed chit chat and I think she’d be perfect for that.

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Dr Emily Leeming PhD MSc RD is a microbiome scientist, registered dietitian, and former chef. She is a Research Fellow at King’s College London, where she researches the impact of diet on the gut microbiome. Dr Emily is a regular contributor to The Daily Mail and frequently appears in the media such as BBC Radio, Vogue, The Sunday Times, and The Telegraph. She is the author of Genius Gut: The Life-Changing Science of the Second Brain, and writes a weekly Substack newsletter on the gut-brain connection called Second Brain.