Good Food
type: channel
link: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com
date: 2026-01-27T11:54:27.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: Exactly how harmful are your bad habits?
items: The nutrients every man over 40 should care about
items: The filthiest appliances in your kitchen
items: 10 mistakes you might be making on a protein boost
items: Why do holidays play havoc with your poo habits? An expert explains how to prevent it
items: Your gut and metabolism are linked – here’s what to eat to help both
items: Caffeine myth-busting for coffee lovers
items: Can you lose weight just by exercising?
items: Is mouth taping safe and what are the best alternatives, according to experts
items: 5 nutritionists share their favourite healthy pancake toppings

Exactly how harmful are your bad habits?
type: item
date: 2026-01-23T10:50:34.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Health
subject: Wellness
subject: goodhealth
subject: healthy habits
description: From drinking too much alcohol to having too many late nights, the experts assess how much damage you’re doing – and provide tips to mitigate the harm or even quit altogether.
encoded: Almost everyone has a harmful habit. In the most recent Health Survey for England report (the survey has been paused since the pandemic), nearly nine in 10 adults said they regularly engage in a damaging behaviour, such as smoking or drinking alcohol excessively. These habits are often addictions, misguided coping mechanisms or adversity driven, and many are easy to fall into. There are all sorts of reasons why people develop harmful habits, and the difficulty of quitting is scientifically understood. The good news is that there are tried and tested methods to help you quit just about any harmful habit. You’ll find harm reduction and habit-breaking tips below, along with the sobering facts on how bad habits can harm your health. How harmful habits affect your health Smoking You might be among the dwindling number of smokers who still love a cigarette with their morning coffee on a summer’s day, in the winter chill and, well, in most situations – but it’s well established that tobacco does not love you back. Smoking damages almost every organ in the body, according to Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). “It harms the heart and blood vessels by increasing blood pressure and causing fatty build-up in arteries, raising the risk of heart attack and stroke,” she says. “In the lungs, smoking causes chronic cough, breathlessness and COPD, and is the leading cause of lung cancer. It also increases the risks of at least 16 other cancers.” Cheeseman adds that smoking weakens the immune system, slows healing, damages teeth and gums, accelerates skin ageing, reduces fertility and, during pregnancy, increases the risks of miscarriage, premature birth and low birthweight. If this is too much information to take in, simply consider smoking’s impact on your life expectancy: “on average, people who smoke die around 10 years earlier than non-smokers,” says Cheeseman. “It also shortens healthy life expectancy, with smokers requiring care and help with everyday t…

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The nutrients every man over 40 should care about
type: item
date: 2025-11-14T13:18:06.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Nutrition
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: The right nutrition can keep your body, mind and even your hair in good condition. These are the seven nutrients which experts recommend for your 40s and beyond.
encoded: You might still be at peak fitness and in great health, but several wellbeing risks come into sharper focus for most men over 40, from nutrient deficiencies to the dreaded middle-aged spread. The right approach to your diet – and a few key nutrients in particular – can ward off the worst effects and keep you feeling your best. “As a man ages, he’ll need to think more about his metabolic health,” says registered nutritional therapist, Layla Gordon. “It becomes especially important to keep blood sugar in balance, and find ways to reduce cholesterol and visceral fat. Some approaches to this include eating a Mediterranean diet, reducing intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and time-restricted eating.” What to consider if you want to lose weight or improve health We will identify some of the nutrients that target specific aspects of your health – but we need to set out some general dietary rules first. “Reducing UPFs is important because a diet that’s high in these foods can cause nutritional deficiencies and changes in the gut microbiome and lining,” says Gordon. “Men over 40 have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and UPFs are known to cause obesity, inflammation, pre-diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors. So, I recommend reducing your UPFs intake to no more than 7-10% of calories per day.” As well as cutting out highly processed foods, you might need to reduce your portion sizes. According to Gordon, this depends on factors including how active your lifestyle is, your metabolic health, and how your body stores fat. “Men over 40 tend to accumulate fat around the middle, especially visceral fat which is stored around the organs, and it’s very important to keep this fat to a minimum,” says Gordon. “If your waist is increasing, that’s a sign to reduce overall and visceral fat, and reducing portion sizes is likely to play a part in the weight loss needed.” 7 nutrients you need as a man over 40 Lycopene: friend to the prostate Young men tend not to pay …

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The filthiest appliances in your kitchen
type: item
date: 2025-09-11T11:49:38.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Wellness
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: Here’s where dirt and germs hide in the kitchen – and an appliance expert’s tips on how to tackle each grimy situation.
encoded: We don’t mean this personally, but your kitchen is filthy! Even well-kept households often have build ups of dirt, grease and bacteria – especially in hard-to-reach parts of kitchen appliances and tools you might not think to clean so regularly. Researchers have found that kitchens are among the places in the home which are the most heavily colonised by bacteria, and where we’re likely to be exposed to the broadest diversity of microbes. Despite the presence of these unwelcome guests, only 17 per cent of households polled in one survey claimed to clean their fridge monthly or more often – and the same problem of under-cleaning extends to other appliances. Below are some of the most popular kitchen appliances and their specific vulnerabilities to dirt and germ buildup. We’re here to help, not worry you, so we’ve included expert cleaning tips for each type. What are the worst offenders? The fridge From a microbe’s perspective, your fridge is a vast and varied habitat. From door seals and shelf corners to neglected containers and the food itself, there are all sorts of places for microbial life to flourish. The mix of cool, freezing cold and hot (at the rear) areas throughout these appliances provide ideal living conditions for an assortment of germs. In one study, illness-causing bacteria from the listeria family were found in 15 per cent of homes, and their favourite spot turned out to be the refrigerator meat drawer. If you’re going to prioritise cleaning one part of the fridge, make it this drawer (and remember you must never store other foods in the same compartment). “Mix vinegar and water into a solution and wipe this onto your fridge’s shelves and drawers – this will kill any germs and neutralise any lingering odours,” suggests Isabella Forgione, a small appliances expert at AO. “Wipe this solution onto the door seals too, as dirt and crumbs love to get right into the hidden nooks.” The oven According to research from Beko, cleaning the oven is Britain’s most d…

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10 mistakes you might be making on a protein boost
type: item
date: 2025-09-05T13:01:27.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Nutrition
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: There’s a huge amount of interest and advice around increasing your protein – but plenty of misinformation too. We asked nutritionists and fitness professionals what’s helpful and sensible when it comes to this important macronutrient.
encoded: Protein helps us to repair our muscles and regenerate every cell from our toenails to the hairs on our heads. It can also help us to recover from exercise, suppress hunger or build muscle. For these reasons, many people are looking to up their protein intake. But getting the best out of protein isn’t as simple as adding another egg to your breakfast scramble, or supping a protein shake after your workout. We interviewed fitness and nutrition experts to identify 10 common mistakes you might be making while you’re on a protein boost – and how to fix them. 1. Neglecting other nutrients Boosting your protein intake has its uses. Topping up on this macronutrient can help you develop a leaner and more muscular body composition, stay healthy during pregnancy and recover from injuries – especially if you weren’t eating enough of it previously. However, increasing your protein intake should not come at the expense of other important nutrients in your diet. “Everybody seems obsessed with protein and I’m curious as to why, because the majority in the UK meet their requirements without concern,” says Renee McGregor, a sports dietician and author. “If you eat any food to excess it has implications, and that includes protein. It has a satiating effect, so eating a lot of protein might displace intake of other nutrients that are needed in relatively large quantities such as carbs, fats and micronutrients. This applies particularly to people with high energy requirements.” Failing to eat a balanced diet because you’ve filled up on protein can have negative consequences, according to McGregor. “In the short term, it might mean you might feel tired and struggle to concentrate, while long-term it can affect endocrine function, bone health and nerve health,” she says. “Over time, fixating on protein can cause an aspect of malnutrition.” 2. Not factoring in your weight and lifestyle The amount of protein needed for ideal health and fitness varies from person to person. How much you weig…

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Why do holidays play havoc with your poo habits? An expert explains how to prevent it
type: item
date: 2025-07-30T12:37:38.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Nutrition
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: You might be far from home, but you’re not alone. We asked an expert how to prevent and treat stomach troubles abroad.
encoded: Digestive issues are widespread among travellers. I unhappily remember the time I ordered the off-menu couscous in Tangiers, and another when I foolishly sipped from an antique water fountain in Venice. You might have a similar tale locked in one of the deeper vaults of your memory. Most of us would hope to poo normally while travelling, but that's not always the case. Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to reduce the risk or severity of constipation, diarrhoea and other issues. We spoke to Dr Megan Rossi, gut health expert and founder of The Gut Health Doctor, to learn how you can stop a bad stomach from sending your holiday fun straight down the loo. Next, find out how much fibre you should eat a day, what are probiotics and what do they do . Which digestive issues are common on holiday – and how to help 1. Constipation Travelling can lead to temporary constipation. You probably have some idea of the symptoms, but it’s worth knowing the specific medical definition: Your bowel movements (stools) are less frequent (under three times per week) Bowel movements are difficult and/or painful Stools may be dry, hard or lumpy This issue usually resolves within three weeks. If the constipation carries on longer (so your bowel movements remain limited to three times or fewer per week), then you should consult your GP. “Constipation is one of the most frequent digestive complaints when travelling, and that’s largely down to changes in routine,” says Dr Rossi. “There are various factors involved, from disrupted sleep and different meal times, to reduced fibre intake and dehydration, all of which can slow down gut motility. We also tend to eat out more and move less on holiday, which doesn’t help.” Dr Rossi recommends one particular remedy both for constipation and for diarrhoea: “If you experience constipation or loose bowel movement when travelling, consider taking some psyllium husk with you,” she says. “This water-loving fibre (available from most health food shop…

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Your gut and metabolism are linked – here’s what to eat to help both
type: item
date: 2025-07-08T15:41:00.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Recipes
subject: Weight loss
subject: How to
subject: goodhealth
description: Discover how your gut and metabolism work together for your health, and how you can tweak your diet to help them thrive.
encoded: Point to your gut. There’s a good chance your finger is resting on your belly, or perhaps the bottom-left of the ribcage where the stomach resides. Either way, you’re correct. The gut is the entire digestive system from throat to stomach, to small intestines, large intestines, appendix and beyond. It has about 100 times the surface area of our skin, and it’s one of the first things to start forming – alongside heart and brain – in the human embryo. This is where many of the crucial processes of metabolism take place, turning ingested foods into energy and nutrients that fuel the body and maintain our health. Without the gut, there’d be no metabolic process. And without metabolism, we wouldn’t have a gut (or anything else) for very long either. The question is: can a healthier gut make your metabolism healthier too? To better understand this vital relationship and how diet can support it, we spoke to Claire Barnes, a nutritionist and founder of The Happy Nutrition Co., and Dr Megan Rossi, a gut health specialist and founder of The Gut Health Doctor and Smart Strains. Next, discover 10 ways to speed up your metabolism ad find out if you can lose weight just by exercising. Why is our gut important? The gut is where the many processes of digestion take place. This includes the breakdown of easily digested foods in the small intestine, metabolism of more complex foods in the large intestine, and filtration of toxins by the liver, which is one of the gut’s ‘solid organs’ along with the pancreas and gallbladder. What you might not know is that the gut does lots of other things too. “It is so much more than a digestive organ – it’s the central hub for your overall health,” says gut expert, Dr Rossi. “Often referred to as the ‘second brain’, your gut is around nine metres long and houses trillions of bacteria (collectively known as your gut microbiota), which influence everything from digestion and immunity to mood.” “Around 70% of your immune system lives in your gut, and e…

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Caffeine myth-busting for coffee lovers
type: item
date: 2025-06-13T09:31:02.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Health
subject: Nutrition
subject: Caffeine
subject: Coffee
subject: goodhealth
subject: how much caffeine
description: Is caffeine bad for your health, and does all decaf taste bad? A nutritionist and barista offer their verdicts on some controversial claims about coffee.
encoded: Coffee and caffeine are two sides of the same bean: for many drinkers, the effects of caffeine are just as alluring as the taste of a tongue-tingling espresso or complex cold brew. Even decaf coffee is defined against the stimulant, and the word ‘caffeine’ is derived from café, which is French for ‘coffee’. I’m a daily coffee drinker, and while I consume less caffeine than some, my regular short blacks to-go and moka pot brews at home add up. The habit hasn’t been without its drawbacks: sometimes, I’ve struggled to sleep after drinking coffee too late in the day, and an excess of caffeine seems to make me feel jittery. But, then again, don’t we all feel unusually lively or anxious from time to time? It’s tricky to isolate the effects of caffeine from other influences on the mind and body, and perhaps this is why there are lots of contradictory claims about coffee and the compound it contains. To bring some clarity on caffeine and its effects, I interviewed Holly Dunn, a nutritionist who recently ran a literature review on coffee, and Seb Wilkey, head barista at Holding Patterns listening bar in Leeds, to establish which popular claims about caffeine are true and which are a steaming mug of myth. They say: caffeine gives you energy It’s often said that caffeine gives you energy, but that’s not quite what this compound does to us. While we do things and expend energy during the day, a natural compound called adenosine builds up in the brain. We have structures called adenosine receptors that identify the chemical and cause us to feel sleepy. Caffeine blocks these adenosine receptors, so we tend not to feel as sleepy after a cup of coffee or caffeinated drink. We say: caffeine doesn’t give you energy, but rather reduces the urge to sleep. They say: coffee and caffeine are bad for you “How 'good' or 'bad' coffee is for you will always depend on contextual factors, such as when, how and how much you drink it,” says nutritionist Holly Dunn. “The effects also vary with ind…

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Can you lose weight just by exercising?
type: item
date: 2025-03-13T12:41:25.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Weight loss
subject: How to
subject: best exercise for weight loss
subject: exercise and weight loss
subject: goodhealth
subject: losing weight
description: Is it possible to drop the pounds without reducing your calorie intake? We investigate how much exercise it takes to make a difference.
encoded: We’re fond of food and expect the same goes for you. Even if you cook plenty of healthy recipes, it’s likely your diet gives you more calories than you would need for a sedentary lifestyle. Calories are incorporated into the body in various ways, depending on the nutritional content of your food. Carbohydrates give us glucose, while protein builds muscle and fats become body fat. Sometimes, we get too much of these good things. Exercise is one way to use up a surplus, especially of fat and carbs. For those of us who enjoy working out, this is a more appetising prospect than cutting out a favourite foodstuff. The average person burns about 400 calories in one hour of gentle jogging, which is the energy equivalent of about five chocolate biscuits. Clearly, the more exercise you do, the fewer treats you’ll need to cut out in order to maintain a healthy weight. To find out whether you can really lose weight through exercise alone, we spoke to experts Beth Furness, a nutritionist with Nutracheck, and Rory Coleman, a running coach and founder of Coleman Coaching. Which are the best exercises for weight loss? Different types of exercise affect the body in various ways, so if your goal is weight loss, you should plan your workouts specifically. Exercises that are proven to help with weight loss include: Long-distance running Cycling Swimming Skipping Dance (especially high-energy forms such as Zumba) “The best exercise you can do is Nordic skiing, which is the best calorie burner at 1,100 calories per hour,” adds Coleman. Of course, there are other important benefits to exercise. Your workout goals could also include building muscle, developing flexibility, reducing stress and improving athletic performance. When you’ve chosen your weight-loss exercise activities, plan them into your week. You’ll need to do enough exercise to offset your calorie intake – probably at least 30 minutes per day, on average. 5 expert tips to boost the weight-loss effect of your workout 1. Stay i…

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Is mouth taping safe and what are the best alternatives, according to experts
type: item
date: 2025-03-13T12:34:20.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Guide
subject: Health
subject: Wellness
subject: How to
subject: get better sleep
subject: goodhealth
subject: how to sleep well
subject: sleep better
subject: sleep tips
description: The controversial trend is purported to reduce snoring and improve sleep – but isn’t recommended by medics
encoded: Mouth taping is the latest health hack on every wellness influencer’s lips. The idea is as simple as it is strange: you tape your mouth shut overnight so that you’ll be forced to breathe through your nose while you sleep. Advocates of mouth taping say this can reduce apnoea and snoring, increase oxygen intake and stave off bad breath – but these claims are dubious. The mouth taping trend has been spurred on by a slew of celebrity endorsements. Erling Haaland, the Manchester City and Norway footballer, recommended the practice during a podcast interview. Ever the trendsetter Gwyneth Paltrow wrote that mouth taping is “probably the single best wellness tool I have found recently” in an Instagram post from 2022. Look up ‘mouth taping’ on TikTok or Instagram and you’ll find thousands of people with their mouths taped shut, ready for a night of nasal breathing. Google search interest in ‘mouth taping’ doubled in just a month at the start of the year, and the practice has been covered by dozens of major UK publications since then. Ultimately, none of this hype around mouth taping can tell us anything reliable about its health effects. We spoke to Dr Annabel Nickol, a consultant in respiratory medicine who leads the Sleep and Ventilation service at Oxford University Hospitals, and Professor Vik Veer, head of sleep surgery at the Royal National ENT Hospital, to get their expert takes. Does mouth taping work? You can find endless anecdotal accounts of mouth taping’s health benefits on social media. However, its effectiveness is not well supported by scientific evidence. “Mouth taping is an interesting idea but we don’t have science and data to say it works,” says Annabel. “There are publications about mouth-taping that are interesting but which have been based on small sample sizes of people and would be considered low-quality because the participants are not randomised. “Even in these cases, the impact of the intervention is small,” she adds. Annabel points to a preliminary…

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5 nutritionists share their favourite healthy pancake toppings
type: item
date: 2025-02-24T17:18:46.000Z
creator: Pete Wise
subject: Health
subject: Healthy food guides
subject: goodhealth
description: Here are some healthy pancake topping suggestions to help you flip the nutritional script, from caramelised pineapple to cottage cheese
encoded: Shrove Tuesday, or ‘Pancake Day’, happens the day before Ash Wednesday in the Christian year. In 2025, millions of pancakes will perform their stovetop aerobatics on March 4th. The pancakes eaten during this feast were traditionally meant to be a pre-Lent treat. A lavish Tudor-era recipe from Hannah Glasse’s cookbook, The Art Of Cookery: Made Plain and Simple (1740), calls for brandy and ginger. Times have changed, and most Brits now top their Shrove Tuesday pancakes with one or two of the following ingredients: Lemon Sugar Honey Maple syrup Chocolate Nutella Golden syrup Banana But now that only 5% of British people (and just 11% of British Christians) fast for Lent, there’s less cause to load up on treat foods during Pancake Day. Perhaps some of our pancakes can be a little more adventurous – and more nutritious. You can always keep a tin of golden syrup handy for dessert. To give you some healthy pancake inspiration ahead of Shrove Tuesday – or to use throughout the year – we got in touch with five of our most-trusted nutritionists to find out their favourite healthy pancake toppings. Read on for a selection of sweet and savoury suggestions. 1. Caramelised pineapple Holly Dunn, nutritionist, Holly Dunn Nutrition Try topping your pancakes with sweet, super-ripe, fresh pineapple, naturally caramelised and then topped with Greek yoghurt, lime zest and lightly toasted coconut flakes and pecans. Start by toasting some pecan nuts (15g per person) in a dry non-stick pan over a medium heat, until lightly toasted. For the last 30 seconds, add a similar quantity of unsweetened desiccated coconut flakes, then remove and gently crush the pecans and coconut. Chop soft pineapple flesh into 1 cm chunks (about a quarter of a pineapple per person), reheat the same non-stick pan and cook the pineapple for 5-10 minutes, stirring regularly. Then remove and keep warm. Cook your pancakes using groundnut oil in the same pan (I recommend adding cinnamon and a little ginger to the batter…

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