There is much yet to be understood regarding optimal nutrition and a lot of conflicting information available. Unfortunately, there seems to be a tendency for people to become polarised in their positions regarding the benefits or not of certain diets, however this type of rigidity around diet is unhelpful. There are some useful generalizations, which if followed surely leads you in the right direction, even if certain tweaks may be needed for your particular situation.

The simplest advice would be to eat as many different plant foods as possible, to ensure that you get a lot of the beneficial antioxidant polyphenols and fiber needed. For more specific guidance, a good place to start is to follow the daily dozen app, designed by Dr Michael Greger. This app highlights the main food groups to base your diet around and the quantities of these food groups to aim for each day. Legumes including beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds, cruciferous vegetables, green vegetables, other vegetables, berries, other fruits, flaxseeds, herbs and spices are highly recommended as part of your daily diet; in combination they provide a great deal of polyphenols, protein, good fats and fiber needed for optimal health.

For more information please go to www.nutritionfacts.org, where there is a wealth of evidence based nutrition information; you can search individual foods, food groups, or by disorders to get information in the form of videos, the transcripts are also available if you prefer a written format. I have summarized some of the pertinent points from nutritionfacts.org in the information sheets found on this website.