It’s hard to make healthy choices nowadays. Walk into the supermarket and you’re faced with an array of sweet treats; unlock your phone and there’s a range of entertaining alternatives to exercise.
NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan is on a mission to make healthier options more accessible for the masses. He uses his medical expertise to simplify the science of wellbeing, then provide low-cost, actionable advice people can benefit from – and his approach is working.
Dr Rajan has amassed more than five million TikTok followers and recently released his first book, This Book May Save Your Life, which contains a collection of “everyday health hacks to worry less and live better”. He has a theory as to why his videos and the concept for this book are so popular.
“Healthcare systems in most countries have flaws,” Dr Rajan tells The Independent. “It’s harder to see a healthcare professional in some cases, particularly for chronic diseases. It’s also expensive if you are going down the private route. People are realising that prevention is a cheaper, more effective longer-term solution for health than treatment when burdened with disease.”
Nutrition and gut health are areas his audience are particularly interested in, Dr Rajan adds, explaining: “[Both are] often easy to action but also poorly understood.”
Perhaps as a consequence of this, one of his favourite health hacks is a remarkably simple three-ingredient recipe that can support muscle maintenance and gut health. This is how to make it.
How to make Dr Karan Rajan’s three-ingredient gut health snack
@dr.karanr Fibre jam @helen
♬ original sound - Dr Karan Rajan
- Raspberries, 80g
- Chia seeds, one tbsp
- Kefir yoghurt, 250g
“This is a great combo that’s high in fibre, protein and the three Ps; prebiotics, probiotics and polyphenols,” says Dr Rajan.
To make it, start by microwaving 80g of frozen raspberries for 30 seconds, then mashing them to your “desired level of chunkiness”.
“A dark red colour tells you they’re a rich source of the antioxidant anthocyanin,” Dr Rajan adds in the video above. “This supports beneficial microbes in your gut, and this [amount of raspberries] also contains 5g of fibre.”
Next, stir in one tablespoon of chia seeds until you achieve a consistency you’re happy with.
“Just one tablespoon of chia seeds is enough to thicken the mixture to a jam-like consistency,” Dr Rajan continues. “It also has five grams of fibre and mucilage your gut bacteria can ferment to nourish your colon.”
At this point, you can add an optional dollop of honey for extra sweetness. Then the mixture is ready to use as a jam, or a topping for yoghurt – kefir yoghurt is preferred for bonus gut health perks–to enjoy an added protein hit.
Read more: I spoke to the man who wrote the book on fermentation – here is his golden rule for gut health
Why fibre should be at the forefront of your food plans
We all know that protein has played a starring role in the nutrition world for the past few years, and for good reason. This macronutrient fills a wide variety of vital functions, including building and repairing bodily tissues such as muscle.
But Dr Rajan says fibre should also be a key consideration in the make-up of your plate. In fact, he goes so far as to say eating more fibre is the health hack that offers the greatest return on investment for most people.
“Both protein and fibre are essential,” he says. “There are plenty of foods and meal combos where you can get both, but if I had to over-index on one, it would be fibre.
“I’d say the average person probably consumes enough protein and nowhere near enough fiber,” Dr Rajan continues. The recommended daily allowance for dietary fibre is 30g for adults, but most people currently manage less than 20g, seeing them miss out on plenty of health benefits.
“When it comes to human physiology, there [aren’t many processes] fibre isn’t involved in, either directly or indirectly. Its benefits include regulating hormones, metabolism, appetite, the gut microbiome, mood, bowels and more.”
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