Food is at the forefront of taking care of ourselves, and it's something that if we haven't

thought about much earlier in life, it's a good time to start focusing on it now. It's like

creating a good garden for your gut, having different forms of fibre. And when I'm making

raised beds at home, I like to mix a good bit of topsoil with some nice compost and maybe a little bit of animal manure as well and get

that all rotted down. And I like to think that we could do the same with our gut garden in our

tummies. Keep it fertilised with lots of different foods from diverse plant groups.

Well, that is chef Hugh Fernley Whittingstall, a man on a mission to get us eating more fibre to combat a whole range of diet-related illnesses.

I'm Lizelle. Welcome to Age Better, the podcast changing the conversation around aging.

Decline isn't inevitable, you know. So through the conversations on this podcast, I want to share

the knowledge and the tools that can help you truly thrive in later life by taking action

today. And I'm talking about small shifts, by the way, but ones that really can have a powerful

impact. So today, one change that can transform your health span, eating more fiber.

Yes, Hugh Fernley Whittingstool is a chef, the best-selling author, broadcaster and campaigner.

Now, with his latest book, High Fibre Heroes, he's seen the soaring rates of obesity,

illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart

disease, and is tackling what he's concerned is a fibre crisis. Well, speaking to him from his

working farm, so you'll hear a few noises in the background, I really wanted to know whether

the humble carrot and a bigger portion of broccoli could

really play a part in reducing the risk of disease, as well as what the food industry is doing,

or should be doing, to help support our health.

Well, now, I hinted that there are some very regular, inexpensive veggies that could be more beneficial to our health than we give them credit for.

And indeed, Hugh, welcome your new book, Spotlights 12 Hero Vegetables.

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