Today on the Greenhero Podcast, Rickard is joined by Dr. Sunni Patel, founder of Dish Dash Deets, as well as a scientist and gut health influencer that has made it his mission to come up with amazing plant-based recipes and lifestyle plans to help fight gut issues. Dr. Sunni has been featured on Ready Steady Cook, Newsround, and BBC Radio shows. He has helped many people improve problems such as fatigue, mood, immunity, gut, and other health issues using creative evidence-based advice paired with culinary planning and plant-based cooking. Sunni has been living with inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease since 2014, a condition that is often surrounded by taboo, insecurity, and mental and physical pain. He navigated those challenges until he had a lightbulb moment, as a healthcare professional, he had to turn toward his diet. He cut out dairy and other inflammatory foods before switching to a completely plant-based diet and hasn’t looked back since. Through his personal experience, he made the decision to retrain and utilize his Ph.D. to take a holistic, scientific approach to people’s health with their food and lifestyles. His philosophy is grounded in science and elevated by experience. He works with corporate leaders facing burnout, and people living with IBS and IBD and helps them improve their gut and overall health.  Gut health, Dr. Sunni reminds us, isn’t just in the stomach. It starts when food enters the body to when it exits. There are certainly ultra-processed foods that impact the bacteria in our gut and create symptoms that many people deem embarrassing, further worsening the problems they’re experiencing. It isn’t just “junk food,” though. It can be overhydration or reduction in fiber. He goes on to note that it isn’t just the foods we consume, but our lifestyle influences our gut health as well. Stress management, addictive behaviors, and using addictive substances (yes, caffeine!) all make a difference in the levels of different bacteria in our gut. It impacts people of all ages and genders, but that data is reliant on who feels comfortable seeking out the help they need. Typically, Dr. Sunni works with people who have been on this journey for a while but are in a place where they are seeking a more functional expert who can help them improve their quality of life without making massive sacrifices. So, where does a plant-based diet come into play? It’s been proven that having a fiber-rich diet can help alleviate symptoms of IBS and IBD, but beyond fiber, a plant-based diet covers a gamut of health-related areas, providing vital polyphenols, antioxidants, and flavonoids that can be of benefit to people living with chronic, non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, obesity, and heart disease.  Dr. Sunni and his partner have just launched Queer Health Foundation, which incorporates lifestyle medicine and community to a cohort of individuals who experience many health inequalities. It is meant to allow for more education for practitioners and provide access to services for those that are vulnerable free of charge within the queer community. Things you’ll learn It’s been proven that having a fiber-rich diet can help alleviate symptoms of IBS and IBD, but beyond fiber, a plant-based diet covers a gamut of health-related areas. Gut health, Dr. Sunni reminds us, isn’t just in the stomach. It starts when food enters the body to when it exits. It isn’t just the foods we consume, but our lifestyle influences our gut health as well. Stress management, addictive behaviors, and using addictive substances (yes, caffeine) all make a difference in the levels of different bacteria in our gut. Links https://www.dishdashdeets.com/ @drsunnipatel