The green Mediterranean diet that slows down ageing

Leeks are a fabulous source of resistant starch, a type of prebiotic fibre that the gut can’t digest. It passes into the large intestine where it is fermented by the gut bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids. These play a crucial role in gut health and improve insulin sensitivity and cognitive function.

My favourite way to eat leeks is to put them in a soup, blended with other nutrient-packed green vegetables, such as watercress. Melt 1 tsp butter in a large saucepan, add a finely sliced leek and sauté for a few minutes. Add a peeled and diced potato and a bag of watercress and sauté for five more minutes before adding 500ml vegetable stock and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Season well, simmer for 20 minutes, then blend until smooth

Stir-fry savoy cabbage to up your fibre intake

Fibre usually conjures up images of bowls of cardboardy All Bran for breakfast, but there are much tastier ways to get a fibre fix (we need around 30g per day). Savoy cabbage contains 3g of fibre per 100g.

I love to stir-fry savoy cabbage with plenty of ginger, garlic and chilli to warm the cockles on a winter’s evening. In a large wok, heat 1 tbsp oil, add 2 finely grated cloves of garlic, 1 tsp of finely grated fresh ginger, and a deseeded and finely diced red chilli and stir-fry on a high heat for 1 minute. Add some shredded savoy cabbage and stir-fry for 3 more minutes until it just begins to wilt. Remove from the heat, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving.