Emily Leeming's Blog

Something unexpected is happening with bowel cancer.

It’s no longer just a disease of people in their 70s. More younger people are now being affected - cases in those under 50 years old have nearly doubled worldwide between 1990 and 2021.

And this isn’t just happening in one place.

Across 19 countries, rates are rising in younger adults, while in almost half of them, rates in older adults are staying the same or even falling.

The problem is, we don’t fully understand why. And that’s worrying, beca...

Nurseries might seem like little germ factories, where every sniffle somehow makes its way home to you.

Alongside the endless runny noses, it’s not all bad news.

Being in nursery exposes babies to new microbes and may help shape their gut microbiome.

A recent study found that after just three months at nursery, babies shared around a quarter of their gut microbes with other babies.

How a baby’s microbiome starts at birth

Why early childhood is a key window for gut development

Wh...

This is the perfect breakfast for a slower start to the day, whether you’re heading into the Easter break or just easing into the weekend.

It’s one of my favourite recipes from my new book Fibre Power (out May, UK) - red lentil pancakes with kimchi folded into the batter, topped with avocado, sesame-seed fried eggs, chilli yoghurt, and drizzled with extra chilli oil.

I defy you (and your gut microbes) not to feel joyful and satisfied after eating.

Packed with flavour and colour, it throws preconcep...

Your body is constantly giving you feedback.

Small, everyday signals that you may not be paying attention to - and are easy to ignore.

But they’re often the earliest signs of how your body is functioning beneath the surface, reflecting underlying systems like hydration, digestion, the nervous system, and hormones.

Learning how to read these signals and notice patterns can help you spot changes early and respond sooner.

Whether it’s simply optimising how you feel, or catching new subtle warning signs...

I want you to see this first!

It’s the official cover of my new book, Fibre Power , out May 21st.

And yes, my face was aching from all the smiling at the end of the photo shoot, but I’m so happy with the results.

Thought fibre was boring?

This book will completely change your mind.

It’s bright, colourful, fun, and packed with simple, easy-to-follow science (no mental headaches here), plus joyful recipes you’ll be excited to make.

Fibre Power is your practical four-week plan to help you reach 30g of...

Fibre has finally become the nutrient everyone’s talking about.

It’s also one of the dietary components with some of the strongest evidence for improving health - yet around 96% of us aren’t getting enough of it.

But one question I keep seeing is if we should actually be eating even more than the current recommendation of 30g fibre a day.

So how much fibre is really enough - and is there a point where adding more stops helping, or could even backfire?

why the 30g recommendatio...

Poo - something most of us think about only long enough to flush away - can, in the right context, be lifesaving therapy.

Poo transplants, formally known as faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), involves transferring processed poo from a healthy donor into the gut of someone with certain serious illnesses.

It’s not about the waste itself, but the trillions of microbes living inside it.

Read on for more on poo transplants - how they work, who they’re for, and what the future may hold - should w...

If you’re keen to know the latest in gut microbiome science, this week is a round-up of recent research, hot off the press.

It brings together studies and reviews on gut health published over the past month, and where they fit into everyday life.

Read on for the findings that stood out, and why.

What scientists actually mean by ‘gut health’

Underwear that measures your farts (yes)

How meds you took years ago may still shape your microbiome

A newly described microbial cause of co...

Advice about salt can feel confusing.

We’re told to cut back because of links with blood pressure and heart disease.

Yet you’ll also hear claims that this advice is outdated, and that eating too little salt could be harmful.

Add in studies that seem to point in different directions, and it’s no wonder people feel unsure.

So does how much salt you eat actually matter?

Why we keep arguing about salt

How some studies get misread

Where potassium helps - and where it doesn’t

How to...

It’s the final week of our six-week series, Add-Ins for Your Health!

So far, we’ve focused on the foundations - from food to sleep, stress and movement. As part of this series, you’ll already have 5 new habits to take into the rest of 2026. Getting these essentials right is where the vast majority of health gains happen.

In this final week, we’re turning to the optional extras.

These are small health tweaks - cupboard ingredients, supplements and products I genuinely use myself, that can add a litt...