This week's bonus episode completes our two-parter on psoriasis, as we hear from PBHP member, Kate Dunbar, who prior to the adoption of a whole food plant-based diet was significantly affected by the disease. She has gone on to run marathons, and is the creative master behind many of PBHP's factsheets.Her story is an inspiration to anyone suffering from an autoimmune disease who may have been told diet and lifestyle don't matter. Her experience has even been written up as a case study.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34366737/

Kate is always very generous with sharing her time and passion regarding the healing powers of food. You can follow her on Instagram @kate.dunbar, find her on Facebook, or email her, kate-dunbar@hotmail.com

We are so excited to be back In The Nutshell as we kick off season six with dual qualified NHS Consultant Dermatologist and nutritionist Dr Thivi Maruthappu.

We cover the inflammatory condition, psoriasis, and find out why it is considered a systemic condition, and how it links to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic health. Dr Thivi outlines the potential mechanisms through which diet and lifestyle influence systemic inflammation, immune pathways, and the gut microbiome.

We take a closer look at the APPLE study (Asking People with Psoriasis about Lifestyle and Eating), co-led by Dr Thivi and researchers at King’s College London, exploring how overall diet quality relates to psoriasis severity, and how dietary patterns rich in plant-based foods are associated with better outcomes, providing important data that lifestyle and dietary assessments have a key role to play alongside standard clinical care.

To access the study:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39973353/

Zanesco S, Maruthappu T, Griffiths CEM, Dalrymple KV, Gibson R, Hall WL. Associations between diet quality indices and psoriasis severity: results from the Asking People with Psoriasis about Lifestyle and Eating (APPLE) cross-sectional study. British Journal of Nutrition (2025)

To connect with Dr Thivi:

https://drthivi.com/

To buy Dr Thivi's book:

https://drthivi.com/skinfood-your-4-step-solution-healthy-happy-skin/

To sign up to the Veganuary myth busting talk on Tuesday 13th January 2026 please email Phil.lang@nhs.net

The Made in Hackney book discussed :

https://madeinhackney.org/buy-our-new-cookbook-we-cook-plants-%F0%9F%8C%B1/

And please don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and share this episode with one other person today.

If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:

https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership

You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health; with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.

Vanessa Sturman, food coach, is back to guide us on a flexible approach to Christmas plant-based food. She discusses how to enjoy food and celebrate Christmas without feeling like you've lost touch with healthy whole food plant-based eating for the coming year.

Those tempeh stuffing balls...

https://theveganlarder.com/vegan-christmas-tempeh-sausage-stuffing-balls/#recipe

Contact Vanessa:

https://www.vanessasturman.com/

Instagram:

@vanessaforhealth