Summary with vocab in bold
This week I’ve chosen to summarise a radio programme called ‘Just one thing - with Michael Mosley’. Michael Mosley is a TV producer, presenter and former doctor. I really enjoyed his television series called ‘Trust me I’m a Doctor’ in which he and other medical experts answer questions about how to lead a healthy life. In this episode of ‘Just one thing', he is talking about probioticsand the positive health benefits that they have.
The programme kicks offwith Michael in his kitchen making Sauerkraut, a side-dish made withfermentedrawcabbage. He mixes red cabbage, onions, coriander, chilli, grated beetroot and enjoys squishingit all together with the end of a rolling pin. He thenpopsit all in a big jar and tells us that a week later it will be bursting with probiotics. Kefir and Kombucha are examples, along with Sauerkraut, of fermented foods that have also become super trendy. Kefir is a tangy,yogurty drink and Kombucha is a slightly, sour,fizzytea. They all sound quite repulsivebut we are assuredof their incredible health benefits and I’ve actually found that I like them.
There 'are thousands of different speciesof microbes that live in our gut'. Some of these microbes are good for our health and others can be harmful. Probiotics are so beneficial because they areteemingwith good bacteria. Ourmicrobiomeis like 'a complex rainforest - a rich diversity of life down there battlingfor survival’ so it makes sense to add as much good bacteria as we can.
The microbiome affects our immune system, sleep and stress levels. Researchers are also diving into research about the link between our gut and our brain. It is thought that taking probiotics can influence our mental health - improving our mood and helping with depression.
So what’s your view of fermented foods? Do you love them, hate them or do you not give a monkey's? Let me know!
Summary without vocab in bold
This week I’ve chosen to summarise a radio programme called ‘Just one thing - with Michael Mosley’. Michael Mosley is a TV producer, presenter and former doctor. I really enjoyed his television series called ‘Trust me I’m a Doctor’ in which he and other medical experts answer questions about how to lead a healthy life. In this episode of ‘Just one thing', he is talking about probiotics and the positive health benefits that they have.
The programme kicks off with Michael in his kitchen making sauerkraut, a side-dish made with fermented raw cabbage. He mixes red cabbage, onions, coriander, chilli, grated beetroot and enjoys squishing it all together with the end of a rolling pin. He then pops it all in a big jar and tells us that a week later it will be bursting with probiotics. Kefir and Kombucha are examples, along with Sauerkraut, of fermented foods that have also become super trendy. Kefir is a tangy yogurty drink and Kombucha is a slightly, sour fizzy tea. They all sound quite repulsive but we are assured of their incredible health benefits and I’ve actually found that I like them.
There 'are thousands of different species of microbes that live in our gut'. Some of these microbes are good for our health and others can be harmful. Probiotics are so beneficial because they are teeming with good bacteria. Our microbiome is like 'a complex rainforest - a rich diversity of life down there battling for survival’ so it makes sense to add as much good bacteria as we can.
The microbiome affects our immune system, sleep and stress levels. Researchers are also diving into research about the link between our gut and our brain. It is thought that taking probiotics can influence our mental health - improving our mood and helping with depression.
So what’s your view of fermented foods? Do you love them, hate them or do you not give a monkey's? Let me know!
Glossary
producer (noun)
The person that coordinates and supervises all aspects of a TV programme/fim.
probiotics (noun)
Very small living things (microorganisms) that have a good effect on the body
kicks off (phrasal verb)
Starts
fermented (verb - passive)
Food/drink that has undergone a chemical change because of the yeast or bacteria - the sugar often changes and starts producing alcohol
raw (adjective)
Uncooked
beetroot (noun)
A round dark purple root vegetable
squishing (verb)
To press on something hard
rolling pin (noun)
A long wooden utensil that is usually used for rolling out pastry
pops (verb)
To put something somewhere quickly
bursting (verb)
To be full of something
trendy (adj)
Very fashionable
tangy (adj)
Something that tastes strong or bitter in a nice way
sour (adj)
Something that tastes a bit like a lemon
fizzy (adj)
A drink that has bubbles in it
repulsive (adj)
Not nice to eat/disgusting
assured (verb - passive)
If you are assured of something, you are told that it will definitely happen or is definitely true
species (noun)
A plant/animal/microorganism group that has similar features
gut (noun)
A tube (intestine) that carries food away from the stomach
teeming (verb)
Something that has an extremely large number of people or animals that are all moving around.
microbiome (noun)
A community of microbes
battling (verb)
To compete or fight for something
immune system (noun)
The system in your body that protects you against diseases
diving into (phrasal verb)
To quickly start examine something in a lot of detail
To not give a monkey’s (phrase - slang)
To not care about something
Questions
Would you say that you have a healthy diet? Why? Why not?
2. What ways could you improve your diet?
3. Do you eat foods/drinks containing probiotics?
4. Have you ever tried Kefir, Sauerkraut or Kombucha? Do you like them?
5. Do you make fermented foods or have you tried in the past?
6. To what extent do you agree that there is a link between the gut and the brain?