October 2026 News
Posted on 3 October 2026 by Stephanie J Moore
Hey Health seekers,
September seems to have vaporised into thin air and, with the usual busyness of the autumn months now upon us, I wanted to start with a quick, easy and healthy recipe that still feels a little indulgent.
These Dark Chocolate, Raspberry & Walnut Gut-Loving Bites are rich enough to feel like a treat, while packing in plenty of fibre and polyphenols to feed your healthy gut microbes. What I particularly like about these bites is that they tick several boxes at once: beta-glucan soluble fibre from the oats, mucilaginous fibre from the chia and flax, polyphenols from the dark chocolate, nuts and berries, plus a lovely variety of plant fibres from the nuts and seeds. They’re also far more satisfying than the usual biscuit or cereal bar — perfect with a cup of tea on a cold autumn afternoon.
Dark Chocolate, Raspberry & Walnut Gut-Loving Bites
Makes about 14–16
100 g rolled oats
75 g walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
60 g dried cranberries, sour cherries or other unsweetened dried berries
75 g 70–85% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 tbsp almond butter or peanut butter
2 tbsp tahini
2–3 tbsp warm water, as needed
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
2–3 tbsp freeze-dried raspberries, lightly crushed
Put the oats, nuts, chia, flaxseed, dried berries, most of the chopped chocolate, cinnamon and salt into a bowl.
Warm the almond butter and tahini very gently, just enough to loosen them, then stir through the dry mixture. Add a little warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
Roll into small balls. Press a few extra pieces of dark chocolate into the outside, then roll or sprinkle with the crushed freeze-dried raspberries.
Chill for 30–60 minutes until firm. They’ll keep happily in the fridge for up to a week — assuming they last that long!
Other News
October began with a wonderful burst of exhilarating energy thanks to the Goodwood Health Summit on Thursday 1st.
I gave the opening address, welcoming more than 100 invited guests — all connected in some way to education, policy-making, the press or the practice of breathing — alongside a large online audience. We were thrilled to welcome the fabulous science journalist and author James Nestor, whose truly inspirational book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art I highly recommend. It is so much more interesting than you might think, following his personal and at times, extreme process of training himself to be a nose breather. James gave a spellbinding presentation exploring the extraordinary difference that chewing properly and breathing through the nose can make to the development and structure of the skull — and, subsequently, to how well we breathe, feel and age.
We also heard from Dr Louise Oliver, a GP and functional breathing coach, who gave us some wonderfully practical advice on how we can improve the way we breathe. Professor Chris van Tulleken hosted with his usual aplomb. He has slightly naughty schoolboy energy despite all his academic and medical clout, which brings out the cheeky in me too — always fun! You’ll be able to watch a recording of this year’s event once it becomes available, and you can also look back at previous Goodwood Health Summits here
More Goodwood News…
Off the back of my Prehab the Jab protocol, Goodwood and I are collaborating on a brand-new three-day, two-night retreat for those thinking about using, currently using, or coming off the weight-loss jabs. It will be an immersive, highly informative and supportive few days, focusing on good nutrition, maintaining and building muscle, gut health and the lifestyle habits that can support you at every stage of the journey. Whether you are preparing to start, already taking one of these medications, or thinking about life after them, the aim is to help you protect your health while getting the best possible long-term outcome.
Look out for dates and further details here:
And Finally… Grow Some Herbs!
Something Professor James Kinross, another of our Health Summit speakers — and a man who appears to have the brain capacity of about five geniuses combined — said during the day reminded me of something I’ve been doing for years and really should recommend more often:
Grow your own herbs.
It is ridiculously easy.
You can simply buy a rooted pot of parsley, basil, coriander or mint from the supermarket. Water it well, then gently tease the roots apart and divide the plant into three or four smaller sections.Pop each section into its own little pot with some fresh compost, keep them moist and place them on a bright windowsill. Suddenly, that slightly sad supermarket pot of herbs can become several thriving plants, providing you with wonderfully fresh, fragrant herbs throughout the colder months.
And herbs are little nutritional powerhouses — packed with plant compounds and polyphenols that support the gut microbiome, brain health and so much more.
So simple, so inexpensive and so worthwhile.
Give it a go!