Beyond brushing: why oral health deserves a seat at the wellness table, with Elizabeth Peters
In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK PodcastShow Notes
When we think about oral health, most of us think about brushing, flossing, and avoiding cavities. But what if the health of your mouth could influence your overall health and well being? In this episode, we're joined by Elizabeth Peters, a board certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional, to explore the fascinating connection between oral health and whole-person health. With more than 30 years working closely with clients as a dental hygienist and earning a graduate degree in public health, Elizabeth has expanded her focus beyond oral health to support overall wellbeing. She now helps individuals make sustainable lifestyle changes through her work as a health and wellness coach and educator. Elizabeth explains how the mouth is not an isolated part of the body but a gateway to overall health. We discuss how lifestyle factors such as nutrition, stress management, physical activity, and other pillars of lifestyle medicine can influence oral health, inflammation, and risk of disease. We also dive into emerging research linking oral bacteria to chronic conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, and discuss why oral health professionals are increasingly recognising their role in supporting broader health outcomes. Whether you're interested in prevention, healthy ageing, nutrition, or simply understanding your body better, this conversation highlights why oral health plays an integral part of the health discussion. To find out more and contact Elizabeth:https://preventionistas.com/ For Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conference tickets: https://nlmc.org.uk/nlmc-2026/nlmc26-live/ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may be interested in learning more too. 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.
More from In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK Podcast
In this week's nugget we are talking about weight loss injections, otherwise known as GLP-1s. Should you find yourself using these medications as a weight loss aid, we can report that a plant-based diet will complement this decision perfectly. And if you won't take our word for it, there's also a guide from our friends at Proveg which sets out how you can be sure you are getting enough protein and fibre, and all the other important nutrients. https://proveg.org/glp-1-therapy/
In episode 4 of season 7, we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine and Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford University.
This week's nugget is a whistlestop tour of all the work that Plant-Based Health Professionals UK do. As a member you are supporting our work and are part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future. If you haven't yet, please do join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:
High blood pressure is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. On this episode of In A Nutshell, we’re joined by Dr Emma Copsey, Consultant Cardiologist, to discuss what role nutrition and other non-pharmacological lifestyle approaches can play in preventing and managing hypertension. We discuss what causes high blood pressure and how factors including diet, physical activity, weight, sleep and stress can influence risk. Whether you’re a healthcare professional or simply interested in cardiovascular prevention and lifestyle medicine, this episode explores ways to broaden our approach to preventing and managing blood pressure for better health outcomes. Blood pressure monitors discussed:https://bihs.org.uk/blood_pressure_technology/find_a_professional_bp_monitor.aspxStudies discussed:https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1511939https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01028-6/abstracthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40592949/https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2026/05/04/bmjnph-2025-001449 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/nut-consumption-and-the-risk-of-hypertension-a-systematic-review-and-dose-response-metaanalysis-of-prospective-studies/F598AFD9FD35B00A41A428C9D65F2C14 Previous nugget episode on whole grains:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-grains-no-gains-the-whole-story-on-cutting/id1694154034?i=1000728175430 PBHP Resources:https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Hypertension-FS-240703.pdfhttps://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-based-diets-for-the-prevention-and-treatment-of-cardiovascular-diseaseshttps://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-power-soy-and-legumes-connected-to-lower-hypertension-risk To buy tickets for NLMC Live:https://nlmc.org.uk/nlmc-2026/nlmc26-live/ Marry me chickpeas!https://www.noracooks.com/marry-me-chickpeas/
In this week's nugget two of our PBHP members, LJ Smith and Amy Roach, reflect on the highs and lows of trekking up Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, and importantly, on how to optimise your enjoyment with plant-based fuelling. 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.