25 Ways to Eat Better in 2026

Microplastics have lately been showing up in terrifying places like our semen and brains. Though there are conflicting assessments of our level of exposure to microplastics and how big a risk they pose, biogeochemist Jeroen Sonke , co-author of a study on microplastics in indoor air (yes, you read that right), has this advice to avoid them: “All natural food items contain microplastics, some more than others: shellfish, honey and salt have particularly high levels.” “Food picks up microplastics from packaging. Buy your vegetables from the market, bread from the baker and meat at the butcher’s.” “When you microwave plastic, toxic additives leach into your food at a faster rate. Use glass or porcelain.” 11. Drink bone broth for your stomach, not your face. Aesthetic physician Dr. Shirin Lakhani isn’t convinced of bone broth ’s face-card superpowers. “It’s beneficial as an easily digestible source of amino acid,” she says, “and a good source of electrolytes, but there isn’t enough evidence that its collagen content can make a real difference to skin.” Take your cue from chefs in Asia and upgrade rice and noodle dishes with it for a rich, umami flavor, and a dose of micronutrients. 12. True health gods choose veg brine. “ Fiber matters enormously, but ferments appear to give the gut microbiome a faster tune-up,” says Dr. Drain, the fermentation expert. Why is your gut important ? Glad you asked. “We now know that it’s one of the most important levers we have for long-term health,” says Tim Spector , the gut-obsessed cofounder of Zoe and author of Food for Life . “Around 70 per cent of our immune system sits in and around the gut, and our microbes continuously produce chemicals that talk to our brain and other organs. When that ecosystem is nourished with a diverse range of plants, we see better metabolic health, lower chronic inflammation and healthier aging; but when it’s fed high-risk processed foods and hardly any fiber, we see the opposite.” Vegetable brine is an underrated gut hero. “The salty, tangy liquid your kimchi sits in is packed with live microbes and postbiotic metabolites,” says Dr. Drain. “Sip it, whisk into dressings, chase an oyster with it-or even cook with it. Truly liquid gold.” 13. Fasting has its limits... Brian Clark , a nurse anesthetist who deals with fasted individuals on the reg, says that the sense of “mental breakthrough” people report in fasted states is probably a change in the state of the neurotransmitters. “It’s not that we suddenly became cognitively stronger. The brain is not clearer, it is reacting to stress,” says Clark. “This causes us to experience an increased focus, nervousness, and the euphoria that people often mistake for clarity.” 14. ... and it’s probably too soon to commit to 5 p.m. dinners for the rest of your life. Nutritional therapist Sanniti notes that our knowledge of intermittent fasting is “constantly evolving.” In fact, a 2025 study of 19,000 people found that adults who eat only within an...

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