DR MEGAN ROSSI

Can you make the digestive system sexy? Just ask Dr Megan Rossi. She’s on a crusade to make it so. Instagram was the registered dietitian’s first port of call – 17,000 followers gained since November 2016 are an indication she’s doing more than OK – and August will see the launch of her own gut-friendly menu at Leon restaurants, fuelled by her King’s College London research and inspired by the struggles of patients attending her Harley Street clinic. ‘The technology and research is now there to show that you can treat many health conditions – from kidney and heart disease to depression and, of course, IBS – by improving your gut health,’ says Megan. ‘I believe that you can get everything your gut requires through food, without the need to supplement. The more variety you have, the bigger the beneficial impact on gut bacteria. I aim to eat at least 20 different types of fruit and vegetables each week.’ That’s quite the salad. Growing up on a farm near Cairns, Australia, she credits a childhood spent playing in ‘heaps of dirt’ with helping her develop a strong immune system. Add to that her Italian heritage with its focus on homemade meals using homegrown ingredients, and it’s clear how she ended up, first, in Brisbane studying Nutrition and Dietetics; next at Queensland University for a PHD; and finally in London, where she’s gained over £1 million in funding for her research into how diet affects gut health. ‘Now, my focus is sharing what I’ve learned,’ she says. ‘I want to make the science more accessible to the public so that everyone can understand how to use the findings to change their lives themselves.’