Eating well, the European way

Diet

Eating well, the European way

Supplements only fill gaps — the foundation is what's on your plate. This guide draws on current nutrition, microbiome and longevity research: eat to nourish your gut, calm inflammation and age well.

Written for a European table — the seasonal foods and rhythms that fit how we actually eat here.

The foundations

Mostly plants, mostly whole

Vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts and good oils, as close to their natural state as possible. It's the common thread of every way of eating linked to a long, healthy life.

Feed your gut

Your microbiome runs on fibre and fermented foods — and a healthy gut underpins immunity, mood and metabolism. This is the heart of the Mayr tradition: look after the gut and the rest follows.

Chew, and slow down

Digestion starts in the mouth. Chewing each bite thoroughly and eating calmly eases the load on your gut and lets fullness catch up — the simplest upgrade you can make.

Lighter, earlier dinners

Finish eating a few hours before bed and keep the evening meal light. Giving your gut an overnight rest is one of the most consistent themes in modern metabolic research.

Keep a daily fasting window

A roughly 12–14 hour overnight pause from food (time-restricted eating) supports blood sugar and metabolic health for most healthy adults.

Anti-inflammatory by default

Oily fish, olive oil, colourful plants and herbs in; sugar, refined carbs, alcohol and ultra-processed food out. Chronic low-grade inflammation is the thread connecting most modern disease.

Protein in balance

Enough from fish, legumes, eggs and dairy; go easy on red and processed meat — especially heavy and late in the day.

Drink simply

Water and herbal teas as the default. Drinks are where most hidden sugar and empty calories sneak in.

How to eat, not just what

Let your mouth do its job

Chew until food is almost liquid before you swallow. It sounds trivial; it changes how well you digest and how much you eat.

Eat in calm, without screens

Stress switches digestion off. Sit down, slow down, and give the meal your attention.

Stop at satisfied, not stuffed

Aim for comfortably content. The gut rest you give yourself matters more than the last few bites.

Cook simply and seasonally

Fresh, seasonal, minimally processed food does most of the work — no special products required.

For men

Men are generally larger and need more energy and protein — and statistically over-do red meat, salt, alcohol and heavy late dinners. The wins are about quality and rhythm, not eating less.

More energy, same quality
Bigger portions of the same whole foods — not more processed food to fill the gap.
Protein across the day
Spread it over meals from fish, legumes, eggs, dairy and some lean meat, rather than one big slab of meat at night.
Look after the heart early
Men develop cardiovascular disease earlier — the omega-3, fibre, less-sugar and lighter-dinner levers matter most here.
Rein in alcohol and late meat
The two most common excesses — cutting both, and eating earlier, does more than any add-on.

For women

Women share the same foundations but have a few distinct needs — above all iron and folate through the reproductive years, and bone protection later.

Iron — the big one
Premenopausal women need about 18 mg a day versus 8 mg for men, to replace what menstruation costs. Pair iron-rich foods (lentils, beans, leafy greens, red meat) with vitamin C to absorb more; coffee and tea with meals block it.
Folate — especially with a possible pregnancy
Plenty from leafy greens and legumes — and anyone who might conceive is widely advised to take 400 µg folate a day, because it has to be on board before you know.
Bone protection later
Bone loss speeds up around menopause; calcium-rich foods with vitamin D (and its partner K2) protect the skeleton for the long run.
Make each meal count
Lower average energy needs leave less room for empty calories — nutrient density matters even more.

Eating with your cycle

Your needs shift a little across the month — but let's be honest about the evidence. Elaborate phase-by-phase 'cycle-syncing' meal plans aren't well proven. A few things genuinely are:

During and just after your period — replace iron

You lose iron with menstrual blood, and higher iron intake tracks with fewer PMS symptoms. Lean into iron-rich foods with a source of vitamin C — the best-supported cycle tweak there is.

The luteal phase (≈2 weeks before your period) — eat for the appetite

Hunger genuinely rises — studies show women eat a few hundred calories more a day. Don't fight it; meet it with complex carbs, protein and whole foods rather than sugar.

For PMS symptoms — calcium, B6 and zinc

Randomised trials support calcium, vitamin B6 and zinc for the psychological symptoms of PMS, and magnesium with B6 for anxiety. Moderate evidence — gentle helpers, not cures.

What isn't well supported: detailed 'eat this in your follicular phase' charts. Eat well consistently, cover your iron and honour your appetite — that's where the evidence actually is.