Elena Vasquez
Health & Nutrition Writer
Covers metabolic health, intermittent fasting and the gut microbiome, focused on summarising evidence in plain language.
About
Elena writes for MyCookingCalendar on metabolic health, intermittent fasting and the gut microbiome. She aims to summarise current evidence in plain language and to clearly separate established consensus from emerging, still-uncertain research.
Her articles link out to primary and review literature where relevant, and she avoids overstating what the science actually shows.
Articles by Elena Vasquez
Low Carb Meals for Diabetics: Complete Guide to Blood Sugar-Friendly Eating
Evidence-based low carb meal ideas for people with type 2 diabetes. Learn about the glycemic index, get breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, plus blood sugar monitoring tips from a nutrition PhD.
What Is the Best Diet to Lose Weight? A Science-Based Comparison
Comparing Mediterranean, keto, intermittent fasting, CICO, paleo, and plant-based diets for weight loss. Learn what the research actually says about finding the best diet for you.
7-Day Prediabetes Meal Plan: Recipes & Shopping List
A detailed 7-day meal plan designed for people with prediabetes. Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for every day, plus a shopping list and lifestyle tips to help reverse prediabetes.
Ketogenic Diet: Benefits, Risks and Who Should Avoid It
An evidence-based guide to the ketogenic diet: the biology of ketosis, proven benefits, serious risks, and who should never attempt keto.
The Dukan Diet Explained: 4 Phases, Results and Risks
An honest look at the Dukan Diet: its four phases, short-term results, and the medical concerns that have led dietitians to warn against it.
The Carnivore Diet: What Happens When You Eat Only Meat
An evidence-based look at the carnivore diet: the anecdotal claims, the limited science, serious nutritional concerns, and why doctors are worried.
FODMAP Elimination Diet: Meal Plan for IBS and Digestion
A guide to the low FODMAP diet for IBS: the science, the three phases, a full 7-day meal plan, and why working with a dietitian is essential.
Japanese Fermented Foods: Health Benefits of Miso and Natto
Japan's traditional fermented foods — miso, soy sauce, natto and tsukemono pickles — are among the world's most researched for gut health and longevity.
High-Protein Meal Prep: Hit Your Macros Every Day
Complete guide to prepping 150–200g protein per day through batch cooking, with ready-to-use meal plans and the best high-protein foods to build around.
Mediterranean Diet: 7-Day Meal Plan and Health Benefits
The Mediterranean diet is one of nutrition science's best-evidenced patterns for heart, brain, and metabolic health, with a 7-day meal plan to start today.
DASH Diet Guide: Lower Blood Pressure with a Meal Plan
The DASH diet was built to lower blood pressure through food alone, with trials showing real reductions. Science, food list, and a 7-day meal plan inside.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Foods, Benefits, and Meal Plan
Chronic low-grade inflammation underlies virtually every major non-communicable disease — from type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer's and certain cancers. An anti-inflammatory diet, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, and fibre, offers one of the most evidence-backed tools for modulating this biological process. This comprehensive guide outlines the science, the key foods, and a practical 7-day meal plan to help reduce systemic inflammation through what you eat every day.
Paleo Diet Guide: What to Eat and a 7-Day Meal Plan
The Paleo diet mirrors ancestral eating and has real clinical trial support for blood sugar and heart health. What to eat, avoid, and a 7-day meal plan.
Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Science-Based Guide
The ketogenic diet shifts your body into fat-burning ketosis by cutting carbs to under 50 g daily. A science-based guide with food lists and a meal plan.
Low-FODMAP Diet Guide: Managing IBS Symptoms
The low-FODMAP diet, developed at Monash University, has the strongest evidence base of any IBS diet. This guide covers the three-phase protocol and food lists.
Gut Microbiome Diet: Foods That Improve Gut Health
Your gut microbiome shapes immunity, metabolism, and mental health. This science-based guide covers the research, key foods, and a 7-day meal plan.
Type 2 Diabetes Diet Plan: Blood Sugar Control Strategies
An evidence-based type 2 diabetes diet plan: which foods stabilise blood sugar, a 7-day meal plan, and ADA-backed strategies for lasting glucose control.
Anti-Aging Diet: Foods and Strategies for Longevity
What longevity science actually shows about diet — caloric restriction, Blue Zone eating patterns, fasting, and protein intake for a longer healthspan.
Cholesterol-Lowering Diet: Foods for Heart Health
A cholesterol-lowering diet grounded in AHA/ACC guidelines: the foods that raise and lower LDL, the Portfolio Diet, and practical heart-healthy swaps.
MIND Diet Guide: Brain Health and Alzheimer's Prevention
A research-backed guide to the MIND diet, the hybrid eating pattern designed to protect cognitive function and reduce Alzheimer's disease risk.
Carnivore Diet: Science, Benefits, and Risks Explained
A clinically rigorous look at the all-meat carnivore diet: the limited science, reported benefits, genuine risks, and what to know before trying it.
Intermittent Fasting for Women: How Hormones Change Rules
Most IF research is done on men. This evidence-based guide covers what the science shows for women — cycles, perimenopause and the safest protocols.
Weight Loss Plateau: The Science and How to Break Through
Nearly everyone hits a weight loss plateau. This guide explains why — adaptive thermogenesis, hormone shifts, reduced NEAT — and how to restart progress.
The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet: Protocol and Evidence
An elimination-and-reintroduction diet for autoimmune disease, with pilot studies linking it to reduced inflammation in Crohn's and Hashimoto's.
SIBO Diet: Nutritional Strategies for Bacterial Overgrowth
SIBO causes gas, bloating and altered bowel habits. Low-FODMAP and elemental diets are evidence-based adjuncts to antibiotics — here's how they work.
The Longevity Diet: What Blue Zone Centenarians Eat
What Blue Zone centenarians actually eat: plant-dominant, legume-rich, calorically moderate diets linked to longevity in Okinawa, Sardinia and beyond.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The Complete Guide to EPA, DHA, ALA — Sources, Benefits and How Much You Need
What EPA, DHA and ALA actually do for your heart and brain, which foods deliver them best, and how to decide whether you need a supplement.
Vitamin D: Deficiency Signs, Best Food Sources, Sun Exposure and Supplement Dosing
Why vitamin D deficiency is so common and underdiagnosed, which foods and sun habits actually help, and how to supplement safely and effectively.
Cholesterol and Diet: Foods That Lower LDL Naturally
What the evidence actually shows on lowering LDL through diet — from the Portfolio Diet to plant sterols — and what results look like in practice.
Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio: Why It Causes Inflammation
The modern diet delivers an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 15:1 or higher, far from the 4:1 our ancestors ate — a hidden driver of chronic inflammation.
Magnesium Deficiency: Why So Many Are Low, and Food Fixes
Magnesium powers over 300 enzymatic reactions, yet half of adults fall short of the recommended intake. Learn the signs, best food sources, and supplement tips.
Protein Quality: Complete vs Incomplete Proteins, DIAAS Score and What Actually Matters
Not all protein is equal. Learn what the DIAAS score measures, how animal and plant proteins compare for muscle building, and if protein combining matters.
Blood Sugar Management: Glycemic Index Explained
Glycemic index was once hailed as key to metabolic health. Learn what GI and GL measure, what research shows on blood sugar and heart risk, and how to apply it.
Anti-Inflammatory Meal Prep: A Week to Reduce Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is linked to major disease risk — this weekly meal prep system builds anti-inflammatory eating into your routine.
Mediterranean Diet and Brain Health: Dementia Prevention
Emerging research links the Mediterranean diet to lower dementia risk and slower cognitive decline — here's the science and a practical eating plan.
The Gut-Brain Axis: How Your Diet Directly Affects Your Mood, Anxiety and Mental Health
Your gut and brain talk constantly via the vagus nerve and microbiome. Learn the science of the gut-brain axis and which foods support mood and mental health.
Anti-Aging Foods: The Science Behind Polyphenols, Senescence and Eating for Longevity
Cellular senescence and oxidative stress drive biological ageing. Discover which foods have the strongest evidence for slowing ageing and boosting longevity.
Thyroid Health and Diet: Foods That Support or Harm It
Your thyroid depends on iodine and selenium to function. Learn which foods support it, which can suppress hormone production, and how to eat for thyroid health.
Perimenopause Nutrition: Eating to Manage Symptoms
Perimenopause brings hormonal shifts affecting metabolism, bone density, and sleep. These evidence-backed dietary strategies help manage the symptoms.
Women and Intermittent Fasting: Risks and Safer Protocols
Fasting research skews male, yet women often see different hormonal outcomes. Here's why female physiology responds differently, and how to adapt protocols.
Carnivore Diet: Science, Risks, and Who It Might Help
The carnivore diet eliminates plant foods, relying only on meat, organ meat, eggs, and fat. Here is an honest look at the real risks and possible benefits.
The Nordic Diet: Health Evidence, Core Foods, Comparison
The New Nordic Diet is built on rye, oily fish, foraged berries, and root vegetables — a growing evidence-based alternative to the Mediterranean diet.
The Science of Emulsification: Why Sauces Break
The surface chemistry behind mayonnaise, hollandaise and vinaigrette — how emulsifiers hold oil and water together, and how to rescue a broken sauce.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: EPA, DHA, ALA Sources and Dosage
EPA and DHA from fish work very differently from ALA in flaxseed. This guide covers anti-inflammatory mechanisms, fish oil rancidity, and evidence-based dosing.
The Gut Microbiome and Diet: What to Eat for Gut Health
Your gut microbiome shifts measurably within 24 hours of changing your diet. Specific foods increase Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus while others drive dysbiosis and metabolic disease. Here is what the science says about feeding your gut bacteria strategically.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet: Valter Longo's Science
The fasting mimicking diet cuts calories to 34–54% of normal for five days, triggering autophagy and lower IGF-1. Here's what Longo's trials actually show.
Plant-Based Iron: How to Maximize Absorption
Non-haem iron from plants absorbs far less efficiently than meat iron — but vitamin C, phytate reduction, and smart timing can dramatically close that gap.
Ultra-Processed Foods and Health: NOVA System Explained
NOVA classifies foods by processing, not nutrients — and Group 4 ultra-processed foods link consistently to obesity, heart disease, and higher mortality risk.
Extended Fasting 24-72 Hours: Phases, Autophagy, Risks
Fasting past 24 hours pushes your body into deep ketosis and autophagy — but also real risk territory. Here's what happens hour by hour, and the electrolyte and refeeding rules that keep it safe.
PCOS Diet and Insulin Resistance: What to Eat
PCOS is driven largely by insulin resistance. Learn which foods lower androgens and insulin, what inositol dosing works, and how to build a PCOS-friendly plate.
Bone Health for Women: Calcium, Vitamin D and Exercise
Peak bone mass is set by age 30, then it's about maintenance. Learn how calcium, vitamin D, K2, and impact exercise protect bone density for life.
Meal Timing and Circadian Rhythm: Why When You Eat Matters
The same calories eaten at different times produce different metabolic outcomes. Learn how circadian rhythm governs insulin, digestion, and fat storage.
The Best Intermittent Fasting App for 2026: A Complete Guide to Tracking Your Fast (Featuring FastFit)
Why tracking your fast actually matters, what to look for in a fasting app, and a full walkthrough of FastFit — a free intermittent fasting tracker for iOS and Android — plus how to pair it with a web-based fasting timer.
PCOS Meal Plan: A Complete 7-Day Guide
A day-by-day PCOS meal plan built around low-glycemic, insulin-friendly meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for every day of the week, with the science behind why it works.
Coconut Oil vs Olive Oil: Nutrition and Cooking Differences
One is mostly saturated fat, the other mostly monounsaturated — coconut oil and olive oil differ sharply in fat composition, smoke point, and what the cardiovascular evidence actually says.
How to Use an AI Nutritionist to Hit Your Protein Target
Most people miss their protein target by mid-afternoon and never catch up. Here is how to use an AI assistant to find the gap early and close it with food you already have.
AI Nutritionist vs Registered Dietitian: What Each Is Actually For
One is free, instant and good at routine questions. The other is qualified, accountable and necessary for anything clinical. A straight comparison of where each belongs.
The SIBO Diet: Foods to Heal Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
SIBO breath tests come back positive in roughly half of people diagnosed with IBS — yet most 'SIBO diet' articles online just recycle a generic low-FODMAP list. Here's what the actual trial data supports, where it falls short, and how to eat through treatment without wrecking your gut further.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis Diet: Evidence-Based Nutrition for Autoimmune Thyroid
Hashimoto's affects an estimated 5% of the US population, yet most 'thyroid diet' advice online overpromises what food can do. Here's what randomized trials on selenium, gluten, iodine and vitamin D actually show — and where the evidence runs out.
The Elimination Diet: How to Identify Food Sensitivities Systematically
Up to 20% of people believe they have a food intolerance, but blood 'food sensitivity' panels are not validated diagnostic tools. Here is the actual clinical protocol — elimination, blinded reintroduction, and symptom tracking — that identifies real triggers instead of guessing.
Crohn's Disease Diet: Managing Flares Through Nutrition
Diet does not cause or cure Crohn's disease, but what you eat during a flare versus remission changes dramatically — and getting that distinction wrong is the most common mistake patients make. Here is what the actual clinical trials on exclusive enteral nutrition, the Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet, and low-residue eating show, and how to apply them safely.
The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) Diet: Science and Practical Guide
The only completed AIP trial ran in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's patients — 73% reached clinical remission in 11 weeks. Here's what the actual research shows, where it stops, and how to run the elimination-and-reintroduction protocol without guessing.
What to Eat on GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound): A Nutrition Guide
GLP-1 medications can cut lean muscle mass loss to nearly a quarter of total weight lost in clinical trials — but only if eating is managed deliberately. Here is the food-first playbook: protein targets, micronutrient gaps, and what actually helps with nausea and constipation.
The Noom Diet: How It Works, What It Costs, and What the Evidence Shows
Noom isn't a diet in the traditional sense — it's a psychology-based coaching app that color-codes foods instead of banning them. Here's what the peer-reviewed research (including Noom's own company-funded trials) actually shows about whether it works, what it really costs, and who it fits.
The Gout Diet: A Low-Purine Eating Guide to Prevent Flares
Gout now affects roughly 9.2 million U.S. adults, and diet alone can lower uric acid by only 1-2 mg/dL — far less than medication. Here's exactly which foods matter, which don't, and how to build a realistic low-purine plate.
The Pescatarian Diet: A Complete Guide to Eating Fish, Not Meat
Pescatarians cut out beef, pork, and poultry but keep fish and seafood — and the largest cohort studies now show that specific choice, not just 'eating less meat,' is linked to measurably lower heart disease and cancer risk. Here's what the evidence actually shows, how to choose fish without a mercury problem, and a full week of eating.
Signs of Dehydration: What to Look For Before You Feel Thirsty
Thirst is a late signal. Here are the earlier indicators — urine colour, energy dips, headaches, concentration — plus the urine chart, the groups most at risk, and when mild dehydration becomes a medical problem.
Intermittent Fasting: The Complete Science-Backed Guide (16:8, 5:2, OMAD)
Everything you need to know about intermittent fasting — the science, the protocols, the benefits and how to start safely. Written by a PhD nutritional scientist.
Anti-Inflammatory Foods: The Science-Based Guide to Reducing Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegeneration. A nutritional scientist explains exactly which foods reduce inflammation — and which ones drive it.
Macronutrients Explained: Carbs, Proteins and Fats — What You Actually Need
Every diet debate ultimately comes down to macronutrients. A PhD nutritionist explains what carbs, proteins and fats actually do, how much you need, and why macronutrient ratios matter less than food quality.
Your Gut Microbiome: How to Feed It Right and Transform Your Health
The gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive system — influences immunity, mental health, weight and metabolic health. This science-backed guide explains what the microbiome does and exactly which foods support it.
Intermittent Fasting for Women: What's Different and What the Research Shows
Intermittent fasting doesn't work the same for women as it does for men — hormonal timing changes the rules. A PhD nutritional scientist breaks down what actually matters for menstrual cycle and reproductive health.
What Breaks a Fast? Coffee, Supplements, Cream and the Truth About 35+ Common Foods
Does black coffee break a fast? What about a dash of cream? Apple cider vinegar? Supplements? This guide cuts through the confusion with the science of what actually matters during a fasting window.
The Gut-Brain Connection: How Your Diet Directly Affects Your Mental Health
Emerging science reveals that what you eat profoundly influences mood, anxiety and cognitive function via the gut-brain axis. Here's what the research says and what to eat for a healthier mind.
Sugar: The Complete Guide to Types, Effects and Reducing Your Intake
From glucose to fructose, natural to added — the science of sugar is more nuanced than headlines suggest. Learn how different sugars affect your body and evidence-based strategies to reduce intake without misery.
Extended Fasting (24–72 Hours): A Medical Guide to Water Fasting
Prolonged water fasting has powerful potential benefits — and real risks. A research-based guide to 24-hour, 48-hour and 72-hour fasts: who should try it, how to do it safely, and what to expect.
Iron for Vegans and Vegetarians: Absorption, Best Sources and Meeting Your Needs
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional concerns for plant-based eaters — but it's avoidable with the right knowledge. A comprehensive, science-based guide to non-haem iron absorption and optimisation.
Dietary Fibre: The Most Underrated Nutrient and How to Get More of It
Only 9% of adults in the UK and US meet recommended fibre intakes — despite fibre being among the most evidence-backed nutrients for longevity, gut health, heart disease and metabolic health. A complete, practical guide.
Seasonal Eating: Why Eating with the Seasons Is Better for You and the Planet
Seasonal produce is more nutritious, better-tasting and more sustainable than out-of-season alternatives. A practical guide to eating seasonally — what to eat, when, and why it matters.
Zinc: The Overlooked Mineral Essential for Immunity, Skin and Hormones
Zinc is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body — yet it's rarely discussed in mainstream nutrition. A science-based guide to zinc's functions, deficiency signs, best food sources and supplementation.
Sugar vs Sweeteners: The Complete Science-Backed Guide
Are artificial sweeteners safe? Do they help with weight loss? Is honey healthier than sugar? We cut through the myths with the latest nutritional research.