The 10 most popular newsletter articles of 2023

As it’s approaching Christmas and the end of 2023 is nigh, it’s time to wrap up the year with a little retrospection. In case you missed them the first time around, or fancy a re-read, here are the 10 most popular Viva! Health newsletter articles of 2023:

10. Sweetcorn

Who’d have thought that sweetcorn would have hit such a sweet spot with newsletter readers? In July, sweetcorn was added to Viva! Health’s extensive A-Z of Foods and a lot of people were keen to discover the nutritional benefits of these little golden kernels. If you’re unsure of the difference between sweetcorn and maize, or want to know if sweetcorn is as sugary as the name suggests, head on over to its dedicated page here.

9. 10 facts about palm oil you need to know

Palm oil is always a controversial subject – should it be considered suitable for vegans or not? Is it a healthier alternative to animal-based products or should it be avoided? This blog lays it all out in the open so next time you read palm oil in the ingredients list, you’ll know whether to add it to your shopping basket or place it back on the shelf. Get the facts here.

8. I reversed arthritis with a vegan diet

Vegan Runner, Kate Dunbar, tells her amazing story of overcoming arthritis with a plant-based diet and thriving as a runner. Kate is a patient advocate for Plant-Based Health Professionals UK and an ambassador for Running on Plants. Kate’s incredible story was written up in the peer-reviewed medical journal The American Journal of Medicine. Read her inspiring story here.

7. How to deal with kind people with cruel habits

Once you’d learnt the sad story of how meat, dairy, fish and eggs get onto your plate, you probably had a simple belief – if other people also knew, they would go vegan too. Because once you know, you can’t continue to live in blissful ignorance. Right?

Sadly, it seems most people are actually quite happy to ignore the uncomfortable truth and carry on as usual. It’s disappointing but it can be outright heartbreaking if they’re your close friends and family and just don’t seem to care. This article from October discusses how you can deal with this while still keeping your sanity,

6. 10 sources of iron for vegans

Some people might be put off going vegan because they think that, without red meat, they won’t get enough iron. However, a well-planned vegan diet can, indeed, give you all the iron you need. What’s more, by obtaining our iron from plant sources, we could actually be reducing our risk of certain diseases. Let this blog allay your fears and show you that iron is abundant in a healthy plant-based diet.

5. 10 healthy habits to try in 2023

This is a great blog to feature in this list as we head into 2024 and think about our next New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you tried one or more of the suggestions on this list and are ready to stack a couple more healthy habits on top of your established ones. Maybe 2023 saw you dial in your sleep hygiene and now you’re ready to reach for the weights. Or, you’ve experimented with spices and want to move on to fermented foods. Whatever great things you achieved in 2023, we’re sure this blog will give you something to think about for 2024 too!

4. 12 things you need to know about beans

The British love their beans and the popularity of this article indicates that the Viva! Health newsletter readers love blogs about beans too! If you’re looking for a true ‘superfood’, look no further than the humble bean. They’re great for our body, great for our wallet and great for the planet too. Find out about all the superpowers of beans here.

3. 5 myths about rapeseed oil debunked

Everyone loves a good debunking and this blog about rapeseed oil was no exception. Vegetable oil – and in particular rapeseed, or canola oil in the US – gets a really bad rap but is its poor reputation justified? Does it really cause inflammation and oxidative stress? Or, like olive oil, can it be a healthy addition to your diet? Here we address five of the biggest myths about the edible oil so you’ll be fully informed and won’t fall foul to the anti-seed oil rhetoric.

2. 8 great sources of calcium for vegans

It’s great to know that Viva! Health readers are taking their bone health seriously! Having strong bones positively affects our longevity, so it’s important to know where we can obtain our calcium. If you’re still unsure, make sure you give this blog a read and add some of the items to your shopping list so they’re always at hand.

1. 7 foods people think are healthy but are not

The seven foods on this list might not have come as much of a surprise to longtime Viva! Health followers, but nonetheless, this blog racked up the most reads of the year. Health myths abound in the food aisles of our supermarkets and health food shops not to mention in the sensational daily headlines too. This blog unpicks the misinformation, so we can be clear on what is mere marketing and what is actual science.

Finally, thank you for subscribing to the Viva! Health newsletter and for reading and sharing our blogs. Please tell your colleagues, friends and family about us and invite them to subscribe using this link viva.org.uk/sign-up-to-vivas-emails/

Here’s to a healthy, plant-based 2024, packed full of the breaking science, myth-busting and more nutrition facts than you can shake a carrot at!