This blog is based on the Zoe Science & Nutrition Podcast with Professor Tim Spector and Professor Sarah Berry. All the facts presented here are supported by research – some based on huge numbers and some smaller – but all significant.
As many of you know, I have been working with a wonderful Nutritionist called Cheryl Russ in Woodborough since April last year and I have learnt so much about the gut and how it impacts everything in the body. So I found this really interesting. If anyone wants an introduction to Cheryl – please let me know.
If you would like to listen to the whole podcast, it is available on your podcast provider, just search for Zoe and check out the 1st January 2025 episode. It is about 75 minutes long.
Introduction
All of us have a real opportunity to increase our healthy years, not just our life span. From the research provided, it indicates that aged 40, if you move your diet from a typical unhealthy diet to a healthy one, you can add 10 years of healthy life span - even at the age of 70 you can add 5 or more years. Amazing!
So these 7 tips (if followed) will help you become the healthiest version of you this year.
Currently in the UK and the US around 60% of all food that adults eat is ultra processed food, which is designed to trick our brains into eating it. For children, it is closer to 70%. These foods are slowly killing the human race. We are now overwhelmed with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancers and heart disease – all of which have proliferated over the last 40 years. So what has gone wrong and what can we all do about it?
By following the tips (obviously it depends on your baseline fitness, current diet etc.) you'll start to feel better very quickly within a week or two in terms of your mood and your energy, but your long-term health will also be improving and the risk of many chronic diseases will reduce.
The 7 Tips
1. Reduce the amount of ultra processed food (UPF)
UPF is any food that you buy which includes ingredients that you wouldn’t have in your kitchen, for example emulsifiers, ‘E’ numbers, etc. Also you generally find it difficult to identify the ingredients from the finished product. And it’s often softer, requiring less chewing which is an important part of the digestive process which is then bypassed.
Think easy meals, frozen pizzas, crisps, cola / fizzy drinks, most take aways, fast foods.
2. Give yourself an eating window
An eating window is the time from when you have your first meal of the day until your last for the day. It should ideally be 10 hours long (for example 7am to 5pm) but up to 12 hours is ok. Try to keep to the window on a regular basis but realistically, there will always be exceptions for social events or a trip to the pub.
3. Calorie counting is dead
Research has shown that calorie counting just doesn’t provide the right results in the long term – so don’t worry about it.
4. Mindful drinking
This isn’t just about drinking alcohol, but the need to look at the sugars being consumed in our drinks. Research has shown that in the US (and it is similar here in the UK) 54% of sugar people consume is contained in drinks. Not just alcohol, but also bought in coffees, fizzy drinks, etc. Tea and coffee are both good for us, but better when made at home as you can control what goes in. Artificial sweeteners are not good at all.
5. Eat more plant-based food!
This doesn’t mean not eating meat, but rather try to eat at least 30 different plant-based products a week. As well as cooked and fresh vegetables and fruit, it also includes nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and dried fruit.
6. Stop worrying about not eating enough protein
Most people do not need protein supplements if they have a balanced diet.
7. Snack smarter
I love this one! We are all quite used to having snacks between meals. What they suggest is to move to healthier snacks. Often people eat healthily for their main meals, but then let themselves down by eating ultra processed foods as snacks. So rather than snacking on an energy bar, try nuts or carrots instead. I make my own biscuits.
So that is the bones of the podcast. In full, it is just over an hour long and is full of interesting facts and lots of research-based numbers if that is your thing. At the end of the podcast, they choose 7 foods which they suggest we should all eat more of:
1. Mushrooms
2. Kimchi
3. Rye bread (my favourite!)
4. Nuts
5. Extra virgin olive oil
6. A little bit of what you enjoy!
7. Daily 30 – which is Zoe’s plant based supplement
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