Most replayed moment: Three Foods to Fight Inflammation | Dr Federica Amati & Prof Tim Spector

Today we’re talking about some foods that can change your life. Fatigue, disease, gut problems and weight gain. Many of the issues we discuss on this podcast can be linked back to one thing: chronic inflammation.  However, you don’t need drugs or detoxes to quell this fire. One of the most powerful tools we have to control inflammation is right in front of us: food. I’m joined by Dr. Federica Amati and Professor Tim Spector to spotlight three inflammation-fighting foods - and explain why these small changes to your plate can make a big difference to your body. 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+ Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide

Watch “The Gut Health Challenge” on YouTube | LINK Can you boost energy, improve focus and lift your mood in just a few days, just by changing what you eat?  In this episode, Professor Tim Spector and ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Dr Federica Amati, break down the simple nutrition changes that help beat fatigue and shift how you feel.  They speak to Lucy and Sarah, who put ZOE to the test and changed only their nutrition for six weeks. At the start, they were held back by brain fog, poor sleep, and constant tiredness. Could a six-week nutritional reset really move the needle?  This episode shows what happened in real life as they explore why many people feel tired or flat, even when tests look “normal”. The episode explains why your gut microbiome matters, how you can feel better within days, and why consistency beats perfection. You will also hear the simple changes they made. Bigger breakfasts. More plant diversity. Easy food swaps. Small habits that fit into real life. If you feel tired but your tests say you’re “fine”, what would you change first? And if you felt better in days, would you keep going for six weeks? Join Prof Tim Spector behind the scenes, just search “ZOE Gut Health Challenge” on YouTube | LINK Timecodes 00:00 Intro 04:44 Why you can feel exhausted despite doing everything right 09:59 The test results that didn’t match how you feel 12:36 Why your symptoms may show before your blood tests 15:43 ‘Normal’ results… but still feeling terrible 17:31 The hidden gut problem behind low energy 19:43 Why this experiment wasn’t supposed to work this fast 21:54 Why your cravings may not be under your control 23:46 The first sign your body is changing (in days) 24:09 Feel happier in just 3 days? 24:59 The simple breakfast shift that changes everything 25:57 Why most people miss this one thing in their diet 27:38 The tool that makes healthy eating easier 29:14 How to improve your family’s diet without forcing it 31:06 The meal that proves healthy food can fill you up 32:25 The small food swaps that make the biggest difference 34:31 The eating habit most people overlook 35:57 Why 30 plants a week sounds impossible (but isn’t) 38:22 Why this doesn’t feel like a diet 40:39 What to do when you fall off track 42:22 The 80% rule that makes this sustainable 44:25 Why this finally feels easy to stick to 47:10 The one thing to change first 47:52 Did it work after just 6 weeks? 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode The Gut Health Challenge   Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here. The ZOE app and Gut Health test are for general health and wellness purposes only. They are not intended to prevent, diagnose or treat any medical condition. Sarah and Lucy received free access to the ZOE app and testing and Daily30 for their participation in the documentary.

Today, we’re diving into some popular drinks. Coffee has long been the undisputed champion of hot beverages. Its bitter taste is an essential part of most people's morning. However, there’s a new kid on the block. You might have seen its distinctive green hue cropping up in cafés, supermarkets or even TikTok. I am of course talking about matcha. So how do coffee and matcha compare? Do they work differently in the body? And is one better for your long-term health? I’m joined by matcha expert Andrew Kojima and Professor Tim Spector to explore the science behind our daily pick-me-ups - and discover whether we should be switching sides. 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+ Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide

Intermittent fasting may help with blood sugar, appetite, fat loss, and energy. But many people do it wrong.  In this episode, Professor James Betts, one of the world’s leading experts on meal timing and its metabolic effects, explains what fasting actually is, how long you need to fast to see changes, and the key mistakes that can stop the benefits. Today, we break down what happens in your body when you stop eating and explain why it may support weight loss and blood sugar control, but also why fasting doesn’t work for everyone. You will learn why breakfast may not matter, why the 5:2 diet often fails, and why eating even small amounts can stop a true fast. By the end of this episode, you will understand what counts as a real fast, how long your eating window may need to be, why longer is not always better if you cannot stick to it, and why planning your first meal matters, because hunger can drive poor choices. If fasting can work, but is not magic, what actually makes the difference: the timing, the consistency, or simply eating less? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30 Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 02:30 The answers that completely contradict fasting advice 09:10 What fasting really means (it’s not what you think) 12:10 Why most people never actually fast 14:25 Why “eat to fuel your day” may be wrong 16:00 The 3 types of fasting people confuse 17:30 Why 5:2 might not work the way you think 18:15 The tiny mistake that ruins a fast 19:45 Why stricter fasting can feel easier 20:20 Why hunger disappears after a few days 21:20 What happened when he fasted for 5 days 22:35 What you can actually have during a fast 24:25 Do coffee and tea break your fast? 26:20 The truth about breakfast (finally tested) 28:15 The breakfast result no one expected 29:15 The hidden downside of fasting 32:20 What your body switches to when you stop eating 34:25 What really happens on day two of fasting 35:30 Why fasting might improve your health 37:05 Does fasting reduce inflammation? 38:25 What fasting actually helps with 39:20 How much weight people really lose 40:00 The most effective way to fast 41:00 The minimum fasting window that works 42:30 Who benefits most from fasting 44:30 Should you exercise before eating? 47:20 Do your eating times need to be consistent? 50:25 Does olive oil secretly break a fast? 51:45 The one rule for breaking a fast 53:40 The biggest takeaway about fasting 58:15 Should you actually try fasting? 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Effect of the 5:2 Diet on Weight Loss and Cardiovascular Disease Risk, The International Journal of Endocrinology (2025) Intermittent fasting ‘no magic bullet for weight loss’, Science Translational Medicine (2021) Bath Breakfast Project, Springer (2011) The role of intermittent fasting and meal timing in weight management and metabolic health. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, (2020) The causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in lean adults. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (2014) Nutrient timing and metabolic regulation. The Journal of Physiology, (2022) Calorie counting vs. minute counting; does nutrient timing matter for weight-loss? Current Opinion on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, (2025) Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re talking about mobility well as you age. As we get older, staying mobile becomes even more important. But often, it also becomes more difficult too.  So today, we’re going to break down some barriers, take the slog out of staying active, and make movement fun. I’m joined by Gabby Reece and Dr Federica Amati to explore simple ways to stay agile as we age. From the surprising benefits of walking backwards, jumping in a swimming pool, and not wearing shoes. 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know hereListen to the full episode here

Most people think you need to poo every day to be healthy. You don’t. In this episode, we explain how to tell if your poo is normal, the warning signs you shouldn’t ignore, and the gut mistake you may be making on the toilet every day.  Dr Trisha Pasricha, a leading Harvard gastroenterologist, a columnist for the Washington Post and author of the book You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong, explains how your poo, gut health, and disease risk are linked, and when you should see a doctor. Dr Pasricha guides us through why frequency, colour, and consistency all matter, and why there is no single “normal.” You’ll learn how to spot changes that could signal disease, including early warning signs linked to cancer and long-term brain health. You’ll hear simple advice you can use straight away. This includes how to recognise your normal pattern, what changes to look out for, and how to avoid the common toilet habit that may affect your gut. Are you looking at your poo every day? And, if not, what might you notice if you did? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30 Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 03:11 Your phone on the toilet: hidden risk? 07:26 Your colon runs on a clock 10:40 The illness that changed his gut for years 13:05 Why you should look before you flush 15:25 The poo colours you should never ignore 16:25 Why this sign is rising in younger adults 18:15 The stool colour doctors treat as urgent 19:27 What “perfect” poo actually looks like 21:05 What holding it in really does 23:05 The 3 things that control your bowel movements 25:35 Why gut problems are getting worse 26:43 The posture fix most people miss 27:35 The phone habit linked to 46% higher risk 29:47 Why your phone keeps you stuck there 32:35 The hidden gut–brain connection 34:50 What stress really does to your gut 36:50 Your gut may be controlling more than you think 38:50 Is IBS really misunderstood? 41:05 The theory that changes how we see Parkinson’s 44:15 The gut damage linked to future brain disease 47:45 The simple rule for better bowel movements 49:00 The foods that changed gut health in weeks 50:22 The surprising fix for constipation 52:05 The 2 habits most people ignore 54:31 A 60-second trick to calm your gut 55:30 If you change one thing, make it this 56:10 What matters most 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong by Dr Trisha Pasricha Gastrointestinal Symptoms in the United States, The American Journal of Gastroenterology (2018) Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids, PLOS One (2025) Impacts of Gut Bacteria on Human Health and Diseases, International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2015) Association between Early Adverse Life Events and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, CGH (2011) Management of Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease: A Comprehensive, National Library of Medicine (2024) Constipation and risk of dementia in adults, Frontiers (2025) Gastrointestinal issues and Autism Spectrum Disorder, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America (2020) Stanford fermented foods study Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Nutrients (2025) Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re going prehistoric. We have to stay sharp at ZOE. Nutritional science moves fast, so it’s important for us to stay up to date with new discoveries and the latest advice.  However, every now and then, it helps to look back - way back. In this recap, we’re turning to a rather unusual teacher: a 5,000-year-old Iceman, preserved in ice and carrying clues about the diet of our ancient ancestors. I’m joined by Frank Maixner and Professor Tim Spector to uncover what this prehistoric man ate and what those findings can teach us about our diet today. 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+ *Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here Listen to the full episode here

The blueprint for your life starts much earlier than you realise - long before you took your first breath, before your heart beat its first beat, before your mum and dad even met.  This is the story of the first 1,000 days of life. From conception to age 2, a window so powerful that scientists now believe it influences our future risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and even how our immune system reacts to the world. In this episode, the world’s leading expert on how childhood nutrition and metabolism shape our long-term health, Professor Lucilla Poston, explains how early nutrition may influence appetite, metabolism, and future disease risk.  Lucilla and ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Dr Federica Amati, break down what science says about pregnancy, early feeding and the food children eat, and questions how lifelong health is shaped before a child even chooses their first meal. Lucilla offers practical guidance on what matters most and explains key nutrients to consider. They discuss why regular movement may help support healthy blood sugar levels. They also explain what a balanced diet can look like for parents and young children, why babies should try a wide range of whole foods, and why many packaged baby foods may contain far more sugar than parents expect. What small choices can you make today to help shape a healthier future for you, your children, and your children’s children? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30 Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 03:47 Why the first 1,000 days can shape your entire life 08:12 What happens in the womb doesn’t stay in the womb 11:16 The tiny window where everything can go wrong 13:35 Why obesity in pregnancy is now a silent epidemic 15:17 Can a father’s health affect a baby before it even exists? 17:50 The missing nutrient most women don’t realise they need 20:35 The simplest way to improve your chances of conceiving 22:31 Should pregnant women worry about getting it wrong? 24:25 The biggest lies about pregnancy you’ve probably heard 26:47 Why pregnancy nutrition isn’t about being perfect 28:13 Why some children are at higher risk before they’re born 30:05 Can a mother’s diet rewire a baby’s brain for life? 31:47 The hormone that could make you crave junk food forever 35:11 When a normal pregnancy change becomes dangerous 39:04 Why pregnancy diabetes doesn’t end after birth 40:07 The one habit that lowers blood sugar during pregnancy 42:11 What pregnant women should actually be eating 45:37 The truth about ‘6 eggs a day’ and other diet myths 47:11 Why breast milk is more powerful than we ever realised 50:14 What babies should eat (and what to avoid) 52:13 The truth about baby food pouches parents aren’t told 55:20 The shocking reality of childhood obesity today 60:19 Is it too late to undo what happened before birth? 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Paternal body mass index and offspring obesity, Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (2023) Lifestyle intervention in obese pregnancy, Nature (2022) Exercise during pregnancy, BMJ (2026) The long-term impact of obesity in pregnancy on offspring hypothalamic feeding pathways, Royal Society Open Science (2025) Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.

Today we’re looking at a novel way to improve our mental health. If I’ve learnt anything from hosting this podcast, it’s just how interconnected all the systems in our body are. Nothing works in isolation, which means we often have to step back and look at the bigger picture if we want to improve a particular aspect of our health. With this in mind, let’s shift our focus on mental health. Can we approach it from a different angle? Harvard nutritional psychiatrist Dr. Uma Naidoo is here to explain the science behind the gut-brain axis, and how you can help one to help the other. 🌱 Try our new plant based wholefood supplement - Daily30+ *Naturally high in copper which contributes to normal energy yielding metabolism and the normal function of the immune system 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know hereListen to the full episode here

Is gut health just about taking a probiotic? Or could the bacteria in your gut be shaping your body fat, inflammation and cholesterol? In this episode, Professor Nicola Segata, a pioneer of new gut technology, and ZOE’s Chief Scientist Professor Sarah Berry, explain a major breakthrough in gut science. After analysing more than 34,000 microbiomes, the team identified 50 gut bacteria strongly linked to better health. Even more striking, many of them were previously unknown to science. Nicola explains how his team ranked hundreds of gut bacteria to define the “top 50” linked to better health, and explore how these bacteria group into patterns connected to inflammation, blood sugar, heart health and body fat. We uncover how you can improve your overall health in weeks by optimising your microbiome, ask whether probiotics do what we think they do, and examine why plant diversity may matter more than any single supplement. This episode also reveals what happened when these findings were tested in trials, and why the results surprised even the scientists. Are you feeding the right gut bacteria? And, if not, what will happen to your health if you start today? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30+ Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 03:00 The biggest microbiome breakthrough in a decade 08:20 The problem with most gut research 10:25 Scientists identified the top 50 gut bacteria 11:05 The first real way to measure gut health 13:45 The “dark matter” scientists found in our guts 15:50 Why bad gut bacteria love sugar 16:30 The red meat chemical your microbes can create 18:30 The microbiome score out of 1,000 21:10 Why your microbiome is easier to change than your body 23:15 Old microbiome tests can reveal new discoveries 25:30 The 4 microbiome clusters linked to health 26:40 The gut clusters linked to inflammation, cholesterol and body fat 28:05 Why one “good bug” isn’t enough 31:25 Can diet really change your microbiome in weeks? 32:25 What happened when people changed their diet 35:10 The gold-standard trials behind this research 36:10 Why you can’t just take good bacteria in a pill 40:35 Probiotics vs prebiotics: the surprising result 41:50 The 30-plant result that shocked scientists 44:05 Why modern diets may starve our microbiome 46:10 You can pick up gut microbes from other people 47:45 Why one fibre supplement won’t fix your gut 50:35 The menopause example that shows gut bugs matter 54:30 What happens to your microbiome after antibiotics 58:35 The simple resistant starch gut health hack 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks  Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Huge microbiome breakthrough from ZOE, thanks to community science Does ZOE work? The evidence Introducing gut bug clusters Sending babies to nursery completely reshapes their microbiomes, Nature (2026) The foods you must avoid to live longer | Dan Buettner Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.