What Does Professor Tim Spector Eat in a Day?

I'm in my mid-30's, morbidly obese and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in February last year. Two weeks ago I was referred to a "dietician and wellness coach" who educated me about how pervasive UPF is, and the importance of a "real food" diet. For the purposes of blood sugar control, he advocated for a very low carb, high fat diet - essentially keto (but he was careful to refer to it only as a "real food diet"). Two weeks in and I have more energy, better concentration at work, I'm no longer constantly tired, and my mental state is greatly improved. I now have the energy and motivation to take my dog out for 2-4 mile brisk walks daily and go swimming at least twice a week in the evening. My blood sugar levels are now spot on at 5-6 mmol/l - the meds I was prescribed only ever "managed" it at around 8-13 (high but not dangerously so). So far I'm 5kg down in two weeks, another 55 to go... Long road ahead but this approach clearly works. Hope I'm able to turn it around in time to keep myself out of an early grave.🤞

This is the diet I have, more or less, followed for the last four decades. I trained as an osteopath in the UK in the early-mid 1970s, but my great love - personally & professionally - was always nutrition. After reading Yudkin's book, "Pure White and Deadly," in my early clinical days, I was drawn away from the Ansel Keys theory relating to the evils of saturated fat, towards a low (or non) refined carb., whole food diet. As an osteopath I was also aware of the importance of gut health, and how life choices profoundly impact it. I'm now a 70 y o, have a BMI under 25, near perfect health, take no medication, walk kilometers every day and workout with resistance training 2 - 3 times a week. The tragedy is I live in a retirement complex surrounded by folk of a similar age, the great majority of whom are over weight, over medicated, overfed (in terms of carbs & empty calories), underfed (in terms of sound nutrition), underactive and in poor overall health. People ask me what my secret is. I tell them, but few listen! I heartily commend your recommendations, Tim. It is deeply gratifying to see more and more top health professionals embracing these things! Thank you. David (NZ).

Key takeaways to improve your gut miscrobiome - 1. Eat 30 plants a week, including the herbs and spices 2. Have some fermented food everyday eg. Yogurt, Kefir, Kombucha, sauerkraut, Kimchi 3. Pick your plants that are high in color and have some bitterness (high in polyphenols, good for gut microbiome) 4. Cut out ultra processed foods Thank you for sharing this 🙏

After finding out I had high blood pressure and watching Tim get interviewed on Diary of a CEO i decided to cut out all the processed foods and lower my carb intake After 7 days my blood pressure readings have fell into the normal range. ive lost 9lbs but most importantly Ive had a bad hip and have walked with a limp for about a year now and it has disappeared I cant believe it to live without pain is a blessing I've never felt hungry at any point.

I am a state registered dietitian and with your influence, I changed radically the advice I now give to my patients and the way I eat my self. All these processed snacks we felt we had to eat every couple of hours!!! I now returned to the Mediterranean diet I was brought up and changed following my university degree! Lots of beans, yoghurt, fruit, vegetables, coffee and olive oil as well ad no snacks in-between meals. Feels great! Thank you for being so inspiring and not a typical stuffy professor 😉

Thank you so much! I only just heard you on an interview the other day....and a few things you said have changed my life already. i'm a non fat, diet food products eater and yet i'm the heaviest i've ever been at this present time. Went to the store...bought all diff vegetables AND.....FULL FAT yogurt and cottage cheese! I'm already proud of me....and i'm so thankful for finding you! I"ve had a brain injury for five and a half years and before that horrific troubles with my stomach that noone seemed to be able to figure out.....i've learned of the important communication between the gut and the brain since being injured and i am determined to get my gut healthy to help my brain in it's very slow healing process. So....sorry i'm long winded.....but THANK YOU!!!!

OMG! As teacher, I ate almost this identical lunch for over 30 years! And, added a Mars bar, with a cup of coffee. Because of ZOE and Dr Chris van Tulleken, I'm now eating like Professor Tim today! My blood sugars are balancing, I've lost some weight and I make my own kefir and sauerkraut ...🤣

Thanks so much! As a parent, we can set a good example and habit for our children so that they can maintain the healthy gut much more earlier❤❤

Thank you Tim! Helpful video, would love to see more of these. ZOE is helping me feel great and lose weight without dieting! It is also helping to control Lupus symptoms and sleep better. So grateful for the science your company has brought forth!

Thank you Tim, I think your diet is excellent!! Mine is similar, I never eat between meals & like you more often than not do not need breakfast!! I love salads, which I mostly eat at lunch time with some protein, then plain yogurt & fruit & nuts. Evening meal is protein & vegetables, sweet potatoe then fruit & yougurt again. Just love every sort of berry’s !! I am 83 & still enjoying my life & my joy of people & walking!!

Excellent video. Very informative as it gave me lots of tips on healthy eating. Thank you Professor.

I have been following ~Zoe since covid had a bad effect on me. I find the adjustments since using the blood monitor and all the advise since has left me feeling less hungry and more comfortable with more energy and zest for life - great work all at Zoe - l love what you are doing,. keep it up..

Well done Tim, probably owing to you being in the relaxed atmosphere of your kitchen, your delivery was much improved both in fluency and clarity. Of course you weren’t having to concentrate on the details of complex charts. You seemed much happier and positive than of late.

Thanks for the inspiration Tim, I’m very busy so I love how you’re meals are simple as I just don’t have the time or patience to follow long complicated recipes, and I have pretty much all those items in the fridge, great video 👍

With the myriad of food/health channels and podcasts out there providing conflicting info on literally every nutrition related matter, I really love Zoe's simple, realistic, down-to-earth, fact-based approach. I hate stressing over food but I find all the tips I hear on Zoe easy to understand and follow. Eat local, eat seasonal, avoid processed food, have variety, etc. - doesn't require exotic ingredients or obsessive calorie counting or anything. Doable, reasonable. I follow the podcasts and have learned a lot from them. Many thanks to Prof. Spector for the science and Jonathan for the practical, insightful, important questions and clear summaries. Great team, great work.

I’ll never forget a James Bond Film with Sean Connery ( From Russia with Love ) His Second Film, Bond orders Room Service Breakfast, ordering Black Coffee, Figs and Plain Greek Yogurt. I’ve had that breakfast many times since, using berries instead of figs, I felt great and it was delicious 😎👍

Since becoming aware of your work, I've adopted a daily kefir habit and have started making my own kimchi. I've also been adding lots of colourful veg into my diet - if it's purple, I'll buy it. I call it "spectral" food.

Love the visual and practical examples Tim - thanks so much. Any chance of more - I prefer video’s to recipe books - aids my learning.

Very useful and clear demonstration. Thank you doctor!

i love the simplicity, these meals are easy to put together.