ZOE Science & Nutrition

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.