What happens when you start eating healthy?
ZOE Science & Nutrition
Why focusing on calories is flawed
Tim and Sarah explain historical calorie advice and why food quality and metabolism matter.
What really happens when you stop dieting and start eating healthy? In this episode, we hear from two real people who spent years trying to “do the right thing” with food and still felt stuck.
Today, we’re joined by Becky and Mark, two ZOE members sharing their personal journeys. Each of them has spent the past two years consistently applying ZOE nutrition principles. Instead of relying on rules or restrictions, they embarked on a science-led journey with ZOE, focused on understanding their bodies. The results? Truly remarkable - ZOE became such an important part of their lives that, alongside 18,000 other members of our community, they became ZOE owners through our crowdfunding. So what changed, and did it last?
Alongside Professors Tim Spector and Sarah Berry, we explore how Becky and Mark stay motivated and on track, the lessons they have learned, and the strategies they have used to feel more in control and more confident in their everyday choices. As well as some unexpected shifts along the way.
It’s a conversation about long-term change, not quick fixes, and you’ll leave it with real-life examples of how to make healthy eating a part of your everyday life.
If healthy eating wasn’t about willpower or perfection, what small change would you start with? And what would help you take that first step this week?
Unwrap the truth about your food 👉 Get the ZOE app
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Timecodes
00:00 Intro
05:20 The artificial sweetener trap no one talks about
08:20 The test result that caused panic
10:00 The stat that explains why diets “work”… then fail
12:05 Why calorie advice was “nice and easy”… and wrong
15:55 The “Mars bar” moment
17:10 The simple trick that stops you feeling deprived
18:10 Your biggest barrier might be the service station
19:25 Is bacon really that risky?
21:10 “Accidentally” becoming vegetarian
23:15 From three foods per plate to fifteen
24:15 The moment this turns into “poo in the post”
25:10 What actually happens to your sample in the lab
26:45 From 44 to 88 in one year
27:30 Why the magic starts after results day
29:10 The foods avoided for entire lives
30:00 The part of ZOE people underestimate
33:25 The meal-combining hack that changes everything
35:45 The daily score that keeps it sustainable
38:55 The claim people don’t believe: same weight for two years
44:05 The fatigue link your GP probably won’t ask about
45:47 The “nut box” rule (and what to drink instead)
52:05 How to make this last forever
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life 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
Mentioned in today's episode
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Gut micro-organisms associated with health, nutrition and dietary interventions, Nature (2025)
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Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes, BMJ (2024)
Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.
Episode transcripts are available here.
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