Critical Thinking in a Post-Truth World | Dr. Zoë Harcombe - E403

Jul 14, 2025

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Dr. Zoë Harcombe is an intellectual powerhouse—a Cambridge graduate with degrees in economics and mathematics, a long-standing member of Mensa, and a fearless truth-seeker. In this episode, she brings her sharp insight and deep curiosity to a wide-ranging conversation that spans nutrition, public health, and the increasingly complex issue of free speech.

Before dedicating herself to the world of diet and health in 2008, Zoë built a high-flying career in the corporate world. She held international roles in management consulting, manufacturing, and marketing across major global industries—from FMCG to telecoms—before focusing on Human Resources. She’s worked on the inside of both Big Food (Mars Inc.) and Big Pharma (GSK), giving her a rare, insider’s perspective on how these powerful sectors operate. At the height of her corporate journey, she served as Vice President of HR for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

In this episode, Drs. Tro and Zoë talk about…

(00:00) Intro
(04:04) Dr. Zoë’s career shift from working for Big Food to becoming a diet, health, and nutrition researcher
(08:04) Dr. Zoë’s first book (see links below)
(09:57) Calorie Counting versus eating a whole food diet featuring meat, fish, eggs, non-starchy vegetables, and yogurt
(15:55) Vested interests and the possibility of change to the dietary guidelines
(23:12) The war against free-thought and why you should keep your mind open to new ideas that contradict the majority opinion
(36:33) The insane level of censorship of free speech in the UK
(42:58) Assisted suicide, abortion, and climate change in the UK
(53:31) Why the facts of nutrition contradict the guidelines
(55:35) Dietary carbohydrates now versus in your grandparent’s generation
(01:05:37) What Dr. Zoë eats in a day
(01:08:01) Dr. Zoë’s hobbies and favorite activities
(01:11:00) Outro

For more information, please see the links below. Thank you for listening!

Links:

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Dr. Zoe Harcombe:

Website: https://www.zoeharcombe.com/
Books: https://www.zoeharcombe.com/my-books/
X: https://x.com/zoeharcombe

Dr. Brian Lenzkes:

Website: https://arizonametabolichealth.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianLenzkes?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Dr. Tro Kalayjian:

Website: https://www.doctortro.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorTro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctortro/

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