The Spectrum of Life and the Mediterranean Diet

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The most interesting areas of research are the relationship between early life and later life health risks, particularly neurodegenerative conditions. There is a growing body of evidence in neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Understanding and reducing the risks of these conditions is of great interest. The traditional Mediterranean diet, which includes primarily plant-based foods with small amounts of meat and emphasis on fish, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, has been found to be beneficial in preventing these diseases.

Do you realize how closely your diet affects your general health and well-being? Have you ever wondered how advertising affects what you eat? How much do you think your childhood diet is affecting your health in the long run?

In today’s episode, Jonathan is joined by Prof. Walter Willett to discuss the importance of carefully considering what you eat and making decisions that support your health.

Professor Walter Willett, from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, is the world's most cited nutritional scientist — with over 2,000 publications and several books to his name. Prof. Willett has focused much of his work over the last 40 years on the development and evaluation of methods to study the effects of diet on the occurrence of major diseases.

If you want to uncover the right foods for your body, head to zoe.com/podcast, and get 10% off your personalized nutrition program.

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Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

01:42 Quickfire questions

04:07 What is the average Western diet today?

08:01 Why is so hard to get a straight answer on diet and disease?

10:15 The latest understanding on the link between diet and disease

14:31 Carbohydrates: distinguishing the beneficial from the detrimental

17:47 The hidden truths behind refined starches and sugary beverages

27:06 Diet is a public health issue

32:18 How bad is red meat consumption and soy alternative?