Gut health expert admits to 'weakness' in his otherwise strict diet
Professor Tim Spector, who co-founded the ZOE health and nutrition app, says he follows the '80/20 rule' with his diet
A ZOE nutritionist has lifted the lid on the one indulgence he permits himself every night, despite adhering to a nutritious diet. Gut health guru Professor Tim Spector practices what he calls the "80/20 rule" in terms of his eating habits 80 per cent of the time he sticks to healthy foods, whilst for the remaining portion, he enjoys whatever takes his fancy.
During a conversation with the Sunday Times magazine, Prof Spector unveiled the contents of his daily meals. Kicking off his day, he opts for yoghurt, kefir, Spanish figs, peaches, and a dose of Zoe Daily 30+ - this mix incorporates nuts, seeds, and freeze-dried plants.
In a candid admission to the interviewer, Prof Spector owned up to drinking 'too much', confessing: "Two glasses of wine a night. Usually I have one night off a week but not always. That's my weakness."
ZOE researchers suggest that if one regularly endures significant rises in blood sugar following meals, such an individual could be at heightened risk for various diseases, including cardiovascular conditions. The team at ZOE points out that those who undergo these sharp spikes and crashes in blood sugar levels are prone to feeling peckish throughout their day.
To combat this, ZOE recommends breakfast options teeming with fibre like porridge crowned with nuts, plain or natural yogurt studded with berries, home-prepared granola or fruit variations. These choices help you remain satiated for more extended periods during the day.
Read more... 'Strict' diet Queen Camilla imposed on her children [LATEST]
For those looking beyond fibre, there are also high-protein selections, plates rich in gut-supporting ingredients, and complex carbohydrates to consider; take, for instance, whole-grain toast lavish with avocado. As for Tim's routine lunch, it experienced a transformation after the establishment of ZOE.
The doctor confessed that for years he unwittingly chose a lunch option that wreaked havoc on his blood sugar levels. He detailed the seemingly innocuous meal that led to a significant sugar spike: "I changed my lunch, for at least 10 or 15 years I was having a hospital lunch, which used to be in the canteen and then it was Marks and Spencer's, I got a healthy looking sandwich with brown bread and sweetcorn and tuna with a smoothie, and that gave me a massive sugar spike. I wouldn't have known that."
