DIET: The New Science of Healthy Eating [Podcast Notes]

Podcast episode: “DIET: The New Science of Healthy Eating” with Dr. Tim Spector, from “The Next Big Idea” podcast
Host: Rufus Griscom
Guest(s): Dr. Tim Spector

My key takeaways:

• “Our food decisions are the single most modifiable factor in preventing common diseases and staying healthy”
• “If everyone ate correctly, we could prevent half of the diseases that affect humanity, either directly or through obesity”
• “Food that is good for our gut ecosystem is generally good for us”
• “There are many bacterial cells as human cells in us”
• More species -> More chemicals -> Better gut health
• We want to increase gut health to reduce inflammation.

5 rules for a gut-friendly diet

• Eat a more diverse range of plants every week (30 plants/week)
• Try to “eat the rainbow” (brightly coloured foods) because they have polyphenols (anti-oxidants). This also includes dark chocolate, black coffee, red wine, in pure form and small amounts.
• Have regular fermented foods (yogurts, cheese, kefir, kombucha, sour cream, kimchi, miso). 5 or 6 small amounts every day.
• Give the microbes a break — have a 14-hour fast, only eat in a 10-hour window to increase gut diversity.
• Reduce dependency on ultra processed food — They send wrong signals to the body.

Different foods can have different effects on different people. We all process sugars and fats differently, identical meals trigger different (up to 10x difference) blood responses.

Generally great foods

• Extra virgin olive oil: no limit.
• Garlic: no limit, but cut it 10 minutes before you use it to release enzymes.
• Eggs: 6/7 a week
• Berries: blueberries in particular, just as good if frozen.
• Meat and fish: reduce them for the sake of the planet. Avoid processed meats. Give up beef and lamb. Fish only makes marginal improvements, most comes from fish farms.
• Mushrooms: food of the future. Fermented mushrooms (similar to meat).

Supplements and vitamins are for the most part useless.

About this episode

Podcast episode: “DIET: The New Science of Healthy Eating” with Dr. Tim Spector, from “The Next Big Idea” podcast
Host: Rufus Griscom
Guest(s): Dr. Tim Spector
Date: January 12, 2023

“Our food decisions,” writes Dr. Tim Spector in his new book, Food for Life, “are the single most important modifiable factor in preventing common diseases and staying healthy.” But how do we know we’re making the right choices? In this episode, we dig into what scientists like Tim have learned about what we should eat — and why.