Podcast Summary: “8 Ways to Eat Better in 2026”

ZOE Science & Nutrition
Host: Jonathan Wolf (A)
Guests: Prof. Tim Spector (C), Prof. Sarah Berry (B)
Release Date: December 26, 2025

Main Theme

This episode distills the very latest research in nutrition and gut health into eight practical, science-based principles for healthy eating in 2026. World-leading nutrition scientists Prof. Tim Spector and Prof. Sarah Berry break through the noise of conflicting online advice, revealing actionable recommendations centered on real science, not fads or influencer trends. The episode serves as both a myth-buster and a roadmap for anyone looking to make sustainable and substantial improvements to their health through diet in the coming year.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rapid-Fire Q&A: Myths and Quick Evidence (02:21–03:12)

• Q: Can you live 10 healthier years by eating a gut-healthy diet?
  • Tim: "Absolutely." (02:32)
• Q: Can too much protein be bad?
  • Sarah: "Yes." (02:39)
• Q: Is mindful eating just a fad?
  • Tim: "No." (02:45)
• Q: Is nutrition more important than exercise for weight loss?
  • Sarah: "Yes." (02:52)
• Q: Is calorie counting a good way to lose weight?
  • Tim: "No, it's a terrible way." (02:59)
• Favorite health myths of 2025:
  • Sarah: "Seed oils are toxic." Myth busted, can be part of a healthy diet.
  • Tim: "Intravenous vitamin infusions."

Evidence for Changing Your Diet at Any Age (03:58)

• Sarah: “If you change your diet at any point in your life, you can add lots of healthy years. If you’re 40 and switch to an optimal diet, you can add 10 years of healthy life. At 70, you can add six years.” (03:58)
• Positive changes can be felt in a matter of hours, with lasting clinical improvements (cholesterol, blood pressure, glucose) evident within weeks. (04:39–06:05)
• Tim: “People haven’t listened to their body. There’s a relationship to how you feel and what you eat.” (06:05)

The 8 Principles for Better Eating in 2026

Principle 1: Mindful Eating (07:09–11:53)

• Definition: Pause before meals, notice what and how you eat, connect food choices to how you feel.
• Tim: "Food companies are making highly processed foods so you eat it without thinking... Mindful eating is the antidote..." (07:09)
• Mindfulness tools now central in the ZOE app: Snap a photo, app analyzes ingredients, offers individualized feedback.
• Sarah: "We're moving away from just giving information about calories... It's all about the quality." (11:05)
• Memorable moment: Jonathan notes the app made him realize how often he snacks.

Principle 2: 30 Different Plants a Week (13:21–18:35)

• Tim: "It's not just fruits and veggies – it's seeds, nuts, herbs, spices... the most important part of gut health is diversity." (13:21)
• Higher plant diversity feeds more gut microbes, leading to production of healthy chemicals for the body, immune system, brain, and metabolism. (14:16–15:29)
• Sarah: "Different bugs like different types of fibers and polyphenols."
• Tim: “It’s not about taking stuff out; it’s about adding more to every meal.” (16:56)
• Why 30?: Research finds 30 is the "sweet spot" for optimal gut health. (18:00)
• Sarah: “If you’re used to the average—around 10 or 12—it’s difficult to increase to 30, but small steps (herbs, spices) help.” (19:09)

Principle 3: Reduce High Risk Processed Foods (20:06–31:41)

• Processed food = anything altered from its original state (additives, grinding, texture changes).
• Sarah: "About 60-70% of our energy is from processed food." (20:06)
• Not all processed foods are equal; nuance matters.
  • “We now know it’s not just nutrients… but also unfavorable chemicals and changes in texture/structure that impact fullness, metabolism, and overconsumption.” (21:19)
• Tim: You overeat 25% more with ultra-processed food, even if the meal appears identical. (24:15)
• Diet drinks like Diet Coke: artificial sweeteners affect gut microbes, can disrupt metabolic health. (25:02)
• New risk scale: ZOE analyzes additives, hyperpalatability, and energy intake rate. (26:20)
  • “Only about 25% of foods are ‘high risk.’” (28:45)
• Easy swaps:
  • Sweetened yoghurts → plain yoghurt
  • Low-fat/low-cal foods → original versions
  • Milk → dark chocolate
  • White bread → whole grain with minimal ingredients
  • Avoid most breakfast cereals

Principle 4: Focus on Quality, Not Calories (31:57–37:42)

• Sarah: Quality trumps calorie counting; nutrient-rich foods deliver better satiety and health even at identical calories. (31:57)
  • Study example: Adding protein (cheese/nut butter) to a bagel keeps people fuller, reduces total calories for the day compared to a lower-calorie, high-carb meal. (33:20)
• Tim: “Calorie counting...impossible to maintain weight loss; our body just adapts.” (32:40, 32:58)
• Sarah: "You can just focus on the quality... and still lose weight.” (34:58)
• Whole foods as a marker for quality, but diversity and balance in each meal are key. (36:19)
• Sarah: “Potato on its own is not a particularly healthy food. But as part of a balanced, diverse meal, it can be.”

Principle 5: Have an Eating Window (38:02–43:27)

• Eating window = period in which all meals and snacks are consumed each day (e.g., 10 hours).
• Research supports benefits to reducing a typical 12–13-hour eating period to 10–12 hours:
  • Improved metabolic health, less hunger, better energy, weight loss—even without calorie counting. (38:32)
  • Tim: “Everyone should try [a 10–12 hour window]...it may not suit all, but for many it helps gut microbes and metabolism.” (40:24)
• Sarah: Early windows (e.g., 8am–6pm) may be slightly better, but habit consistency and long-term sustainability are more important. (42:38, 42:58)
• Consistency in timing matters for long-term health.

Principle 6: Eat the Rainbow (43:57–49:45)

• “Eat the rainbow” refers to eating a wide variety of vibrantly colored fruits and vegetables rich in polyphenols and fibers.
  • Tim: "The intense colors...are due to polyphenols, which are natural defense chemicals in plants."
  • Bitterness in foods also signals high polyphenol content.
• New large-scale research (ZOE + Nature, >30,000 people) found that plant variety and specific foods directly influence individual gut microbes, now with the first ability to target “good” and “bad bugs” for health. (46:16–49:10)
  • Sarah: “More convincingly than cross-sectional data, we showed increasing specific foods changes specific gut species.” (47:53)
• Microbial diversity needs dietary diversity.

Principle 7: Focus on Protein Quality (51:03–58:17)

• “Not all protein is created equal.” Prioritize unprocessed, whole-food sources.
  • Traditional view: Quality = right mix of 9 essential amino acids (animal proteins are complete, plants need diversity).
  • Extended view (ZOE): Source matters—favoring whole grains, pulses (beans, peas, lentils), seeds, nuts, and select animal sources (Greek yogurt, eggs, oily fish). (51:29–56:46)
• Plant-based proteins need variety but confer added benefits (fiber, polyphenols).
• Sarah: "I'm more cautious about high-protein processed snacks or bars... they're typically packed with absolute crap." (57:24)
  • Protein powder in moderation OK, but focus should be elsewhere.

Principle 8: Eat Fermented Foods (58:17–63:19)

• Definition: Foods transformed by microbes (e.g., kefir, kombucha, kimchi, kraut, real cheese, yogurt).
  • Enhances flavor, shelf-life, and health benefits.
  • Proven to reduce inflammation, improve mood and energy, and support the immune system. (58:31)
  • ZOE Ferment study: 9,000+ participants, rapid, noticeable benefits for over 5,500 completers.
• Tip: Variety matters (different fermented foods = different microbes).
  • “If you’re just having the same yogurt every day, you might just be getting the same three microbes.” (60:27)
  • The more “live” and less processed, the better.
• Examples:
  • Kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, real (unprocessed) cheeses, live yogurt.
  • Avoid “fake cheese” (e.g., processed cheese slices) and ultra-processed versions.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Sarah, on diet’s impact: “If you change your diet at any point in your life, you can add lots of healthy years…At 70, you can add six years.” (03:58)
• Tim, on plant diversity: “It’s not about taking stuff out; it’s all about adding more to it…improve every meal by just adding more plants.” (16:56)
• Tim, on processed food and overeating: “You overeat by about 25% [with ultra-processed food]...even when it’s exactly the same food, just one is made from scratch.” (24:15)
• Sarah, on calorie counting: “You could count all the calories in the world, but it will have very little impact on your health. It’s the quality of those calories.” (31:57)
• Tim, on protein: “A can which costs virtually nothing of mixed beans is going to give you such a rich variety of proteins and fiber…that’s a great example of protein quality.” (55:58)
• Tim, on fermented foods: “Fermented foods are foods that have been transformed by microbes into something better…that has health benefits for you.” (58:31)

Segment Timestamps

• [02:21] – Q&A: Quickfire nutrition myths
• [03:58] – The power of diet changes at any age
• [07:09] – Principle 1: Mindful Eating
• [13:21] – Principle 2: 30 Plants
• [20:06] – Principle 3: Reduce High Risk Processed Foods
• [31:57] – Principle 4: Focus on Quality, Not Calories
• [38:02] – Principle 5: Eating Window
• [43:57] – Principle 6: Eat the Rainbow
• [51:03] – Principle 7: Focus on Protein Quality
• [58:17] – Principle 8: Eat Fermented Foods

Closing and What’s Next (63:46–65:04)

• Tim: Upcoming research focus on how food impacts mood, energy, and mental illness.
• Sarah: Researching diet, microbiome, and early-onset colorectal cancer, plus timing/speed of eating.
• Free guide with all eight principles available at zoe.com/2026.

Takeaway

The episode emphasizes the unrivaled power of diet—at any age—for both immediate and long-term health and well-being. The eight principles, grounded in cutting-edge science and experience from huge cohorts, offer a clear, practical framework to cut through misinformation and navigate a healthy 2026.

For practical application, listeners are encouraged to start with one or two principles and build as habits form, focusing on adding diversity, being mindful, and steadily reducing high-risk foods.

The Eight Principles (As Recapped):

1. Eat mindfully: Pause, notice, and feel.
2. 30 different plants a week: Variety fosters gut health.
3. Reduce high-risk processed foods: Swap out foods with long ingredient lists or altered textures.
4. Quality over calories: Nutrient density beats number crunching.
5. Eating window: Aim for a daily 10–12 hour window.
6. Eat the rainbow: Choose colorful, bitter, diverse plant foods.
7. Protein quality: Prioritize unprocessed plant and select animal proteins.
8. Eat fermented foods: Three daily for a diverse, robust microbiome.