Diet guru Professor Tim Spector has revealed what he eats in a day to keep his health in peak condition — and lower his risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Speaking in a video posted on social media, the top nutrition expert and founder of the ZOE diet app — which has two million subscribers — said he wanted to answer the question he is ‘asked the most’.
Prof Spector’s plan focuses on foods that improve gut health — and he has claimed this is crucial for warding off a host of diseases.
In the TikTok video which has 42.6K views, Prof Spector reveals his healthy but indulgent go to foods, most of which are plant-based.
His daily menu included a range of surprisingly calorific foods, including soft cheese as a snack and curry.
Gut health is a top priority for the founder of the Zoe health app and professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London , who says diversity in your diet is crucial for warding off diseases like cancer and type 2 diabetes
In the TikTok video which has 42.6K views, Professor Spector reveals his healthy but surprisingly indulgent go to foods, most of which are plant-based
He said: ‘For my gut health my main focus is to make sure I am including as many plants as possible and to always add in some fermented foods when I can.
‘My day usually starts with yoghurt, kefir, and plenty of fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.
‘For lunch I made a quick salad with seasonal vegetables topped off with a kefir-based dressing.
‘I had a pre-dinner snack of some cheese crackers and kimchi and then for dinner I made a vegetable curry with rice and you guessed it more kefir stirred in at the end to make sure I get all those probiotic benefits.’
Previously Professor Spector has previously praised beans and legumes for being ‘anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-carcinogenic, neuroprotective’ and good for your ‘immune response’.
This, he has explained, is because beans are high in fibre and also contain protein and polyphenols — a type of antioxidant that ‘feeds’ healthy gut bacteria.
Fresh fruit and veggies topped with plenty of gut boosting kefir is on the menu for the top nutrition scientist who shared his typical daily habits in a TikTok video while soaking up the sun in Spain
For lunch Professor Spector made a quick salad with seasonal vegetables topped off with a kefir-based dressing
According to data from Cancer Research UK, one in three colorectal cancers can be linked with eating too little fibre.
Fibre in the diet helps food move through the digestive tract which means harmful chemicals spend less time in the bowel.
Eating a variety of fruit and veg, and fermented foods like kimchi, can also diversify the bacteria in your gut, Prof Spector says, which is thought to provide a basis for better overall health, wellbeing and an ability to ward off illnesses.
Although scientists are not sure exactly how, gut microbes influence blood sugar peaks, how well fats are digested, and how quickly those fats are cleared by the body, Professor Spector claims.
He adds that both of high blood sugar and poor digestion lead to inflammation throughout the body.
The diet guru had a pre-dinner snack of some cheese crackers and kimchi
For dinner he made a vegetable curry with rice and more kefir stirred in at the end to make sure he gets all those probiotic benefits
Inflammation, a response by your immune system to illness or injury that helps you fight off the disease or heal properly, can be a good thing.
But if the response continues it can lead to long-term conditions like arthritis, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, according to the nutrition site Zoe.
A 2021 study on the substances in kefir found it can reduce the activity of proteins that activate immune responses and cause inflammation.
Kefir can help with weight loss, this is vital as being overweight can also cause the body to produce more inflammation.
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