YOUR GUT IS MAKING YOU ANXIOUS?! 😨

We’ve been taught to think about depression as a chemical imbalance…

But after more than 15 years studying the gut, Tim Spector believes the real starting point might be somewhere else entirely.

My team asked Tim to come back on because the impact of his previous episodes was remarkable.

Tim is a world-renowned scientist and co-founder of ZOE.

I had gut problems for four years and just assumed I was broken. That’s until I looked into my gut health properly with ZOE. It was so game changing for me that I became an investor in the business.

Tim’s career has been quite the evolution. He began his career studying twins but over time, that research led him to something much bigger - the microbiome.

Food, inflammation, and how those forces shape almost every part of how we feel.

Tim’s mum is 93 and has been in a care home for seven years. She has advanced dementia and she no longer recognises him.

That moment forced him to stop and question everything he thought he knew about ageing and the hidden forces that shape our brain. And as he looked deeper, the science kept pointing in the same direction - the gut.

We’re living longer, but we’re not living better. We have more information than ever, but we’re still tired and confused as to why.

For decades we’ve been told that everything starts in the brain - but Tim no longer believes that.

We cover:

- Can dementia be prevented? - How does gut health affect your mood? - Why do processed foods make you overeat? - What are the 8 rules for a healthy brain? - What’s the best snack for brain health?

One thing I admitted to Tim is that even with everything I know, I still get it wrong.

I still open the fridge late at night and reach for the wrong thing. I still make bad choices when I’m tired or not thinking straight. It’s not because I don’t care. It’s because I’m human.

The answer isn’t just more knowledge. It’s better systems. We need to design our environment in a way that gives us a real chance, because when the system is broken, willpower will never be enough.

I’ve learnt that health isn’t just about information but about the small, invisible choices we make every day when no one’s watching.

I hope this episode gives you the insight or the push you need to make those choices a little easier.