Has anyone joined the Zoe Programme?

I should think it does take that into account and you can always discuss it with them before taking the plunge.

Can you call Zoe tickingbird?
I'd assumed it was an online programme.

Probably not but they were pretty quick to answer my emails before I signed up for the programme so I’d suggest emailing them.

Private health care then ?
Go to your pharmacist or gp for advice or google it

What is diversity in the context of this programme please? I've just seen it mentioned on another thread.

Not Spaghetti

Diversity of food, mainly plants. The more diverse our diet the better our gut health - apparently.

Oh. Thank you.
I think that's the one thing I'm probably OK at!

Plants is a very wide definition though, includes fruit, veg, herbs, spices, nuts etc and once you have had your gut biome analysed you are told which you should eat more of to increase the range of good bacteria and what to avoid to help decrease your bad bacteria. So it's personalised. I'm now eating things that were not a usual part of my diet. The first available start date for new members is now August.

Just picked up an email from Zoe, later on in the year we'll be able to do a retest on our gut biome to see how much it has improved.

The problem for me is that my gut health is good but my blood fat and sugar health are very poor. I’m struggling a bit because if something’s ok sugar wise it’s poor fat wise. I need some stodge to fill me up. I like to eat porridge every morning but it spiked my blood sugar really high with the following dip but I now eat it with almond butter and that really helps.

Thanks foxie48
What IS bad gut bacteria - and what is it from?
Or is it really saying bad for YOU?

tickingbird

The problem for me is that my gut health is good but my blood fat and sugar health are very poor. I’m struggling a bit because if something’s ok sugar wise it’s poor fat wise. I need some stodge to fill me up. I like to eat porridge every morning but it spiked my blood sugar really high with the following dip but I now eat it with almond butter and that really helps.

What do you mean by blood fat?

tickingbird I've taken this from my gut biome report:
ZOE's latest microbiome research was published in a highly
respected journal (Nature Medicine) in January 2021. It showed
that the ratio of “good” to “bad” bugs (your ZOE Microbiome
Score) was superior to gut microbiome diversity for predicting:
blood sugar and fat metabolism, inflammatory measures,
indicators of obesity and cardiometabolic health. Translation:
this score helps you to understand how much your
microbiome supports your metabolic health and the
maintenance of a healthy weight.
Our research suggests that the “good” bugs might help to
control your blood sugar and fat levels. Meanwhile, the “bad”
bugs may undermine this regulation and may actually promote
inflammation in the body.

What do you mean by blood fat?

On the first day on Zoe you have to eat three muffins for breakfast and at lunch eat two more. They supply the muffins. After a certain time has elapsed you do a blood test and send it off. They analyse how long it takes your body to clear the fat. Obviously mine didn’t do too well as the results say it’s bad and my blood sugar response is poor. My gut however, is good. It’s a bit confusing to say the least but I’ll stick with it - I hope!!

I'm still a bit confused, I must admit. Do they mean from your blood or your liver? I assume from your blood because it would be too tricky to measure the fat in your liver. Is this a cholesterol test?

I didn't think the body actually "clears" fat, so I'll have to look that up. The body needs fats, just not too many of them.

It sounds as though you have a degree of insulin resistance, if your response to eating sugar is poor. Do they have an exercise/activity plan?

Sorry Tickingbird I've just realised you are doing the Zoe prog so you know all this!

growstuff

It sounds as though you have a degree of insulin resistance, if your response to eating sugar is poor. Do they have an exercise/activity plan?

Nothing to do with sugar or insulin - certain foods spike my glucose levels; it’s carbs. Also nothing to do with exercise/activity; although that can affect glucose spikes apparently. It’s not a diet for losing weight, although people do seem to lose weight on the programme.

I’m tall and slim and have always been very active - gym, Pilates, cycling etc. I do have a sweet tooth though but the biggest spike for me was natural Greek yoghurt and oats!

That's interesting and shows how we all react differently. Greek yogurt and oats is fine for me and mixed with fruit, seeds and nuts is my usual breakfast. I used to avoid carbs but they are better for me than fat, mixing complex carbs with "good" fats and protein works well for my metabolism, gives me energy, stops me feeling hungry and I've stopped having energy dips. I've lost some weight although I'm only a little overweight but actually seem to be eating more.

I’m very interested in all your comments ladies and will probably be popping up with questions of my own as I’ve just joined the programme!

tickingbird

growstuff

It sounds as though you have a degree of insulin resistance, if your response to eating sugar is poor. Do they have an exercise/activity plan?

Nothing to do with sugar or insulin - certain foods spike my glucose levels; it’s carbs. Also nothing to do with exercise/activity; although that can affect glucose spikes apparently. It’s not a diet for losing weight, although people do seem to lose weight on the programme.

I’m tall and slim and have always been very active - gym, Pilates, cycling etc. I do have a sweet tooth though but the biggest spike for me was natural Greek yoghurt and oats!

But that is everything to do with sugar and insulin!

Of course carbs spike your glucose levels - they break down into sugar. All carbs do and normally the body releases insulin to enable them to be taken up by the body. There's a problem if your pancreas can't release enough insulin to bring the spike down quickly. One way you can speed up this process is to move/exercise after eating.

If you have insulin resistance, your blood glucose levels will remain higher for longer than desirable.

I've known for years that oats spike my glucose levels. Tim Spector wrote a podcast explaining that they spike his too, even though we're told how good oats are for us.

I'm curious about the programme because I thought it was about the gut microbiome, but it seems as though there's more involved, including conventional dietary advice.

foxie48

That's interesting and shows how we all react differently. Greek yogurt and oats is fine for me and mixed with fruit, seeds and nuts is my usual breakfast. I used to avoid carbs but they are better for me than fat, mixing complex carbs with "good" fats and protein works well for my metabolism, gives me energy, stops me feeling hungry and I've stopped having energy dips. I've lost some weight although I'm only a little overweight but actually seem to be eating more.

But Greek yoghurt and nuts contain fat. Fats slow down the absorption of carbs, which is why they keep you feeling fuller for longer.

I eat the same for breakfast - without the oats. I then test my blood glucose two hours later and it's usually fine. I've been doing the same for years.

tickingbird I'm tall and slim and have been T2 diabetic for 30 years. I don't need to lose weight either, but I do need to keep my glucose levels down, so that my diabetic symptoms don't get any worse and have found out by trial and error how to do that. It really is all about insulin response.

I am a huge fan of Tim Spector. I listen to his podcasts on Spotify, have his books, etc I do what I can to follow his advice. I would love to join the plan but it's far too costly for me unfortunately

Yes and that's why I am eating more carbs than I did and less fat than I used to but when I eat carbs I eat complex ones and I am choosing good fats. My biology is different to yours. I don' think anything conflicts with what you are doing to suit your particular biology. Zoe is a very holistic approach to diet and very difficult to describe in a few sentences, lots of info on the web though for anyone wanting to know more about it, though you seem totally sorted.