Boost gut health with Tim Spector's four-ingredient breakfast

Professor Tim Spector has disclosed his favourite breakfast, which he says is jam-packed with nutrients to enhance your gut health and kick-start the day in the healthiest way. The founder of Zoe Health took to social media to share his morning meal, which is made of just four ingredients.

In conversation with Dr Rupy Aujla in an Instagram video, Tim advocated for as much "diversity" in our diets as possible, singling out breakfast as an ideal time for this. He detailed: "My go-to breakfast is a mixture of full fat yoghurt, kefir topped with some berries, which might come from the freezer, and some nut granola or my nut and seed diversity jar mix."

This choice of breakfast won't come as a shock to those familiar with Tim's work, as he's often spoken of these ingredients before.

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Full-fat yoghurt

In a social media post earlier in 2023, Tim noted that natural yoghurt, based on research, may aid blood pressure and blood sugar regulation. Additionally, it boasts plentiful "good" bacteria that are essential for maintaining gut wellbeing. Tim also advised choosing full-fat varieties for the most benefit, a view he elaborated on with Dr Chris Van Tulleken in an episode of the Zoe Science and Nutrition podcast.

Podcast host Jonathan Wolf expressed his astonishment upon discovering that most plain yoghurts might contain "half a dozen" or "even 10 ingredients" when they should be presumed to have just milk. Professor Spector advised listeners: "If it says low fat, you're more likely to have fake yoghurt than if it's full fat."

Kefir

Kefir, a fermented milk drink akin to yoghurt is renowned for its gut health benefits due to the fermentation process. On Instagram last year, Tim noted: "Usually when I have yogurt I mix in a shot of kefir aka ‘super yoghurt’, which contains over 10 times more microbe varieties than yogurt for added benefits for my gut microbiome."

Frozen berries

Frozen berries were another topic of discussion, with Tim suggesting them for their high antioxidant content which can protect against oxidative stress linked to ageing and chronic diseases. He previously shared on Instagram how he uses frozen mixed berries with his kefir every morning, highlighting their cost-effectiveness and nutritional equivalence to fresh berries due to being frozen shortly after harvest.

Nuts and seeds

Sprinkling nuts and seeds on top of your breakfast offers not only a delightful crunch but also enhances your gut health, falling under Tim's advocated guideline of consuming 30 plant varieties each week. He explained the science behind it, saying: "Our research with the British and American gut projects shows that eating a wide variety of different plants, ideally 30 plus a week, is associated with increased gut microbiome diversity."

He added reassurance for those daunted by the numbers: "While 30 can sound overwhelming, when you realise this includes nuts, seeds, grains, herbs, and spices as well as fruit and veg it should hopefully feel a lot more achievable."