The Proof with Simon Hill

GLP-1 medications are now part of the mainstream conversation, but the biology of appetite and satiety, the system these drugs operate within, gets far less attention than the drugs themselves. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Federica Amati, Head Nutritionist at ZOE and author of the new book The Appetite Reset, to explore what's actually happening in the gut and brain when appetite signals do their job, and what that means for everyone, on or off medication.

Federica brings a rare combination of pharmacology, clinical nutrition, and public health expertise to a subject that rarely receives this level of nuance. This is a conversation about understanding your biology well enough to work with it.

What we cover:

How GLP-1 works naturally in the body, why the natural peptide lasts minutes while the drug version lasts days, and why this matters for anyone using or considering these medications

The three types of hunger (hedonic, homeostatic, and microbiota-driven) and how to tell them apart in practice

Why GLP-1 supplements don't replicate what the medications do

"Prehab" before starting medication: gut microbiome diversity, fibre intake, and nutrient status as the foundation

Why the 30g daily fibre target doesn't drop when calorie intake does on medication

Protein targets of 1.2 to 1.6g per kilogram and resistance training three times a week as the most critical protective interventions for muscle and bone health

The science on shame, weight stigma, and why treating obesity as a lifestyle choice is both inaccurate and actively harmful

If this episode was useful, a review on Apple Podcasts or a follow on Spotify makes a genuine difference.

To connect with Dr Federica Amati, follow her on Instagram at  ⁠instagram.com/dr.fede.amati⁠ or explore her work through ZOE at zoe.com⁠. Her new book, The Appetite Reset⁠, will be released on June 25 and is available to pre-order now.

Want to support the show?

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends. You can also support the show by leaving a review on the Apple Podcast app and sharing your favourite episodes with friends and family.

This episode is brought to you by:

38TERA

Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout.

38Tera ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

LMNT

Stay hydrated with LMNT. Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavours with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/SIMON Find your favourite LMNT flavour, or share with a friend. And if you don’t like it? Full refund, no questions asked.

LMNT ships to the U.S. and Canada, with sparkling flavors available only in the contiguous U.S.

Shopify

Shopify, the world's leading e-commerce platform, helps you turn browsers into buyers with the internet’s best-converting check out–up to 36% better compared to other leading e-commerce platforms. To boost your conversion rate, and grow your business, sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/proof.

Pique

Pique’s Nandaka combines fermented Pu’er tea, full-spectrum Reishi, ceremonial cacao, and L-theanine for calm, sustained energy without the coffee crash. Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/SIMON.

Pique ships within the U.S. and to Australia, Canada, and select EU countries.

Eight Sleep

Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF for $350 off at eightsleep.com/theproof. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with worldwide shipping.

Eight Sleep ships to the U.S. (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and territories), Canada, Mexico, most of the EU, the U.K., Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.

WHOOP

WHOOP, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on join.whoop.com/simon.

WHOOP ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.

Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

Creator of theproof.com

Host of The Proof with Simon Hill

Author of The Proof is in the Plants

Subscribe & Connect:

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Instagram: @simonhill

Twitter: @theproof

Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Nourish your gut with my Plant-Based Ferments Guide and download my Two-Week Meal Plan.

GLP-1 medications are now part of the mainstream conversation, but the biology of appetite and satiety, the system these drugs operate within, gets far less attention than the drugs themselves. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Federica Amati, Head Nutritionist at ZOE and author of the new book The Appetite Reset, to explore what's actually happening in the gut and brain when appetite signals do their job, and what that means for everyone, on or off medication.

Federica brings a rare combination of pharmacology, clinical nutrition, and public health expertise to a subject that rarely receives this level of nuance. This is a conversation about understanding your biology well enough to work with it.

What we cover:

How GLP-1 works naturally in the body, why the natural peptide lasts minutes while the drug version lasts days, and why this matters for anyone using or considering these medications

The three types of hunger (hedonic, homeostatic, and microbiota-driven) and how to tell them apart in practice

Why GLP-1 supplements don't replicate what the medications do

"Prehab" before starting medication: gut microbiome diversity, fibre intake, and nutrient status as the foundation

Why the 30g daily fibre target doesn't drop when calorie intake does on medication

Protein targets of 1.2 to 1.6g per kilogram and resistance training three times a week as the most critical protective interventions for muscle and bone health

The science on shame, weight stigma, and why treating obesity as a lifestyle choice is both inaccurate and actively harmful

If this episode was useful, a review on Apple Podcasts or a follow on Spotify makes a genuine difference.

To connect with Dr Federica Amati, follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/dr.fede.amati or explore her work through ZOE at zoe.com. Her new book, The Appetite Reset, is available from June 2026.

Want to support the show?

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends. You can also support the show by leaving a review on the Apple Podcast app and sharing your favourite episodes with friends and family.

This episode is brought to you by:

38TERA

Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout.

38Tera ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

LMNT

Stay hydrated with LMNT. Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavours with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/SIMON Find your favourite LMNT flavour, or share with a friend. And if you don’t like it? Full refund, no questions asked.

LMNT ships to the U.S. and Canada, with sparkling flavors available only in the contiguous U.S.

Shopify

Shopify, the world's leading e-commerce platform, helps you turn browsers into buyers with the internet’s best-converting check out–up to 36% better compared to other leading e-commerce platforms. To boost your conversion rate, and grow your business, sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial at shopify.com/proof.

Pique

Pique’s Nandaka combines fermented Pu’er tea, full-spectrum Reishi, ceremonial cacao, and L-theanine for calm, sustained energy without the coffee crash. Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/SIMON.

Pique ships within the U.S. and to Australia, Canada, and select EU countries.

Eight Sleep

Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF for $350 off at eightsleep.com/theproof. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with worldwide shipping.

Eight Sleep ships to the U.S. (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and territories), Canada, Mexico, most of the EU, the U.K., Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.

WHOOP

WHOOP, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on join.whoop.com/simon.

WHOOP ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.

Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

Creator of theproof.com

Host of The Proof with Simon Hill

Author of The Proof is in the Plants

Subscribe & Connect:

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Instagram: @simonhill

Twitter: @theproof

Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Nourish your gut with my Plant-Based Ferments Guide and download my Two-Week Meal Plan.

In this episode, I sit down with bariatric surgeon and science communicator Dr Terry Simpson for a wide-ranging conversation about health misinformation, GLP-1 medications, statins, ApoB, the Mediterranean diet, and the loud contrarians who dominate social media. Terry has familial hypercholesterolemia, a family history of premature cardiovascular disease, and lost 50 pounds on tirzepatide, all of which give him unusual personal stakes in these debates.

What we cover:

How to think about uncertainty in science, and Terry's heuristic for spotting misinformation

The Gila monster origin story of GLP-1 medications, and the difference between native and pharmacological GLP-1

What food noise actually is, and Terry's own experience on tirzepatide

His personal case for statins, an LDL of 190 brought into the 40s, and an ApoB in the 40s

A defence of Ancel Keys and the Mediterranean diet

Where the carnivore, anti-statin, seed oil, and nattokinase narratives fall apart

Compounded GLP-1s, peptide deregulation, and why the FDA still matters

If you find this episode useful, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share it with someone who might benefit.

To connect with Dr Terry Simpson, visit terrysimpson.com, find him on TikTok at @drterrysimpson, Instagram at @drterrysimpsonmd, X at @drterrysimpson, and Substack at @drsimpson. His podcast is The Unfiltered MD.

Intro (00:00)

Why Carnivore and Anti-Vax Are Today's Biggest Health Lies (01:02)

Doctors, COVID and the Cost of Speaking Up Online (03:58)

How to Spot a Health Huckster (13:25)

Will GLP-1 Drugs Make Bariatric Surgery Obsolete (19:12)

A Bariatric Surgeon's Personal Decision to Take a GLP-1 Drug (22:54)

Willpower Is Not the Problem: What Food Noise Actually Feels Like (26:23)

Why Ancel Keys Was Right and Low Carb Got It Wrong (32:51)

Mediterranean Diet Results That Stopped a Trial Early (39:50)

Are GLP-1 Drugs the Greatest Medical Breakthrough This Century (47:38)

The Real Danger of Buying Compounded GLP-1 Drugs Online (51:27)

BPC-157 and Peptides: Why FDA Guardrails Actually Matter (59:42)

Familial Hypercholesterolemia, Statins and a Personal Wake Up Call (01:04:69)

Inflammation vs. ApoB: What Actually Causes a Heart Attack (01:13:04)

CT Angiogram Results and Keto CTA Data Explained (01:16:33)

Fish Oil vs. Eating Fish: Why the Supplement Doesn't Replicate the Food (01:24:35)

Simon's Plant Based Diet, Seed Oils and Cooking with Olive Oil (01:28:07)

The Seed Oil Debate: Are People Just Afraid of Modern Chemistry (01:33:17)

Want to support the show?

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends. You can also support the show by leaving a review on the Apple Podcast app and sharing your favourite episodes with friends and family.

This episode is brought to you by:

38TERA

Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout. 38TERA ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

IM8

With 92 nutrients, including Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium and Vitamin D, in highly absorbable forms, IM8 Daily Essentials is the perfect all-in-one daily multi-vitamin to ensure you meet your daily micronutrient needs. IM8 is offering an exclusive 10% off your first order with a free welcome kit when you enter the promo code SIMON at checkout on im8health.com.

IM8 ships to 27 countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and many regions across Europe, Asia, and South America.

Function Health

Take charge of your health with advanced blood testing and personalised insights. Function Health offers a practical way to track key health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, and more. Learn more and join at functionhealth.com/simonhill for a $25 credit toward your membership. Only available to those living in the United States.

Function Health ships to 48 U.S. states, excluding Rhode Island, Hawai‘i, and Puerto Rico.

Truemed

Truemed helps qualified customers use pre-tax HSA or FSA dollars on health-related products like fitness, recovery, and sleep tools, often saving around 30% on average. Visit truemed.com/THEPROOF to see what qualifies. This is hands down the best way to make the most of your health dollars.

LMNT

Stay hydrated with LMNT. Get a free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular drink mix flavours with any purchase at DrinkLMNT.com/SIMON Find your favourite LMNT flavour, or share with a friend. And if you don’t like it? Full refund, no questions asked.

LMNT ships to the U.S. and Canada, with sparkling flavors available only in the contiguous U.S.

WHOOP

WHOOP, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on join.whoop.com/simon. WHOOP ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.

Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

Creator of theproof.com

Host of The Proof with Simon Hill

Author of The Proof is in the Plants

Subscribe & Connect:

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Instagram: @simonhill

Twitter: @theproof

Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Nourish your gut with my Plant-Based Ferments Guide and download my Two-Week Meal Plan.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Ann Macklin to explore the hidden psychological costs of modern wellness culture and why pursuing health can sometimes leave us feeling more anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected.

Sarah shares insights from her new book, Healthy Shouldn’t Be This Hard, as we unpack self-compassion, perfectionism, body image, mindset, and the pressure to constantly optimise every aspect of our lives.

What We Cover

Why wellness culture can become emotionally exhausting

The difference between self-esteem and self-compassion

How mindset shapes long-term health behaviours

The psychological side of food, body image, and self-worth

Why optimisation culture can backfire

Practical ways to build a healthier relationship with yourself

I really enjoyed this conversation with Sarah and appreciated her thoughtful, balanced perspective on what genuine wellbeing actually looks like in practice.

Pre-order Sarah’s new book, Healthy Shouldn’t Be This Hard, and follow her on Instagram, subscribe to her YouTube channel, and read her writing on Substack. You can also learn more about Sarah and her work on her website.

Intro (00:00)

What Wellness Culture Is Getting Wrong Right Now (01:16)

The Chambermaid Study: How Mindset Changes Your Body (05:48)

The Milkshake Study: Your Perception Affects Your Metabolism (07:06)

Sarah's Modeling Career, Collapse, and ER Wake-Up Call (09:11)

How Social Media Weaponizes Self-Comparison (14:01)

Has Optimization Culture Gone Too Far? (17:58)

How to Know When Health Habits Become Counterproductive (22:36)

Self-Compassion Is a Muscle — Here's How to Build It (27:28)

How Common Is Beating Yourself Up Over Health? (30:26)

The Chocolate Bar Test: Audit Your Self-Compassion (36:33)

How to Reconnect with Your Real Hunger Signals (39:36)

The 3-Step Compassion Framework for Eating Decisions (40:57)

Discipline vs. Self-Compassion: They're Not Opposites (43:44)

The "Friend Filter": The Simplest Self-Compassion Tool (57:12)

What Better Wellness Culture Looks Like in 5 Years (01:02:17)

Where to Find Sarah's Book "Healthy Shouldn't Be This Hard” (01:04:48)

Want to support the show?

The best way to support the show is to use the products and services offered by our sponsors. To check them out and enjoy great savings, visit theproof.com/friends. You can also support the show by leaving a review on the Apple Podcast app and sharing your favourite episodes with friends and family.

This episode is brought to you by:

38TERA

Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout.

38Tera ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Pique

Pique’s Nandaka combines fermented Pu’er tea, full-spectrum Reishi, ceremonial cacao, and L-theanine for calm, sustained energy without the coffee crash. Unlock 20% off and establish your powerful foundation for sustained well-being at Piquelife.com/SIMON.

Pique ships within the U.S. and to Australia, Canada, and select EU countries.

Eight Sleep

Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF for $350 off at eightsleep.com/theproof. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with worldwide shipping.

Eight Sleep ships to the U.S. (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and territories), Canada, Mexico, most of the EU, the U.K., Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.

Truemed

Truemed helps qualified customers use pre-tax HSA or FSA dollars on health-related products like fitness, recovery, and sleep tools, often saving around 30% on average. Visit truemed.com/THEPROOF to see what qualifies. This is hands down the best way to make the most of your health dollars.

SwimClub

SwimClub is a science-backed supplement designed to support male fertility, sperm health, and reproductive wellness. Head to swimclub.co to get 25% off your first order with code THEPROOF.

WHOOP

Whoop, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on join.whoop.com/simon.

Whoop ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.

Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

Creator of theproof.com

Host of The Proof with Simon Hill

Author of The Proof is in the Plants

Subscribe & Connect:

YouTube

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Instagram: @simonhill

Twitter: @theproof

Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Nourish your gut with my Plant-Based Ferments Guide and download my Two-Week Meal Plan.

Six years on from our first conversation, global meat consumption is at a record high, and the harms of industrial animal agriculture have only deepened. Bruce Friedrich, founder of the Good Food Institute, is back on the podcast to argue that the answer is not asking people to eat less, but rebuilding meat itself from the ground up.

Bruce is the author of the new book Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favorite Food and Our Future, and one of the most thoughtful voices working on alternative proteins anywhere in the world.

What we cover:

Why public health messaging on meat has not changed consumption since the 1960s

The four harms of industrial animal agriculture

An honest post-mortem on Beyond Meat and the plant-based industry

Where cultivated meat actually sits in 2026

Why this transition needs governments, not only venture capital

The ultra-processed food backlash and what the science really shows

To connect with Bruce Friedrich, you can find his book at meatbook.org, learn more about the Good Food Institute at gfi.org, follow him on X at x.com/BruceGFriedrich, or connect with him on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/brucegfriedrich.

Support the work of the Good Food Institute. Listener donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $30,000: gfidonorportal.donorsupport.co

Intro (00:00)

Why Feeding Crops to Animals Is Destroying the Planet (02:02)

Is Everything Getting Worse? A 6-Year Update (07:33)

Plant-Based Meat: Honest Assessment of What Went Wrong (13:42)

Did These Products Come to Market Too Early? (19:42)

What US Government Support for Alt Proteins Should Look Like (25:56)

35 Governments Are Now Funding This Research (33:12)

Why Conservative States Banned Cultured Meat (36:42)

Are Traditional Meat Companies Actually on Board? (40:07)

Why Meat Consumption Will Keep Rising Until 2050 (47:06)

Is Innovation Actually Stalling? The Real Picture (52:10)

Why Cultivated Meat May Beat Plant-Based to the Finish Line (56:47)

The Science of Plant Fats vs. Animal Fats Explained (01:00:22)

The Biggest Blind Spot in Plant-Based Meat Today (01:07:35)

Cultivated Meat Regulatory Milestones: From Zero to 5 Countries (01:14:13)

The Only Engineering Challenge That Could Doom Cultured Meat (01:18:05)

FDA Approval, Chicken with Cancer, and Why Cultured Meat Is Safer (01:20:30)

Cultured Meat Prices Dropped 100,000x in 12 Years (01:25:21)

Vow Foods' SpaceX-Inspired Bioreactor Breakthrough (01:30:42)

How GFI Raises Money And a $30K Donation Match (01:34:55)

The Protein Myth: Why Impossible Burgers Beat Beef on Nutrition (01:39:31)

This episode is brought to you by:

38TERA

Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout.

38Tera ships to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

IM8

With 92 nutrients, including Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium and Vitamin D, in highly absorbable forms, IM8 Daily Essentials is the perfect all-in-one daily multi-vitamin to ensure you meet your daily micronutrient needs. IM8 is offering an exclusive 10% off your first order with a free welcome kit when you enter the promo code SIMON at checkout on im8health.com.

IM8 ships to 27 countries including the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and many regions across Europe, Asia, and South America.

ProLon

ProLon’s 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet is a science-backed, plant-based program designed to support metabolic health while keeping your body in a fasting-like state. Get 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift at ProLonLife.com/THEPROOF.

ProLon ships within the United States.

Function Health

Take charge of your health with advanced blood testing and personalised insights. Function Health offers a practical way to track key health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, and more. Learn more and join at functionhealth.com/simonhill for a $25 credit toward your membership. Only available to those living in the United States.

Function Health ships to 48 U.S. states, excluding Rhode Island, Hawai‘i, and Puerto Rico.

Cozy Earth

This spring, give yourself the kind of comfort that lives with you all day - not just the moment you get home. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code THEPROOF for an exclusive 20% off.

Cozy Earth ships worldwide.

WHOOP

Whoop, the most advanced fitness and health wearable available. Your personalised fitness and health coach to recover faster, sleep better, and train smarter. Claim your first month free on join.whoop.com/simon.

Whoop ships to 56+ international markets, including the US, Canada, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Singapore, and parts of Asia.