I have been following the Zoe 30 since it started around the time of Covid and it has totally transformed my way of eating.
I didn’t sign up for the formal plan but decided that it made total sense to widen the range of fruit and veg I was eating and to just give it a go.
I knew I had a gluten issue and was pretty certain I had a dairy issue. I was also totally addicted to sugar and weighed in at 12 stone. As there was a long family history of diabetes this really worried me.
I started by listing every different type of fruit and veg I ate on a note in my phone and found the challenge to reach 30 (excluding herbs) each week really focused my mind on variety. I saw benefits in my health almost immediately.
I then focused on ditching processed sugars. That was a real challenge initially, with constant cravings and terrible headaches, but after about 10 days my head cleared and I felt amazing.
After about a month I sent off for a wearable sugar monitor as I wanted to understand whether I was achieving consistently good scores and also understand periods of dizziness in hot weather. Again that was illuminating. My perceived as ‘perfect’ breakfast of porridge was sending my blood sugar sky high. I also discovered that the processed gluten free bread I was eating at lunch time was leading to incredibly low sugar dips in the afternoon. Hence the dizziness.
Gradually over time I tweaked my diet using Zoe principles, to what it is today.
i now weigh in at between 9.5 and 10 stone. Zoe has become a way of life to the extent that I don’t really need to think that much about it. My fridge is packed with fruit and veg which amounts to approx 40% of my weekly food budget, I eat very little processed food, no gluten, just a little dairy in the form of cheese and very little sugar.
My health has improved dramatically and so has my bank balance. I spend less on food than I did 5 years ago.
My daily diet consists of;
Breakfast - Protein - Often involving eggs or Apple (good for keeping your Gall Bladder clear) and nut or seed butter.
Mid to late afternoon - A massive ‘Zoe’ chopped salad, with a piece of fish or chicken or sometimes a Mixed Veg Risotto (very little rice), a stir fry etc.
Evening - A piece of fruit (Pineapple, Kiwi, Nectarine) with a small bowl of mixed nuts.
None of this is dictatorial, I am essentially eating what I want when I fancy it. I find that these days the food noise has pretty much gone and aside from ice cream or a cake when out for a day, I am no longer interested in heavy carbs.
My one ‘must have’ is the bowl of chopped salad that sits in my fridge to dip into when needed. It comprises lightly steamed and cooled Broccoli, Asparagus, Sugar Snap, Romanesco and Sweetcorn with chopped Tomatoes, Peppers, Celery, Spring Onions, Carrot, Cucumber and chopped Red Cabbage all dressed with a large chunk of grated ginger and the jest and juice of 1-2 limes. I serve it with sprinkled Pumkin and Sunflower seeds and Pomegranate seeds. I also add Avocado on occasions. Once made that will last 4 - 5 days in the fridge without Avocado.
So going to your question @thenewaveragebear1983 I not only tried Zoe but found it became a way of life that has ended a life long battle with my weight. I didn’t push it in any way, just made small incremental changes which transformed the way I eat and ultimately my health.