A tech exec ate lots of ultra-processed foods. He became CEO of a nutrition company and took 5 steps to improve his diet.

• Jonathan Wolf was a tech exec who ate a lot of ultra-processed foods before cofounding a nutrition company.
• Wolf improved his diet by making small changes over a few years.
• They include eating fewer UPFs and switching from milk to dark chocolate.

When Jonathan Wolf co-founded the nutrition company ZOE eight years ago, his diet was “not great.” He was eating lots of ultra-processed food and tons of sugar, he told Business Insider.

But he began making incremental changes to his diet in 2017, after he met ZOE co-founder Tim Spector, an epidemiologist who studies nutrition and gut health at Kings College London.

Wolf was previously the chief product officer at an advertising tech company. Spector made him aware of how he could improve his diet, including by caring for his gut microbiome, or the microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract. Evidence suggests that a diverse gut microbiome, partly achieved by eating fibrous and fermented foods, is linked to better physical and mental health.

Here are the positive steps Wolf took.

1) Eating fewer ultra-processed foods

In the last 18 months, Wolf has become more aware of and reluctant to eat ultra-processed foods, he said. UPFs are made using industrial processes, and can contain additives such as preservatives and emulsifiers. They were linked to 32 health problems in a recent study, but the authors said further research is needed to confirm there is a link between UPFs and poor health.

Wolf tries to eat fewer UPFs, including by avoiding artificial sweeteners or foods at restaurants that are likely to be ultra-processed.

“We’re eating these foods that are made with ingredients that have never been available in the kitchen, that our bodies have never been exposed to before. Whereas our grandparents were eating zero ultra-processed foods,” he said. “I suspect it’s going to turn out to be a huge part of the health crisis that we’re having.”

It can be hard to cut out UPFs entirely because they are ubiquitous, particularly in Western countries. Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a dietitian, previously told BI how they can be incorporated into a healthy diet.

2) Shifting focus from excluding to adding foods to his diet

Wolf had stopped eating foods that he was led to believe weren’t healthy, such as gluten.

But research on the gut microbiome published in 2021, which ZOE was involved with, showed that a more diverse gut microbiome was associated with better markers of health, including lower blood pressure and a lower chance of having a fatty liver.

Participants who ate a variety of healthy, plant-based foods had more diverse gut microbiomes, the study found.

Wolf realized he needed to eat more whole foods to increase the diversity of his diet and, therefore, his gut microbiome.

3) Working up to eating 30 plants a week

Spector was part of a 2018 American Gut Project study into how many types of dietary fiber, found in plants, are needed for a diverse microbiome. Fruits and vegetables were factored in, as well as other plant-based items such as spices.

It concluded that 30 plants a week appeared to provide enough, which Wolf tries to aim for.

“I did not get there in one step. In fact, it took me years to increase to 30. But I did it steadily, and I think the biggest thing that helped was the realization that tinned food and frozen food can actually be really healthy,” he said.

He tries to keep nutritious foods on hand, such as frozen spinach, canned beans, and nuts, so he can easily throw together a meal that contains at least a few plants.

4) Gradually switching from milk to dark chocolate

Wolf was pleased to discover that he could still eat chocolate every day as part of a healthy diet.

“If you’re eating a really high-quality dark chocolate, there’s a lot of science that says that’s actually good for you,” he said, partly because it counts as one of your 30 plants a week, contains fiber, and is fermented.

He slowly transitioned from eating milk chocolate, to 50% cocoa, to 60%, and all the way up to 90%. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, fiber, and polyphenols.

5) Eating fewer foods that spike his blood sugar

Wolf cut down on foods that spiked his blood sugar particularly high, specifically white bread and tea with lots of sugar.

Blood sugar spikes are a safe and necessary part of digesting food. But having consistently high or low blood sugar can lead to a higher risk of chronic diseases, Sarah Berry, professor of nutritional sciences at King’s College London, previously told BI.

Wolf replaced white bread with rye bread because it didn’t spike his blood sugar as high, and gradually reduced the amount of sugar in his tea.

ZOE sells continuous glucose monitors, which were originally developed for people with diabetes to track their blood sugar levels. However, experts are split on whether they are useful for non-diabetics, and fear they may lead to people avoiding certain foods unnecessarily.