Julie Kilby: 'I find it so hard now, looking back, to believe I ate this way'(Image: (Image: Julie Kilby))

'I lost two stone and my anxiety disappeared because of one diet change'

Julie Kilby used to eat McDonald's, KFC and Chinese takeaways every weekend and drank Pepsi Max as her 'go-to drink'- but this all changed after making one 'easy' adjustment

by · Wales Online

"Weekends consisted of McDonald's, KFC, Chinese takeaway, I ate a lot of crisps and chocolate and my go-to drink was Pepsi Max, I ate a lot of biscuits and cakes too."

Julie Kilby looks back at the dismal nature of her diet now, saying: "I find it so hard now, looking back, to believe I ate this way."

Her journey towards better health began after she saw the effects of illness on her father and the loss of her mother to cancer. She then happened to hear British epidemiologist Tim Spector talking about the microbiome and went on to listen to his podcast. This led her to discover Zoe, a tailor-made nutrition programme that bases advice on scientific research and tailors guidance to each individual based on tests which establish how their specific body reacts to food, reports the Express.

Julie has now lost two stone since joining the programme, going from 10st 11lbs to 9st 2lbs, but says the benefits do not stop there.: "When I started, I was suffering with menopause symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety, low energy and weight gain.

"Since doing Zoe, my hot flushes have all but disappeared, my anxiety has completely gone and I am a happy person that loves life again."

Julie's diet consisted of a lot of fast food and takeaways(Image: (Image: Getty))
Her breakfast now consists of Greek yoghurt with a mixture of nuts, seeds and fruit(Image: (Image: Getty))

Julie is not the only one to have transformed her diet in this way. Steffan Rhys, 44, said he has lost weight after completely changing his diet and joining Zoe.

Julie has even conquered her cravings for fast food, opting to avoid ultra-processed foods altogether. For breakfast, Julie opts for a healthy: "Breakfast consists of a variety of berries and grapefruit, chia and flax seeds, barley flakes (oats spike my sugar), homemade kefir and Greek yoghurt. Some weekends, instead of a once loved fry-up, I have mushrooms, avocado, asparagus, spinach, tempeh, and egg."

Lunch involves indulging in a "massive salad", which features an assortment of beans or chickpeas drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and tahini. She often enjoys a piece of fruit accompanied by some nuts post-lunch.

Though the changes in her diet were significant, Julie explains that they were "so easy to implement", saying: "I went one step at a time and the better I ate the better I felt so it encouraged me to keep going."

Julie expressed how her new eating habits have become second nature, stating: "Now eating whole healthy foods just feels natural. I actually have no craving for any of the foods I used to eat, crazy as it sounds."

Zoe membership starts at a monthly rate of £25, offering a bespoke nutrition plan that transforms intricate scientific knowledge into simple, actionable instructions that nurture your health meal by meal.