Stress-Free Longevity

Stress-Free Longevity


Episode 4: Understanding Cardiometabolic Health (Part 2) with Prof Jason Gill

March 24, 2025
Episode Overview

In this insightful conversation, Professor Jason Gill, a professor of cardiometabolic health at the University of Glasgow discusses the complex relationship between diet, physical activity, and health. With over 25 years of research experience, Prof. Gill brings clarity to often misunderstood topics about weight management, healthy eating, and long-term wellbeing.

Key Insights from This Episode:
  • The Complexity of Calories: Why “calories in, calories out” is true but oversimplified, and how different foods affect our body’s processing of calories
  • Ultra-processed Foods: A nuanced look at why not all ultra-processed foods are harmful, and the real mechanisms behind their impact on weight
  • The Truth About Diets: Evidence showing that different diets achieve similar results, with adherence being the key factor
  • Energy Density and Portion Size: How these factors influence our eating behaviour more than we realise
  • The Role of Food Types: The importance of balanced nutrition, with specific insights on carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
  • Long-term Success: Why we need 1000-day plans instead of 100-day plans for sustainable health
Practical Takeaways: Focus on building long-term, sustainable habits rather than quick fixes Find an eating approach you can stick to rather than following the latest trend Understand food energy density and manage portion sizes Aim for about 50% of calories from carbohydrates, focusing on low-glycemic options Choose plant-based fats over animal-based when possible Eat slower to allow your body’s fullness signals to work effectively About Our Guest

Professor Jason Gill is a Professor of Cardiometabolic Health at the University of Glasgow. His research spans three main areas: epidemiology of chronic disease, biological mechanisms of diet and exercise effects, and development of lifestyle interventions. With funding from prestigious organizations including research councils in the United Kingdom, Diabetes UK, the British Heart Foundation, and the European Commission, his work has contributed significantly to our understanding of how lifestyle factors influence health outcomes.

Visit Professor Gill’s Academic Profile

Watch the interview https://youtu.be/-K89q4uDPlk?feature=shared Resources

Some relevant research papers – click on the title below to access the paper

Celis-Morales (2018) Associations of grip strength with cardiovascular, respiratory, and cancer outcomes and all cause mortality. prospective cohort study of half a million UK Biobank participants. GIll (2020) Linking volume and intensity of physical activity to mortality Gill (2023) Potential impact of wearables on physical activity guidelines and interventions. opportunities and challenges Gill, Sattar (2014) Fruit juice – just another sugary drink Hall (2015) Calorie for Calorie, Dietary Fat Restriction Results in More Body Fat Loss than Carbohydrate Restriction in People with Obesity Hall-2019-Ultra-processed-diets-cause-excess-calorie-intake-and-weight-gain Ross (2016) Effects of an Injected Placebo on Endurance Running Performance. Stamatakis (2023) Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity with mortality Stamatakis (2023) Journey of a thousand miles. from ‘Manpo-Kei’ to the first steps-based physical activity recommendations Connect With Us

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