The Proof with Simon Hill

In Episode #226, I’m joined by Drs Ayesha and Dean Sherzai to examine how exercise impacts brain health. We focus on two main considerations: what we know about the relationship between exercise and cognition, and how we can explain this relationship from an evolutionary lens. We discuss how movement impacts cognition, engaging your brain while exercising, and aging and brain health. We also cover...

In Episode #225 I sit down with Alan Flanagan, PhD to discuss the health implications of consuming dairy. We have a broader conversation about misinformation and public health before specifically examining the health outcomes of dairy consumption. We also cover whether you can trust industry-funded studies, the representation of dairy on social media, and how much information we actually have. Mis...

In Episode #224, I sit down with Dr Tim Spector to address the significance of eating for your specific biology. We discuss research on twins, exploring nature versus nurture; the role of the microbiome in health outcomes; and whether conditions such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes are genetic. Dr Spector also offers advice on adapting your diet to your specific needs. When we place so much focus o...

In Episode #223, Drew Harrisberg and I sit down to discuss how to optimise your exercise. Drew provides a detailed outline of how to develop an exercise program, working around different time constraints. We recap past episodes with Dr Richard Johnson and Professor Kieran Rooney, sharing our thoughts on these conversations. We also cover my recent Bali retreat, HIIT training and VO2 max, resistant...

In Episode #222, I’m joined by Drew Harrisberg and Kieron Rooney, PhD to discuss how the biochemistry of exercise can impact your health. We cover a wide range of topics, including mitochondria efficiency, metabolic flexibility, and fat adaptation. Dr Rooney also offers training advice, and his thoughts on a ketogenic diet. Evidence continuously shows us that the multitude of factors contributing...

In Episode #221, I sit down with Dr Satchin Panda to continue The Proof’s conversation on time restricted eating. We discuss circadian rhythms, circadian disruption, and health impacts. We also cover TRE in the context of circadian biology, blood glucose, and calorie restriction. Dr Panda offers his advice on the optimal TRE lifestyle. Time-restricted eating (TRE) has caused a stir on social media...

In Episode #220, Dr MeiLan Han joins me to discuss the lungs and respiratory system. Despite being an incredibly important factor of our overall health, the respiratory system is often overlooked. Most people’s knowledge is surface level, and we aren’t educated on the importance of the lungs or how to best support respiratory health. Dr MeiLan Han joins me in this episode to explain what the respi...

In Episode #219, I sit down with Layne Norton, PhD to answer one very topical question: does insulin make us fat? Welcome to the first bite-sized episode of The Proof. In these short conversations, I am joined by a guest to tackle a single topic in a brief, digestible time frame. In this episode, Layne Norton, PhD addresses recent online claims by Ben Bikman, PhD. Dr Bikman claims that if we keep...

In Episode #218, I’m joined by entrepreneur Arturo Elizondo to discuss the future of egg production. Ground-breaking changes are happening in our food industry every single day. While animal agriculture continues to grow, there is an increasing field of innovation seeking sustainable, ethical alternatives to the foods most people consume daily. Arturo Elizondo joins me today to pull back the curta...

In Episode #217, I sit down with dietician Ginny Messina to address common nutrition myths about the vegan diet. With an abundance of nutrition “information” presented to us any time we use social media, it becomes difficult to identify whether a claim is fact or fiction. Misinformation is a common issue across all patterns of eating — including a plant-based diet — and understanding the full pict...

In Episode #216, I sit down with Dr David Jenkins to discuss the relationship between cholesterol and health. Cholesterol levels are concerningly high among populations consuming a standard Western diet. On the flip side, plant-based diets are often criticised for their lack of cholesterol. We know that cholesterol is an essential component of the human body — but is it necessary to consume it, an...

In Episode #215, I’m joined by Dr Richard Johnson to discuss obesity, fructose, and metabolic disease. “Fructose” has become something of a fear word in modern diet culture. It is often positioned as the villain, without the in-depth breakdown of where we are sourcing this fructose and the quantities it is consumed in. Similarly, the relationship between health and obesity is hotly contested. Dr R...

In Episode #214, I sit down with Josh Tetrick to discuss reshaping our food system towards plant-based products and slaughter-free meat alternatives. As animal-free proteins grow in popularity, technologies for creating them are too. Josh Tetrick wants to reshape our food system, and joins me today to share his journey with Eat Just. Josh is committed to facilitating innovation in the plant-based...

In Episode #213, Dr Jenna Macciochi joins me for a deep dive into the human immune system. “Immunity” has become a buzzword in health spheres at the moment. From supplement marketing to recipe promotion, there seem to be countless quick-fix products or ingredients to “boost” and improve the immune system. But is there any validity to these claims? Dr Jenna Macciochi joins me today to look deeper i...

In Episode #212, Dr Eric Rawson joins me to examine the muscular and cognitive effects of creatine. Performance supplementation is a flooded field. With supplementation sceptics on one hand and relentless marketing promotion on the other, it can be difficult to know what to believe. Dr Eric Rawson joins me today for an in-depth conversation on creatine, breaking down everything you need to know ab...

In Episode #211, I sit down with Dr Jared Raynes to discuss precision fermentation and the future of dairy. As our world becomes more populated and animal agriculture continues to unsustainably expand, we need to examine alternatives to the products people know and love. While animal-free dairy may sound like an impossible feat, innovation in the field of precision fermentation is proving otherwis...

In Episode #210, Professor Stuart Phillips returns to expand on our conversation about using science to improve training outcomes. One very common criticism of a plant-based diet is that it’s difficult to meet protein requirements due to both quantity and quality of plant-based protein sources. “Evidence” provided for this often centres around amino acid profiles, linking back to the DIAAS and PDC...

In Episode #209, I sit down with Dr Kristina Harris Jackson to deep dive into the effects of omega-3 consumption on lactation and pregnancy. Dr Kristina Harris Jackson furthers The Proof’s exploration of omega-3s in this episode, offering her expertise in a discussion centred around maternal health. Nutrition during pregnancy can be a sensitive and confusing topic; when parents are trying to do ev...

In Episode #208, I’m joined by expert researcher Dr Bill Harris to discuss the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and human health. Increasingly, online nutrition conversation is moving away from scientific literature and is more heavily influenced by marketing and controversial claims for personal gain. Whether people are making these statements to grow their online community or capitalise...

In Episode #207, Dr Gil Carvalho explains how to approach nutrition information from an evidence-based viewpoint, breaking down the details of data analysis. In recent years, we’ve seen a huge influx of information being presented as fact without any real scientific foundations. Being able to assess the validity of these claims is critical, and Dr Carvalho offers useful insight into how a layperso...

In Episode #206, Drew Harrisberg joins me to debrief The Proof’s first debate and discuss blood tests, sleep, and the interaction between HIIT training and blood glucose. Last week, I released a special episode on YouTube: a debate on seed oils and heart disease between Tucker Goodrich and Dr Matthew Nagra. You can find it here. Regardless of whether you’ve watched the debate, you’ll gain insight...

In Episode #205, I sit down with Dr Andrew Huberman to discuss the nervous system and how lifestyle choices impact your brain. As a neuroscientist and tenured professor at Stanford University, Dr Huberman has made numerous significant contributions to the field of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity. In this episode, we break down the basics before moving on to the impact of s...

In Episode #204, I’m joined by leading researchers Dr Emily Manoogian and Dr Courtney Peterson. Drs Emily and Courtney both research the way food timing interacts with the body, focusing on time-restricted eating (TRE). In this episode, we approach the topic with a key question: is there any advantage of time-restricted eating other than helping people eat fewer calories to achieve a healthy body...

In Episode #203, I welcome Drew Harrisberg back to the show for another episode to discuss a variety of topics, from the Hadza tribe and their diet to the importance of movement throughout the day. There’s a lot to learn in Episode #203. We discuss red meat consumption and associated health outcomes, sleep and insulin resistance, and the dietary pattern of the Hadza tribe. We also cover the import...

In Episode #202, I’m joined by Drs Erica and Justin Sonnenburg to learn more about microbes and the gut microbiome. This episode, we recap (or introduce for new listeners) what microbes are and what the microbiome is. Then we dive into a more in-depth conversation about evolution and the microbiome, the impacts of industrialisation on the gut, and what inflammation really means for human health. Y...