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The Proof with Simon Hill

Live better for longertheproof.com
The Proof Podcast is a space for science-based conversation. Together with his guests, Simon Hill, a qualified physiotherapist and nutritionist, explores the health and longevity benefits that come with mastering physical exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, recovery, sleep, and alignment. Facts, nuance and trustworthy recommendations minus the hyperbole. All the proof you need to live better for longer.
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Episodes

The Surgeon Defending Statins, GLP-1s, and Ancel Keys | Dr Terry Simpson

In this episode, I sit down with bariatric surgeon and science communicator Dr Terry Simpson for a wide-ranging conversation about health misinformation, GLP-1 medications, statins, ApoB, the Mediterranean diet, and the loud contrarians who dominate social media. Terry has familial hypercholesterolemia, a family history of premature cardiovascular disease, and lost 50 pounds on tirzepatide, all of which give him unusual personal stakes in these debates. What we cover: How to think about uncertai...

Jun 01, 20261 hr 43 min

Has Optimisation Culture Gone Too Far? | Sarah Ann Macklin

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Ann Macklin to explore the hidden psychological costs of modern wellness culture and why pursuing health can sometimes leave us feeling more anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected. Sarah shares insights from her new book, Healthy Shouldn’t Be This Hard, as we unpack self-compassion, perfectionism, body image, mindset, and the pressure to constantly optimise every aspect of our lives. What We Cover Why wellness culture can become emotionally exhausting The dif...

May 28, 20261 hr 11 min

What the Headlines Get Wrong About the Future of Meat | Bruce Friedrich

Six years on from our first conversation, global meat consumption is at a record high, and the harms of industrial animal agriculture have only deepened. Bruce Friedrich, founder of the Good Food Institute, is back on the podcast to argue that the answer is not asking people to eat less, but rebuilding meat itself from the ground up. Bruce is the author of the new book Meat: How the Next Agricultural Revolution Will Transform Humanity's Favorite Food and Our Future , and one of the most thoughtf...

May 26, 20261 hr 48 min

Improving cholesterol and blood pressure with diet | A Masterclass

Cardiovascular disease is the world's leading killer, and yet the prevention conversation has become noisier and more confused than ever. In this Masterclass I bring together the evidence-first material I think is most useful for understanding cholesterol, blood pressure, and long-term heart health. You will hear from Dr Walter Willett at Harvard, cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein, and nephrologist Dr Raymond Townsend, alongside my own deep dives on plaque regression, the Portfolio Diet...

May 18, 20261 hr 57 min

The Peptides Quietly Accelerating Aging | Dr Valter Longo

The peptide and GLP-1 conversation has reached a fever pitch. Growth-hormone-releasing peptides are being marketed as longevity tools, GLP-1s are being treated as a default rather than a last resort, and a wellness aesthetic of higher IGF-1, more muscle, and less fat is being sold as the route to a longer life. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology at USC and Director of the USC Longevity Institute, to look at what the data actually says. Valter developed the...

May 11, 20261 hr 48 min

The Diet That Lowers Cholesterol Like a Statin | Dr Andrea Glenn

Plant-based nutrition has rarely been more contested. Seed oils are vilified, butter is celebrated, protein is treated as a pure quantity question, and nutrition epidemiology is routinely dismissed by people who have never read one of its papers. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Andrea Glenn, an Assistant Professor at NYU and Visiting Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to look at what the strongest evidence actually shows. We cover the recent plant-versus-animal prote...

May 04, 20261 hr 35 min

Food Labels, Fibre, and Ultra-Processed Foods: What Really Matters | Rhiannon Lambert

Ultra-processed foods are now the central nutrition conversation of the decade, but the gap between the marketing and the evidence has never been wider. In this episode, I sit down with registered nutritionist and Sunday Times bestselling author Rhiannon Lambert to bring some practical clarity to what the science actually says. We get into how the NOVA system can be too blunt to be useful, why calorie counts on packets are often 30 to 40 per cent inaccurate, what the most recent UPF and cancer d...

Apr 28, 202659 min

The Peptide Lie: What a Drug Developer Reveals About the Compounds Everyone Is Injecting | Dr Leigh Baxt

Peptides are being marketed as solutions for everything from injury recovery to longevity, but what does the science actually say? In this episode, Dr Leigh Baxt joins me to break down what peptides are, how drug development really works, and why so many of the claims circulating online are running far ahead of the evidence. We explore the difference between approved peptide medicines and unregulated products sold online, why anecdotes are not enough, and what people should understand before put...

Apr 21, 202646 min

Preventing and reversing osteoporosis | Dr Belinda Beck

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Belinda Beck to challenge long-held beliefs about osteoporosis and bone health. We break down what actually works, what doesn’t, and why many people are being given outdated advice. We explore the science of bone adaptation, the importance of heavy resistance training, and how to think about prevention and treatment across the lifespan. What We Cover Why walking is not enough for bone health How heavy lifting changes bone strength What DEXA scans can and cannot ...

Apr 13, 20261 hr 24 min

New microbiome science | Dr Tim Spector

In this episode, I return to a conversation I promised to continue - sitting back down with Prof Tim Spector, MD, to explore everything that has changed in microbiome science since Episode 224. Tim and the ZOE team have now published a landmark Nature paper with 34,000 microbiome samples, run a clinical trial comparing personalized nutrition against government guidelines, and Tim has published a book on fermentation science. We cover why most probiotics are scientifically obsolete, a practical r...

Apr 06, 20261 hr 26 min

Food and weight loss | Dr Kevin Hall

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Kevin Hall from the NIH to unpack the science behind ultra-processed foods, energy balance, and the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines. We explore what controlled feeding studies reveal about why people tend to eat more calories on ultra-processed diets, and whether it’s the foods themselves or the broader environment driving these effects. What We Cover Key takeaways from the new U.S. Dietary Guidelines What ultra-processed foods actually mean in research vs policy Wh...

Mar 30, 20261 hr 56 min

The exercise that builds strong bones and better balance | Dr Lora Giangregorio

In this episode, I speak with Dr Lora Giangregorio about how to train for stronger bones, better balance, and long-term independence. We break down what actually matters when it comes to preventing fractures and improving bone health. We explore the role of resistance, balance, and impact training, and how to apply these in a practical, sustainable way. What We Cover Why starting where you are matters more than following a perfect plan How balance, strength, and impact training work together Wha...

Mar 23, 20262 hr 37 min

The dietary guidelines great debate | Dr Christoper Gardner and Dr Ty Beal

In this episode, I’m joined by Christopher Gardner and Ty Beal to break down the science and debate behind the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines. We explore ultra-processed foods, protein recommendations, plant-based alternatives, and how nutrition evidence is interpreted when shaping national dietary advice. Despite disagreements on specific points, this conversation highlights how much common ground exists when scientists engage in open, constructive dialogue. What We Cover Why the Dietary Guidel...

Mar 16, 20262 hr 51 min

The sleep habit that quietly raises your risk of heart disease | Dr Kristen Knutson

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Kristen Knutson to unpack circadian health and how timing influences our metabolism, cardiovascular health, and sleep quality. We discuss the role of morning light, meal timing, exercise, and regularity, and why modern lifestyles often push our biology out of sync. Dr Knutson also clarifies common misconceptions about melatonin, wearable sleep trackers, and what to do if you wake up in the middle of the night and struggle to fall back asleep. What We Cover What ...

Mar 09, 20261 hr 25 min

The Science of Exercise for Women 40+: What to Prioritise (And What to Ignore) | Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple and Dr Alyssa Olenick

Dr Lauren Colenso-Semple and Dr Alyssa Olenick join me to answer a question I hear constantly from women in midlife: “Why am I putting in so much effort, but not seeing the results?” We break down what matters most for strength, body composition, and long term health, and what is simply noise. You’ll come away with a clear framework for resistance training, a realistic view of cardio, and a calmer approach to progress that does not rely on fear, perfection, or menopause specific gimmicks. What W...

Mar 02, 20262 hr 59 min

Building muscle for longevity | Dr Brad Schoenfeld and Alan Aragon

Dr Brad Schoenfeld and Alan Aragon join me to explore protein requirements, recomposition, and how to structure resistance training for long-term strength and muscle retention. We discuss calorie deficits, effort, failure, recovery, and the training variables that matter most for healthy ageing. What We Cover Protein targets in and out of a calorie deficit Recomp versus surplus for muscle growth Effort, failure, and rep range myths Recovery, soreness, and cold exposure Cardio, interference, and ...

Feb 23, 20263 hr 30 min

The good and the bad of the new US dietary guidelines | Dr David Katz

The 2025 US Dietary Guidelines are out, and they’ve sparked debate across the nutrition world. In this episode, I sit down with Dr David Katz to examine where the new recommendations align with science and where they diverge from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s evidence review. We discuss the increased emphasis on meat and protein, contradictions around saturated fat and full-fat dairy, the controversy around seed oils, and what everyday people should actually focus on. What We Cover...

Feb 16, 20261 hr 31 min

Reversing atherosclerosis with diet | Simon Hill, Msc

Can diet really reverse atherosclerosis, or is that an overpromise? Since sharing my own coronary CT angiogram results, this question has come up almost daily. In this episode, I revisit the best clinical trials to see what the evidence actually says. I break down six randomised controlled trials and explain how different dietary patterns influence plaque progression, plaque stability, and cardiovascular events. What we cover What atherosclerosis is and how it develops over time The tools used t...

Feb 10, 202654 min

How body fat affects your metabolic health and risk of metabolic disease | Dr Robert Eckel

I’m joined by Dr Robert Eckel to unpack why obesity is far more complex than a BMI number and why insulin resistance plays such a central role in cardiometabolic disease. We discuss preclinical versus clinical obesity, fat distribution, metabolic risk, and what actually improves health outcomes beyond weight loss alone. What We Cover Why BMI is only a starting point Preclinical versus clinical obesity explained Why visceral fat matters more than total fat How insulin resistance develops with exc...

Feb 02, 20261 hr 53 min

The science of fertility: Hormones, inflammation, and what you can control | Dr Natalie Crawford

Fertility is not just about timing ovulation. In this episode, Dr Natalie Crawford explains how sleep, stress, insulin resistance, diet, toxins, supplements, and lifestyle choices influence egg and sperm quality, miscarriage risk, and fertility outcomes. We cover fertility myths, evidence-based nutrition, supplements that matter, and when medical treatments like IVF or egg freezing make sense. What We Cover Sleep, inflammation, and hormone signalling Insulin resistance and reproductive health St...

Jan 26, 20263 hr 7 min

Why some people gain weight eating the same food | Dr Karen Corbin

Could your gut microbiome influence how many calories you absorb from the same food? Karen Corbin explains the science behind energy absorption, faecal calorie loss, and why feeding your microbes may support metabolic health. We also cover practical diet upgrades, the reality on probiotics, and where microbiome research is heading next, including metabolite signatures and gut–brain links. What We Cover How the microbiome may change calorie absorption and energy balance Why fibre and resistant st...

Jan 19, 20261 hr 43 min

Protein, increasing bone mineral density, saturated fat and more reflections | Drew Harrisberg

In this episode, Drew Harrisberg and I go deep on life beyond macros and metrics. We talk about gratitude, regret, ageing, and how constant optimisation can quietly pull us away from what actually matters. We also cover living with type 1 diabetes, health tech, social sport, future wellness trends, and why simplicity, connection, and play may be the real foundations of long-term wellbeing. What We Cover Optimisation culture versus presence and joy Regret, legacy, and end-of-life reflections Heal...

Jan 12, 20262 hr 16 min

Protein amount, quality and timing | Dr Luc van Loon

I sit down with Dr Luc van Loon to unpack what really happens to protein in the body, from digestion to muscle and organ tissue. We explore why muscle protein synthesis is often misunderstood, how inactivity drives muscle loss, and what the research actually says about protein needs across the lifespan. What We Cover Ice baths and their impact on muscle adaptation Protein absorption, muscle protein synthesis, and common myths Anabolic resistance and the role of physical activity Protein needs in...

Jan 05, 20261 hr 48 min

Evidence-Based Strategies for Heart Health and Longevity | Highlights of 2025 (Part 2)

In Part 2 of Highlights of 2025 , I revisit some of the most important conversations from the year on The Proof , covering cardiovascular prevention, blood pressure, cholesterol, nutrition, sustainability, and performance. Featuring insights from Dr Laurence Sperling, Dr Thomas Dayspring, Dr Dan Soffer, Dr Raymond Townsend, Dr Hannah Ritchie, Dr Iñigo San Millán, and Dr Dawn Mussallem, this episode focuses on evidence-based strategies for reducing long-term risk and improving healthspan. What we...

Dec 29, 20252 hr 16 min

What the Science Really Says About Nutrition | Highlights of 2025 (Part 1)

Welcome to Part 1 of our Highlights of 2025 series, where I revisit the most important conversations from the year on The Proof , spanning nutrition science, misinformation, and long-term health. This episode features highlights from Dr Matthew Nagra, Dr Rupy Aujla, Drew Harrisberg, Dr Steven Novella, Dr Bill Harris, Dr David Katz, Doug Evans, Dr Suzanne Devkota, Dr Jessica Knurick, and Dr Walter Willett, covering protein quality, dietary fats, gut health, diet quality, and public health. What w...

Dec 25, 20252 hr 36 min

Science-based nutrition to prevent a heart attack | Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD

In this episode, I’m joined by cardiac dietitian Michelle Routhenstein to unpack why heart disease prevention is still so misunderstood. We explore cholesterol confusion, blood pressure, saturated fat, carbs, supplements, and why personalised nutrition matters far more than rigid dietary rules. Michelle explains how food choices influence plaque progression, inflammation, gut health, and heart rhythm, and why sustainable habits, not extremes, are key for long-term cardiovascular health. What We ...

Dec 22, 20252 hr 16 min

How to build a healthy gut using the latest microbiome science | Dr Suzanne Devkota

In this episode I sit down again with microbiome researcher Dr Suzanne Devkota to explore what a healthy microbiome really is and how we can support it. We unpack diversity, early life programming, fibre and microbiota accessible carbohydrates (MACs), plus the genuine role of probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics. Suzanne also shares cutting edge research on short chain fatty acids, Akkermansia, inflammatory bowel disease, visceral fat and colon cancer, and helps separate solid science from the...

Dec 15, 20251 hr 37 min

Why chasing happiness makes you miserable (and how to choose better values) | Mark Manson

In this episode I am joined by Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F ck*, to talk about why so many of us build our lives around “shitty values” and what it takes to change. We discuss regret, shame and the stories we tell ourselves, and how taking responsibility without blaming yourself can transform the way you move through the world. Mark shares his counterintuitive values framework, why you actually need failure, uncertainty and rejection, and how contemplating your own mor...

Dec 08, 20251 hr 29 min

Food Truths from the world's top nutrition scientist | Walter Willett, PhD

Dr Walter Willett has spent more than fifty years at the forefront of nutrition research, leading landmark studies that have shaped how we think about fat, carbohydrates, protein and chronic disease. In this episode, he joins me to untangle decades of confusion around saturated fat, seed oils, dairy, eggs, plant protein and more, and to explain what a truly healthy dietary pattern looks like when you consider both human health and planetary health. We explore how evidence from long term cohorts,...

Dec 01, 20252 hr 2 min

RFK Jr, MAHA, and the fight for America’s diet - What’s really going on | Dr Jessica Knurick

Dr Jessica Knurick joins me to examine the systems influencing America’s health. We discuss the gap between individual choices and public health realities, the rise of MAHA, and why many proposed solutions fail to address the real drivers of chronic disease. Jessica breaks down regulation, subsidies and the role of corporations, the truth about food dyes and additives, and why SNAP remains essential for reducing food insecurity and improving health outcomes. What We Cover Jessica’s path into pub...

Nov 24, 20251 hr 46 min
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