Rich Roll: How to transform your health in midlife

Midlife is often seen as a point of no return for health, but it could be the ideal moment to make radical change. And there's no better place to kickstart this than inside your gut. New research suggests your gut microbiome holds the key to aging well, protecting you from chronic disease, and even reversing some of the damage from years of poor diet and stress.

Few people understand this better than Rich Roll, who went from an overweight, junk-food-addicted workaholic to one of the world’s fittest men - all after the age of 40. Now a plant-fueled ultramarathoner and bestselling author, Rich shares the wake-up call that forced him to transform his life.

He’s joined by Professor Tim Spector, one of the world’s top 100 most cited scientists and professor of epidemiology at King’s College London, who explains why gut health becomes even more important as we age and how small changes to diet, movement, and daily habits can have an outsized impact later in life.

Timecodes
00:00 A life-changing health transformation
00:38 Overweight, exhausted, and stuck at 40
01:16 How ultra-processed food harms your body
03:18 The biggest myth about changing your health
05:10 From addiction to peak performance
08:40 What happens to the body on a fast food diet
10:26 Unexpected benefits of a plant-based diet
15:30 How gut microbes control more than you think
21:19 Gut health, mood, and mental clarity—what’s the link?
25:00 Does exercise improve your gut microbiome?
27:55 How movement increases your healthspan
30:12 Do elite athletes have better gut health?
32:45 Fueling extreme endurance without meat
36:00 Tim’s #1 food for gut health
39:05 How to make small changes that actually stick
41:30 Why motivation is overrated—just start
45:00 The mindset shift that makes exercise easier
48:20 It’s never too late to take control of your health

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Mentioned in today's episode

[johnspringer]

Rich Roll got me to go Whole Food Plant Based Diet seven years ago, and I am eighty-one years old. A LIFE CHANGE Rich Roll, also seven years ago, got me into daily meditation, and I have not missed a day in seven years. Diligence is the Key as it is to the sobriety journey.

[yol]

Rich Roll is my mentor! 💯 Thank you Zoe for bringing him on the podcast! 🙌

[KevinM]

Three things that changed my life:
1.started watching health videos
2. read Health Secrets Industry Hides by Heather Collins
3.stopped eating excess sugar

[charlottehodgson]

We went Whole Food Plant Based 17 years ago and we have never looked back. We will be 74 this year and are slim, fit and healthy. WFPB the way to go! I also meditate on a daily basis as well as do cardio and strength training alongside fast age is not a barrier to good health!

[skippy]

Just wanted to clarify that kefir doesn’t have to be made from dairy milk! While traditional kefir is made using cow, goat, or sheep milk, there are plenty of non-dairy alternatives available. You can make kefir with coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, or even water (known as water kefir). The key ingredient is the kefir grains, which contain a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) that ferment the liquid. So, if you're lactose intolerant or vegan, you can still enjoy the probiotic benefits of kefir by using non-dairy bases. Always check the label or recipe to ensure it fits your dietary needs!

[JONDOWNES]

Hi Me and my wife have followed Zoe advice for a year now and educating ourselves has been a lifesaver. We are both in our 50’s and feel fantastic. Thank you Jonathan and Tim your a pair of legends 😊

[jamespetrarca]

It' was great to hear Rich Roll's story. He's an amazing athlete and a cornerstone of the plant-based movement. I'm 76, WFPB since Nov. '18, healthy and trim. Last year, I bicycled 12, 150 miles on 318 days on the bike. After my annual physical, my doctor jokingly called my health assessment "boring". Nothing interesting like diabetes, heart disease, high BP, pervasive pain, etc. But that's typical for those of us adhering to a plant-based diet and lifestyle.

[kpt]

In the end we are all different and have to find what is best for us by ourselves. I was vegan for 4 years in my early 20's. Pretty fast I got allergic to all soy products and most of the nuts and seeds. Alltough I followed a very clean and healthy diet (I cooked my food, no ultra processed products, very aware of my protein intake etc.) I felt tired and sluggish and was always a bit underweight. Then due to something that happened I ended up eating some meat and felt immidiately better. After that I added oily fish and organic eggs into my daily diet and I felt like I got my life back. My thinking got clear, my weight normalized and I felt like I got more stregth. I am almost 50 now and been eating vegetarian+fish+eggs for about 25 years now. I walk daily and practice Ashtanga yoga minimum every second day, weigh the same I weighed in High School (before becoming vegan: 167cm tall/about 54kg), blood pressure around 56/98 and feel just as good as when I was young. I am telling this only to remind people that there is not one right diet for everyone. Carnivore can work for some, vegan diet for some and all the rest of us we are somewhere in the middle. Just have to find what suits your body and life style the best!

[laughinggnome]

"Mood follows action!"
I'm using this mantra from now on! Rich Roll has been a massive inspiration in my life. Thank you for this podcast x

[cchoi]

I listen to ZOE podcast every single evening when I drive home. It is always packed with easy to understand health info and full of good advice, and tips for healthy ( healthier ) lifestyle are really doable.

[dg]

Thank you Rich. "Your cravings are your teacher". I will pondering this for a long time.

[davegan]

Simon Hill, mentioned in the podcast is excellent.

[Ava]

I am 1 year away from midlife (assuming I die at 150), I need to eat more salads, thanks!

[KST]

What an incredible athlete. It’s mind blowing those feats of physical activity & endurance & resilience & accomplishments. Even more so considering his awful starting points & previous addictions. Shows character & wisdom & mental strength that deserves attention and credit. 👏

[xb]

Thanks. I love that you are now considering giving up fermented diary. Use fermented soy beans or other nuts or beans instead. It is very easy to ferment your own soy milk. You just soak some plants for several days until you see some white stuff appear upon the surface. Then you add that white stuff to your soy milk. Overnight you get your fermented soy milk. God bless!

[aliesblokland]

Hi, i love Zoe' talks and whisdom.
Only two tips for your next conversations, namely the visual aspect:
Too much black in the set, and more close ups with the person that actualy is talking.
Thank you.
Alies

[brentshuffler]

One of the simplest tips is this: whenever you feel hungry or thirsty, assume dehydration and get something liquid rather than eating right away. The most important thing to put in your body (70% water) is WATER. Not manufactured products or artificial flavours. Preferably, HOT or WARM, never cold. Cold restricts circulation and adversely affects all of your health-indicators and organ-functions. So simple as that: drink before/instead of (impulsive or mindless) eating (not during or afterward) for optimal digestion and to reduce stress; above all, save money and health by drinking PURE WATER.

[timothykowalewski]

First time listening to Rich Roll interviewed and not interviewing. Was fun

[hugomarquez]

We are vegan for ethical reasons Tim, it’s more than a diet, it’s a philosophy that encompasses the diet. It also happens to be super healthy, but that’s just a bonus.

[chuckkolb]

So illuminating. I am 81 finding my health span matches my life span. Still, I enjoy kefir, yogurt, limited cheese, eggs, limited fish and chicken, very limited red meat. And I do exercise regularly - aerobic, resistance, HIIT. And alcohol, wine and occasional bourbon but on the way to curtailing this intake but not eliminating it. Yet total plant based diet is the best choice without alcohol and highly processed food even though it may be plant based.