How to eat sugar without gaining weight (crush your cravings and end energy crashes) | Prof Tim Spector & Prof Sarah Berry

How can you enjoy sugar without gaining weight, fuelling cravings or crashing later in the day? The answer, surprisingly, is not to cut it out.

In today’s episode, Professor Tim Spector and Professor Sarah Berry discuss which forms of sugar affect your blood sugar levels most, and what small changes you can make today to reduce the impact. They also explore how sharp blood sugar spikes and dips may affect hunger, energy, inflammation and long-term health.

By the end of the episode, you’ll know how to spot hidden sugars, how to avoid the afternoon slump and energy crashes, and, most importantly, how to enjoy cake with less impact on your blood sugar.

Sugar is not the enemy. But could a few small changes help you enjoy sweet foods without the cycle of cravings, hunger and energy crashes?

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Timecodes

00:00 Intro

03:28 If fruit is full of sugar, why is it good for us?

08:30 What really happens after you drink a sugary drink?

12:46 Why sugar leaves you hungry a few hours later

16:15 The blood sugar dip that makes you eat 320 extra calories

19:19 The surprising link between sugar and inflammation

22:00 Can blood sugar affect your brain health?

25:25 What the science really says about sugar and cancer

29:25 We've been blaming sugar for the wrong things

31:45 The 2 types of sugar most people confuse

32:35 The hidden sugars lurking in everyday foods

35:32 Why energy drinks may be worse than you think

38:51 Why orange juice may not be as healthy as you think

40:10 Why fruit and fruit juice are not the same thing

43:53 Why some smoothies behave like sugary drinks

45:03 Should you quit sugar completely?

46:46 Are sweeteners helping or keeping you hooked?

49:55 Is honey actually healthier than sugar?

51:40 3 everyday foods with surprisingly high sugar

52:27 How to enjoy cake without the blood sugar crash

55:01 The 10-minute habit that lowers your glucose response

57:15 Why energy drinks may be making your slump worse

58:32 The biggest sugar traps to watch out for

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook (amzn.to/4amfIMX)

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati (amzn.to/4blJsLg)

The Appetite Reset by Dr Federica Amati (amzn.to/4aBakbR)

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector (amzn.to/4amZinu)

Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector (amzn.to/4hU1Df5)

Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector (amzn.to/4l9oXat)

Free resources from ZOE

The Smart Snacking Guide: How to feed your gut, fuel your day, and snack without guilt (zoe.com/snacking-2026?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&a…)

The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra (zoe.com/hertility?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&u…)

Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint (zoe.com/brainhealth?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&…)

How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health (zoe.com/2026?utm_medium=zoe_podcast&utm_so…)

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition (zoe.com/freeguide?utm_medium=podcast&utm_s…)

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks (zoe.com/gutguide?utm_medium=podcast&utm_so…)

Better Breakfast Guide (zoe.com/breakfastguide?utm_medium=podcast&…)

Mentioned in today's episode

Dietary Sugar Intake Associated with a Higher Risk of Dementia (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10921393), Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (2024)

Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Mortality (ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.118…), AHA (2019)

A Twin Study of Acne in Women (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12485434), Journal of Investigative Dermatology (2002)

Bananas and weight loss: What does the science say? (zoe.com/learn/bananas-and-weight-loss?)

Food Order and Impact on Glucose and Insulin Levels (diabetesjournals.org/care/article/38/7/e98/309…), Diabetes Care (2015)

Here are 4 ways to help manage your blood sugar (zoe.com/learn/4-ways-to-manage-your-blood-sugar)

Whole Fruits Versus 100% Fruit Juice (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12398644), BNF (2025)

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us knowhere (gf6hx47iu5g.typeform.com/topicsuggestion).

Episode transcripts are available here (zoe.com/learn/category/podcasts).