Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi

Professor Giles Yeo MBE has spent 30 years studying one of the most misunderstood questions in health: why some people feel hungrier, gain weight more easily and find it much harder to keep weight off than others.

He is Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge, where his research focuses on how our genes, hormones and brain control appetite and body weight. In 2026, he was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences for his internationally recognised work on the genetics and neuroscience of obesity.

And one of his central messages challenges the way many of us think about weight.
Two people can be faced with exactly the same food, but experience very different levels of hunger, fullness and reward. Your biology does not remove personal responsibility, but it can dramatically change how difficult the same decision feels.

In this episode, you will learn:
• Why your brain actively fights weight loss, increasing hunger and changing your metabolism when you lose weight
• Why two people can eat the same food but experience completely different levels of appetite and food noise
• What calories fail to tell you about food, and why protein, fibre and ultra-processed foods affect your body differently
• How Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs actually work, why weight often returns after stopping them, and the risks people need to understand
• Giles's simple 16:30:5 framework for eating enough protein and fibre to lose weight while reducing free sugar without obsessing over individual meals

Giles also speaks personally about his son's experience with obesity and GLP-1 medication, and admits that even after spending his career studying obesity, he still had to fight the human instinct to blame.

Follow Prof Giles Yeo:
⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/in/giles-yeo-2062969
⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gilesyeo/
⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/giles.yeo/⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #GilesYeo #Neuroscience #AppetiteScience #BrainHealth #WeightLoss #HungerHormones #NutritionScience #ObesityResearch #HealthPodcast #MetabolicHealth #FoodScience
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Sean is one of the most successful and influential artists in modern pop music.

His global hit “Down”, featuring Lil Wayne, reached No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first South Asian solo artist to top the chart. In 2026, the record was certified Diamond in the United States after surpassing 10 million units, making Jay the first South Asian artist to ever receive an RIAA Diamond certification.

But his journey began with a decision almost everyone around him thought was crazy.

Jay was studying medicine when he walked away from a safe career in front of him to pursue music.
Then, after finally becoming successful, he walked away again.

His record label wanted him to become an artist he did not recognise. Jay chose to leave, invested his own money into his music and expected another label to come calling.

Nobody did.
He remembers sitting alone in his car, crying, convinced he had ruined his career.
What happened next changed his life.
In this episode, Jay explains:
◼ Why he left medicine for an uncertain career in music, and how to know when to trust your own instinct over everyone else’s opinion
◼ Why he walked away from a major record deal at the height of his early success, and what his lowest moment taught him about life
◼ How he rebuilt independently, eventually signed in America and created the song that would take him to No.1
◼ Why fame, money and social media comparison can distort your definition of success, and how he now protects his peace
◼ What being bullied for his weight, decades of body image pressure and becoming a father taught him about health, happiness and what actually matters

Jay also speaks with remarkable honesty about fame.
He explains why making one of the biggest songs in the world could have become a psychological trap if every future achievement had to measure up to it, and why he eventually learned to stop chasing other people’s lives and focus on becoming a better version of himself.
And towards the end of the conversation, the definition of success changes completely.
Jay says that being a father is his favourite role, and that when his children look back, he would rather they remember that their dad was there than remember him as a great pop star.

This is not simply a conversation about becoming successful.

It is about having the courage to walk away when success no longer feels aligned with you.

FOLLOW JAY:
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuLaLS3QYnCWFT5hd3m2w3w
YouTube Music:
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UC5IMokurjvYCO1AWiCOskYg
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4pADjHPWyrlAF0FA7joK2H
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/jay-sean/23172423
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jaysean/
X:
https://twitter.com/jaysean
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/jayseanworldwide
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jaysean/

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #JaySean #BodyImage #MentalHealth #FitnessCulture #WellnessJourney #SelfLove #HealthyMindset #PersonalGrowth #MusicArtist
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Touker Suleyman is one of Britain’s best known entrepreneurs and investors, with more than 50 years of experience building, buying and transforming businesses.
But long before millions knew him from Dragons’ Den, Touker lost everything.

In his twenties, he was already chairman of two public companies, driving an Aston Martin and enjoying extraordinary early financial success.
Then one disastrous investment triggered a domino effect.
His businesses collapsed.
He lost his home.
And he had to start again.

In this conversation, Touker explains:
◼ Why early success can be dangerous, and the mistake that taught him the importance of due diligence
◼ How he rebuilt after losing everything and eventually created businesses employing thousands of people
◼ How he bought Hawes & Curtis for just £1, took on its debts and rebuilt the brand to be worth millions
◼ The negotiation principles he has used across more than 50 years in business
◼ Why entrepreneurs often ask for investment when what they actually need is better cash flow
◼ Why you do not need a completely original idea to build a successful company

Touker also explains why, after 10 years, he has decided to leave Dragons’ Den and what he wants the next chapter of his life to look like.
At 73, he is still launching companies, still chasing new challenges and still asking himself how far an idea can go.
His definition of success has changed too.
It is not simply about money.
It is about freedom, reputation, purpose, happiness and leaving something behind.
And after everything he has experienced, his advice remains remarkably simple:
Be honest. Work hard. Never give up.

Follow Touker:
⁠https://www.instagram.com/touker_suleyman⁠⁠
https://www.linkedin.com/in/touker-suleyman-a009a815/⁠
⁠https://twitter.com/toukersuleyman⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #Suleyman #DragonsDen #Entrepreneur #BusinessStrategy #Startup #FashionBusiness #RetailBusiness #Leadership #BuildingBrands #SerialEntrepreneur #BusinessMindset #Investing
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rose Ferguson is one of the UK’s leading functional medicine practitioners and has spent nearly two decades helping people understand why they can be doing everything they think is “healthy” and still feel tired, bloated, foggy or stressed.

Her message is surprisingly reassuring:
Health does not need to become another full time job.
In a world of supplements, glucose monitors, extreme fasting, restrictive diets, protein targets and endless wellness hacks, Rose believes many of us have forgotten the foundations that actually determine how we feel.

She explains:
◼ Why chronic stress can affect your energy, digestion, sleep and inflammation, and the simple ways she reduces it
◼ Why she recommends starting with a 12 hour overnight eating break rather than jumping into extreme fasting
◼ How to build meals around protein, fibre and healthy fats without obsessively counting everything
◼ What she really thinks about sugar, fruit, alcohol, keto, supplements and protein powders
◼ The simple daily habits she uses for better energy, including daylight, movement, breathwork, journaling and short walks

Rose also challenges the idea that getting older automatically means feeling worse.
After a career in modelling and years spent working with patients, she says that at 51 she feels better than she ever has.

Her final lesson is simple:
You do not need to transform your entire life overnight.

Small things make big changes.

Order Rose's best seller, The Reset:
⁠https://amzn.eu/d/016p9Qpf⁠

Follow Rose:
⁠https://www.instagram.com/rosemaryferguson_/⁠⁠
https://www.instagram.com/rhealthclub/⁠⁠
https://www.instagram.com/diorbeauty/⁠
⁠https://www.roseferguson.com/⁠

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #RoseFerguson #FunctionalMedicine #Nutrition #HolisticHealth #CareerChange #ImposterSyndrome #AlternativeMedicine #Wellness #PersonalGrowth #Naturopathy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Alexander Ong is a globally recognised personal development coach, international speaker and bestselling author who helps people rethink success, protect their energy and build lives that actually feel worth living.

But before speaking on the biggest stages around the world, Simon spent years working in finance, following the version of success he thought he was supposed to want.

Good university.
Good career.
Good salary.

Yet he would sit at work dreaming about escaping his own life.
Eventually, he realised that success on paper means very little if you feel disconnected from the person living it.

In this episode, Simon explains:
◼ How to recognise when discomfort has become genuine misalignment, and what to do next
◼ His SIN framework for changing your future through Skills, Inputs and Network
◼ How to stop letting fear, other people’s opinions and even your family determine your decisions
◼ The four forms of energy you need to protect: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual
◼ Why your partner, friendships and environment can dramatically influence the person you become

But this conversation becomes much deeper.
Simon lost his mother unexpectedly when he was only 17.

Her death changed the way he understood time and left him with two words that have shaped his life ever since:
Don’t wait.
Don’t wait until you feel ready.
Don’t wait for somebody else’s permission.

And don’t spend your life becoming successful according to somebody else’s definition.
Because, as Simon explains, ready is not a feeling.

It is a decision.

Follow Simon:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/
https://www.youtube.com/@simonalexandero
https://www.instagram.com/simonalexandero/
https://x.com/SimonAlexanderO
Home - Simon Alexander Ong

Buy Simon's book:
Book - Simon Alexander Ong

#ThrivingMinds #AlbertoZandi #SimonAlexander #PublicSpeaking #KeynoteSpeaker #Mindvalley #HappinessMindset #AuthorLife #PersonalDevelopment #SuccessTips #Entrepreneurship #SpeakingCareer #SelfImprovement #Fulfillment
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.