The blueprint for your life starts much earlier than you realise - long before you took your first breath, before your heart beat its first beat, before your mum and dad even met. This is the story of the first 1,000 days of life. From conception to age 2, a window so powerful that scientists now believe it influences our future risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and even how our immune system reacts to the world.In this episode, the world’s leading expert on how childhood nutrition and metabolism shape our long-term health, Professor Lucilla Poston, explains how early nutrition may influence appetite, metabolism, and future disease risk. Lucilla and ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Dr Federica Amati, break down what science says about pregnancy, early feeding and the food children eat, and questions how lifelong health is shaped before a child even chooses their first meal.Lucilla offers practical guidance on what matters most and explains key nutrients to consider. They discuss why regular movement may help support healthy blood sugar levels. They also explain what a balanced diet can look like for parents and young children, why babies should try a wide range of whole foods, and why many packaged baby foods may contain far more sugar than parents expect.What small choices can you make today to help shape a healthier future for you, your children, and your children’s children?🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily 30Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOEFollow ZOE on Instagram.Timecodes📚Books by our ZOE ScientistsThe Food For Life CookbookEvery Body Should Know This by Dr Federica AmatiFood For Life by Prof. Tim SpectorFerment by Prof. Tim SpectorGood Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOEThe Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal OrchestraEating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprintLive Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & NutritionGut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast GuideMentioned in today's episodePaternal body mass index and offspring obesity, Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism (2023)Lifestyle intervention in obese pregnancy, Nature (2022)Exercise during pregnancy, BMJ (2026)The long-term impact of obesity in pregnancy on offspring hypothalamic feeding pathways, Royal Society Open Science (2025)Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.Episode transcripts are available here.