I tried to stop eating ultra-processed foods for a whole month... and I failed... badly! TikTok / gavin.wren Instagram / gavin.wren Facebook / gavinwrenfoodnews
I'm 7 weeks in with no ultra processed food now, and never felt better! I am so nutritionally satisfied from all the wholefoods that I eat, that I do not crave high sugar, high fats or junk foods anymore. Ultra processed foods was another addiction I have beaten (after quitting smoking and alcohol). If you want ice cream - I recommend booja booja brand, as there is minimal ingredients and processing and tastes amazing - no gums or rubbish in them. It is a lifestyle for me now and I intend to keep going. My body is definitely grateful, and i do not get ill. You can't put a price on health! Bring your own healthy packed lunch with you. Make your own chilli sauce. There's a way around all of it - if you care about yourself enough. I think you sound quite addicted to UPF still Gavin - oreos, crisps etc. That's where it catches people out, and creates so much disease! We don't need UPF EVER!!
The issues you described with social life I think says more about how f*ed up our society is rather than how restrictive your diet is. Pretty crazy how we're bombarded with unhealthy food. I think the key however to any diet is not to be anal about it, allow yourself some slack now and again, especially in social occasions. If I'm invited to a wedding, I'ma eat whatever is served. If I'm invited to a family dinner, I'ma eat whatever is served. But for the majority of time when at home or at work, I'll try to avoid UPF.
African traditional palm oil is deep red and quite strongly flavoured. The palm oil used in your peanut butter and in most foods is bleached, de-odourised and has the flavour refined out of it. It is certainly ultra processed.
Exactly. I am French Congolese and on my last trip to Congo we made palm oil with my mum from organi. palm nuts. It's absolutely not the same that is used in ultra processed food. Just like any oil used in ultra processed is also ultra processed.
100%. I live in Costa Rica where there are is an insane amount of African Palm plantation going on and factories where they process them. Even just the refining process makes it ultra processed. While this guy in the video is engaging and seems like a cool content creator, he definitely doesn't have some of his facts straight.
@@Prodigious1OneOrganically grown is wonderful, but the key is that it should be real, unadulterated peanut butter. No added oils, sweeteners, emulsifiers, or flavors. I buy Costco brand organic peanut butter made from only peanuts and salt. It tastes so much better than the mainstream grocery brands that include highly refined palm oil, sweeteners, and other cheap ingredients meant to increase shelf life.
The way you talked about how you felt eating ultra processed food at the end of this, spoke to me clearly of addiction, so did the endless reasons why you shouldn't give up UPS.
So difficult. I can’t eat ultra processed foods. I get very sick. I have food sensitivity to the additives and stabilizers preservatives. I make everything from scratch. I make homemade protein shakes, my own sauces, my own breads etc whole grains. As for snacks I make them from scratch. It’s so much work though. To make sure I keep it healthy get my nutrients. I learned fast. I’ve never felt this healthy in my life. My gut inflammation is gone etc. everyone understands this. They are so lovely, my friends to have gatherings with fruits and veggies and we all bring something. I don’t have to eat the ultra processed foods and with everyone seemingly having an allergy to something we all understand each other.
I hear you. My husband and I cannot eat them either. I am always looking for new recipes that can be quickly made. I am getting to the point of what do I make today? Any tips, tricks, recipes would be appreciated!
It's easy: stick to things that have only 1 ingredient, but no isolates like sugars and oils (you can throw them together obviously for a meal) I consider whole grain pasta to be healthy, but you should have them split up in to maximum 2 meals a day. Other than that I eat oats, nuts and vegetables. Only drink water, coffee, and tea without additives. If you're vegan have your vit.B12 and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (like algae oil), maybe vit.D if you're a nightshift worker or not out in the sun much, and you're good. I'm 40 years old, athletic, everyone thinks I'm much younger. Take good care of your bodies folks 💟🌌☮️
Same with me, but I came to this conclusion.....never trusted the foods North Americans were advised to eat from back in the 60's and 70's, and don't believe that it is a food sensitivity, but rather, you listening to your body's Alert signals, and choosing to eliminate whatever causes problems, and not ignoring, covering up, or managing those problems with synthetic or unnatural remedies. Just a gut instinct thought.....
To be honest with you this video seems like it was made by someone who is receiving money from Big Food. I don't think you are impartial. I suspect you have undeclared interests and would like a clearer explanation of what a food policy expert is - who employs you Gavin?
I'd recommend you watch the Mickelson brothers by Dan Olson. It's not about this video but it serves as a really good logical deconstructed of how money actually flows through society. In that these opinion, agenda, based gifts exist, however the only ones earning any money are the ones exploiting people who fall for the trap of trying to promote biased content. We live in capitalism. All the money goes into paying off politicians and trapping wealth from the populus in stocks. And those politicians will try convince you to look at your fellow neighbours because it takes the eyes off of their shady dealings, market manipulations, insider trading etc etc. The money moves above us, it doesn't move down to us. And for the record I hate Marx. Out and out champagne drinker
Absolutely. People who are overweight are really at a disadvantage with advice like this from food "experts" who seem to be working with Big Food brands. The idea that portion control is confusing and achievable only ignores the fact that all experts know the primary goal of all UPF companies is to encourage you to overeat.
I switched to a whole foods diet. After about 2 months of clean eating, one day I realized I felt so much better than before, but it was gradual so I didn’t notice the day to day improvements. I could have a few too many craft brews and still feel great the next day. But 3 slices of pizza would give me a hangover lol. And that’s the best way I can describe it, waking up from a 24/7 hangover. But again it took a while, 2-3 months of 100% adherence. I grew to love whole foods. So much more flavor than processed food which relies on salt sugar and msg to be palatable. But main point is, it takes a while, more than 1 month (at least in my case) to realize the benefits.
Saying 100% adherence might be misleading. I use store bought mustard and soy sauce, but make my own honey mustard vinaigrette and teriyaki sauce, as an example. Reducing the amount of processed ingredients, but within reason.
I stick to the definition the author of the book "Ultra processed People" Chris van Tulleken uses to decide if a food is ultra processed or not: if it's wrapped in plastic and has ingredients you won't find in a domestic kitchen it's probably ultra processed. I largely eat very little UPFs and try to avoid them as much as possible, but I'm with you on the ice cream- life is too short to cut that out on a nice Summer's day. The best I can do about eating out is choose the best option on the menu and don't worry if it has the odd ingredient. Also like you I'm not going to quiz my friends about what's in a meal they put in front of me. I don't eat out much though and I actually love nonUPF healthy food so it's not a huge struggle. Oh and that kefir is very nice, I have a bottle of it in my fridge 🙂
I am currently listening to the audiobook of "Ultra Processed People," and it's wonderful. At the start, I went food shopping and felt confused as I read labels of things I'd ordinarily buy. But as I got to the checkout, I looked down and realized it was just all the things I used to normally buy years ago - ingredients to cook at home. 😊
Avoiding UPFs is something that needs lots of planning. In my experience you have cook everything from scratch. I would say my diet is 90% UPF free. If I want a bag of crisps or chocolate, I'll have it. Don't make it a chore, make it a challenge or lifestyle choice. If you're an athlete stick to your protein shakes or you'll have to eat continuously all day, and meal prep the rest.
My wife and I never eat processed foods and it isn't a struggle. We are both normal weights, exercise every day and look much younger than we really are as well as being med free in our late fifties. Nothing tastes as good as being fit and healthy feels.
"I became quite obsessive about reading the ingredients lists on boxes; that's not healthy" 1) it's always good to read the contract. What do you do instead? look at the pictures and words like ""endurance ", athletic": "boost" and "performance"? ( "healthy" "green" friendly" and "natural" are no better.) 2) you don't need to read them every time, you learn which products are reasonable and which are untenable 3) when the NHS is flooded with Type II diabetes sufferers you.wont be able to get treatment 4) when you get older or pick up a long term injury you'll have difficulty switching diet.
I agree with most commentors here: lots of excuses. It's the habit of usingultra processed foods for convenience and addiction. It's extremely easy to avoid ultra processed foods when socialising; it's not more expensive. you can make your own chili sauce too , etc. calories and protein- I am not even going to comment, just made me lagh. Clearly no understanding of nutrition
Oh and regarding beer- you just need to drink German beers! because of the Reinheitsgebot -purity laws, beers from Germany may only use water, hops and barley...and that's it. I think most beers are made up of similar simple ingredients so not ultraprocessed. Guinness my own favourite (I'm Irish) is just water, malted barley, hops and yeast.
UT ultra processed food is not just about the list of ingredients, it is also about what has been done to those ingredients. When you look at malted barley and a beer you can easily see that heavy processing has been done to get from one point to the other. Drinking alcohol beverage enter the category of processed food. Plus, the alcohol content itself is the cause of so many issues. 6 glass of organic wine will not change the fact that I'll get drunk and not be able to drive.
@@heredianna2496 Yes but processed is not necessarily bad. Olive oil is processed. It's UPFs that is the problem. Of course alcohol in excess can cause problems, but moderate wine and double fermented beer have lots of clinical studies proving some health giving properties for the heart and gut health. When I drink it's one glass or a pint and that's it, not 6. I would never encourage anyone to drink to excess.
I am currently trying to limit eating UPFs and it is incredibly difficult. I wish I found this video beforehand, for a warning. I have started to make snack foods and thats been helpful. Im not nearly as active as this guy, so exercise related foods is an issue Id never considered.
this is a little bit damaging I think .. I make my own yoghurt and mayo and granola (cos it costs £4 and lasts like a week) and feel so much better for it physically. I have gut issues and I wish I knew about cutting this crap out so much sooner. I don't think it's so hard making the switch when the grocery store bought foods make you sick - it's motivation enough for me! I better invest 30 mins to make my own yoghurt every week than pay for medication later when I'm ill
I agree it’s near nigh impossible to avoid upf entirely from your diet, particularly if you have a good social life! I started nearly a year ago to eradicate upf and found I became obsessed with looking up ingredients on everything I bought. I think I became a food snob and I know my friends were weary with me …..soooooo, I’m now trying to find the balance and just limit upf as much as I can but not let it become the be all and end all of my existence.
Find an eatactiv restaurant- there are 3 in London. I tried them yesterday on deliveroo. The food is amazing and nothing UFP. The more of these companies we support the more we can all start to feel better.
So glad you mentioned that you keep getting ill. Me too, it’s honestly the worst. In particular it’s getting in the way of trying to hit my fitness goals :(
Homemade granola and oats are my go-to carby breakfast choices. Sometimes I’ll have Dave’s seed bread for avocado toast or egg sandwich (not a perfect food item, but I add greens from the garden, tomato, and home grown sprouts. Plain yogurt and plain cottage cheese are the dairy I reach for. I do love oat milk when I make it. Often I have cow’s milk and a minimally-offensive almond milk on hand. We eat a lot of salads with everything thrown on top - chicken, salmon, beans, nuts, seeds, fruit - whatever I have.
I've been buying Dave's bread also, but discovered that the amount of sugar in each slice is very high. I don't want sugar in my bread, whether it's organic or not. Making flat bread at home from oat or other flour (trying to see if gluten is causing the eczema) looks like an option. I like oat milk also, and it's better when made at home. I also like organic cow's milk, but don't know if that, also, is affecting my eczema. Staying to fresh fruits and vegetables with moderate meat/fish is what I'm doing right now, and avoiding seed oils.
Honest video. Thanks. Eating less ultra processed foods, UPFs, is healthier, especially for the gut biome - science. Less snacking is healthier. A little fasting is healthier. People in the UK and US are addicted to high intake of UPFs except during sleep. Businesses are supplying what the consumer wants - not their fault. Businesses are mislabeling - business, lobbyist and governments' fault. If you believe you will be healthier with markedly less UPFs, do it. If you wish to wait until Mother Nature tells you to cut down, do it then. Remember, Mother Nature does not always give you a second chance! Up to you. Advice from an old man.
When I'm out I never care what category of procces food I'm eating, I'm making conscious decision to not bother. When I'm planning my usual meal for the day I tend to only eat either homemade or processed short shelf-life food because it's proven to be very good for me. It's really antisocial and reportedly intimidating to stick to only high quality non-ultraprocessed food when you're socializing with people who don't do the same. It's still gives you great results and if people practiced it at larger scale, the demand-proposition trends of the food industry would adjust so it still makes sense to cut down on those convenient 30 seconds-to-prepare food imo.
As someone who avoids upf as much as possible, I've found tinned fish is a great source of protein- it's cheap, versatile, and easy to prepare. Tinned mackeral or sardines on sourdough, with some proper hot sauce is 😘. Another tip is find a jarred tomato sauce you like & is non-upf (I also choose one with no added sugar, & without excessive salt). Combine it with some frozen veg, tuna and canned chickpeas. Whack it in the microwave. Grate some cheese, add a crack of black pepper, and boom. Hits the spot when you get back from work on a cold day, just need something comforting, and don't have the energy to cook.
Your tastes sound similar to mine. How do you make a salad that is satisfying without all the effort of home made vegan mayo. Try grating a carrot over it, chopped fresh pepper and tomato, squeezed lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, either a good balsamic vinegar or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and a dozen crushed fresh green pistachio nuts. Another easy fix.
This video was super interesting. I'm curious is msg allowed because it is found in Japanese kemp but it normally used in Doritos and other ultra processed foods. But overall this video definitely deserves more views 👏
MSG is a great example of one of the ingredients which people will debate over whether it makes something UPF or not, there’s no definitive guide and MSG is used commonly in some foods/cultures. Hard to say on that one!
Most brands are simply made from extracting the glutamic acid from the fermentation of plant-based ingredients so in that case it is NOT an UPF. I use Ajinomoto if that helps.
@@ow50s4 the extracting of it, is what makes it ultra processed - because it allows to add much more glutamate to a food, than it would be possible to do with normal cooking.
@@opodeldox I can't agree with you on that. MSG can be found naturally in fungi and the same flavour-enhancing properties can be created simply by reducing down a broth into a paste. No process other than cooking. I use dried fungi paste in my cooking for an increased umami flavour.
@@ow50s4 the differentiation between UFP and Non-UPF is not about the ingredients being part of nature. It about how these things go into the food. The MSG you buy in a bag is an artificially created extract, that what makes it into an UPF ingredient allowing adding MSG in unnatural levels. Broth you cook on the other hand only allows the amount brought to you by the ingredients.
Just curious - there are non-dairy milks that contains only water, almond/oats, and salt. Would you still class those as ultra-processed? I buy from the brand Plenish, for example, and have always though it was just a processed or minimally processed food. Love the video!
Likely not. Salt does help the flavor, but if you make it at home you can control it and it doesn't take much. It is very easy to make them at home, and very cheap, especially if you make oat milk. The flavor is very muted but a nice medjool date and some vanilla drops make it taste ok. A few cashews in the mix as well as a bit more texture and creamy mouth feel.
Not at all. It is made from naturally occurring ingredients. If you look at their oat milk it is made from oats, water and sea salt. Not one of them has been made in a test tube, chemically altered etc etc. That is how I read the ingredients on things now.
I only know about oat milk and the answer is yes, because of the amylase enzyme added during the production process, which pre-digests the sugar, doubling its glycaemic index, meaning that one glass will cause a marked insulin spike, that you don’t see when drinking a glass of cows milk
Hmmm, this feels very subjective and not balanced with facts. You failed to introduce some of the key reasons UPF should be avoided for the most part. You didn’t discuss sugar addiction, though it may have been implied by your hyper palatability with Oreo cookies and crisps. It’s okay to share your opinion, but don’t state it so resolutely. For example, once you stop eating sugar, the cravings do go away. It’s 100% possible. However, avoiding ultra-processed foods altogether is more challenging (and it may not be necessary to avoid them altogether), but it too is doable.
Hello Gavin, I have suffered from bloating being lethargic and sometimes in pain for hours weekly almost dailyin the uk. I recently went to the usa and I could eat as much fast food all my old trigger foods in the uk like burgers bread etc in any order with absolutely no bloating or negative effects. I was there for 3 months. I come back to the uk after 3 months I had one sourdough sausage Baggett and immediately was bloated sick and lethargic.. and yet in the US could wake up and eat a Arby's burger or pizza or what ever I wanted with no negative effects. Why is this?! I can't finding answers only posts slating us food. I also lost 10lbs in the us with quite frankly a free and fast food diet there!? What do you think?
Im small, but have a large appetite. Ive counted several times when ive been curious and im averaging 3600-3800 a day. Because of this (and because i enjoy them more and it tastes better) i try eat healthier more whole foods, but unlike the general population i still binge on them! ive eaten a whole jar of peanut butter in one sitting (no palm oil one), a whole block of cathedral cheddar cheese when i was supposed to be having a slice or 2 as a snack 🤣, or because they sell beef mince in 500g packets and i didnt have space in the freezer or fridge, i came back from a night out at 2am and cooked the whole 500g of beef mince and ate it in one go. They may not have the additives that some ultra-processed foods have, but its still not great what i do ha :/ p.s i could never batch cook. 😅
The comment that palm oil has been used for thousands of years (hundreds?) is correct, however, the palm oil that's used in so many of our products is a refined version and that's why it's on the UPF list (as well as other problems about how it's harvested and transported now). Chris van Tulleken's Ultra processed people book is hugely informative, and he doesn't force the ZERO UPF diet, because as Gavin says it's nearly impossible to avoid them, and occasionally it wouldn't do huge damage. But reducing them if you can, is definitely better for you. Many people are forced to eat them because of time and budget. What alarms me the most is the lack of regulation in the US, and the lack of education about them. Videos like this are good because more people need to be aware of the nature of UPF and how they affect your body. They AREN'T food! and because they are soft typically, you eat them fast, and will inevitably overeat. The most diabolical part of it is that corporations add them because they increase profits. Everywhere in the world where the Western diet has been adapted, the population has become overweight. oh, there's so much more info in that book and it will make you really distrust food manufacturers.
Cutting out chicken and insisting on sustainable makes this way harder than it needs to be. Meat, veg, a starch like potatoes or pasta or rice with traditional sauces and spices is all you need. Bread is the hardest to avoid. You can get non UP bread but it’s unusual. Eat more at meal times and you don’t need to snack. Change will be uncomfortable but you will adapt and stop obsessing. You can eat crisps as long as they just salted. You can find some ice creams that just have sugar, milk and egg.
Such a cool video. Thank you! I'm reading Chris van Tulleken's book on UPFs right now and you've mirrored his views on just how impossible it is to cut them out completely. And frankly there's no real need to. Sure! Cut down on just how many we consume, but to cut them out entirely pushes us over the cost/benefit curve just a tad too far. Haha x
Great to hear you enjoyed it! In the end I think it’s worth striving for a whole food diet where possible, although that’s simply not possible in many cases. Keep watching as the next challenge I’m doing is 100% UPF diet 😬
if you buy the Oatly Organic (light brow one) its three ingredients, water, oats and salt. so I think you can get away with that one. (although I'm sure there is a mechanically driven aspect to producing it)
I've been minimal-ultra processed foods for about 4 months now (only eating them at social gatherings like when I'm out with someone or visiting a friend's house) and the health benefits I've experienced are astronomical! I have more energy, my everyday mood has been better, and my IBS pratically disappeared! Yes, when starting out I had a difficult time figuring out what was and what wasn't ultra-processed (I ate basically nothing but eggs, oatmeal, etc. for the first month) but once I got the hang of it it was really easy to quickly glance at an ingredients list and instantly tell if it was ultra processed or not. IF I do eat them however, my stomach definitely makes it's oppinion known afterwards 😂😭 (whenever I eat ultra processed foods now my stomach gets severely upset, so bad one time I had to call out of work!)
This is basically my life! If you were vegan or vegetarian in the early 80s you'd be used to finding suitable foods also be amazed by the variety of wholefoods available now. Also your spending is balanced out from all the things you are no longer buying ie protein shakes, bakery. Also halibut vs tin of sardines? Sustainable not sure. Well done though you brought up some great insights. Good luck with the training for your triathelon
2 things...the best way to end up with disordered eating is to "diet"....also the eating out or with friends and having to know what's in everything? You just described the nightmare of having 1 or more food anaphylactic allergies...if they don't ask, they could die, so consider yourself blessed if you dont "have" to live that way. Every ingredient, every product has to be scrutinized and scanned for possible allergens, and it is maddening; but the alternative is much worse. Ask a parent of an allergic child who died out on their own because they "just wanted to be like everybody else" and "didn't want to make a fuss" and waited too long for the epinephrine. So, yes avoidance of UPF can be possible, but be aware of how it will change your life, either for the better or for the worse.
The way he discussed snacking at 11:20 was super weird. Why would anyone want to eat something they feel encouraged to gorge themselves with?His phrasing gave serious eating disorder/addiction vibes.
Try overnight oats. 40g organic rolled oats 5g organic flaxseed 5g organic chia seeds 160ml organic kefir 30g organic grass fed whey protein 3g organic cacao powder Mix all the ingredients together and place in an airtight glass container. Leave at room temperature overnight. Add 1 organic avocado or 25g organic walnuts and enjoy.
Omg, you sound like me. I’ve been in and out of illness since Covid. They did say I have long Covid, but really the only solution has seem to be eating whole healthy foods.
Right? I started making my own granola just mixing rolled oats, butter, maple syrup, nuts and seeds and then baking for 20 mins - super simple and it tastes way better than any store bought one I've tried.
Cigarette smoke used to be almost impossible to avoid in public places such as cafes, pubs and buses. Legislation changed this. Similar measures are needed to improve the food environment.
Bread is the hardest. It takes so long to make and as a student who has time to invest in making bread. It’s easy to avoid sweets but for breakfast a piece of toast and feta cheese with walnuts is my go to meal and where can I get the bread?
If its impossible for you to give up bread have you considered Avocado bread? It only requires eggs, avocado and cheese. Mix the 3 ingredients together and then bake in the oven or air fryer till its golden brown.
It doesn’t have to be hard to (mostly) avoid UPFs. You do have to cook though. There will be a transition period where you get used to it, but once you’re in the swing- with the van tulleken book as motivation- it’s not too bad!
Instead of protein drinks, I make kefir shakes with bananas. Everyone grabs one from the fridge when they feel like one. Very high in protein, very healthy for your gut, and not ultra-processed.
Most whey protein supplements are ultra processed, such as the one highlighted in your video, it’s loaded with emulsifiers and artificial flavouring. There are other brands on the market such as The Organic Protein Company. Compare the ingredients list and you will see that their products are processed as opposed to “ultra processed”.
But then if it pushes you to the whole stuff will it then be unhealthy due to it being high in fat? But then i supose if i was eating that i would eat less ofbit knowing jt was high fat and not eat the whole thing knowing its low ca
We don't need to be scared of healthy fat, especially when it comes in whole foods and is eaten moderately. Its farrrr easier to eat a ton of fat by eating a load of pringles than it is to eat a load of fat in full-fat yoghurt
I eat zero processed foods for years now. Fish, veggies, meat/organs, fruit and from starches potatoes. Dairy and nuts here and there. No added dietary fat (oil). I have got no health issues at all and won’t gain any fat. I go between 1700 and 3200 kcal a day, not tracking calories, checking micronutrients ratios from time to time.
23:32 you’re so right about the taste of food. I’ve been avoiding ultra processed food for most of my life, and to be honest, I find the taste of ultra processed food, too much. It just doesn’t sit right with me. Everything’s too sweet or too intense. The problem is you get used to this intense flavours and then you just can’t get satisfaction out of eating bland normal food.
Unfortunately I have no choice but to give up ultra processed foods because they've been causing serious health problems for me. I'm slowly learning to identify individual ingredients.
Palm oil is definitely ultra processed all on its own. It is not an expeller pressed oil that's used in peanut butter, and of course there is the question of sustainability and devastation of habitat critical to orangutan and other imperiled wildlife. But the reason that it's added to peanut butter is to make it last much longer on the shelf, and to act as an emulsifier. I have no problem with separation of the natural (peanuts and salt only) peanut butter I buy, as I flip the jar upside down and stash it in the fridge before opening. Once opened, I keep it upright in the fridge. No stirring needed. I also don't want or need products that last years on a shelf. I buy what I need and can use up in a reasonable interval, and vastly prefer unadulterated foods to forever ones.
I have cut out almost all UPF and milk products since the start of this year. Everything I eat is made from actual ingredients I buy at my local supermarket. Yes I eat the occasional burger and whatever trash gets presented to me outside but that's kinda rare like twice a month maybe. Ice cream is a no-go for me and so is cheese. That limits the things I can eat but I can get by easily. I've been doing this for all this time and it's just normal life for me now. After you get over the cravings of frozen pizza and lazy "foods" you will get used to it. It's not that hard, nor special. Humans before you managed without these already and so can you
Same, most of my diet is UPF, I'm halfway through week one of eating the mostly wholefoods now. I'm trying for 80/20. My only hurdle so far has been using extra virgin olive oil, almond butter, avocado etc, obvs good fats but I'm a yoyo dieter and the cals freak me out. Just got to push past that😅 I'm still in deficit but I guess it'll take time to rewire my brain from diet culture
I enjoyed the video. I think you can live eating minimal UPFs. Like barely any. I don’t buy bread I make it, I prepare my own breakfast mostly with just oats yogurt fruit and seeds. I have made my own sauces. I think getting started is really hard as it’s a learning curve but once you have a few hacks and have developed a well stocked pantry you just need to worry about a few fresh ingredients each week like meat/fish dairy and veg. The government should do more to urgently reduce UPFs in our shops and make whole foods cheaper and accessible and create programmes to re educate the population to make food from scratch including fermenting foods.
I actually dream of being self sufficient with my food that I don't have any ultra processed food in the house. Growing my own produce and locally sourcing ones that I can't produce myself, owning bees and raising chickens and rabbits for protein, canning and other forms of food preservation, making everything by scratch! I love the idea of it 🥰
I'm happy that I had to smile at a few of his items. They are so expensive? No they arent, homemade müsli takes half an hour a baking tray and a few basic ingredients
What clearly stands out, is that if you are both financially and time rich, you can do it. If you're not, you will struggle. I have a challenging income, and live a frugal life. I am trying to cut down on my ultra processed foods, and I think it's going to be a challenge but I am time rich so I can and do home cook often. The food system in this country has been designed to keep us slaves to processed, addictive products and it's really hard to navigate unless you have bottomless pockets.
I don't think it's confusing at all? The cereal is ultra processed, because it contains that UPF ingredient. Why is that so hard to grasp? I would suggest people read Chris van Tulleken's book Ultra Processed People. Having to check if something is UPF isn't as unhealthy as eating UPF.
Cooking is a process, so... not really. As soon as you cook it, it's been processed. Processing is not a problem, ultra processing is. It's very difficult to live on a raw diet without dying.
"Physical health is meaningless when your mental health is the gutter" - wrong, both are intertwined and part of the same whole. Looking after your mental health means eating well for your body.
I would agree UPF is cheap - not sure that UPF is "really good value". A criticism of UPF is that it's not a complete food and it's not good value if it doesn't nourish you - food is more than macros. The observation about anxiety is interesting too. Medical studies have shown (I can't link but NIH), "Individuals reporting higher intakes of UPF were significantly more likely to report mild depression, more mentally unhealthy and more anxious days and less likely to report zero mentally unhealthy or anxious days." I don't know if you could change your mental approach to reduce your social anxiety but the underlying population stats point to increased anxiety on UPF. The general problem about eating out/socially applies to almost any sort of diet, be it vegan or for people with a food intolerance or allergy. This won't get eased without societal change. The supernatural intensity of the flavour should be a warning - the way you describe Oreos is slightly disturbing 😄. Whether it's practical or not, 0% ultra processed food is the only thing humans ate for thousands of years, so to describe it as an extreme diet is absurd. That avoiding UPF is so hard says more about our society, as others have commented. I agree one should cut back rather than stress about cutting UPF out completely. If people reduce consumption of UPF more alternatives might become available.
