To be totally on the anti UPF bandwagon and think this may finally be how I crack my food addiction?

[MaybeIWillFuckOffThen]

Listened to the podcast by the Van Tulleken brothers, and then read some of the Brazilian research and the experiment with UPF/whole food diet. Listened to some Giles Yeo. Oh my goodness. Mind blown!

I have a binge eating disorder and it was getting so out of hand. Spent fortunes a week on extra secret food, all of it crap. Gaining a lot of weight. I could eat 6 supermarket hot cross buns at a time and still feel like I wanted more even while feeling sick. Whole packets of biscuits in minutes. It didn't make any sense to me but I felt like I just couldn't stop. Now it makes a lot of sense why - I've basically been eating the food equivalent of heroin.

I've cut it out this past week or two - whenever I have been craving it I just go and listen to an episode or two of the podcast again and am horrified anew so resist. I've also accepted the fact I'm never going to manage to not eat with willpower alone so have packed my bag with healthy whole food snacks - nuts, Greek yoghurt, chopped vegetables, hummus - so I don't 'need' to go to the shop for some lunch (and walk out with a load of garbage).

I felt much better almost instantly. Clear headed. Less bloated and sluggish, less achey. Less sick obviously. And much, much less hungry. Staying within calorie limits (that always seemed laughably low and restrictive whilst eating junk) suddenly incredibly easy. In not weighing myself as my scales are broken but how I feel is worth it on its own.

Over the weekend my DD got a vomiting bug for the millionth time this summer, bad nights sleep, feeling grotty etc. So Monday I decided to treat myself t a toasted panini from the work cafe. Supermarket bread, weird cheese etc - real comforting junk food of the type I just can't get enough of usually.

Reader it was DIABOLICAL. It tasted AWFUL. I've eaten these things so many times before and loved them. But it was horrible. I literally could not eat it, had two mouthfuls, spat the second one out and threw it in the bin.

I honestly feel like I've had some sort of damascene conversion. Every time I think about buying some crap now I just remember the horrible, inedible crapness of that panini and the urge just goes away again.

AIBU to think this could actually change my life??? Can simple awareness really override such a lifelong, established addictive behaviour? Or will this just be a flash in the pan?

They don't look that ultraprocessed.

Hovis digestives contain Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Vegetable Oil (Palm), Sugar, Wheatgerm (5%), Raising Agents: E500, E503, Salt, Dried Whey (Milk), Natural Flavouring.

E500 is baking soda, E503 is baker's ammonia. Whey is a kitchen ingredient, so is wheatgerm (if you care to make it). So it's the enrichment of the flour, palm oil instead of a more sustainable oil, and whatever "natural flavouring" is?

The downside of making your own mayonnaise is it's delicious! I can take or leave shop- bought mayo but the homemade stuff I could eat by the bucketload!

@againagainagainagain processed vegetable/seed oils are high in omega 6 and are inflammatory. I stick to olive oil or coconut oil.

@1990s have you looked at the stick blender method for making Mayo at home? It's the easiest thing ever, so long as everything is at room temperature and the eggs are really fresh.

www.carllegge.com/2012/03/stick-blender-mayonnaise/

Having reread the recipe, I see having the kitchen too hot can be an issue, too

@FinallyHere i have not seen that before, thank you!

I think the problem here will be me being organised to make it and getting unused to the convenience of long lasting shop mayo.

mayo made out of olive oil has quite strong flavour, you could use cold pressed oils from other sources but I haven't tried them

Yes olive oil can taste strong, I only use the 'light in colour' one (mine's from Aldi) in mayonnaise and never extra virgin.

thr "light in colour" is extracted using heating up the leftovers from the cold pressing it for getting the extra virgin, cold pressed oils will be healthiest but as I said can't comment on what flavour they will give, I may experiment with some when I have time

Thanks for this thread OP. Didn't know about any of this and sought out the podcast. It's really helpful and eye-opening, thank you!

Here is the link to The Food Program's episode about bread which was mentioned above

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0018wxp

I've been avoiding UPFs for about a month after listening to the Van Tullekens (got DDs interested in it), but DH went shopping Monday and came back with all the old stuff. I read out the back of the packets and reminded him. I'm not totally UPF free, but it's about awareness and using those foods sparingly.

I think I'm irritated by the sneaky tricks - like adding extracts of flavours, rather than using real herbs/spices etc to trick our taste buds into thinking something is has extra nutritional elements. Or using gum-shite to thicken up foods to make it creamy/rich, but without making it creamy or rich.

I have needed to stop being a lazy slattern get on with cooking a little more - so I've made chocolate cupcakes for lunches rather than a store bought individual chocolate roll thing. But I made a large batch and froze half of them so I can take then out 2 at a time.

I've stopped snacking. Just stopped because there's not junk in the cupboards. If I'm hungry I eat something - about to have (full fat) natural yogurt with a chopped apple and toasted almonds, with a sprinkle of sweet cinnamon (much nicer than the usual dry-powdery tasting cinnamon and very recommended. I know Asda do it)

@MaybeIWillFuckOffThen

when I'm on my own I binge eat total garbage

This has been a big thing in my life, too. My mother cooked great tasting food with carefully controlled treats. I couldn't wait to leave home and be in controlling my own food. And have pretty much put on weight steadily ever since.

Overeating is a guilty, private secret.

Some of the things which have helped me keep clear of overeating (currently 'clear' since 10th Jan 22, and yes, I see a very clear link to keeping off alcohol and other drugs) include:-

MN's own low carb boot camp which is a very warm and supportive space supporting eating good quality low carb food with lots of great recipes to inspire and chat amongst like minded people, avoiding UPF (though I didn't know that was what they are called)

The Zoe project health approach including the Tim S talks mentioned above

Gillian Riley's work which looks at the all the many things which contribute to overeating https://www.eatinglessonline.comm*

There are so many contradictory messages around, I've been glad to find that these, although completely independent, are all broadly aligned in approach.

Yes, on the binge eating thing - one of my best strategies personally is accepting and allowing 'controlled' binges on junk food (usually crisps or a bar of chocolate). I find 1 or 2 days a fortnight is enough for me. I don't feel any shame in it and ironically I've lost weight doing this because it strips the cycle of self loathing and then eating more of its power. I'm trying to work towards 80/ 20.

My biggest problem is my incredibly fussy, faddy family. It's already a faff remembering to shop and cook; having to do multiple meals for multiple people makes it ten times worse. E.g. my husband won't eat pulses but I'm vegetarian. He won't eat tomato sauces or anything spicy, doesn't like sauces generally. So often we end up eating meat, potatoes and veg but me eating some ultra-processed meat sub instead of meat. My health is really suffering on this diet now.

I have great plans to batch cook single portions of healthy veg food but there are barriers in the sense of - the whole process. So I need to clear the freezer... then food plan ... then shop... then prep... then cook... then freeze. Which all seems like meaningful effort for a family but not just for me. So I need to change my thinking and realise that actually, I deserve decent food too.

Also a life long binger here. I managed to lose weight before pregnancy with binges from time to time but right now at 5 months pp I am relying on food again and quick convenience food too. I don’t think I even enjoy most of it and hate the too full feeling. I’m exercising again and feeling strong but am ultimately fat because of my food addiction. I need to change this now!

well I’ve just had an omelette for lunch as my little man is down for a nap. Not having bread (shop bought) for lunch hasn’t happened in ages. My mum bakes bread so I am going to see if I can stay away from bread until I see her next week and then I’ll enjoy one of her homemade loaves.

I also find UPF a really interesting topic, I have been slowly trying to eliminate them apart from in situations where I really don't have time to cook. I haven't lost any weight at all but I have stopped gaining it and have stayed the same weight for the last 6 months despite not really watching my diet whereas before I was in a cycle of gaining and crash dieting.
I haven't cut out things like bread, cake, biscuits, granola etc. but instead I make these all from scratch, I love cooking and baking and I use a really simple bread roll recipe that has fresh bread on the table in an hour with nothing weird or wonderful in it. I have really enjoyed learning to cook all the things I would usually buy and agree with a pp. that things are often considered ok based on very old recipes. In the 1920s bread was yeast, flour, oil, salt now the number of ingredients are insane.
I am also a breakfast skipper because I can't stomach savory food in the morning and find if I eat even home made granola I am actually more hungry and end up snacking.
Going to give these podcasts a listen so thanks OP

@NoAprilFool I make my own wraps using flour, oil and water they taste great the day you make them but the don't keep hugely well. Same for home made pitta and home made yeast rolls. They all however freeze pretty well, for wraps I will cook them until they are not quite done and then freeze with sheets of baking paper between you can then stick in the pan straight from frozen and finish cooking in the morning and it will still be fine at lunchtime.
My DH now refuses to eat shop bought wraps
Sourdough keeps much better on the counter but is much more of a faff to make.

This is an inspirational thread, thank you!

I remember reading something many years ago (and my memory isn't brilliant at exact recall so please don't quote me!) about big tobacco companies realising that the world would fall out of love with smoking and that they needed to get the population hooked on something else so they transferred all the additives used in cigarettes to junk food.

Am loving reading about how so many of you have started making your own bread/wraps/pittas etc. I'm another 'since I left home' binge eater but only on food I've bought - my son bought a jar of Nutella which I find it easy not to touch but if I buy it it would be gone in a day ! Need to get my mindset back to just not buying it! I certainly don't buy it for the taste or enjoyment of eating so wondering what on earth I waste my money on it for.

Are there certain types of bread which are OK? I see sourdough has been mentioned. What about bakery loaves, or are they just as bad?

Why is sourdough Vetter?

I buy Bassinet Bakery sourdough. It's got three ingredients.

Re breakfast I'm also far far better without it!

@Allthegoodnamestakken

What is the bread recipe please

I think one of the concerning things currently is that so much of 'Plant Based Food' is uupf (ultra ultra processed). There is so much 'fake' meat, bacon, sausage, chicken etc. I thought that the whole idea of eating less meat was that for a few meals each week you eat more veg/pulses/nuts.

I was listening to something on R4 yesterday which suggested that the resources required to make some of the plant based 'chicken' uses more carbon than raising real chickens.

In eating less upf I find a real delight in the simplicity of meals - good tomatoes, with mozarella cheese and tomato, dressed with olive oil. In-season british asparagus with black pepper and butter. A salad made from cumin-roasted carrots, puy lentils, feta cheese, rocket, olive oil. Hugh FW's roast squash and walnuts two ways. HFW's beetroot and peanut butter blitz... Oh I could go on... (and on!).

I use herbs for flavouring rather than relying on artificial ingredients - fish with lemongrass, ginger, lime; chicken with blitzed corriander, basil, mint; veg with cumin, corriander seeds, fenugreek, chilli.

Several people have asked about breakfast. Most cultures didn't have sweet, starchy breakfasts until a certain Mr Kellog persuaded us all that sweetened cereal was the way to go. Look at other cultures: Mexico - huevos rancheros (eggs with spicy beans / red peppers / tomatoes). Chile was the first place I had avocado for breakfast (20 years before it was a 'thing' here). Vietnam - meat and veg soup.

Or try the Rose Elliot nut granola:
55g desicated coconut
85g chopped brazil nuts
85g chopped walnuts
85g ground almonds
85g sunflower seeds
115g melted butter
1tsp cinamon
1tsp vanilla extract
-
85g flax seeds

Put everything (except flax seeds in a bowl and mix) put on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Return to bowl and add flax seeds.

I think the original recipe included stevia as a sweetener, but I find I don't need it. A small spoon of this, with some full fat greek yogurt and a couple of crushed strawberries - amazing.

Just a thought about the bread - presumably it doesn’t have to be sourdough? Any bread that has been slow risen, and is made with only flour, yeast, water and salt should be fine too. Ie proper bakery bread. Not supermarket, force risen crap.