To wonder how anyone can live on so much processed food?

[MummyMumMumMummy]

Let me start by saying I’m not by any means a health freak. I have periods where we’ll have frozen pizzas, frozen beige food and cans of beans for dinner.. but it makes me feel so so rough!

For example, in the last week we’ve eating frozen pizza, a McDonald’s, a night of cheese and biscuits, and we’ve had beans on toast, ready meals like lasagna or currys. This is just down to using what left in the house before doing a food shop and I feel awful. I feel slow, my anxiety is high, I have aches and pains and I just feel generally ‘bleurgh’

This happens every time I swap out out usual cook from scratch lots of veg type meals to these ready made quick and processed foods.

but my point is; does anyone else feel this way?

I have friends who quite consistently live on beige food and ‘hate’ veg. DH before we started dating would literally only eat beans on toast and frozen pizza. He still enjoys them from time to time but even he prefer home cooked meals with lots of veg now.

I’m not in any way judging anyone’s diet, I don’t care what you eat it doesn’t affect me. I just wonder whether other people feel such a strong physical sense of being healthier in mind and body (that sounds super green!) when they eat more organic, fresh foods?

What's it to you? Cooking and shopping is a skill that has been lost and supermarkets make it much easier (and cheaper) to go for processed.

I eat a very varied diet. I don't personally notice any real difference between healthier and less healthy phases. I'm very physically fit and do loads of exercise in a normal week

I totally agree with you (although I don’t buy organic). I hate the feeling when I do eat too much ultra processed food. But I know they can be convenient and cheap - but this needs to change!

I’m the same, if I don’t eat lots of fresh fruit and veg I feel lethargic and I avoid as much as possible eating processed foods but if it can’t be avoided I feel shocking. I’m very much what I eat

No, that doesn't happen to me. It sounds like a food intolerance or a manifestation of anxiety around what you've just eaten, if I'm honest.

I can definitely tell when I’ve eaten too much crap. I start to feel like I crave something fresh, fruit and veg. I couldn’t eat UPFs for weeks on end. And I am someone who loves candy, crisps and chocolate, as well as instant noodles and the like.

Beans on toast is food of the gods.

I don't really notice any difference, sadly. If I have a very unhealthy meal (like a takeaway pizza, say), then I'll feel really sluggish and blah the next day and crave veg. But I could easily live on freezer food and beans on toast and feel fine, the same as when I eat meals cooked from scratch.

As I’ve mentioned in my OP, I’m not judging anyones diet. I’m just asking if anyone else feels so physically better for eating fresher food.

I don’t need to know what people are eating, just whether they feel different when their diet changes.

Organic, no. Marketing ploy imho. Cooked from scratch/whole foods yes. Definitely makes me feel optimum.

ETA: I don't feel much difference if I eat the odd beige meal or fast food or whatever. I might feel thirsty the next day but that's par for the course. It's only if I consistently eat badly I feel the effects.

I was born in the 70s so was raised on beige frozen wonder food so perhaps built up an immunity but it doesn't effect me either way. Obviously eating healthier stuff helps my body longer-term and I try to do some of that, but eating the processed stuff doesn't give me any of the effects you're talking about, no aches or anxiety etc. Perhaps your system is particularly sensitive. Everyone's different.

I can’t say a burger has ever given me anxiety or caused me aches and pains or whatever no. Fast food/ junk food has been around for a very long time, many live on it and aren’t suffering anxiety and malnutrition.

I wouldn’t say I have the greatest diet ever but if I go away and over indulge too much I am wanting veg a a lot on my return. Or like this weekend just gone I went out both evenings for food ( Italian and a roast dinner so heavy meals) and wine etc so yesterday I was craving veggies.

With people that have a beige diet as you call it often that comes from what they were brought up on, if all you ever had was Kiev/ chips and so on I think that can follow you in to adult hood. It can be sensory issues as well remember.

This is interesting already and seems pretty 50/50 so far.

it’s good to know that other people do feel a physical difference.

as for the manifestation of anxiety ect, that could be correct. I hadn’t really thought about it but it makes a lot of sense because I do tend to tell myself after eating lots of freezer/beige food that my body hasn’t got anything good in it.. and then the health anxiety gets worse.. so you’re probably right!

I was raised on convenience food, and still enjoy the odd bit of ultra processed food, but it only made me want to learn to cook to try and enjoy as much delicious fresh food as possible.

People get used to feeling a bit rubbish and think that's just how it is. I know even when I had an extra stone on me and wasn't eating as well, everything was a little bit harder and I had less energy, but you just get used to it.

Ramp that up a few degrees and that's your answer.

I overhauled my diet back in August and eat more low carb/high protein, very low sugar, and much less processed food and can genuinely feel how much better it is for me.

I was always a bit skeptical of people who harped on about how good they felt cutting out these things, so I've been pleasantly surprised!

I'm like you OP, I definitely notice the difference if I eat crap for a few days. Doesn't stop me getting a pizza or eating chocolate sometimes, but if I overdo it I feel sick and lethargic.
I try and eat a balanced diet but if I'm busy or stressed I reach for something convenient.

I’d feel fine after beans on toast and probably a decent ready meal but feel horrendous after some takeaways or pizza even if I loved it at the time. And a number of days without fresh veggies would affect me for sure. I’ve done that when travelling and I feel sluggish and generally rubbish. I think it’s the lack of fibre. I also find I feel rubbish after a lot of cheese and therefore don’t eat a lot of it. I don’t avoid it but my DH definitely does as he feels worse than me afterwards. We are veggie/bordering on vegan though so usually eat a lot of veg so our bodies are used to it I think.

I generally eat badly and manage max 5 portions of fruit and veg per week, but when eat better I don't notice much difference. I think if you're used to eating junk food you don't feel so bad.

Too much junk and I feel generally yuk. Proper meals - nothing fancy just home cooked and light on the salt and fats and I'm back to normal.

You do you and let others worry about their own diets and any potential consequences.

I do!

I’m not in any way judging anyone’s diet, I don’t care what you eat it doesn’t affect me.

Why start a thread about it then?

Why not use a different perspective ie “UPF food makes me feel ill. Anyone else?”

You are judging, even though you claim you aren’t.

I agree with this, it you're used to eating and sustaining yourself on junk it doesn't make a difference as you and your body don't know any different. I was always quite cynical when people would say how much better they felt eating a balanced diet because from growing up with not enough food to obsessing and gorging on the crap we couldn't afford growing up when I had some of my own money I thought I felt fine. The difference when I decided to start looking after my body was wild though, things like brain fog, feeling tired, low mood and energy I just put down to part of life. Now I know what that feels like I would notice a difference I think. I have the odd takeaway and I think as part of a balanced diet frozen stuff is absolutely fine, but I'd feel worse if it became the bulk of my diet.

Well we all deal with it really don't we on a societal level!

I think you know you feel like that after that kind of meal because you are consciously thinking about it. If you weren’t bothered you probably wouldn’t be assessing your symptoms so much and would probably put it down to something else.