I’ve gone non UPF, I just can’t believe the difference it’s made in a week

[LaurieFairyCake]

I feel like such an idiot. I can’t believe how well I feel, how much I’m ready for bed and how much better I sleep.

this shit is radical. I was eating 40% upf (a teenagers diet is 80% 😱) and I feel brand new.

i have zero pain in my joints, during the day loads of good energy

does anyone else do this ?

I don’t do this. But am interested. What are the major foods you have cut out and have you gone 100% without or was it slightly more gradual?

I haven’t, but I’m also interested. I’m ttc, so that is my motivation to eat healthy and boost chances. Like pp asked, what foods have you cut out, and what are you now eating?

Following - tell us everything!

I haven't eaten more than 5% UPF since birth because I don't eat a typical British diet, and I still have a menopausal belly. 😀I don't think it's a magic cure for all life's ailments.

I’m interested too, would really like to do a diet rehaul.

Yes, we did this, and intermittent fasting. Game changer.

What do you mean a teenager's diet is 80%?

I cut it out. Turns out it didn't magically cure my condition. At least I can bat off all the "advice" from "friends" on how to cure myself now though, so that's been a silver lining

Very interested in this!

I think OP means a typical teenager's diet is 80% UPF.

Really? Wouldn't it be more or less the same as their parents?

Maybe for younger teens it may be but older teens will be out spending more time with peers and eating with them?

Yes I suppose so. Worrying!

Constantly stunned by how people don't cook from scratch nowadays. It's nothing new..well done for getting there, now for the rest of the country,

This sounds really interesting OP. I massively reduced my UPF consumption last year after reading Ultra Processed People but I've slipped back into my old ways. So difficult 😫

Most of my main meals are cooked from scratch, it's the snacking between meals that I just cannot kick.

Do you fancy eating a month of UPFs and reporting back if you feel worse?!

I have got rid of at least half so my diet is about 10% UFPs and I feel much better and a tiny bit thinner!

We are by no means UPF free - we often have a treat after the kids are in bed and when we’re on child free holidays we eat like shit. I will say though compared to how I was at their age, my kids are much taller, they look healthier and they definitely are less hyperactive. They eat mostly UPF free - still have normal bread, but they don’t eat much bread. I was fed well at my mums, but my dad cannot cook a single thing. So I was 50/50 UPF vs real food.

When I moved out and got married, we used to eat like shit because we were 19. I got pregnant and obviously we decided to eat better, and I felt so much better. I feel better now at 27 than I did at 17, and we still do eat some crap on occasion.

Please tell us everything you’re eating now! We need details @LaurieFairyCake

It made a huge difference to me too!

I think people assume it must all be "junk food" but if you have a sandwich and a packet of crisps for lunch (as many people do) and muesli or granola for breakfast its quite likely already 50% of your calories might come from UPFs as that's entirely UPFs.

Most bread is UPF including many "bakery" style options in the supermarkets. Things you might think of as non upf such as lots of yoghurt, those nutty bars, are upf. Many people on a fitness journey take protein powder or huel or similar.

Its where your calories come from - and so much more is upf than most people think.

I'm a huge fan of Chris Van Tulleken now and it seems so obvious once you see.

I'm worried about one of my kids as she's autistic and eats more UPFs than I'd like and is putting on weight even while I'm going the other way.

The biggest help to my physical wellbeing was cutting out sugar . Clear skin , no joint aches , better sleep and an amazing feeling of physical ‘ looseness’ from being able to move better .

A lot of people are busy and overworked nowadays, some are too tired or just don’t want to spend time cooking at 10 clock at night after working a shift all day. Others are just not as organised as you.

oh he presents Whats up docs

I’d like to know what foods people are stopping eating. I haven’t assessed how much UPF I eat- I cook well, and don’t don’t buy much of the big nasties, but wonder whether I’m still eating enough nasties to cause trouble.

A friend was talking about what brand of tinned tomatoes was ok for example. Well, if you can eat the wrong tinned tomatoes then I’m definitely not in the clear!

Yes that's the one. He wrote "Ultra processed people" and did some TV lectures around UPF.

I've seen some of his other conference lectures and love that his whole ethos is to change the industry and regulations as well as awareness rather than blame people for obesity..

His book collects a lot of research and is brilliant I think. He's a good one.

I still eat tinned tomatoes.

But the book is worth a read as so much of what most people buy is processed. So bacon, cereal, bread etc.

And adding a salad still means that theb% of upf calories is high as often the more calorific element is upf.