Ultra Processed People - My Journey, Our Journey, Your Journey

In the UK each of us ingests 8kg of food additives per year 😱😱😱
To put that in perspective, on average we only buy 2kg of flour per year for home baking!

Talk to me about soup 🥣

We are still emptying the cupboard so I ate this the other day for a quick lunch
Some added nasties in there which will not do our bodies any good!

So, do you have any lovely soup reciepes you want to share? I do love a creamy one.

I’m thinking a sweet potato one might be nice this autumn 🍂

Why have I not made bread before?! 🍞

Swimming lesson which means I get a few minutes to read! 📖 only on chapter 6, but it’s not a race and taking it slow May mean I get to absorb it better. What chapter are you up to?

Made a batch of pancakes for the 8 yr old to last a couple of days.
Guess what? I swopped the Greek yoghurt (as I said I would) for Kefir from the Milkman! And he hasn’t noticed!! Yes 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
I did add choc chips to take the edge off the unusual taste. BUT it’s a starting point and will gradually reduce the amount and find a better alternative. Currently using 70% organic dark chips. It’s all about learning and adapting 👍🏼

We do struggle with my 3 year old at the moment.
We can’t go wrong with cheesy pasta. Some of the sauces have far too many ingredients!
I made my own! 🙌🏼 this is such a change for me!
Just chucked in some milk, flour and cheese. She loved it and a LOT less UPF 😊

I’ve had short sharp pains in the right side of my head for 24 hours so thought I’d have a google!

HOW INTERESTING!
I think it might be Ice-pick headache.
As you know I’ve been cutting down on ultra processed food for 2 weeks

We still have a lot in the house to use up.
Friday I hadn’t prepared much so my day did involve toast and chocolate spread, hot chocolate, wrap for lunch, twix later in day and wine 🍷

Look at causes!! FOOD ADDITIVES , yes it could be hormonal but I honestly think it’s the food I’ve eaten after I’d reduced UPF ! Mind blown 🤯

I have a feeling that ‘cheat days’ will automatically reduce because we won’t want to feel rubbish.

I’m making chicken nuggets from
Scratch - Go Me!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼

But …. Look at this low calorie spray!
Acidity regulator
Citric acid
Xanthan gum
Potassium sorbate

What does that do for our health? I’d love to know!

Let’s talk Kefir 🥛

I’ve recently switched from yoghurt to Kefir.
We are so lucky we can get this from the milkman so it hasn’t got any of the flavourings added like in the supermarket

It’s becoming a popular beverage for supporting digestive health. The product contains around 30 unique species of probiotics, “good bacteria” that are known to improve gut health and that may aid the body's digestive processes.

Top 10 health benefits of kefir
It's nutrient dense.
Help against bacterial infection.
May reduce blood pressure
May reduce the risk of heart disease.
Be suitable for those with lactose intolerance.
Promote bone health.
May reduce inflammation.
May have a modulatory effect on the immune system

What is an Ultra processed food?

Ultra-processed foods typically have five or more ingredients. They tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life.
These nasty ingredients shouldn’t be in our diet.
It’s hard though, I know!
It’s time consuming and expensive.
But if you can cut down, it’s a starting point 👍🏼

Examples of types of foods

Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: Fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat and grains.

Processed culinary ingredients: Sugar, salt, butter, lard, oils, vinegar.

Processed foods: Freshly made, unpackaged bread, tinned fruits and vegetables, salted nuts, ham, bacon, tinned fish and cheese.

Ultra processed: Ice cream, ham, sausages, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavoured yogurts, instant soups, and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin, and rum.

☀️ Wake me up ☀️

I’ve never been one for coffee. That’s a blessing in disguise as caffeine does not agree with me. My body reacts quite badly to caffeine in medicine and caffeine in energy drinks.

Cacao is my go to Energy boost !

For 2 years this has been my morning ‘coffee’ and picked me up to face the day ahead

Benefits of Cacao
It’s a superfood!
one of the highest sources of magnesium in nature
full of antioxidants
Packed with calcium, zinc, copper, and selenium.
Anti-inflammatory properties.
Reduce 'bad' cholesterol.
May prevent cognitive decline.
May help with sleep.
Relaxation and happiness.
Improved exercise recovery.
Supports heart health.

I also add a smidge of Turmeric
Benefits of Turmeric:
Soothes Digestion
Amps Up Fat Burning*
Enhances Immune Function
Improves Skin Complexion
Supports Strong Bones
Helps Joint Mobility and Stiffness
Promotes Healthy Blood Pressure Levels.

I then add a pinch of Celtic salt
Benefits:
Natural Electrolyte Balance: Celtic Sea Salt contains essential electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are vital for maintaining proper fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions.

Then I use Almond Milk from the milkman - I need to investigate how this is processed and see if this is something I should change from my diet.

A tiny bit of Slippery Elm bark - for gut health
And Manuka Honey to sweeten

Try different combinations yourself and see what flavours suit you!

We don’t have coffee in the house normally but we often have sachets in case we have visitors -ingredients are not the best! ‘Stabilisers, modified starch, emulsifiers 😔😔

A little Experiment to show the impact of food dye and our behaviour :

If Red dye #40 kills a plant, what do you think it’s doing to our cells?

Take notice of the red dye #40...it KILLED the celery plant in just a day!

Red dye #40 is in a lot of processed foods like:
Breakfast cereals.
Fizzy and soft drinks.
Condiments.
Puddings.
Dairy products (ice cream, sherbet, flavoured milks, frozen yoghurt)
Baked goods.
Chocolate, sweets and confectionary.
Fruit juices.

Just removing foods with artificial colourings/dyes could substantially change your child’s behavior, mood, hyperactivity, etc.

You would be amazed at how a child's behaviour can change just from cleaning up their diet.

I can’t wait to see the changes ☺️

Nutrition and Inflammation

Ultra-processed foods are less filling and raise our blood sugars higher than minimally processed foods. They are generally higher in calories and sugar, lower in protein and fibre, and are associated with obesity.
They are nutritionally inferior and eating them replaces healthier nutrient-rich foods that you could be eating instead (crispy veggies and hummus instead of fizzy pop and crisps).
Many of them are snack foods and promote mindless eating, replacing the need or desire for a real meal. Not only that, they contain pro-inflammatory ingredients, such as refined sugars (carbohydrates), and unhealthy fats, like corn oil.

Gut experts recommend avoiding pro-inflammatory foods, especially for those with inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and obesity, or digestive health conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diverticular disease.

Refined sugars (carbohydrates), such as high fructose corn syrup, are one of the primary dietary factors that affect inflammation.
They can be hard to avoid when they are found in so many foods at the supermarket, especially when they’re hidden in foods you wouldn’t suspect (e.g., coconut milk).

You can do this! 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

Butter 🧈

I always used to buy the cheap option.

Now I make a conscious effort to buy slab of butter (milk/fat)

And not Margarine containing
Acidity regulator
Citric acid
Flavourings
Carotenes

I can’t wait to see the changes to our family 💛

Breakfast ☀️

We can talk more about cereals another time - it is scary how many ‘healthy cereals’ are on the supermarket shelves.

Today we are talking Pancakes 🥞
My son has never been a cereal fan (thankfully now I know the truth of UPF)
He has been one for
Toast and Chocolate spread.

He has often asked for pancakes - always felt like an effort. I’d grab a ready mix and serve him a few.

Times have changed
This week it’s been pancakes every morning
1/3 Cup of Oat Flour
1/3 Greek Yoghurt for fluffiness (we can talk about yogurts in more detail another time - I’m just trying different things at the moment)
1 large egg
Whisk together
2-3 mins in pan
Swirl of honey on the top.

He is happy, I am happy 😊

Oh my goodness I just fell in love with the Butcher!
What a lovely man 👴🏻
He could tell me everything in his processed meat. No nasties!

Only a 5 min walk away and will definitely be visiting him again.

I looked at a Supermarket Ham packet and it took my breath away!
Pork Leg, Salt, Dextrose, Stabilisers (Triphosphates, Diphosphates), Antioxidant (Sodium Ascorbate), Preservative (Sodium Nitrite).
WHAT!!? The impact all those have on our health is incredible ☹️

More money? Yes probably - but my family’s health is more important.

My Kids love a cookie.
( I do love a cookie too!)
Look at the packet ! Why are we feeding our kiddies
Niacin
Thiamin
Emulsifiers
Lecithins
Ammonium phosphatides
Polyglycerol polyricinoleate
Palm oil
whey powder
Partially inverted refiners (?!)

I grabbed
125g butter (not UPF Marg but slab of normal butter)
1 egg
Dash of vanilla
225g of plain wholemeal flour
50g of icing sugar (yes this may be a little UPF but I’m working on it!)
85% dark choc chips

Dough - 30 Mins in fridge and then
Gas 4
12 -14 mins in oven

Yes it’s time - but it will be worth it.
Perfect treat for the little ones!

Welcome to our new page!
A place where we can share our UPF journeys. Firstly we highly recommend reading this book by Dr Chris. It will change your life and the way you look at Food. We all know processed food isn’t the best for us, but when we delve deeper into Ultra Processed Food and the impacts on our lives - it’s scary.
I purchased mine from Amazon for £12 but I know others who have downloaded on Audible etc.
On this page we can share ideas, thoughts, recipes and also the changes you are witnessing for yourselves and your loved ones 💕
Let’s. Do. This 💪🏼