It's so refreshing to hear someone acknowledge the costs of eating fresh food and thus it's exclusivity. And also pointing the finger at companies, government and policy for a solution, instead of casting shame on people.
Yes, and it takes a shit-ton of time to prepare and care for fresh vegetables and fruits, which also spoil faster. Cooking is real labor - even if you enjoy doing it.
@@kirbyesque Exactly! Long work days, traveling for work etc etc, which makes it even harder especially with children. I find myself throwing vegetables away on a regular basis and the only way to go is to shop more often and just before you need it rather than even try to store vegetables and fruit.
My mother who was a nutritionist and a dietitian wrote a cookbook in 1974 called “The no-fad good food $5 a week cookbook”. The main principle is eating a diet mostly made of inexpensive foods (dried beans, potatoes, cabbage, onions and whatever else is healthy and cheap) and then adding more expensive items just for flavour and variety. Today this same diet would be around $25 per week but this does depend on access to basic inexpensive healthy food and learning a few simple recipes and techniques. Start a cooking club!
Hello is there any way u can provide more information on this book? Do u have a longer lists of foods or some of the common meal ideas that can be made cheaply? This book is hundreds of dollars to buy, I wish I could access online or find for a more resonable price
Food deserts, look into them. It complicates this “start a cooking club” idea. Y’all really think grocery stores are close to everyone… privilege. And don’t misunderstand, I’m glad you have the privilege to think this way and basic food availability that fresh and healthy should have never needed to be seen as a privilege but… that’s where we are. Basic needs are privileges now smh 🤦🏾♀️
Chris van Tulleken should be given a global platform to convey this ideas across the world. He is a great communicator, and is doing extraordinary work in the field of nutrition study.
Absolutely agree. No scaremongering, so listenable and educational in a way that allows us to learn from our experiences. Been watching him since ‘Operation Ouch’.
Not when he promotes diary so much and doesn’t explain amount the animals that are pumped with antibiotics, fed to cows pigs and hens in their food .. remember that now 90% of all UK farming is intensive and we’re adopting American methods sadly
In the 1970s when I lived in France and was a young mother additives appeared on packaging as E numbers so that shoppers couldn’t actually identify them. Then a booklet appeared listing these E numbers and identifying them with health scores and warnings as well. So many of us went around checking products for E numbers that those with few or acceptable ones disappeared quickly from the shelves, leaving the others sitting there. That set me up for the rest of my life: a long list of ingredients is a definite no buy. We were also well educated in nutrition and home cooking in school as a compulsory subject.
I suffer from digestion issues. And have a low budget. But I have recently started eating potatoes mashed up with some carrots and onion with salt,pepper and mixed herbs added. It doesn't cost a lot to buy or prepare but I love it. And my digestion has got a whole lot better since I started having it for dinner. And I have now started thinking of other things I can chuck together as a healthy meal instead of just going for the easy processed options.
Are you Dutch? If not, did you know that potato-carrot-onion mash is a traditional meal in the Netherlands, specifically Leiden? It’s called “hutspot” - to me, it’s a bit too sweet because of the carrot, but I love other common potato mashes with kale and brussels sprouts (both cheap seasonal vegetables here in winter)
@@photovincent I'm welsh. I didn't know about it being a traditional meal in the Netherlands.I was just trying to fix my digestion issues by not eating too much processed food. And I love sprouts and all veg but I'm not sure if they upset my system I'm still experimenting.
I would add that we need to teach children about nutrition and how to cook basics from a young age. I can buy a cauliflower, a sweet potato, an onion, a piece of ginger some lentils and a tin of tomatoes for about £2. Adding a few spices, and spending 15 minutes chopping I can make a nutritious curry that lasts me four days. People don't seem to cook from scratch these days. Teaching children from a young age often gives them a love of food and cooking. I had my granddaughter help me prep and cook from the age of 4. Now, aged 18, she's a dab hand at making her own sushi, stews and quiches.
I am impressed with UK food prices! I just entered your meal example in our Swedish ICA online shop to compare and yes, our food is more expensive here: 87.41SEK = 6.46GBP. And that was with non-organic, cheapest products available. I like the idea btw, think I will try your recipe =)
Seven yrs ago gave away all Pre package/processed foods for health reasons. A little tough at first but fear of dying in a restaurant gave a much need push. Stayed with organic when possible and mainly…..stayed out of restaurants. Each i ate out, tachycardia, heart, palpitations, overwhelming fatigue, like I was going to pass out. My world became more frightening with the passing of spouse.Few mos later started my 99% additive/preservative free diet.. lots of veggies, seeds, nuts, fermentations, some quality meats, whole foods. Excess 55 lbs fell away. My whole outlook on food has change. Chris, as you stated reading the labels or as i did watched marathon of health videos on YT. All health issues left as did 3-4 medication. Still using Thyroid med (trying to get off) Feeling great! at 89. i was such a compulsive eater not having a turn off switch!. Too bad there’s not a Sesame Street type show for kids ….something like “What’s under my skin?” Really enjoy vedic Chris. Well done.
I moved to the UK from Spain, and went from eating my mom's homemade meals made with whole ingredients to an ultra-processed diet that made me feel bloated, tired and gave me horrible stomach pains every day. I've started to incorporate more whole foods and making more homemade meals and it's made a huge impact on my health. I feel way less tired, I've lost 7kgs of weight just by eating better and I feel happier. Definitely something that sneaks up on you if you're not careful and mindful of it.
This is funny, when I visited Spain from the UK I had an uncomfortable tummy because in most restaurants the food is mostly unvaried (meat and potatoes), fried, and heavily salted - what I came to call “yellow food”. Basically cooking at home anywhere is key.
The problem is… I can’t find a single packaged food that does not have emulsifiers on the ingredients list…Also, this guy is really great at explaining complex stuff to the mass… we need more of him on national platforms ❤
You can find it, it’s just usually way more expensive and probably in an upmarket store such as Waitrose. For me it’s quality over quantity in this regard. I buy this dark chocolate which costs triple cadburys, but one or two squares is satisfactory when you fancy something sweet.
Absolutely. Ditch Cadbury or Mondelez, they are basically spoonfuls of refined sugar rounded off with emulsifiers and artificial flavours. Dark chocolate (75%+), nuts, dried fruits, fresh fruits - there's plenty of options for dessert, but moderation is important. And once a week, you can totally go for that industrially made ice cream or muffin, it won't do you harm as long as you do that only once in a while.
Produce and meat is surprisingly cheap when you compare it to the growing trend of ordering takeout, many people are just tricked if they go to expensive shops.
Love this video. I'm passionate about food and nutrition, especially gut health. (No so much exersize) 😂 I've got the audio book and am working my way through it. For many years now I've strived to cut back UPF as much as possible. As I love to cook and experiment with food, specially making my own lacto fermented foods. I don't find it massively difficult, but sometimes I get caught out. I do occasionally enjoy a treat or a takeaway either from a restaurant or a supermarket ready meal. I would love to pursue food science, nutrition and gut health as a career but don't have any A levels. Only 'food' qualification I have is a food and nutrition GCSE. 😢 I'm trying to find alternatives but it virtually impossible. If anyone has got any advice it would be welcomed. 👍
I don’t think I can watch this. After 24 hours of hearing an interview and listening to your audio book I realise I have had whole days of not eating real food. My Mum has always grown her own food and is super fit and healthy in her 70s. I am a sucker for UPF. Everything over the last 24 tastes terrible. I used to make everything from scratch but as I have a stressful job and am caring for 2 family members and am exhausted. I want to have real food but at the end of the day I just want to go to bed. Step one is just giving it a good to go back to making real food. Wish me luck.
It’s part of the vicious cycle: you’re too tired to make proper food, so instead you opt for the easy alternative, which doesn’t give you the nutrients you need, and thus you’re too tired the next day. And the next. And the next. You have to make conscious effort to break the cycle, to get your strength back.
I totally understand and know that you are not alone, I have 2 young children and was not only consuming UPF, I was craving it. If I had a bad day I would look for it as a way to feel better. I never had energy, I felt like I could never get anything done, I just wanted to sit in the sofa with my pizza just to unwind. But 3 weeks ago I made the conscious decision of stopping with UPF, I've been slowly batch cooking and just putting the meals in the freezer. And let me tell you that after 1 week I started getting more energy, I had some brain fog and it's starting to lift. Just keep in mind that the UPF could be causing you to feel more tired.
I hear you, I have a chronic illness, and live on my own. I haven’t emptied the dishwasher in over a day, my kitchen is a mess, but I managed to put a few ingredients together for some food. Not having the energy to cook from scratch is the hardest thing, or not having enough money for fresh, whole food is the second hardest thing. If I win the euromillions tonight, I’ll hire you a chef for a few months!
I am 77 and live on my own. So clearly I have more time than you. When I was at home with 4 kids and working full time, I'd make giant pots of soups and stews and eat it more than once. I still do that now. Making spaghetti? Make twice as much. 3 times as much and keep it in the freezer, or fridge. Cook a chicken at the weekend and make several meals during the week with it, then boil up all scraps (including those off your plate) and make fabulous soup with it. Good luck!
One thing you could do on a sunnier day is search local takeaways for any single fish that’s slightly less ultra processed - maybe there’s an Asian food place making basic Phos, maybe there’s a kebab shop that makes their own sauces, etc. So at least occasionally you could enjoy an affordable meal that’s not a store-bought ready-made. Best of luck to you, doing God’s work!
This needs more publicity. In middle age, I've started suffering with the issues of heart disease and being obese. All my life, I've eaten and overeaten, processed foods. Now I have to lose weight it's a struggle especially now where prices are high and real food is always the more expensive option. I worry for my children, I was brought up with Grandparents who cooked from scratch, my kids haven't. This gentleman, is speaking sense and needs the publics backing and support.
Stopped eating ultra processed found ten months ago and went clean keto. Lost all my excess body weight and turned my health around. I look tens years younger and feel fourty years younger. You do not have to be sick and old. It is the food we are eating that is aging us. The sight of processed food now and will never touch it again.
That is so true. Equally sadly those people who rely on ultra-processed food will probably not engage with this kind of video, book or TV programme. You only need to look in peoples’ supermarket trolleys at the checkout to see this.
So very true Sarah, and these days with food (and all) prices rising I notice that our weekly shopping at the local farmers markets is using up a lot more money ..ok for us two people maybe but when I see families of 4 and 5, I wonder how they cope. And the cheaper fruit and veg at the discounters is usually NOT from our local farms as they can't compete and still work profitably. Lowering MwSt (German VAT) on fruit and veg might be a start - I think France does - and NOT sorting out the asparagus that isn't straight or pure white, the ODD size potato etc etc. We know how much food ends in the bins of food supermarkets. Sarah Jones and all here, what can we actually do to get this heard ???
Fresh fruit and vegetables are cheap. Meat can be cheap if you are savvy about where to buy and how you store it. It's the actual cooking that people don't want to do.
I dont agree really,because what is happening is ultra processed food alters your brain neurones and appetite hormones to feel less satisfied after eating,so you need more of it. Whole natural foods dont do that,so while it might cost more you need less of it. A bag of parsnips and a crusty roll costs less than,for example, a cheap pizza. Parsnip soup and a roll leaves you satisfied while with a pizza you might be feeling hungry again after a couple of hours. A stick blender,I think mine was £6. I agree that healthy meat is very expensive,and fish,but we eat too much of that anyway. I am on a tight budget and have tried both ways.
@@pheart2381 I agree with what you’re saying. People who don’t have much money are also scarce of time/ time deficient. They won’t be able to prepare something as simple as a soup because it’s so much easier to put a pizza in the oven.
This also applies to fitness enthusiasts who eat tons of protein powder and products. They think it’s healthy but it’s not. It’s ultra processed and linked to cancer.
I was always confused why people thought them healthy. I am sure that the gladiators of old didn’t eat protein powder infact I believe the archeological evidence of gladiatorial graves suggest surprisingly they ate a vegan diet
Wth? This is not true at all! It's like saying vitamin tablets are bad because they're in extracted form. Whey protein powder for example is just the extract of milk. Processed food is bad cuz it results in loss of healthy nutrients but in the case of protein powder, you're just removing excess fat and carb. When buying protein powder you should look at essential amino acids chain, bioavailability score. Don't buy the ones that have added flavour if you're concerned about sugar. There's an Indian utube channel named 'trustified'. They test different brands of protein powders and other supplements for pesticides, other harmful toxins and claimed nutritional value. If you want, you can look at their website or UA-cam channel. Anyways, I'm pretty sure things are regulated much better in USA. Yes, you should try and get the majority of your protein from actual food sources but to say that protein powder causes cancer? Please tell us how protein extract that was taken out of milk or even plant can cause cancer? You're here spreading bro science facts.
Yeah, its so sad. My boss is put off by my coworkers home raised eggs because they're "too fresh" And even meat tastes different when they eat what they're supposed to. It much gamier and more lean, most Americans would not like it unfortunately
I grew up on a farm. We had all the meat and veggies home grown, it was an amazing childhood. Now my mother (in her 80s and healthy) only keeps chickens. And she says it's impossible to get a feed for them, when they are small, that isn't full of additives, antibiotics, etc. So even if it's home grown, it's not really healthy anymore
I guess it's a longer process then and could be about starting with what does taste appealing and build from there? I can imagine some fresh food would taste good even if better bread tastes totally different!!
This is true. Having transitioned from mostly UPF to mostly whole food in adulthood, I can attest that you can switch that mentality. Now, UPF tastes and feels wrong to me.
Started reading the book last night, up till 1am totally engrossed and unable to put it down. Definitely an eye opener this one, only halfway through and already answering questions I had about my own middle aged health
I love it when he speaks truth, "I'm poorly organised..." That sums up my personal experience on most chaotic workdays. Food prep is my ally. I make extra at dinner and that is next day's lunch.
Mind blown, seriously, read the book, and have been abstaining from UPF for only 10 days and the feeling is night and day (I was a heavy eater of UPF previously)
He makes a very important point about the Big Food companies. This is the source of the problem and they should be the subject of our rage, plus , as he rightly says, medical professionals, either uneducated about nutrition or knowingly colluding. Overweight people are not overweight because they eat too much, they eat too much because they are overweight.
I'm a UK medic qualified in 2015 and almost nothing taught to use beyond a 1970s style basics of carbs, types of fat, sugar & essential vitamins. There a growing number of us teaching ourselves about lifestyle medicine.
@@Nika_Scott It's victim blaming. Nobody asked us to give us this crap to eat. If foodstuff "says" on the package that it's healthy, we expect it to be. We trust companies dealing with food know about the consequences of selling stuff that causes diseases. People buy UPF because they think it's nutritious and healthy. And then they are told that this is our individual responsibility to know that we eat crap. If UPF had a designation: "eat responsibly, highly addictive and unhealthy stuff", and we continued to eat it, then you could say "we asked for it".
Ive got your book after I've stopped eating UPF because I was trying to affect my pain levels, the results were amazing, almost instant improvement and very easy.
Finally an expert acknowledging that most people do not have the time and/or £ to make all of their food healthy. I work around 50 hours a week and am in debt since the ‘energy crisis’ bills. I eat healthy when I can - cooking everything from scratch on a weekend , but during the working week I don’t
I discovered the whole food plant based way of eating about 4 years ago and have now reversed my angina, reversed type 2 diabetes, and after 60 odd years of crap food, I’m slowly regaining my health. I also lost about 18lbs in weight without even trying.
I was brought up in a village where there was no supermarket and everyone used to cook their own food. I relocated to cities from the age of 15. Still, I rarely ate UPF. When I was at uni between 2004-2008, I mostly relied on UPF although I continued to cook. Since I stopped eating UPF fifteen years ago, I have reaped many benefits, e.g., staying slim, healthy, young, energetic, mentally tough, creative, outdoorsy and becoming much more extravert. For the past 4 years, I have been baking my own bread, making yogurt, pickling and using varied food preservation techniques. Cooking is time-consuming, but if you know how to preserve your food that you cooked in sealed jars, you save a great deal of time.
A few months ago I had a McDonald's, first time in years, it was OK so no problem. Then I became increasingly aware that I kept thinking about having another burger. It was I had my first cigarette and wanted more, so I was intrigued to hear him mention the 'food' industry and tabacco industry in the same sentence. Incidentally, I fought my addiction which lasted about 3/4 months. So dear reader be aware, you have been warned!! 😵
Yep, I just wanted ONE burger from my favorite place two Saturday's ago and since then I keep thinking about any bread + meat + melted cheese combination, and ANY burger, it's absurd... Tells me that I cannot stray from my healthy food whatsoever. Back in my vegan days I made a burger with brioche bread, bbq sauce, mayo, roasted onion, salad, tomato and I can't remember which patty but no cheese! And that burger I could eat while maintaining my love and desire for the healthier dishes as well! I think it's just the meat-cheese-bread combo that's too delicious (and addictive) for me 😹
Not here, while I keep a lot of foods out of the house, the hamburger I tried is just foam bread, with dubious extras. Adding a slice of cheese over the meat may save it, I didn't try.
I eat mostly meals home cooked from scratch, but it didn't occur to me that even spices have harmful additives. Even if I can afford, and know how to cook, it's still really difficult to stay away from all ultra processed food.
No it's not. I've done it. If you find it hard to stay away from UPFs then go cold turkey for a month and then start reading labels and googling ingredients you don't recognise.
@@kiskaloo6843 when someone says "it's really difficult", it is implied that they meant in their personal experience. You can claim "No it's not." for you, but some of us can't really "go cold turkey" just like that. Many people have neither the time nor the money to closely monitor everything they eat. For me, I have a lot going on with college classes and health issues, and it's hard enough to get myself to eat more than once a day. To add on thing like careful research, travelling to the store more often, food prep, and even learning how to cook would be unrealistic in my current situation. I don't have a car, so it's harder to find transportation to a grocery store. I'm limited to what's provided at the school dining center, and they don't have the healthiest (or tastiest) options, but it's both within walking distance and much cheaper to get a meal.
I absolutely adore Chris and feel that he's got the right demeanor to continue to push this information. And yes, Penguin peeps, I've bought the book! There is hope that the messages will get to the individual who can vote with their $£ -- having removed all UPF from our diets, hubby and I continue to enjoy chronic or other condition -free, drug free, lives as we embrace and navigate our 60's. Key message to be reinforced: >> Food for purchase is OFTEN marketed as 'healthy' -- this is a loaded term and in too many instances, absolute BS. If it comes in a packet, and you don't have all of the ingredients in your own kitchen cupboard, there is processing afoot! >> Chronic conditions and cancer (!!!) can be reversed and/or avoided by severely restricting the amount of UPF's you consume. REVERSED! Yes, you can reverse diabetes, reverse Chrohns, reverse IBS. >> Your GP / Family Doc was not educated in the nutritional guidelines of the day let alone of the emerging science and awareness of what should constitute nutritional guidance now.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. You are simply making an assertion without evidence so it can be dismissed without evidence. Of course it’s better to not eat UPFs but these kinds of claims do nothing to help
Absolutely spot on! In particular the recent witch hunt for sugar really worries me, and reminds me a bit of the same thing that happened to “fat” back in the late 90’s, the only difference now is that sugar is being replaced by more than questionable ingredients, and it boggles my mind that people think it’s perfectly fine, while fat was just reduced and maybe replaced with other carbohydrates. It makes me wonder whether the witch hunt for sugar was at least encouraged by the industry because it’s one less (and possibly more expensive) ingredient (sugar) replaced with artificial sweeteners (non natural ingredient) at a much lower cost. This is actually is a win-win for the industry because they can make an even higher profit by using cheaper ingredients, plus people think now that chocolate or soda for example contain less sugar, they can consume even more of it…
Butter was often replaced with margarine in the 80s, a totally artificial product, due to lower fat content. Ironically, we now know that it causes higher risk for your blood flow than butter...
Exactly. Sweeteners are an anethma to good health. Every Corporate on the band wagon. Emulsifiers are there to smooth you into addictive habit forming food. Shocking what is allowed, really shocking. Allowed us the new word for moral. What is being fed to people is immoral and beyond evil. It should never have been allowed. Cook your own food and keep it basic. Good luck in taking back your life. 👣🌼👣
eating a whole foods diet and regular excersise has improved my life in every aspect, left feeling annoyed at the brain washing we all go through from the food industry, its amazing just how good you can feel once you correct this tho, i would say it does take some time to feel the differance, took me maybe 6 months of clean eating to feel great again. so worth it. great advice glad the facts are being voiced!!!
These ultra processed ingredients accumulate in your body for years. Most seed oils such as sunflower oil or just vegetable oil have a very small amount of trans fats, so when consumed over many years it naturally accumulates in the body and causes chronic inflammation, something most adults have.
Something to be aware of is that even though it may feel that changes make your life smaller this is just not the case. Habitually having a higher quality diet is more satisfying than not, it will extend peoples lives making our lives more broad. Focusing on real food becomes a passion and a source of entertainment when learning how to cook properly.
Chris is 100% correct in what he's saying. Im not a doctor or a scientist, I was a vegetarian for 22 years, I suddenly started getting severe migraines and found they were linked to stabilisers in food. I had to stop being vegetarian in 2010 because I simply couldn't find enough healthy veggie products anymore. I now cook everything from scratch. The only thing I would say, is that you can eat cheaply if you make it yourself. Baking bread is cheaper, batch cooking and freezing meals like lasagna, cottage pie, soups, etc, and my top tip for saving money is grow your own. I've been gowing my own food for 15 years in pots in my tiny back yard, this year I got an allotment and I'm saving hundreds of £s. It's so easy.
I think for some it's the initial outlay for equipment to cook, time to tend to a garden, education how to cook/grow a garden, bandwidth when there's other pressing issues often relating to poverty. When you live hand to mouth in accommodation that isn't your own the food that you buy will often be cheap and easy to eat. Then marketing sells you foods that purport to make you feel soothed. Also I'd add that if you don't have transport you can't always carry the bulk buying home either. It's a sorry situation indeed
it's unfortunately harder for people who don't have a backyard to grow things in, and don't have time to prepare food themselves when they're working full-time
Kind of hard, I live in a dorm and can't make my own bread, and I do not have the time. Luckily, we have Lidl here, and they do not put harmful stuff in the products( I check everything), so I buy bread and tortillas from them. I grew up eating vegetables from my dad garden, but it became more and more hard for people to afford a house with land, so it would be nice to actually have decent food options. Most of the time, I sacrifice sleep to make food and is really tiring
I too was a veggie for many years, but had to go back to meat as migraines and tiredness, I now have an allotment which I waited for 3 and half years, has been amazing, but I'm lucky.... I wish everyone had this opportunity..
If you’re growing your own food especially it’s so easy to eat whole food plant based there’s no reason you can’t be vegetarian, meat is really bad for your health anyway
I remember when the book E for Additives came out years ago. 1980s? There was uproar. Then the manufacturers started to put the full names in the ingredients. It was easy to recognise things like Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine and avoid them. Now it’s hard to get food without additives. Supermarket bread is full of additives. No wonder things have a long shelf life now
Wow. Just wow. I've always kind of 'known' these things - that processed food is bad, but to hear it laid out like that, so clear cut, and with added information was just incredible. Maybe the best video I've ever watched about the subject. Great to hear the discussion of cost and skill too, it is criminal that a punnet of strawberries can cost up to 5/6x that of a pack of biscuits. Families will obviously go for the latter.
And single people more so as one punnet of strawberries is too much for one person and will just go to waste. This is the bias towards families that food companies have and informs the decision to buy the packet of biscuits (etc) over the expensive fruit.
Lentils, beans, brown rice veg & fruit, spices is cheaper than buy UPF food. With air fryers & pressure cookers it’s also quick to make a decent meal..
This is why I love living in Mexico. Markets are not hyper expensive bougie farmer’s markets but truly cheap, good quality, bustling hubs full of fresh produce and meat. You can buy $70 dls worth of whole foods produce for $20 bucks. Fresh cheese, fresh made tortillas and even great seafood in every area not just coastal states. The only issue is convenience…it does require effort to go buy and cook foods. Convenience stores have zero healthy options and junk food is heavily taxed so when in a pinch the only option is expensive ultra processed crap
Why would he say pizza is daily healthy firstly earthly GOD given natural food is much healthier But I don’t want to shame and judge it’s about getting out n being in a more natural environment The whole intention of the indictty needs to change GROW OWN FOOD NOW n moverd to the Caribbean IJN
@dim9753 by my question in which city in Mexico do you live I meant that if by Mexico you meant country and not Mexico city, I would be interested to know if the prices you say are common for all areas of the country or may be they are common for some specific city. I am considering the idea of moving to Mexico and it would be nice to know in which city are such low prices you mentioning. Thanks anyway!!!
@@jessicarowling He's saying that homemade Pizza is DIFFERENT than the sheite you get at your Whole-in-the-Wall restaurant. Because their stuff is mostly from the bucket.
Throughout my life, I consistently enjoyed traditional Korean cuisine, which consisted mainly of unprocessed and wholesome foods. During that time, I maintained good health and had abundant energy. However, since relocating to the USA, my lifestyle has shifted significantly. I've noticed a decline in my health, and I've become less active. Approximately 80% of my diet now consists of packaged and processed foods, while 15% of the time, I opt for fast food. Only about 5% of the time do I take the effort to prepare homemade meals. It's really hard to eat like I used to because I don't have time to cook. I've gained 60lb in 4 years. very sad what i've become. I go through diets and lose 10-30lb, but i gain it back again over and over. sigh.
I thought I was eating relatively healthy bread. It was labelled as "Flax and Quinoa" and was based on whole wheat but when I read the ingredients there was very little flax or quinoa and a whole long list of chemical additives that I couldn't begin to pronounce or understand. I now make my own bread. It's more work but it's cheaper and better. It's not that much work though, and I even like doing it. My bread is 80% whole wheat and 20% flax and I often add olives as well. What's great is that I like the bread so much that I don't even miss the donuts that I also eliminated from my diet. Just eating my homemade bread with butter is delicious and nutritious as well. Throw in a handful of peanuts and there's lots of good quality protein as well. One doesn't have to spend money to be healthy.
I'm always recommending bread makers (nowadays you can ask on your local Facebook groups if someone has one gathering dust at the back of a cupboard that they'd like to pass on). Put in the ingredients, set up the correct cycle, and the timer for when you get up in the morning/get in from work, and leave it to it. You control all the ingredients and get freshly baked bread for very little effort.
Ultra processed food has one the greatest profit margins you could ever get, it will never stop. It's your choice as an adult to inform yourself and your children.
It's not just financial issues that stop people accessing truly healthy unprocessed foods. As my energy limiting chronic illnesses have got worse i have had to resort more and more to preprepared foods... I do my best, especially for my kids, but it's definitely an additional challenge that I used to be able to do but I can no longer do because of my disabilities...
Some thoughts I had while watching: We are all products of the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the thoughts we harbour. What we consume, both physically and psychologically, is incredibly important in defining us as entities. I can relate to what is said here about abstinence being preferable to the immitation food we are offered by most outlets. However, even when opting for a banana and some nuts, I can't help but consider how the producers might have tried to maximise their profits. For example, what soil/fertilizers were the crops grown in, was the water used of high quality, were any pesticides, growth hormones etc. used, were the crops flushed properly before harvest, how far from the fields used was the nearest source of contamination and were they downhill/downwind from it. Most of the time it is impossible to know without investing huge amounts of time and energy, but in the same way that humans are a product of their intake, so are the foods we eat and not all bananas are created equal. Additionally, it was stated that "obesity is not caused by a lack of will power, or a failure in personal responsibility" and is simply the result of the decisions made by predatory transnational corporations. I can absolutely appreciate the sentiment here since poverty severely limits your options and I wouldn't want to absolve these corporations of their sins, but I also wouldn't want to remove personal responsibility from the equation. There are many middle and upper class people out there who opt for these foods knowning full well that they will adveresly affect their health. My brother is a prime example of this. He can, and occasionally does, cook incredible meals at home using fresh ingredients, but that doesn't stop him ordering lots of takeaway food and drinking coke zero like an absolute madman. He knows the risks, but it is convenient and tasty and so he indulges himself. An analogy between these foods and smoking is made in the video because they are both addictive and harmful, but who here would say that the individual bears no personal responsibility for their smoking habits? There is a whole lot to be said for willpower and the determination to adapt and change. Thank you for a great video.
This is a good comment, in the case of fruit you have to be careful now, many fruits are 'frankenfruits' grown to maximise their fructose sugar as to be addictive and enticing.
@@elizabethk3238 That's like saying find your own way to work, the govt shouldn't be responsible for paving roads or providing public transport. The govt taxes the people so it should do everything in its power to do good for the people, include simply educating youngsters on stuff like this and/or regulating industries.
Thank you for this video, Chris van Tulleken. You have provided valuable information in an easily understood (and digestible!) way. I agree that greed is what the food industry is about and we need to demand that our governments force regulations on the industry that improves the quality of the food we eat. I am grateful that I have the time, skills and finances to cook real food. And you're right it costs much more to eat healthily. And stop the shaming for sure! cheers from Canada
Chris points out the parallel between the giant food companies and big tobacco. What's interesting to note is that years ago, the big tobacco companies realized that the profit train was drying up for the tobacco industry. Where did many of them invest their money? The food industry. They invested in minority, or controlling interest in a lot of major food companies. They swapped one oral fixation/addiction for another, and kept the profits coming in.
Step 3 4:54 Chris starts by talking about the food industries obsession with replacing fat in the early days of ultra processed food. My grandfather had Lancashire cheese every day, double cream on fruit and in cake, had beef dripping on toast as a rare treat but he always looked slim. He was of the generation that ate veg in large portions, not as a garnish. All meals were prepared from whole food ingredients at home, he preferred white bread from the local bakery on the street where he lived, and thought supermarket bread tasted as if it hadn’t been baked yet. Being the generation that felt deprived of sweets during the war, he ate a few too many sweets than was good for his teeth, but he did not gain excess weight as he grew older, despite the sugar and saturated fats in his diet.
You can eat fresh food, but it costs more and takes more time to get and prepare. Many people cannot afford it. Also its the preservatives that tend to do the most harm, like nitrates and nitrites in meat and highly processed vegetable oils.
A recent French study of emulsifiers has suggested a link to cancer and heart disease, which is supported by a British study with identical twins, one ate a healthy diet for two weeks, the other, a highly processed food diet. The negative aspect of the latter were measurable after tthe twomaeek trial. Very scarey.
Apart from the great content, I really like Chris's voice and way of speaking, with clear enunciation etc. - great vocal conditions for a public speaker or an educator!
Just finished his Ultra Processed People book on Audible - it's really opened my eyes to what an artificial diet I've been having. It's difficult to fully avoid ultra-processed in the western world, but I can certainly strive to make big improvements and better choices most of the the time.
This is brilliant. A great communicator. Watch not as podcast but as an entertainment which educates. I’m generally critical of the delivery of what passes for healthcare but Dr Van Tulleken knows his stuff and really cares. A rare resource for us to trust and follow.
Homemade pasta with capsicum, chillies, onion and tomatos is literally what I live for. The natural flavors and taste are unmatched by anything made by food industry. My grandfather is a farmer so I'm lucky and ultraprocessed foods are much more expensive here in India. Everything I eat is pretty much homemade and healthy.
I came across you by chance, I purchased your book a couple of weeks ago which is on my list to read asap. I'm glad how well you paint this picture, I've been telling people for years to eat whole foods not food that generally comes in plastic or grim a production line. My grandfather died from liver cancer whilst suffering from Alzheimer's. I'm convinced his processed diet was the largest contributor if not the sole contributor. We live in a worrying time and I'm glad you're out here sharing such important information in such a good format 👍🏽 keep it up man!
Very good information. I started reading all food labels over 30 years ago as my son developed intolerances when he was a toddler. I was gobsmacked at how many chemicals are used in off the shelf foods. Even though I now live alone, I still eat homemade foods. I am lucky because I have the time, and equipment to batch cook and then freeze in individual portions, but so many do not have this privilege.
Wow! To say the most was very informative. I learned the reason why for some questions I had. Greatly appreciate all the work that went into putting this documentary together. Thank you . May God's peace, mercy, and grace continue to be with you, your family, your colleagues, and your community.
We are going to look back at this time with great shame, I'm trying to make changes with those close to me but it's a difficult challenge. My current strategy is to eat in an 8 hour window 5 days a week, home make family meals and try to keep UPF to a minimum (below 5%), trying my best to keep my kids on side and not have a revoult on my hands.
@@michellesorocovici thanks for the good wishes. It's going well I would say, weekends are more challenging but I'm trying to be realistic and make life changes that can afford falling off the rails now and again.
@@edwood5535 I'm glad to hear that it's going well for you. What you say resonates with me too a lot too. Incorporating the 80-20 rule, practising self-compassion and viewing failure as a result of giving up as opposed to falling off the rail every now and then has helped me a lot personally. That aside, I'm just a student living alone, can't even imagine how much harder it is with a family to take care of. Rooting for you! Am sure others here will be too! 😊
@@michellesorocovici totally agree, it's really detrimental to chastise yourself for every little miss step one makes, if you have a healthy diverse diet , then your gut health will be able to handle the odd bit of rubbish. Good luck with your studies, my diet as a student was not great, if you can batch cook and freeze with labels dates and weights, I would advise doing that as much as you can. Dr Pradip Jamnadas has some great information on his channel.
@@edwood5535 Thanks for the tips 😊Most of the time I do batch cook, sometimes I purposely avoid meal prepping because cooking is a way for me to relax, especially during exams.. P.S. Please don't hesitate to keep us updated. Would love to know if you make any progress with your kids meals/wider family as well.
I actually wrote an essay on this during my masters degree. Sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, which has risen drastically in food and fizzy drinks, does not metabolise via glycolysis as glucose does but through fructolysis. This step in the liver, forces fructose to go through de novo lipogenesis (essentially forming fat on the liver and adipose tissue instead of forming glycogen to be utilised during metabolism). The fat formed also projects more adipokines signalling inflammation in your body, increasing cortisol, and a viscous fat forming cycle. Personally, whether you want high fat or high carb diet is up to you and your needs. But high fructose corn syrup amongst other additives give your body less bang for your buck.
To add, the adipkokines, hormonal changes and emulsifiers themselves diminish good bacteria like lactobacillus and bifido which provide us with Mandy short chain fatty acids for immunity amongst other benefits… I think this is a great video but the research is definitely out there!!
I'm someone who has lived most of my adult live with a huge emphasis on a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise. I've listened, read and watched tonnes of fitness influencers, health articles and videos on the core components of healthy eating, so liked to think I knew a lot about the subject matter compared to the average person. But having watched a few different videos and documentaries of Chris', it's so refreshing to see this type of content and it's taught me a lot about what to look out for, what to avoid and, importantly, how to teach yourself to move away from eating ultra-processed foods or even enjoying them. Genuinely so insightful. I've seen so many of the fitness influencers and 'bodybuilder' type athletes always revert to the 'low calorie' options, the zero or reduced fat option, the zero calorie sweetener options, because of this excessive obsession with fats and sugars. While they're obviously right to an extent, learning more from Chris about ultra-processed foods has made me realise that these sorts of alternatives are no better in terms of their nutritional value nor their impact on our body.
I am really glad you touched on natural emulsifiers aswell. As someone who worked and studied to work in the food industry (as a baker, so I had to know a lot about the sugars, enzyms, emulsifiers etc) I was worried that this was gonna be a "black and white" rant on how "All this is bad and all this not bad". There is always a nuance to these things. Just like how all sugar, fat and salt isn't bad but you just overeat them very quickly.
If the only salt someone has in their diet is added during cooking from scratch or at the table it is physiologically impossible to eat too much - they will literally be sick (i.e. vomit). It's the way it is combined into UPF that makes it possible to go over this natural limit.
The marketing is the easiest way to tackle this imo. It’s so difficult for people to make good decisions on food if they’re hot by adverts left right and centre. Top work mate!
We home cooks read the ingredients lists on everything we buy. The worst thing that I have found is sugar and sugar derivatives in savoury foods, like bread, cheese sauce, pesto, salad dressings, which spikes your blood sugar. The more the additives the worse the food. I was brought up by a home cook, so I prefer to buy food that is actually food, so real dairy, fresh and frozen meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. My favourite umami is Marmite. You can actually buy pizza bases or make from scratch and then add the ingredients. The cheaper the pizza, the more rubbish the food. I hate the taste of diet sodas and savoury foods with added sugar. I know that cheap bread is full of additives, but only eat it when I'm short of cash. The only cheap bread I have found to be sugar free is Sainsbury's...every other supermarkets' cheap bread is loaded with it. I also found hash browns in Lild last week with glucose in them. I cannot stand over salted or salt/sweet mix foods, even though I love Marmite, which means Walkers Crisps for example taste to me, like sweets not crisps. 🤢
Chris, thanks for your amazing book! I learnt so much about what I was eating and you were a big part in my motivation to make real life-changing dietry changes. I would highly recommend that people read your book to understand exactly what it is they are thrusting down their throats every day.
Listened to the whole audiobook, now I tell everybody about it. Not only that, but looking at everything in the supermarket is like looking at the matrix itself-upf, upf, upf on this aisle, not even going down that aisle, they serve kids this stuff?? It’s like taking blinders off and seeing what people are really consuming. Industrial byproducts labeled as food. So wild.
Even before this video I took the decision to cut all ultra processed foods along with refined sugar, out of my diet. The worst culprit was bread bought from supermarkets, just read the label, bread is just flour, yeast and water, so why is there a long list of ingredients in supermarket bread? I am saving money because I buy basic ingredients and absolutely no junk food, despite the myth that fresh fruit and veg and healthy items are expensive they fill me up so I eat less. As for all the low fat, low sugar and 'healthy' snacks like granola bars. Read the labels, my go to snack is plain rice cakes with 100% peanut butter, so good and so satifying.
Thanks for your book. It’s been a real eye opener. I thought my diet was relatively healthy until I checked the ingredients lists. Even brown bread was a shock 😨. I would never have guessed how many unpronounceable things were in it. I have been inspired to make small changes. For example learning to make bread and pizza, making mayonnaise, adding orange juice to my gin instead of a fancy flavoured tonic. Tonight I’m having a pina colada with pineapple juice and cream instead of rum and Coke. It’s been educational. Cheers 🥂
As he says, the traditionally labeled ultra processed food like ice cream can also be perfectly healthy, even when purchased rather than home made. Here are the ingredients in one of the better ice creams on the market: Fresh Cream (39%), Condensed Skimmed Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolk, Vanilla Extract. Nothing bad in there at all but of course there are other brands that will be full of crap.
While I like the idea of a vegan diet, I steer clear of all plant based "copycat" food. I simply don't believe you can turn a beetroot (or whatever) into something that looks and tastes like bacon without some sort of ultra-processing technology. Besides, I am perfectly happy eating a beetroot!
I’m reading Chris’s book at the moment. I’m fine with his UPF narrative except for his advocacy of all things from a cow - so promoting dairy products; and he never mentions how dairy cheese can be 90% saturated fat which can cause weight gain if not eaten in very strict moderation.. I detect a bias as he mentions vegan food several times; and I agree that some if it is exactly what he says it is; but a great deal of vegan food can be pea protein, soya and seitan, which isn’t harmful and a great source of good plant protein. Personally my journey is WFPB .. and I see the horrendous ethical choices with eggs Chris promotes; but he calls it “natural”, which is debatable when hens are fed antibiotics in their food , are forced to unnaturally lay 300 eggs per year ( in the wild they’d lay 20) as they are fed nutritional rich foods and kept in prolonged lighting in overcrowded unhealthy sheds of up to 40,000 birds, messing with the birds growth and hormones. It doesn’t take long for the birds high egg production to drop and when it does they’re sent to slaughter.,
I have not read the book, but I appreciate your critiques! I agree with your points. I was vegan for awhile, but I recently bought eggs from a colleague that has chickens. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that he's not exploiting them to the degree that corporations do
@@sourdoughsavant22would you eat meat? Or dairy now? I have occasional eggs which I’m ok with if they are organic and truly free range. Dairy is in chocolate and I’m trying hard to not give in. But I’m not eating meat.
Just about everything you said about chickens is false. This is the problem with militant vegans unfortunately they make things up to try and make a point.
With a living cost of crisis, I'm pushed into eating cheap dinners. Interestingly, one thing that I learnt is that, I can cook a nutritious meal for 4 for £2. I listened for years that healthy food is expensive and that poor people can't afford it but, even if we don't have the cooking skills, cutting up a few veggies and popping them into a slow cooker (I see free ones on market place etc) is done in minutes, hardly any time/labour required.
I'm disabled and often don't have the energy to cook from scratch, does anyone have resources on what I can eat on days when I can't cook? Batch cooking is not a great option for me as I only have a one drawer freezer. Thanks in advance ❤
Almost 1,5 year I totally removed sugar, white bear, veg. oils for frying and almost all processed foods from my digestion. Started to eat eggs, more meat, vegetables, butter. I feel better now, keep watching 😊
I have cut out the vast majority of processed food & recently started baking my own sourdough bread. I have lost nearly 2 stone without even thinking about restricting calories & my asthma has all but gone.
Wow, my husband and I naturally have fallen into this - we very rarely eat snacks, and I make most of our meals from scratch. He bakes sourdough bread. No dietary restrictions - we just don't overdo it. We've never had issues with weight and are generally healthy. Have case studies where family members and friends eat a lot of pre-prepared food and ultra processed food because of the convenience. And weigtloss in particular has been an issue for many of them. Despite "restricting" themselves from things when they diet. My parents both worked in the food industry, so growing up, we were taught about things like mouth feel - never in depth, but enough to make you aware when something just doesn't taste/feel natural. Now, many processed foods just put me off, because I know how great the real thing can taste
I think he and Tim Spector have both got it right, but just one other thing that doesn't seem to be mentioned is that there's a possibility that the herbicides and insecticides that are sprayed onto our food crops are harming our microbiome.
I have just finished reading the book and am pretty sure I just read that information in the book. This video is just a short summary but the book has more details
Just started reading this book. This video has explained it to me and I look forward to getting back to the book. Oh dear what are we doing to ourselves.
Very interesting, I had a recent intense episode of Acid Reflux and Gastritis, two things I'd never encountered before. To recover and eventually get off medications I had to eliminate lots of foods. I didnt eliminate most ultra processed foods at first but eventually did when I realized they usually have small amounts of powerful acids as preservatives. Ive added back into my diet many foods but have kept processed foods at a low amount and this gives another reason- they may have actually been at least part of the cause of the illnesses as he describes.
The most telling thing is when you look at pictures of young people from the late 1940s/early 1950s from both the UK and the USA - it is amazing how most of them are slim and healthy.
Since half a year, I eat less UPF. No margarine but butter, sourdough Bread (home made), etc. I lost 15kg of weight and I feel good. Thanks dr Van Tulleken!
It's not even just the ingredients list...if you've got porridge oats - the darling of clean eating breakfasts, beloved by the vegan tree hugger and The Buff Dudes alike,.... chances are, unless you're paying quadruple the price for organic, then they could very well have traces of Round-up in it. The whole mass production of foodstuffs is contaminated 😢
It's so refreshing to hear someone acknowledge the costs of eating fresh food and thus it's exclusivity. And also pointing the finger at companies, government and policy for a solution, instead of casting shame on people.
Yes, and it takes a shit-ton of time to prepare and care for fresh vegetables and fruits, which also spoil faster. Cooking is real labor - even if you enjoy doing it.
@@kirbyesque Yes life does require some effort. Shame that.
@@kirbyesque Exactly! Long work days, traveling for work etc etc, which makes it even harder especially with children. I find myself throwing vegetables away on a regular basis and the only way to go is to shop more often and just before you need it rather than even try to store vegetables and fruit.
@@lala-ct9ir which is how we used to shop before supermarkets and wide usage of preservatives
It completely depends where you are in the world but wheat, lentils, frozen veg, beans are pretty cheap to buy.
My mother who was a nutritionist and a dietitian wrote a cookbook in 1974 called “The no-fad good food $5 a week cookbook”. The main principle is eating a diet mostly made of inexpensive foods (dried beans, potatoes, cabbage, onions and whatever else is healthy and cheap) and then adding more expensive items just for flavour and variety. Today this same diet would be around $25 per week but this does depend on access to basic inexpensive healthy food and learning a few simple recipes and techniques. Start a cooking club!
@thisismyyoutubeaccount3322 oh no! Time for another print run?
I used to have The Pauper's Cookbook that was pretty good.
Thanks for the suggestion of The Paupers Cookbook! I will see if I can find it somewhere.
Hello is there any way u can provide more information on this book? Do u have a longer lists of foods or some of the common meal ideas that can be made cheaply? This book is hundreds of dollars to buy, I wish I could access online or find for a more resonable price
Food deserts, look into them. It complicates this “start a cooking club” idea. Y’all really think grocery stores are close to everyone… privilege. And don’t misunderstand, I’m glad you have the privilege to think this way and basic food availability that fresh and healthy should have never needed to be seen as a privilege but… that’s where we are. Basic needs are privileges now smh 🤦🏾♀️
@@LafemmebearMusic agreed. It's absolutely grim in some areas in Scotland.
Chris van Tulleken should be given a global platform to convey this ideas across the world. He is a great communicator, and is doing extraordinary work in the field of nutrition study.
Absolutely agree.
No scaremongering, so listenable and educational in a way that allows us to learn from our experiences.
Been watching him since ‘Operation Ouch’.
Not when he promotes diary so much and doesn’t explain amount the animals that are pumped with antibiotics, fed to cows pigs and hens in their food .. remember that now 90% of all UK farming is intensive and we’re adopting American methods sadly
Like You Tube?
@@fo8426 Cheese and milk are quite important so stfu
In the 1970s when I lived in France and was a young mother additives appeared on packaging as E numbers so that shoppers couldn’t actually identify them. Then a booklet appeared listing these E numbers and identifying them with health scores and warnings as well. So many of us went around checking products for E numbers that those with few or acceptable ones disappeared quickly from the shelves, leaving the others sitting there. That set me up for the rest of my life: a long list of ingredients is a definite no buy. We were also well educated in nutrition and home cooking in school as a compulsory subject.
I suffer from digestion issues. And have a low budget. But I have recently started eating potatoes mashed up with some carrots and onion with salt,pepper and mixed herbs added. It doesn't cost a lot to buy or prepare but I love it. And my digestion has got a whole lot better since I started having it for dinner. And I have now started thinking of other things I can chuck together as a healthy meal instead of just going for the easy processed options.
Are you Dutch? If not, did you know that potato-carrot-onion mash is a traditional meal in the Netherlands, specifically Leiden? It’s called “hutspot” - to me, it’s a bit too sweet because of the carrot, but I love other common potato mashes with kale and brussels sprouts (both cheap seasonal vegetables here in winter)
@@photovincent I'm welsh. I didn't know about it being a traditional meal in the Netherlands.I was just trying to fix my digestion issues by not eating too much processed food. And I love sprouts and all veg but I'm not sure if they upset my system I'm still experimenting.
Add an Avocado, it will do wonders for you.
@@markc5509 That sounds nice.I will try that.
@@photovincent lekker 😅
I would add that we need to teach children about nutrition and how to cook basics from a young age. I can buy a cauliflower, a sweet potato, an onion, a piece of ginger some lentils and a tin of tomatoes for about £2. Adding a few spices, and spending 15 minutes chopping I can make a nutritious curry that lasts me four days. People don't seem to cook from scratch these days. Teaching children from a young age often gives them a love of food and cooking. I had my granddaughter help me prep and cook from the age of 4. Now, aged 18, she's a dab hand at making her own sushi, stews and quiches.
I am impressed with UK food prices! I just entered your meal example in our Swedish ICA online shop to compare and yes, our food is more expensive here: 87.41SEK = 6.46GBP. And that was with non-organic, cheapest products available. I like the idea btw, think I will try your recipe =)
Where do u shop? Im inrerested in this
I personally think Home Economics should be made a compulsory GCSE
Yes, the best idea, children learning to cook, it means they take responsibility for their lives, perfect. Not easy to put it into practice😊
How healthy is vegan food for example the meat free stuff. Seems to be the craze at the moment
I've read labels and have eaten a natural diet since 1976. I am 67 and my heart according to a cardiologist is perfect.
Awesome
Seven yrs ago gave away all Pre package/processed foods for health reasons. A little tough at first but
fear of dying in a restaurant gave a much need push. Stayed with organic when possible and mainly…..stayed out of restaurants. Each i ate out, tachycardia, heart, palpitations, overwhelming fatigue, like I was going to pass out. My world became more frightening with the passing of spouse.Few mos later started my
99% additive/preservative free diet.. lots of veggies, seeds, nuts, fermentations, some quality meats, whole foods. Excess 55 lbs fell away. My whole outlook on food has change. Chris, as you stated reading the labels or as i did watched marathon of health videos on YT. All health issues left as did 3-4 medication. Still using Thyroid med (trying to get off) Feeling great! at 89. i was such a compulsive eater not having a turn off switch!. Too bad there’s not a Sesame Street type show for kids ….something like “What’s under my skin?”
Really enjoy vedic Chris. Well done.
I am proud of you..
I moved to the UK from Spain, and went from eating my mom's homemade meals made with whole ingredients to an ultra-processed diet that made me feel bloated, tired and gave me horrible stomach pains every day. I've started to incorporate more whole foods and making more homemade meals and it's made a huge impact on my health. I feel way less tired, I've lost 7kgs of weight just by eating better and I feel happier. Definitely something that sneaks up on you if you're not careful and mindful of it.
This is funny, when I visited Spain from the UK I had an uncomfortable tummy because in most restaurants the food is mostly unvaried (meat and potatoes), fried, and heavily salted - what I came to call “yellow food”. Basically cooking at home anywhere is key.
The problem is… I can’t find a single packaged food that does not have emulsifiers on the ingredients list…Also, this guy is really great at explaining complex stuff to the mass… we need more of him on national platforms ❤
Don’t eat packaged food then. Stick to meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, raw honey
You can find it, it’s just usually way more expensive and probably in an upmarket store such as Waitrose. For me it’s quality over quantity in this regard. I buy this dark chocolate which costs triple cadburys, but one or two squares is satisfactory when you fancy something sweet.
Absolutely. Ditch Cadbury or Mondelez, they are basically spoonfuls of refined sugar rounded off with emulsifiers and artificial flavours. Dark chocolate (75%+), nuts, dried fruits, fresh fruits - there's plenty of options for dessert, but moderation is important. And once a week, you can totally go for that industrially made ice cream or muffin, it won't do you harm as long as you do that only once in a while.
Produce and meat is surprisingly cheap when you compare it to the growing trend of ordering takeout, many people are just tricked if they go to expensive shops.
Love this video. I'm passionate about food and nutrition, especially gut health. (No so much exersize) 😂
I've got the audio book and am working my way through it.
For many years now I've strived to cut back UPF as much as possible. As I love to cook and experiment with food, specially making my own lacto fermented foods.
I don't find it massively difficult, but sometimes I get caught out. I do occasionally enjoy a treat or a takeaway either from a restaurant or a supermarket ready meal.
I would love to pursue food science, nutrition and gut health as a career but don't have any A levels. Only 'food' qualification I have is a food and nutrition GCSE. 😢
I'm trying to find alternatives but it virtually impossible. If anyone has got any advice it would be welcomed. 👍
I don’t think I can watch this. After 24 hours of hearing an interview and listening to your audio book I realise I have had whole days of not eating real food. My Mum has always grown her own food and is super fit and healthy in her 70s. I am a sucker for UPF. Everything over the last 24 tastes terrible. I used to make everything from scratch but as I have a stressful job and am caring for 2 family members and am exhausted. I want to have real food but at the end of the day I just want to go to bed. Step one is just giving it a good to go back to making real food. Wish me luck.
It’s part of the vicious cycle: you’re too tired to make proper food, so instead you opt for the easy alternative, which doesn’t give you the nutrients you need, and thus you’re too tired the next day. And the next. And the next. You have to make conscious effort to break the cycle, to get your strength back.
I totally understand and know that you are not alone, I have 2 young children and was not only consuming UPF, I was craving it. If I had a bad day I would look for it as a way to feel better. I never had energy, I felt like I could never get anything done, I just wanted to sit in the sofa with my pizza just to unwind. But 3 weeks ago I made the conscious decision of stopping with UPF, I've been slowly batch cooking and just putting the meals in the freezer. And let me tell you that after 1 week I started getting more energy, I had some brain fog and it's starting to lift. Just keep in mind that the UPF could be causing you to feel more tired.
I hear you, I have a chronic illness, and live on my own. I haven’t emptied the dishwasher in over a day, my kitchen is a mess, but I managed to put a few ingredients together for some food. Not having the energy to cook from scratch is the hardest thing, or not having enough money for fresh, whole food is the second hardest thing. If I win the euromillions tonight, I’ll hire you a chef for a few months!
I am 77 and live on my own. So clearly I have more time than you. When I was at home with 4 kids and working full time, I'd make giant pots of soups and stews and eat it more than once. I still do that now. Making spaghetti? Make twice as much. 3 times as much and keep it in the freezer, or fridge. Cook a chicken at the weekend and make several meals during the week with it, then boil up all scraps (including those off your plate) and make fabulous soup with it. Good luck!
One thing you could do on a sunnier day is search local takeaways for any single fish that’s slightly less ultra processed - maybe there’s an Asian food place making basic Phos, maybe there’s a kebab shop that makes their own sauces, etc. So at least occasionally you could enjoy an affordable meal that’s not a store-bought ready-made.
Best of luck to you, doing God’s work!
This needs more publicity. In middle age, I've started suffering with the issues of heart disease and being obese. All my life, I've eaten and overeaten, processed foods. Now I have to lose weight it's a struggle especially now where prices are high and real food is always the more expensive option. I worry for my children, I was brought up with Grandparents who cooked from scratch, my kids haven't. This gentleman, is speaking sense and needs the publics backing and support.
Stopped eating ultra processed found ten months ago and went clean keto. Lost all my excess body weight and turned my health around. I look tens years younger and feel fourty years younger. You do not have to be sick and old. It is the food we are eating that is aging us. The sight of processed food now and will never touch it again.
Brilliant news. I’m on the same journey and can’t believe how many years I might have wasted…but feel like I’m getting them all back
Best 15 minutes spent today was watching this.
I had terrible anxiety. Changed my diet to high fibre and wow the difference. Always believed diet matters.
The sad thing is, it’s the poorest who rely on the cheap, processed food because they can’t afford fresh ingredients
That is so true. Equally sadly those people who rely on ultra-processed food will probably not engage with this kind of video, book or TV programme. You only need to look in peoples’ supermarket trolleys at the checkout to see this.
So very true Sarah, and these days with food (and all) prices rising I notice that our weekly shopping at the local farmers markets is using up a lot more money ..ok for us two people maybe but when I see families of 4 and 5, I wonder how they cope. And the cheaper fruit and veg at the discounters is usually NOT from our local farms as they can't compete and still work profitably. Lowering MwSt (German VAT) on fruit and veg might be a start - I think France does - and NOT sorting out the asparagus that isn't straight or pure white, the ODD size potato etc etc. We know how much food ends in the bins of food supermarkets. Sarah Jones and all here, what can we actually do to get this heard ???
Fresh fruit and vegetables are cheap. Meat can be cheap if you are savvy about where to buy and how you store it. It's the actual cooking that people don't want to do.
I dont agree really,because what is happening is ultra processed food alters your brain neurones and appetite hormones to feel less satisfied after eating,so you need more of it. Whole natural foods dont do that,so while it might cost more you need less of it. A bag of parsnips and a crusty roll costs less than,for example, a cheap pizza. Parsnip soup and a roll leaves you satisfied while with a pizza you might be feeling hungry again after a couple of hours. A stick blender,I think mine was £6. I agree that healthy meat is very expensive,and fish,but we eat too much of that anyway. I am on a tight budget and have tried both ways.
@@pheart2381 I agree with what you’re saying. People who don’t have much money are also scarce of time/ time deficient. They won’t be able to prepare something as simple as a soup because it’s so much easier to put a pizza in the oven.
This also applies to fitness enthusiasts who eat tons of protein powder and products. They think it’s healthy but it’s not. It’s ultra processed and linked to cancer.
I was always confused why people thought them healthy. I am sure that the gladiators of old didn’t eat protein powder infact I believe the archeological evidence of gladiatorial graves suggest surprisingly they ate a vegan diet
@@lisadefries6718 Gladiators needed a lot of calories like athletes today, so ate a lot of fat fortified grain porridges
@@lisadefries6718There isn’t a single hunter-gatherer civilization on earth that’s vegan. It’s completely unnatural to humans to not consume animals.
But they look great at their Chemo appointment 💪🏻
Wth? This is not true at all!
It's like saying vitamin tablets are bad because they're in extracted form.
Whey protein powder for example is just the extract of milk. Processed food is bad cuz it results in loss of healthy nutrients but in the case of protein powder, you're just removing excess fat and carb.
When buying protein powder you should look at essential amino acids chain, bioavailability score. Don't buy the ones that have added flavour if you're concerned about sugar.
There's an Indian utube channel named 'trustified'. They test different brands of protein powders and other supplements for pesticides, other harmful toxins and claimed nutritional value. If you want, you can look at their website or UA-cam channel. Anyways, I'm pretty sure things are regulated much better in USA.
Yes, you should try and get the majority of your protein from actual food sources but to say that protein powder causes cancer? Please tell us how protein extract that was taken out of milk or even plant can cause cancer?
You're here spreading bro science facts.
The issue is that some of us were actually raised with UFP, so it's the normal food that tastes out of place.
Yeah, its so sad. My boss is put off by my coworkers home raised eggs because they're "too fresh"
And even meat tastes different when they eat what they're supposed to. It much gamier and more lean, most Americans would not like it unfortunately
I grew up on a farm. We had all the meat and veggies home grown, it was an amazing childhood. Now my mother (in her 80s and healthy) only keeps chickens. And she says it's impossible to get a feed for them, when they are small, that isn't full of additives, antibiotics, etc. So even if it's home grown, it's not really healthy anymore
I guess it's a longer process then and could be about starting with what does taste appealing and build from there? I can imagine some fresh food would taste good even if better bread tastes totally different!!
It's just addiction 101. Once you get practice. Low sugar and salt and whole foods you soon forget about it.
This is true. Having transitioned from mostly UPF to mostly whole food in adulthood, I can attest that you can switch that mentality. Now, UPF tastes and feels wrong to me.
Started reading the book last night, up till 1am totally engrossed and unable to put it down. Definitely an eye opener this one, only halfway through and already answering questions I had about my own middle aged health
I love it when he speaks truth, "I'm poorly organised..." That sums up my personal experience on most chaotic workdays. Food prep is my ally. I make extra at dinner and that is next day's lunch.
Mind blown, seriously, read the book, and have been abstaining from UPF for only 10 days and the feeling is night and day (I was a heavy eater of UPF previously)
Wow! Ty for sharing ❤
Good work! Thanks for sharing 😊 what differences do you notice??
Shout out to this guy for doing everything he can to get this message across - for many years I was in denial and just didn’t want to listen
He makes a very important point about the Big Food companies. This is the source of the problem and they should be the subject of our rage, plus , as he rightly says, medical professionals, either uneducated about nutrition or knowingly colluding. Overweight people are not overweight because they eat too much, they eat too much because they are overweight.
I'm a UK medic qualified in 2015 and almost nothing taught to use beyond a 1970s style basics of carbs, types of fat, sugar & essential vitamins. There a growing number of us teaching ourselves about lifestyle medicine.
Lol the food companies just gave us what we asked for. It's addiction that got us into this mess.
@@Nika_Scott It's victim blaming. Nobody asked us to give us this crap to eat. If foodstuff "says" on the package that it's healthy, we expect it to be. We trust companies dealing with food know about the consequences of selling stuff that causes diseases. People buy UPF because they think it's nutritious and healthy. And then they are told that this is our individual responsibility to know that we eat crap. If UPF had a designation: "eat responsibly, highly addictive and unhealthy stuff", and we continued to eat it, then you could say "we asked for it".
Ive got your book after I've stopped eating UPF because I was trying to affect my pain levels, the results were amazing, almost instant improvement and very easy.
Wow! Ty for sharing ❤
Finally an expert acknowledging that most people do not have the time and/or £ to make all of their food healthy. I work around 50 hours a week and am in debt since the ‘energy crisis’ bills. I eat healthy when I can - cooking everything from scratch on a weekend , but during the working week I don’t
I discovered the whole food plant based way of eating about 4 years ago and have now reversed my angina, reversed type 2 diabetes, and after 60 odd years of crap food, I’m slowly regaining my health. I also lost about 18lbs in weight without even trying.
You reversed your diabetes by losing a lot of weight of course
The empathy and compassion of this video is very appreciated.
I second that !
Amazing man. We are being lied to all round but this man is here to guide us to a better place where we can all be healthy.
I was brought up in a village where there was no supermarket and everyone used to cook their own food. I relocated to cities from the age of 15. Still, I rarely ate UPF. When I was at uni between 2004-2008, I mostly relied on UPF although I continued to cook. Since I stopped eating UPF fifteen years ago, I have reaped many benefits, e.g., staying slim, healthy, young, energetic, mentally tough, creative, outdoorsy and becoming much more extravert. For the past 4 years, I have been baking my own bread, making yogurt, pickling and using varied food preservation techniques. Cooking is time-consuming, but if you know how to preserve your food that you cooked in sealed jars, you save a great deal of time.
A few months ago I had a McDonald's, first time in years, it was OK so no problem. Then I became increasingly aware that I kept thinking about having another burger. It was I had my first cigarette and wanted more, so I was intrigued to hear him mention the 'food' industry and tabacco industry in the same sentence. Incidentally, I fought my addiction which lasted about 3/4 months. So dear reader be aware, you have been warned!! 😵
I fight my addiction to ice cream. Magnums etc. I can eat one after the other all day. I have done. But I am fighting it.
@@itsjudystube7439You can do it buddy
Yep, I just wanted ONE burger from my favorite place two Saturday's ago and since then I keep thinking about any bread + meat + melted cheese combination, and ANY burger, it's absurd... Tells me that I cannot stray from my healthy food whatsoever. Back in my vegan days I made a burger with brioche bread, bbq sauce, mayo, roasted onion, salad, tomato and I can't remember which patty but no cheese! And that burger I could eat while maintaining my love and desire for the healthier dishes as well! I think it's just the meat-cheese-bread combo that's too delicious (and addictive) for me 😹
Not here, while I keep a lot of foods out of the house, the hamburger I tried is just foam bread, with dubious extras. Adding a slice of cheese over the meat may save it, I didn't try.
i agree, my BF took me to mc Donald's i haven't ate this kind of food for years and it made me gag, was dry and gave me stomach pains, never again 🤢🤢
I eat mostly meals home cooked from scratch, but it didn't occur to me that even spices have harmful additives. Even if I can afford, and know how to cook, it's still really difficult to stay away from all ultra processed food.
You’re absolutely right. I cook with spices and I eat home cooked food 95% of the time
Spices? Did I miss this bit?!
No it's not. I've done it. If you find it hard to stay away from UPFs then go cold turkey for a month and then start reading labels and googling ingredients you don't recognise.
@@emilyb5557 I'm assuming they mean "curry powder" and the like rather than just herbs and spices on their own.
@@kiskaloo6843 when someone says "it's really difficult", it is implied that they meant in their personal experience. You can claim "No it's not." for you, but some of us can't really "go cold turkey" just like that. Many people have neither the time nor the money to closely monitor everything they eat.
For me, I have a lot going on with college classes and health issues, and it's hard enough to get myself to eat more than once a day. To add on thing like careful research, travelling to the store more often, food prep, and even learning how to cook would be unrealistic in my current situation. I don't have a car, so it's harder to find transportation to a grocery store. I'm limited to what's provided at the school dining center, and they don't have the healthiest (or tastiest) options, but it's both within walking distance and much cheaper to get a meal.
I absolutely adore Chris and feel that he's got the right demeanor to continue to push this information. And yes, Penguin peeps, I've bought the book! There is hope that the messages will get to the individual who can vote with their $£ -- having removed all UPF from our diets, hubby and I continue to enjoy chronic or other condition -free, drug free, lives as we embrace and navigate our 60's.
Key message to be reinforced:
>> Food for purchase is OFTEN marketed as 'healthy' -- this is a loaded term and in too many instances, absolute BS. If it comes in a packet, and you don't have all of the ingredients in your own kitchen cupboard, there is processing afoot!
>> Chronic conditions and cancer (!!!) can be reversed and/or avoided by severely restricting the amount of UPF's you consume. REVERSED! Yes, you can reverse diabetes, reverse Chrohns, reverse IBS.
>> Your GP / Family Doc was not educated in the nutritional guidelines of the day let alone of the emerging science and awareness of what should constitute nutritional guidance now.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. You are simply making an assertion without evidence so it can be dismissed without evidence. Of course it’s better to not eat UPFs but these kinds of claims do nothing to help
@@MarquitoRHAnd if you watch this mans lectures or read his books, you will see plenty of evidence.
Absolutely spot on! In particular the recent witch hunt for sugar really worries me, and reminds me a bit of the same thing that happened to “fat” back in the late 90’s, the only difference now is that sugar is being replaced by more than questionable ingredients, and it boggles my mind that people think it’s perfectly fine, while fat was just reduced and maybe replaced with other carbohydrates. It makes me wonder whether the witch hunt for sugar was at least encouraged by the industry because it’s one less (and possibly more expensive) ingredient (sugar) replaced with artificial sweeteners (non natural ingredient) at a much lower cost. This is actually is a win-win for the industry because they can make an even higher profit by using cheaper ingredients, plus people think now that chocolate or soda for example contain less sugar, they can consume even more of it…
Was fat replaced? I thought fats are in steady increase, chickens are by now ten times fatter than before
Butter was often replaced with margarine in the 80s, a totally artificial product, due to lower fat content. Ironically, we now know that it causes higher risk for your blood flow than butter...
Exactly. Sweeteners are an anethma to good health. Every Corporate on the band wagon. Emulsifiers are there to smooth you into addictive habit forming food. Shocking what is allowed, really shocking. Allowed us the new word for moral. What is being fed to people is immoral and beyond evil. It should never have been allowed. Cook your own food and keep it basic. Good luck in taking back your life. 👣🌼👣
sugar is pretty processed though. whole fruit and honey have much better effects on the body
Came here expecting just a book-shilling video (I'm not sure why), left pleasently suprised and educated, Excellent video!
eating a whole foods diet and regular excersise has improved my life in every aspect, left feeling annoyed at the brain washing we all go through from the food industry, its amazing just how good you can feel once you correct this tho, i would say it does take some time to feel the differance, took me maybe 6 months of clean eating to feel great again. so worth it. great advice glad the facts are being voiced!!!
These ultra processed ingredients accumulate in your body for years. Most seed oils such as sunflower oil or just vegetable oil have a very small amount of trans fats, so when consumed over many years it naturally accumulates in the body and causes chronic inflammation, something most adults have.
Something to be aware of is that even though it may feel that changes make your life smaller this is just not the case. Habitually having a higher quality diet is more satisfying than not, it will extend peoples lives making our lives more broad. Focusing on real food becomes a passion and a source of entertainment when learning how to cook properly.
Chris is 100% correct in what he's saying. Im not a doctor or a scientist, I was a vegetarian for 22 years, I suddenly started getting severe migraines and found they were linked to stabilisers in food. I had to stop being vegetarian in 2010 because I simply couldn't find enough healthy veggie products anymore. I now cook everything from scratch. The only thing I would say, is that you can eat cheaply if you make it yourself. Baking bread is cheaper, batch cooking and freezing meals like lasagna, cottage pie, soups, etc, and my top tip for saving money is grow your own. I've been gowing my own food for 15 years in pots in my tiny back yard, this year I got an allotment and I'm saving hundreds of £s. It's so easy.
I think for some it's the initial outlay for equipment to cook, time to tend to a garden, education how to cook/grow a garden, bandwidth when there's other pressing issues often relating to poverty. When you live hand to mouth in accommodation that isn't your own the food that you buy will often be cheap and easy to eat. Then marketing sells you foods that purport to make you feel soothed. Also I'd add that if you don't have transport you can't always carry the bulk buying home either. It's a sorry situation indeed
it's unfortunately harder for people who don't have a backyard to grow things in, and don't have time to prepare food themselves when they're working full-time
Kind of hard, I live in a dorm and can't make my own bread, and I do not have the time. Luckily, we have Lidl here, and they do not put harmful stuff in the products( I check everything), so I buy bread and tortillas from them. I grew up eating vegetables from my dad garden, but it became more and more hard for people to afford a house with land, so it would be nice to actually have decent food options. Most of the time, I sacrifice sleep to make food and is really tiring
I too was a veggie for many years, but had to go back to meat as migraines and tiredness, I now have an allotment which I waited for 3 and half years, has been amazing, but I'm lucky.... I wish everyone had this opportunity..
If you’re growing your own food especially it’s so easy to eat whole food plant based there’s no reason you can’t be vegetarian, meat is really bad for your health anyway
I remember when the book E for Additives came out years ago. 1980s? There was uproar. Then the manufacturers started to put the full names in the ingredients. It was easy to recognise things like Sunset Yellow and Tartrazine and avoid them.
Now it’s hard to get food without additives. Supermarket bread is full of additives.
No wonder things have a long shelf life now
I still have that book!
i remember it too...my mum threw away loads of stuff from our kitchen cupboards. I've grown up doing my best to avoid UPF
I've just been diagnosed with angina, I want to reverse it asap
My husband is an environmentalist and a researcher so the practice of reading the ingredients has been 20 years practice. Thanks for posting this
Wow. Just wow. I've always kind of 'known' these things - that processed food is bad, but to hear it laid out like that, so clear cut, and with added information was just incredible. Maybe the best video I've ever watched about the subject. Great to hear the discussion of cost and skill too, it is criminal that a punnet of strawberries can cost up to 5/6x that of a pack of biscuits. Families will obviously go for the latter.
And single people more so as one punnet of strawberries is too much for one person and will just go to waste. This is the bias towards families that food companies have and informs the decision to buy the packet of biscuits (etc) over the expensive fruit.
Lentils, beans, brown rice veg & fruit, spices is cheaper than buy UPF food. With air fryers & pressure cookers it’s also quick to make a decent meal..
This is why I love living in Mexico. Markets are not hyper expensive bougie farmer’s markets but truly cheap, good quality, bustling hubs full of fresh produce and meat. You can buy $70 dls worth of whole foods produce for $20 bucks. Fresh cheese, fresh made tortillas and even great seafood in every area not just coastal states. The only issue is convenience…it does require effort to go buy and cook foods. Convenience stores have zero healthy options and junk food is heavily taxed so when in a pinch the only option is expensive ultra processed crap
Why would he say pizza is daily healthy firstly earthly GOD given natural food is much healthier
But I don’t want to shame and judge it’s about getting out n being in a more natural environment
The whole intention of the indictty needs to change GROW OWN FOOD NOW n moverd to the Caribbean IJN
I’ve visited Mexico once and the food was so fresh and good!
In which city in Mexico do you live?
@dim9753 by my question in which city in Mexico do you live I meant that if by Mexico you meant country and not Mexico city, I would be interested to know if the prices you say are common for all areas of the country or may be they are common for some specific city. I am considering the idea of moving to Mexico and it would be nice to know in which city are such low prices you mentioning. Thanks anyway!!!
@@jessicarowling He's saying that homemade Pizza is DIFFERENT than the sheite you get at your Whole-in-the-Wall restaurant. Because their stuff is mostly from the bucket.
Throughout my life, I consistently enjoyed traditional Korean cuisine, which consisted mainly of unprocessed and wholesome foods. During that time, I maintained good health and had abundant energy. However, since relocating to the USA, my lifestyle has shifted significantly. I've noticed a decline in my health, and I've become less active. Approximately 80% of my diet now consists of packaged and processed foods, while 15% of the time, I opt for fast food. Only about 5% of the time do I take the effort to prepare homemade meals. It's really hard to eat like I used to because I don't have time to cook. I've gained 60lb in 4 years. very sad what i've become. I go through diets and lose 10-30lb, but i gain it back again over and over. sigh.
Vicious cycle!
This is probably one of the most relevant videos on UA-cam relative to health. Well done Chris !
I thought I was eating relatively healthy bread. It was labelled as "Flax and Quinoa" and was based on whole wheat but when I read the ingredients there was very little flax or quinoa and a whole long list of chemical additives that I couldn't begin to pronounce or understand. I now make my own bread. It's more work but it's cheaper and better. It's not that much work though, and I even like doing it. My bread is 80% whole wheat and 20% flax and I often add olives as well. What's great is that I like the bread so much that I don't even miss the donuts that I also eliminated from my diet. Just eating my homemade bread with butter is delicious and nutritious as well. Throw in a handful of peanuts and there's lots of good quality protein as well. One doesn't have to spend money to be healthy.
I'm always recommending bread makers (nowadays you can ask on your local Facebook groups if someone has one gathering dust at the back of a cupboard that they'd like to pass on). Put in the ingredients, set up the correct cycle, and the timer for when you get up in the morning/get in from work, and leave it to it. You control all the ingredients and get freshly baked bread for very little effort.
@@Roxy222uk I actually like kneading it by hand.
Well done Chris. This needed saying! It’s definitely time for legislators to step in!
They won't, they work for the global government and the elites.
Ultra processed food has one the greatest profit margins you could ever get, it will never stop. It's your choice as an adult to inform yourself and your children.
It's not just financial issues that stop people accessing truly healthy unprocessed foods. As my energy limiting chronic illnesses have got worse i have had to resort more and more to preprepared foods... I do my best, especially for my kids, but it's definitely an additional challenge that I used to be able to do but I can no longer do because of my disabilities...
Keep eating it? Ok on my way to mc Donald’s !! Thanks 😅I’m trying to quit it’s so hardd
Some thoughts I had while watching:
We are all products of the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the thoughts we harbour. What we consume, both physically and psychologically, is incredibly important in defining us as entities.
I can relate to what is said here about abstinence being preferable to the immitation food we are offered by most outlets. However, even when opting for a banana and some nuts, I can't help but consider how the producers might have tried to maximise their profits. For example, what soil/fertilizers were the crops grown in, was the water used of high quality, were any pesticides, growth hormones etc. used, were the crops flushed properly before harvest, how far from the fields used was the nearest source of contamination and were they downhill/downwind from it. Most of the time it is impossible to know without investing huge amounts of time and energy, but in the same way that humans are a product of their intake, so are the foods we eat and not all bananas are created equal.
Additionally, it was stated that "obesity is not caused by a lack of will power, or a failure in personal responsibility" and is simply the result of the decisions made by predatory transnational corporations. I can absolutely appreciate the sentiment here since poverty severely limits your options and I wouldn't want to absolve these corporations of their sins, but I also wouldn't want to remove personal responsibility from the equation. There are many middle and upper class people out there who opt for these foods knowning full well that they will adveresly affect their health. My brother is a prime example of this. He can, and occasionally does, cook incredible meals at home using fresh ingredients, but that doesn't stop him ordering lots of takeaway food and drinking coke zero like an absolute madman. He knows the risks, but it is convenient and tasty and so he indulges himself. An analogy between these foods and smoking is made in the video because they are both addictive and harmful, but who here would say that the individual bears no personal responsibility for their smoking habits? There is a whole lot to be said for willpower and the determination to adapt and change.
Thank you for a great video.
This is a good comment, in the case of fruit you have to be careful now, many fruits are 'frankenfruits' grown to maximise their fructose sugar as to be addictive and enticing.
Excellent contribution. Well said.
Brilliant I agree absolutely. The government should take action with the food companies, but I fear they already know that.
Take responsibility for yourself. The government are not responsible for your health.
@@elizabethk3238 That's like saying find your own way to work, the govt shouldn't be responsible for paving roads or providing public transport. The govt taxes the people so it should do everything in its power to do good for the people, include simply educating youngsters on stuff like this and/or regulating industries.
Thank you for this video, Chris van Tulleken. You have provided valuable information in an easily understood (and digestible!) way. I agree that greed is what the food industry is about and we need to demand that our governments force regulations on the industry that improves the quality of the food we eat. I am grateful that I have the time, skills and finances to cook real food. And you're right it costs much more to eat healthily. And stop the shaming for sure! cheers from Canada
Chris points out the parallel between the giant food companies and big tobacco. What's interesting to note is that years ago, the big tobacco companies realized that the profit train was drying up for the tobacco industry. Where did many of them invest their money? The food industry. They invested in minority, or controlling interest in a lot of major food companies. They swapped one oral fixation/addiction for another, and kept the profits coming in.
Why change their business model? It was the smartest thing for them to do unfortunately…….
Step 3 4:54 Chris starts by talking about the food industries obsession with replacing fat in the early days of ultra processed food. My grandfather had Lancashire cheese every day, double cream on fruit and in cake, had beef dripping on toast as a rare treat but he always looked slim. He was of the generation that ate veg in large portions, not as a garnish. All meals were prepared from whole food ingredients at home, he preferred white bread from the local bakery on the street where he lived, and thought supermarket bread tasted as if it hadn’t been baked yet. Being the generation that felt deprived of sweets during the war, he ate a few too many sweets than was good for his teeth, but he did not gain excess weight as he grew older, despite the sugar and saturated fats in his diet.
this is so interesting, it further enhances his point that it is the food industries that are making us fat
This sounds just like my grandparents.
You can eat fresh food, but it costs more and takes more time to get and prepare. Many people cannot afford it. Also its the preservatives that tend to do the most harm, like nitrates and nitrites in meat and highly processed vegetable oils.
I acknowledged that you are a good doctor, as I remember you have a twin brother. Thanks for awakening the people to eat healthy food not junk
A recent French study of emulsifiers has suggested a link to cancer and heart disease, which is supported by a British study with identical twins, one ate a healthy diet for two weeks, the other, a highly processed food diet. The negative aspect of the latter were measurable after tthe twomaeek trial. Very scarey.
@@drumsonly44 Just wondering what factual basis you state your criticisms.
Apart from the great content, I really like Chris's voice and way of speaking, with clear enunciation etc. - great vocal conditions for a public speaker or an educator!
Just finished his Ultra Processed People book on Audible - it's really opened my eyes to what an artificial diet I've been having. It's difficult to fully avoid ultra-processed in the western world, but I can certainly strive to make big improvements and better choices most of the the time.
This is brilliant. A great communicator. Watch not as podcast but as an entertainment which educates. I’m generally critical of the delivery of what passes for healthcare but Dr Van Tulleken knows his stuff and really cares. A rare resource for us to trust and follow.
Homemade pasta with capsicum, chillies, onion and tomatos is literally what I live for. The natural flavors and taste are unmatched by anything made by food industry. My grandfather is a farmer so I'm lucky and ultraprocessed foods are much more expensive here in India. Everything I eat is pretty much homemade and healthy.
Any more food ideas
I came across you by chance, I purchased your book a couple of weeks ago which is on my list to read asap. I'm glad how well you paint this picture, I've been telling people for years to eat whole foods not food that generally comes in plastic or grim a production line. My grandfather died from liver cancer whilst suffering from Alzheimer's. I'm convinced his processed diet was the largest contributor if not the sole contributor. We live in a worrying time and I'm glad you're out here sharing such important information in such a good format 👍🏽 keep it up man!
Very good information. I started reading all food labels over 30 years ago as my son developed intolerances when he was a toddler. I was gobsmacked at how many chemicals are used in off the shelf foods. Even though I now live alone, I still eat homemade foods. I am lucky because I have the time, and equipment to batch cook and then freeze in individual portions, but so many do not have this privilege.
Wow! To say the most was very informative. I learned the reason why for some questions I had. Greatly appreciate all the work that went into putting this documentary together. Thank you
. May God's peace, mercy, and grace continue to be with you, your family, your colleagues, and your community.
We are going to look back at this time with great shame, I'm trying to make changes with those close to me but it's a difficult challenge. My current strategy is to eat in an 8 hour window 5 days a week, home make family meals and try to keep UPF to a minimum (below 5%), trying my best to keep my kids on side and not have a revoult on my hands.
Wishing you the best of luck with that! How is the new lifestyle going so far?
@@michellesorocovici thanks for the good wishes. It's going well I would say, weekends are more challenging but I'm trying to be realistic and make life changes that can afford falling off the rails now and again.
@@edwood5535 I'm glad to hear that it's going well for you. What you say resonates with me too a lot too. Incorporating the 80-20 rule, practising self-compassion and viewing failure as a result of giving up as opposed to falling off the rail every now and then has helped me a lot personally. That aside, I'm just a student living alone, can't even imagine how much harder it is with a family to take care of. Rooting for you! Am sure others here will be too! 😊
@@michellesorocovici totally agree, it's really detrimental to chastise yourself for every little miss step one makes, if you have a healthy diverse diet , then your gut health will be able to handle the odd bit of rubbish. Good luck with your studies, my diet as a student was not great, if you can batch cook and freeze with labels dates and weights, I would advise doing that as much as you can. Dr Pradip Jamnadas has some great information on his channel.
@@edwood5535 Thanks for the tips 😊Most of the time I do batch cook, sometimes I purposely avoid meal prepping because cooking is a way for me to relax, especially during exams.. P.S. Please don't hesitate to keep us updated. Would love to know if you make any progress with your kids meals/wider family as well.
I haven’t had artificial sweeteners in a while, but when I tried sugar free peach ice tea, it tasted so full of chemicals! It was horrible!
I actually wrote an essay on this during my masters degree. Sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, which has risen drastically in food and fizzy drinks, does not metabolise via glycolysis as glucose does but through fructolysis. This step in the liver, forces fructose to go through de novo lipogenesis (essentially forming fat on the liver and adipose tissue instead of forming glycogen to be utilised during metabolism). The fat formed also projects more adipokines signalling inflammation in your body, increasing cortisol, and a viscous fat forming cycle.
Personally, whether you want high fat or high carb diet is up to you and your needs. But high fructose corn syrup amongst other additives give your body less bang for your buck.
To add, the adipkokines, hormonal changes and emulsifiers themselves diminish good bacteria like lactobacillus and bifido which provide us with Mandy short chain fatty acids for immunity amongst other benefits…
I think this is a great video but the research is definitely out there!!
Care to provide the studies to this?
I'm someone who has lived most of my adult live with a huge emphasis on a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise. I've listened, read and watched tonnes of fitness influencers, health articles and videos on the core components of healthy eating, so liked to think I knew a lot about the subject matter compared to the average person. But having watched a few different videos and documentaries of Chris', it's so refreshing to see this type of content and it's taught me a lot about what to look out for, what to avoid and, importantly, how to teach yourself to move away from eating ultra-processed foods or even enjoying them. Genuinely so insightful.
I've seen so many of the fitness influencers and 'bodybuilder' type athletes always revert to the 'low calorie' options, the zero or reduced fat option, the zero calorie sweetener options, because of this excessive obsession with fats and sugars. While they're obviously right to an extent, learning more from Chris about ultra-processed foods has made me realise that these sorts of alternatives are no better in terms of their nutritional value nor their impact on our body.
I am really glad you touched on natural emulsifiers aswell. As someone who worked and studied to work in the food industry (as a baker, so I had to know a lot about the sugars, enzyms, emulsifiers etc) I was worried that this was gonna be a "black and white" rant on how "All this is bad and all this not bad". There is always a nuance to these things. Just like how all sugar, fat and salt isn't bad but you just overeat them very quickly.
If the only salt someone has in their diet is added during cooking from scratch or at the table it is physiologically impossible to eat too much - they will literally be sick (i.e. vomit). It's the way it is combined into UPF that makes it possible to go over this natural limit.
The marketing is the easiest way to tackle this imo. It’s so difficult for people to make good decisions on food if they’re hot by adverts left right and centre. Top work mate!
We home cooks read the ingredients lists on everything we buy. The worst thing that I have found is sugar and sugar derivatives in savoury foods, like bread, cheese sauce, pesto, salad dressings, which spikes your blood sugar. The more the additives the worse the food.
I was brought up by a home cook, so I prefer to buy food that is actually food, so real dairy, fresh and frozen meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. My favourite umami is Marmite.
You can actually buy pizza bases or make from scratch and then add the ingredients. The cheaper the pizza, the more rubbish the food.
I hate the taste of diet sodas and savoury foods with added sugar. I know that cheap bread is full of additives, but only eat it when I'm short of cash. The only cheap bread I have found to be sugar free is Sainsbury's...every other supermarkets' cheap bread is loaded with it. I also found hash browns in Lild last week with glucose in them. I cannot stand over salted or salt/sweet mix foods, even though I love Marmite, which means Walkers Crisps for example taste to me, like sweets not crisps. 🤢
I'm going on 4 years eating clean whole foods. I'm awesome for doing so
Chris, thanks for your amazing book! I learnt so much about what I was eating and you were a big part in my motivation to make real life-changing dietry changes. I would highly recommend that people read your book to understand exactly what it is they are thrusting down their throats every day.
@ThatForeignBloke what is the name of the book?
@@ameliazandbergen9943 Ultra Processed People by Chris van Tullekin 👍
I read all ingredients now, and it’s scary to see some of the ingredients in products!
I love that he mentions not to shame people.
Listened to the whole audiobook, now I tell everybody about it. Not only that, but looking at everything in the supermarket is like looking at the matrix itself-upf, upf, upf on this aisle, not even going down that aisle, they serve kids this stuff?? It’s like taking blinders off and seeing what people are really consuming. Industrial byproducts labeled as food. So wild.
Even before this video I took the decision to cut all ultra processed foods along with refined sugar, out of my diet. The worst culprit was bread bought from supermarkets, just read the label, bread is just flour, yeast and water, so why is there a long list of ingredients in supermarket bread? I am saving money because I buy basic ingredients and absolutely no junk food, despite the myth that fresh fruit and veg and healthy items are expensive they fill me up so I eat less. As for all the low fat, low sugar and 'healthy' snacks like granola bars. Read the labels, my go to snack is plain rice cakes with 100% peanut butter, so good and so satifying.
Thanks for your book. It’s been a real eye opener. I thought my diet was relatively healthy until I checked the ingredients lists. Even brown bread was a shock 😨. I would never have guessed how many unpronounceable things were in it. I have been inspired to make small changes. For example learning to make bread and pizza, making mayonnaise, adding orange juice to my gin instead of a fancy flavoured tonic. Tonight I’m having a pina colada with pineapple juice and cream instead of rum and Coke. It’s been educational. Cheers 🥂
As he says, the traditionally labeled ultra processed food like ice cream can also be perfectly healthy, even when purchased rather than home made. Here are the ingredients in one of the better ice creams on the market: Fresh Cream (39%), Condensed Skimmed Milk, Sugar, Egg Yolk, Vanilla Extract. Nothing bad in there at all but of course there are other brands that will be full of crap.
I absolutely love the way you share your in-depth knowledge in a simplistic way 😊👍
While I like the idea of a vegan diet, I steer clear of all plant based "copycat" food. I simply don't believe you can turn a beetroot (or whatever) into something that looks and tastes like bacon without some sort of ultra-processing technology. Besides, I am perfectly happy eating a beetroot!
In an increasingly polarised age, this strikes me as something most of us can get behind. That is a refreshing thought.
I’m reading Chris’s book at the moment. I’m fine with his UPF narrative except for his advocacy of all things from a cow - so promoting dairy products; and he never mentions how dairy cheese can be 90% saturated fat which can cause weight gain if not eaten in very strict moderation.. I detect a bias as he mentions vegan food several times; and I agree that some if it is exactly what he says it is; but a great deal of vegan food can be pea protein, soya and seitan, which isn’t harmful and a great source of good plant protein.
Personally my journey is WFPB .. and I see the horrendous ethical choices with eggs Chris promotes; but he calls it “natural”, which is debatable when hens are fed antibiotics in their food , are forced to unnaturally lay 300 eggs per year ( in the wild they’d lay 20) as they are fed nutritional rich foods and kept in prolonged lighting in overcrowded unhealthy sheds of up to 40,000 birds, messing with the birds growth and hormones. It doesn’t take long for the birds high egg production to drop and when it does they’re sent to slaughter.,
I have not read the book, but I appreciate your critiques! I agree with your points. I was vegan for awhile, but I recently bought eggs from a colleague that has chickens. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that he's not exploiting them to the degree that corporations do
@@sourdoughsavant22would you eat meat? Or dairy now? I have occasional eggs which I’m ok with if they are organic and truly free range. Dairy is in chocolate and I’m trying hard to not give in. But I’m not eating meat.
Just about everything you said about chickens is false. This is the problem with militant vegans unfortunately they make things up to try and make a point.
The best video I've seen on YT for months... A must-watch for everyone...
With a living cost of crisis, I'm pushed into eating cheap dinners. Interestingly, one thing that I learnt is that, I can cook a nutritious meal for 4 for £2. I listened for years that healthy food is expensive and that poor people can't afford it but, even if we don't have the cooking skills, cutting up a few veggies and popping them into a slow cooker (I see free ones on market place etc) is done in minutes, hardly any time/labour required.
One of the most powerful and important videos about the food industry I’ve seen. Thank you so much for keeping us informed 🙏
I'm disabled and often don't have the energy to cook from scratch, does anyone have resources on what I can eat on days when I can't cook? Batch cooking is not a great option for me as I only have a one drawer freezer. Thanks in advance ❤
Almost 1,5 year I totally removed sugar, white bear, veg. oils for frying and almost all processed foods from my digestion. Started to eat eggs, more meat, vegetables, butter. I feel better now, keep watching 😊
I have cut out the vast majority of processed food & recently started baking my own sourdough bread. I have lost nearly 2 stone without even thinking about restricting calories & my asthma has all but gone.
We should stop shaming people who live with obesity. Instead, start shaming the corporations who engineered dangerous food for us to overeat!
The very same corporations that buy out these natural foods to extract and refine while bloating their prices to become unaffordable for the poor.
We can do both
Individual people dont want to take responsibility do they
@@madp6755 Ain’t the top men and women of corporations individuals?
@@Qwuiet not sure what you mean. But the individuals buying and eating are partially responsible. Its easy to blame everyone and everything else
When I read "ultra processed people" by Chris, it totally changed the way I feel about food.
It's a total game changer
Wow, my husband and I naturally have fallen into this - we very rarely eat snacks, and I make most of our meals from scratch. He bakes sourdough bread.
No dietary restrictions - we just don't overdo it. We've never had issues with weight and are generally healthy.
Have case studies where family members and friends eat a lot of pre-prepared food and ultra processed food because of the convenience. And weigtloss in particular has been an issue for many of them. Despite "restricting" themselves from things when they diet.
My parents both worked in the food industry, so growing up, we were taught about things like mouth feel - never in depth, but enough to make you aware when something just doesn't taste/feel natural. Now, many processed foods just put me off, because I know how great the real thing can taste
I recently read Chris's book, and it's transformed my life 😊
Hi Chris, I really like the work you are doing on this topic. Thank you very much.
By far the most interesting Information about our Food. Thank You very much.
I think he and Tim Spector have both got it right, but just one other thing that doesn't seem to be mentioned is that there's a possibility that the herbicides and insecticides that are sprayed onto our food crops are harming our microbiome.
I have just finished reading the book and am pretty sure I just read that information in the book. This video is just a short summary but the book has more details
Just started reading this book. This video has explained it to me and I look forward to getting back to the book. Oh dear what are we doing to ourselves.
Very interesting, I had a recent intense episode of Acid Reflux and Gastritis, two things I'd never encountered before. To recover and eventually get off medications I had to eliminate lots of foods. I didnt eliminate most ultra processed foods at first but eventually did when I realized they usually have small amounts of powerful acids as preservatives. Ive added back into my diet many foods but have kept processed foods at a low amount and this gives another reason- they may have actually been at least part of the cause of the illnesses as he describes.
amazing and respectable message, will likely pick up the book
The most telling thing is when you look at pictures of young people from the late 1940s/early 1950s from both the UK and the USA - it is amazing how most of them are slim and healthy.
Since half a year, I eat less UPF. No margarine but butter, sourdough Bread (home made), etc. I lost 15kg of weight and I feel good.
Thanks dr Van Tulleken!
It's not even just the ingredients list...if you've got porridge oats - the darling of clean eating breakfasts, beloved by the vegan tree hugger and The Buff Dudes alike,.... chances are, unless you're paying quadruple the price for organic, then they could very well have traces of Round-up in it. The whole mass production of foodstuffs is contaminated 😢