Skip to main content

The one change that worked

 The one change that worked: ditching ultra-processed foods made me feel healthier and happier


After being diagnosed with a chronic digestive disorder, I cut out junk food and ready meals. Now, my diet is full of fruit and veg – and I’ve got my mojo back
When I got a nasty case of indigestion just before the UK-wide Covid lockdown in March 2020, I assumed it would pass in an hour. A pizza was the initial culprit, molten with cheesy goo and drenched in garlic dip. A week later, though, it hadn’t gone away and I was struggling to swallow due to a lump-like feeling in my throat.

Like any neurotic thirtysomething, I assumed I was dying, so I trotted off to the GP. After several fruitless trips to specialists and various medications and investigations, I was diagnosed with gallstones and “functional dyspepsia”, the catch-all term for acid reflux, bloating, heartburn and upper digestive tract problems with no obvious cause.

With no medical treatments on offer, I turned to my diet. I have never been especially unhealthy, but before lockdown I had a fast-paced lifestyle and prioritised what I enjoyed over what my body needed. I liked cooking, but the sheer volume of ready meals, with their sultry pictures plastered across the front, made them too tempting. I chucked packet sauces into stir-fries and pastas during the week and spent the weekends gorging on ready-made lasagnes or gastropub-inspired fish pies.

PROMOTED CONTENT


I wasn’t struggling with my weight, but my stomach was telling me that something needed to change. During lockdown, I made the switch to whole foods – and I have never looked back. Breakfast is now vegetable omelettes, flaxseed porridge and homemade granola with fruit – all surprisingly quick and easy to prepare. Crumpets and bagels are only an occasional treat. I have traded the tangy sauces I loved for slow-cooked casseroles. I have even built a suitably pretentious open larder full of nice ingredients. The meals I cook help me stay full for longer and I have more stamina for weight training at the gym.


Since my “whole-food revolution”, there has been growing discussion about the potential dangers of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Despite what the wellness warriors of Instagram will tell you, giving them up isn’t a panacea, especially for serious illnesses. However, the switch has helped me to build a healthier lifestyle based on nutrition, rather than calories. I don’t bother with influencer “hacks” such as protein shakes, overpriced supplements, low-fat sprays or intermittent fasting. I just pack my meals with fruit and veg, focusing on fibre, and try to keep junk-food snacks for the weekend.

My functional dyspepsia hasn’t been cured, but I have definitely felt an improvement in my energy levels and my immune system. That mid-afternoon zombie feeling has long gone and I am sleeping better. Even more importantly, I have rediscovered my passion for cooking. I will always love food; it’s nice to be able to do so in a healthier way.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The devil waits at every crossroads: a walk between darkness and light on Dartmoor

  The devil waits at every crossroads: a walk between darkness and light on Dartmoor The new 38-mile Archangel’s Way, a pilgrimage route in a rugged corner of Devon, straddles Christendom and ancient pagan sites T he story of the church of St Michael de Rupe begins – as all the best Dartmoor stories do – on a dark and stormy night. A sailor, stricken in a wild and furious sea, fell to the deck of his ship to pray for salvation. The almighty unveiled a mountain in the midst of the tempest where the ship duly made landfall: in gratitude the sailor built a church on its summit. The devil – who had unleashed that evil storm – did his best to prise the church from its foundations, but Archangel Michael sprung to its defence and became the patron of this Devon parish. The tale has many versions, but this is the general gist. Today, St Michael de Rupe counts as the highest working church in southern England – poised dramatically on top of a western outlier of Dartmoor’s tor...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to decorate your new home like a professional

  How to decorate your new home like a professional 1. Paint a colorful front door Your front door is your home’s first impression. A bold, colorful door makes a statement before your guests even cross the threshold. It’s an easy, affordable upgrade that sets the tone for your  design aesthetic  throughout the rest of the home. As for which color to choose, go with your gut — and be sure to complement your home’s overall exterior paint and trim colors.  2. Give every room a focal point Decide where you want the focal point to be in each room (and no, it doesn’t have to be a TV!). Perhaps it’s a stately fireplace, a feature wall, or the gorgeous view through a floor-to-ceiling window. Whatever it is, arrange your furniture and accessories to highlight the focal point. Consider layouts that encourage conversation, too. 3. Layer your lighting For function and drama, you should have three kinds of lighting in any room: ambient, like the room-wide light that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

This cop got carried away, and forgot there were cameras recording when he

  This cop got carried away, and forgot there were cameras recording when he A woman walks into a police station and tells the officer, “I think my husband is having an affair!” The officer asks, “How do you know?” “Well,” she says, “He keeps calling this woman ‘honey’ and ‘sweetheart,’ and he even calls her ‘my love.’” The officer sighs and says, “Ma’am, that’s just how people talk on the phone.” The woman says, “But he doesn’t even know her phone number!” The officer looks confused. “He doesn’t know her number? How does he call her?” The woman rolls her eyes and says, “He calls her from the toilet!” The officer bursts out laughing. “Ma’am, you’re hilarious! What makes you think he’s talking to someone else?” The woman says, “Because he’s always yelling, ‘Hold on a second, I’m going to get a roll of toilet paper!’”
Post a Comment
Read more