Lily goes on a food processing journey

Once upon a time, in a universe where ultra-processed foods reigned supreme, there was a young girl named Lily. Lily loved to eat chips, candy, and soda. She would often spend her days snacking on these foods, feeling happy and satisfied in the moment. However, as time went on, Lily started to feel tired, sluggish, and unhappy. She couldn't understand why she felt this way, as she was eating her favourite foods every day.

One day, Lily stumbled upon a book that talked about the effects of ultra-processed foods on the body. It included a recent study that found that individuals who consumed more ultra-processed foods were more likely to experience depressive symptoms over time compared to those who consumed a diet based on whole foods. This may be due to the high levels of added sugar and unhealthy fats found in ultra-processed foods, which can disrupt the body's normal functioning and contribute to mood changes. Additionally, these foods are often low in satiety, meaning that people tend to eat more of them without feeling full, leading to overconsumption and weight gain.

She was shocked to learn that the very foods she loved so much were actually harming her health. Lily decided to make a change and started to eat whole, minimally processed foods instead. At first, it was difficult for her to adjust to the new flavours and textures, but as time went on, Lily started to feel better than ever before. She had more energy, slept better, and felt happier overall.

When it comes to trying to trick my metabolism…. Just like Lily, SHE is not amused. If I eat generally well but include heavily processed food like biscuits – even ‘low calorie’ options,: I will gain weight. Slowly, and that’s the worst way isn’t’ it? To have it creep up like that because at first you don’t notice, then a button is maybe tight and so you think it’s just a bloat-y day, maybe the pants are tight, so you think the washing machine temperature was too hot! Oh no! The dry cleaners shrank my clothes!

A good look in the mirror, a step on the scales or worse yet, when all the clothes are too tight reveals the truth. So out go the biscuits go. Sigh.

The UN Nova Food processing classification was first proposed in 2009, providing retailers, consumers and manufacturers with a framework to correctly classify the level of processing in foods. Ultra-processed foods are prevalent in today's food industry, often found in convenience foods, fast foods, and packaged snacks. These foods are often high in calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats, and low in essential nutrients such as fibre, vitamins, and minerals. They are typically made from cheap ingredients and have undergone multiple processing steps, often involving the addition of various artificial additives, such as preservatives, colorants, and flavourings.

Food processing began with the ‘inventor’ of the Sandwich, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. He contributed more than just a name to the processing of food, while looking for solutions to maintain the freshness of food and drinks in the late 1700’s for long sea voyages, the Earl found a way to keep water fresher for longer by carbonating it, with the acidity keeping away bacteria for longer. This led to a trend in the late 1800’s for tonic water, which led to Cola’s etc etc, all in the name initially or health benefits for digestion. Coca Cola was first advertised as a brain tonic in the late 19th century!

So while there are often practical reasons for additional processing of food, to improve flavours, to ensure longevity, it’s important to be mindful of how much food is processed, to the point where the health benefits have been stripped out entirely for the benefit of shelf life which result also in training out tastebuds to only appreciate overly sugary or salty flavours.

Just like Lily, who in the end, learned that ultra-processed foods may seem appealing in the moment, but they can have detrimental effects on our health in the long run. By prioritizing whole, minimally processed foods, we can nourish our bodies and feel our best.