What is it about human psychology that drives us towards setting absolute goals like aiming for a 100% ultra processed foods free diet? Is it because drawing a strict line offers clear boundaries and accountability, preventing ambiguity that might otherwise lead to a cascade of compromises?
At first glance, aiming for 100% might seem like a way to simplify your life by removing the need for constant decision-making about what to eat and when you allow ultra processed foods to be part of that. However, the reality is often more complex. Aiming for a 100% UPF-free diet sounds reasonable, but achieving it can be challenging depending on your lifestyle, social environment, and individual circumstances.
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Benefits of Aiming for 100% UPF-Free Diet
Reduced Overeating
Ultra-processed foods are designed to trigger overeating through their palatability and addictive qualities. Completely removing them significantly decreases the likelihood of overeating. In comparison, keeping a small percentage in your diet may make it hard to stop overeating and lead you down a slippery slope of more and more UPF foods because you can’t resist.
Less Hunger
None of that “feeling like I need to eat something but its not hunger” – So some of this might be emotional eating, but I’ve realised that a lot of it was UPF craving issues. Once they were cut out for a week, this feeling of needing to eat disappeared.
Being 100% UPF-free has meant less hunger for me. I eat less and can go longer without eating. Hunger doesn’t distract me like it did before.
When I left a minimal amount within my diet, I still got this issue from time to time and it just led to more and more.
Stable Energy Levels & Fewer Slumps
While I still experience afternoon slumps after a poor night’s sleep, eliminating UPFs has significantly stabilised my energy levels on days when I’m well-rested. The absence of sugar and UPF-related crashes has been transformative. Whole foods provide a steady release of energy, which not only helps avoid the common mid-afternoon energy dips but also reduces my reliance on unhealthy snacks. Now, I rarely feel the need for a “food” pick-me-up in the afternoon, as my energy remains balanced and doesn’t suddenly plummet, prompting me to reach for sugary solutions. I am also able to concentrate more.
Enhanced Mood and Mental Health
Numerous studies have documented the impact of diet on mental health with specific attention to the role of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). A pivotal study published in the BMJ underscores the connection between high UPF consumption and an increased risk of depression and anxiety.
The research indicates that diets rich in UPFs may exacerbate or contribute to the onset of mental health issues due to their low nutritional quality and high content of additives and preservatives that can affect brain function.
Reducing your intake of UPFs can significantly enhance mental health and emotional stability. Personally, since decreasing UPFs in my diet, I’ve noticed a substantial decline in feelings of depression and the compulsive need to “fill” an emotional void with food. This shift has been instrumental in improving my overall sense of well-being.
Reduced Health Risks
The link between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and various health risks is well-documented. Research from Public Health Nutrition highlights that the health issues associated with UPFs stem more from their processing than from the foods themselves. These foods are linked to obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes due to additives and nutrient loss during processing.
Further evidence from Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition points out that UPFs often contain harmful levels of sugars, fats, and salts, contributing to cardiovascular diseases. Reducing UPF intake can lead to significant health improvements, such as better cardiovascular health and metabolic function.
Of course, you’ll get reduced health risks from going 80/20 too.
Rediscovery of Culinary Joys
Removing UPFs often leads to a renewed interest in cooking and meal preparation. Engaging more actively with the food you eat can bring immense satisfaction, enhancing both the nutritional value and the pleasure derived from eating.
Pride in Dietary Choices
Many people report a sense of pride and accomplishment from taking a more intentional approach to their diet. This can also lead to a more purposeful relationship with food and a greater appreciation for the ingredients and methods used in meal preparation.
Appreciating Simple Meals
Adopting a 100% UPF-free diet has significantly enhanced my appreciation for the flavours and benefits of simple, whole-food-based meals. As I transitioned away from ultra-processed foods, I began to notice and savour the natural tastes of fresh ingredients. My overwhelming need for highly flavoured, additive-enhanced foods diminished, and I no longer craved the artificial taste sensations that ultra-processed foods had previously provided. This shift not only simplified my diet but also deepened my connection with the food I eat, allowing me to experience the true essence of each ingredient.
Challenges of Aiming for 100% UPF-Free Diet
Maintaining a 100% UPF-free diet can be particularly challenging in our current environment. Here are a few specific scenarios where it proves difficult:
Work Environments
Often, the only food available at work is ultra-processed. If you forget to bring your own meal, you’re left with very few suitable options. This can make sticking to a 100% UPF-free diet almost impossible during the workday.
Socialising with Friends
Dining out presents its own set of challenges. While some restaurants may offer meals that fit a UPF-free diet, these are exceptions rather than the rule. It’s unrealistic to always expect friends to choose dining options that cater specifically to your dietary needs, which can put a strain on social relationships.
Parties and Seasonal Occasions
Events like parties or festive celebrations such as Christmas are often laden with ultra-processed foods. These social gatherings can become a source of stress as you navigate the limited food choices that align with your diet.
Travel
Travelling adds another layer of difficulty to maintaining a 100% UPF-free diet. Whether you’re travelling for business or pleasure, you often find yourself in places where your usual food options aren’t available. Airports, service stations, and tourist hot spots typically offer a limited selection of heavily processed food choices. Finding fresh, whole food options can become a significant challenge, forcing you to compromise your diet or go to great lengths to find suitable alternatives.
Navigating these social situations while maintaining a strict UPF-free diet requires careful planning and can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation or exclusion. This aspect of a 100% UPF-free lifestyle is one of the most significant barriers to its long-term sustainability.
Limited Nearby Grocery Options
During the week you may have to rely on your local shop for missed items from the online/main shop of the week. You may have forgotten an ingredient to the dinner you are cooking and have to dash to the local shop to find all they have are options with UPF ingredients.
This is a frequent issue for me as our house can be completely disorganised. I am someone who has to work to a recipe and find it difficult letting go of following it exactly, while my Husband can whip up anything and everything from literally nothing. I have learned to make do without an ingredient or try something I do have in the house as a replacement to try to avoid this issue. However sometimes it can feel impossible.
Tight Budget
You might have a budget that doesn’t cater for the additional cost that UPF-free living may require so going the 80/20 route may be the more financially viable option for you. My family resolves this by having utilising beans for protein for some of our meals to cut costs. However this isn’t always enough for some families to go 100% free and 80/20 becomes more practical.
Setting Unrealistic Goals
Aiming for a completely UPF-free diet may set some individuals up for disappointment and a sense of failure, especially if such perfection is not achievable. This can undermine the motivation to maintain healthier eating habits and made lead to “throwing it all in” when just aiming for 80% of the time could be the better more balanced option.
Risk of Orthorexia
An obsessive focus on eating foods that one considers healthy and avoiding those perceived as unhealthy can lead to orthorexia, a serious eating disorder. While striving for a 100% UPF-free diet, there is a risk of developing unhealthy obsessions with food purity, which can have detrimental effects on mental health and social interactions. This condition not only affects nutritional intake but can also lead to anxiety, social isolation, and an inability to participate in normal eating situations. It is very easy to find yourself in this position without realising and cancels out the health benefits reducing/cutting out UPFs can have.
Finding a Balanced Approach
Considering the benefits and challenges, adopting a more balanced approach—such as the 80/20 rule—might be more sustainable. Allowing for some flexibility, particularly during travel or special occasions, can make maintaining a healthier diet more feasible and enjoyable.
The 80/20 Approach: A Viable Alternative?
While a 100% UPF-free diet offers clear health benefits, the 80/20 rule provides a more attainable and less rigid option. This approach advocates consuming 80% whole foods and allowing 20% for UPFs, catering to practicality without substantial health compromises. It offers:
- Flexibility: Enjoying occasional UPFs can make social events and daily life more manageable without significant dietary stress.
- Sustainability: It’s often easier to maintain long-term, avoiding the feeling of deprivation that can accompany stricter diets.
This definitely works for some people – it allows them to not feel deprived or to add additional stress over something outside of their control. For others it may not be enough. Most people don’t even reach the 20% and find its only on the occasion they are really having to accept the UPF side of things.
A little flexibility in the mind is probably the key to making a balanced approach work. Embracing a degree of flexibility can help individuals manage their dietary choices without becoming overly rigid, which can lead to more sustainable and enjoyable eating habits over the long term.
Conclusion
Deciding whether to aim for a 100% UPF-free diet involves balancing personal health goals with the realities of daily life. While the health benefits of minimizing UPF consumption are clear, not everyone may find it practical or necessary to adhere strictly to such a diet.
Assessing your circumstances and dietary goals can help set a realistic and healthy plan that enhances your quality of life without unnecessary restrictions. This approach encourages a healthier relationship with food, focusing on overall dietary patterns rather than perfection.