{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6957b5b76446068fdc2000f9/69920002b0cb4fc2fd9cb699?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Ultra-Processed Foods: Are They Actually Killing Us? (Because I Eat Them Constantly)","description":"<p>This week on Field Notes, we enter the land of: <strong>Ultra-Processed Food.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>According to certain very serious doctors on the internet, UPFs are now:</p><p><br></p><blockquote>“The leading cause of early death on planet earth. Ahead of tobacco.”</blockquote><p><br></p><p>Cool.</p><p><br></p><p>Not dramatic at all.</p><p><br></p><p>So naturally, I’ve decided to test whether cutting them out for a week will:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Improve my migraines</li><li>Reduce my exhaustion</li><li>Fix my yo-yo weight history</li><li>Or simply make me feral and resentful</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Because unfortunately… most of the things listed as “ultra-processed” are the things I actually eat.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2><strong>🥪 In This Episode We Discuss:</strong></h2><p><br></p><ul><li>What actually counts as Ultra-Processed Food (and how inconsistent the definitions are)</li><li>The claim that UPFs are worse than tobacco</li><li>The inflammation / microbiome argument</li><li>The counter-argument from registered dietitians</li><li>Whether the research is observational or causal</li><li>Food anxiety vs legitimate health concern</li><li>My chaotic personal diet</li><li>Growing up on enforced raw spinach</li><li>Cheese-based GCSE breakdowns</li><li>Yo-yo weight cycles and hyper-palatable food</li><li>Ozempic changing the household food dynamic</li><li>Whether non-UPF eating is realistic with children</li><li>Why I eat like a 19-year-old boy with a student loan</li><li>And whether “whole foods” are actually practical in real life</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2><strong>🍽 Personal Context (Aka Why This Is a Problem)</strong></h2><p><br></p><p>My current diet includes:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Fistfuls of turkey</li><li>Salt &amp; vinegar crisps</li><li>Tuna pasta</li><li>Mushroom coffee</li><li>Minimal fruit</li><li>Suspiciously little fibre</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Meanwhile the internet is telling me my gut lining is dissolving and my liver is weeping.</p><p><br></p><p>So this week I attempt to go:</p><p><br></p><p>👉 UPF-Free (or as close as I can manage)</p><p><br></p><p>And we’ll see whether:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>My energy changes</li><li>My migraines shift</li><li>My mood improves</li><li>Or whether I simply miss crisps</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2><strong>🧠 Bigger Questions</strong></h2><p><br></p><ul><li>Are we pathologising modern food?</li><li>Is this another wellness panic?</li><li>Or is the hyper-palatable environment genuinely wrecking us?</li><li>Can a busy parent realistically cook everything from scratch?</li><li>And why does cutting processed food feel so emotionally loaded?</li></ul><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2><strong>👵 Guru &amp; Granny Returns</strong></h2><p><br></p><p>This week’s dilemma:</p><p><br></p><p>“I’ve narrowed it down to three husband contenders. How do I choose?”</p><p><br></p><p>Featuring:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>The Strong Stomach Theory™</li><li>The Chap Olympiad</li><li>Escape room testing</li><li>Vomit resilience</li><li>And a brief detour into secret families</li></ul><p><br></p><p>You’re welcome.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2><strong>📚 JOIN “ACTUALLY TRYING”</strong></h2><p><br></p><p>If you’d like to improve your life without becoming insufferable:</p><p><br></p><p>Join the book club / self-improvement group chat over on Substack.</p><p><br></p><p>This month:</p><p>👉&nbsp;<em>Atomic Habits</em>&nbsp;by James Clear</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll get:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Weekly practical breakdowns</li><li>Private podcast episodes</li><li>Cheat sheets</li><li>Knowledge topics</li><li>And a place to collectively sort ourselves out</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Join here:</p><p>https://rosehoneymorgan.substack.com/subscribe</p><p><br></p><p>Or sign up free for the weekly notes.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><h2><strong>📲 Follow &amp; Share</strong></h2><p><br></p><p>Follow on Instagram:</p><p>@rosehoneymorgan</p><p>@field.notes.pod</p><p><br></p><p>Share this episode with someone who:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>Owns at least three types of oat milk</li><li>Is suspicious of emulsifiers</li><li>Or eats crisps in the car and calls it “lunch”</li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"Rose Honey Morgan"}