A guy who gave up sugar and ultra-processed foods for months has shared how he went from feeling “slow and unhealthy” at the start of the year to major health benefits.
Steffan Rhys, a self-proclaimed “tired 44-year-old with a daddy spot”, has decided to start 2024 on a fresh note after overindulging over the Christmas holidays and opting for a complete diet overhaul, the Mirror reports.
Although he didn’t consider himself particularly unhealthy, he made some major changes to his existing diet that dramatically changed his life in many ways. Writing about his experience for Wales Online, the editor shared how he eliminated “staple” foods from his diet and replaced them with various alternatives.
Now, half a year later, he has not only exceeded his own expectations, but has also discovered a new set of favorites that he cannot live without. He wrote: “When I decided to cut out refined sugar and ultra-processed foods at the start of 2024, I honestly didn’t think I’d last that long.
“Like many of us who come into the new year feeling sluggish and unhealthy after overeating and drinking too much in December, I thought I’d probably breeze through January and then struggle to go without chocolate or find time for breakfast without granola or a quick lunch without bread and chips.
“After six months, not only am I sticking to my new diet, but I find it surprisingly easy and satisfying. I can hardly imagine going back to my old eating habits.”
He continued, “At first, the thought of cutting out what I considered ‘staple’ foods from my diet while still keeping it simple and affordable was intimidating. But the transition was smoother than expected.”
Here’s an overview of the changes he made:
- Eliminated chocolate, cookies, desserts and refined sugars.
- Eliminate ultra-processed foods and ingredients like supermarket bread and granola.
- Reducing the consumption of red and processed meat.
- Increased intake of legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans.
- I added more nuts to my diet.
- Used more olive oil.
- They embraced “rainbow eating” (I’ll cover that below).
Now let’s talk about ultra-processed foods, what are they and which of them do we consume most often? Factors that greatly influence the foods we consume and what is available in the market include our shopping habits, hectic lifestyles and tight budgets. The profit margins of multinational corporations also play a significant role.
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Supermarket shelves are full of ultra-processed foods, so they seem almost unavoidable. However, avoiding these items isn’t as difficult as it seems—and it certainly doesn’t mean you have to stick exclusively to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Some of the most common ultra-processed foods (or UPFs) include:
- supermarket packaged bread.
- breakfast cereal and granola.
- flavored yogurt.
- chocolate, biscuits and crisps.
- energy and granola bars.
- sparkling drinks.
- microwave ready meals.
What changes has he made and which three foods can he now live without? “Before, I didn’t live an exceptionally unhealthy lifestyle, I did regular exercise such as circuit classes, running, cycling, and I consumed a lot of fruit and vegetables. I usually cooked from scratch, avoided ready meals (not to sound arbitrarily. I’m still a tired 44-year-old with a dad period).
Steffan continued, “You don’t need to make meat the star of your meal. I haven’t given up meat, and it wouldn’t be allowed in my household anyway, but we’ve gradually moved away from big meat.” -centric meals toward a wider variety of hearty and satisfying vegetable meals.”
Fat is not the enemy: nuts, avocado, olive oil, yogurt are full of healthy fats. It’s the unhealthy fats and sugar in ultra-processed foods and meats that you should try to limit.
He concludes: “If bread is a bargain for you, consider swapping mass-produced white bread from the supermarket for freshly baked sourdough from your local bakery. It’s likely to contain far fewer chemicals – but be prepared to pay a pretty penny, with prices often in excess of £3-4 for loaf.
“I treat myself to a loaf every fortnight as a weekend treat, enjoying it with olive oil instead of butter (although there’s no need to fear a dollop of butter).
“There’s no need to completely eliminate anything from your diet – even small improvements can have significant benefits.”
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