Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are defined as “commercial formulations made primarily from cheap industrial ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, oils, protein isolates, and modified starches which contain little to no whole food that are then combined with sensory additives, colors, flavors, etc.”  Sounds awful, but they are very common in our diet, masquerading as soft drinks, packaged snacks, candy, hot dogs, chips, nuggets, industrial breads, and meal replacement shakes.

These UPFs damage our health by causing overconsumption of calories, nutrient imbalances, inflammation, poor gut metabolism/digestion, and the release of toxins generated during processing or that leach from packaging.

Their association with disease is well documented, showing an increase in heart disease mortality by 166%, an increase in hypertension and cholesterol levels, 14% increase in premature all-cause mortality, an increase in anxiety by 148%, and an increase in depression by 122%.  Throw in an increase in chronic kidney disease, obesity, dementia, and type 2 diabetes, and you have a near-perfect disaster at the dinner table.

So how should you eat? A few rules of thumb to keep it simple:

  1. Eat whatever comes from the farm to your fork. If it’s from a factory, skip it.
  2. The 5 major food groups are vegetables, fruits, grains, proteins, and dairy. Basically, enjoy all the fresh fruits and vegetables you wish (within reason).  Protein (meat, beans) is necessary, and adults need about 100 grams per day.  Lump grains and dairy together and count them as carbohydrates; set their total at the same amount as protein, 100 grams/day.  (The average American adult eats over 300 g of carbs per day, which is nothing but excess calories that turn to fat.)
  3. No snacking after supper
  4. Keep your fat intake as low as possible, especially saturated fats. Calculate fat intake at 50 grams/day
  5. So basically, here’s the math for a healthy average adult diet: 100 gm protein + 100 gm carbs + 50 gm fat = healthy person.

Noticed that ultra-processed foods are not included.

Dr. Charlie Barnett is a contributor to KnoxTNToday, where he writes a weekly column, DocTalk, sharing his expertise on health and wellness management.

Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram.   Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.