At the age of 44 I decided to quit ultra-processed food, even going without my own birthday cake — my weight dramatically changed Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters At the start of 2024, feeling sluggish and unhealthy after a winter of over-indulgence, I decided to quut ultra-processed foods (UPF) . I also cut out all foods with added sugar. The results were rapid: I lost weight and there were healthy foods I had never considered eating previously which I suddenly couldn't live without ( read about them here ).
Eight months on, I'm still at it. In fact, it's getting easier and more motivating as time goes on as I eat in a sustainable and manageable way, not drastically limiting what I eat, cutting down on food quantity or counting calories. Key to changing my diet habits eight months ago was stumbling on the Zoe Science and Nutrition podcast, which I couldn't stop listening to.
When I wrote about it, Zoe spotted it and offered me free membership to their personalised nutrition programme to see what I thought. I said yes, and this is how it's going. Zoe's personalised nutrition programme aims to match the food you eat to your specific genetic make-up in a bid to achieve the best possible health outcomes.
To be able do this, Zoe asks you to carry out a series of at-home tests to find out more.