Ultra-Processed Foods - How To Quit / Dr. Matthew Knight: Health Without Hype

Health Watch this morning. We are learning more about the dangers of ultra processed foods. There's a report from the Lancet Medical Journal that says there are growing global public threat. We talk about him a lot. They're linked to severe chronic conditions, including depression, also obesity and really they're everywhere. They make up, get this more than half of the average Americans daily calories more than half. So the big question, how can we avoid him? Let's bring in our good friend Dr Matthew Knight for some help. He is the president of Knight Dermatology Institute, also a member of the Florida Board of Medicine. So Dr Knight, always good to see you. We had a good Thanksgiving. Yeah, I ate way too much. I did too. And we both had big groups there. I feel like this is something with these altered processed foods. We know it's a problem, but fixing it can be tough, really tough. And you were just saying, you know, these things have crept their way into our kitchens, things with big long names like methoxy cellulose that are in foods that we eat all the time. And the reason they crept into our pantries is because as people got busier, these things are easy to grab and go, but they're everywhere. And like you said, it's 50% of our diets and it's really hard to get out of our diets because they're everywhere. And there's some really scary headlines out there. Yeah. And just the ones we mentioned, depression, some of those things are those some of the biggest things you worry about in a diet you may not even realize is harming you. Well, for sure. I mean, last week there was the study looking at young women and colon polyps, which are a precursor for colon cancer. But the big picture is there are multiple studies showing a link between ultra processed foods and colorectal cancer in young people. We used to never see this, but now colorectal cancer is the number one cancer causing death in young men in this country. And it's number two for women. And it's not just colon cancer. Like you mentioned, it's all kinds of other things, ranging from heart disease to diabetes to obesity, even something called all cause mortality. That means that ultra processed foods are linked to all different kinds of reasons for dying. And the problem is, as you said, they're in all of our diet. So it's almost impossible to get rid of. So we know that this stuff has crept into our diet. When we were kids in the seventies, they weren't there, but now they're in our diet all over the place, and we know more and more that they're linked to all kinds of bad health. So how would you tell someone? Because I'm sure doctor night, most people have no idea. They know they don't need them. But how do you get him out of your diet? How do you maybe substitute him with something else? I think the key point here is you can get into this place where you feel like all food is poison and you're afraid to eat, and that's a really scary place. It's also overwhelming because these ultra processed foods are everywhere in our diets. And so it's important for people to try to do things slowly, maybe swap one thing out a week, and I have some ideas. The easiest things to do, kind of these four diamond easy ideas, are things like making food at home. And when I say that, I don't mean like those bodybuilders who weigh and measure everything in meal prep, but I mean take a day a week and cook fruits and vegetables and protein like chicken. That way when you need to snack, you're not reaching for an ultra processed bar or quick food. You've got some chicken you can snack on in a glass container in your refrigerator, which is really easy and I know that's what I do. And that's really simple. Also swapping things like sugary beverages or diet beverages for soda water, which is everywhere. And there's all kinds of flavors and they taste really great and it's easy for people to do. A couple of weeks ago we talked about black coffee. Black coffee is great for us. It decreases all-cause mortality. Brew your own coffee at home. Don't go for the triple whip decaf thing at the store. Which tastes great. Which tastes great, but that's the thing with ultra processed foods. They often taste great. Remember those old ads, you can't eat just one? Yes. It's kind of like that. Yeah, they know that. They know that. So ultra processed foods are engineered to keep us coming back for more. But things like black coffee are great or snacking on popcorn, which you can air pop at home and has one ingredient in it. But probably the most important thing I can tell you is just take foods and flip them over and look. If it's got more than four or five ingredients and things you can't pronounce, it's probably not great to eat. It's a good rule of thumb. And shopping around the edge of the grocery store instead of down the middle of the aisles where all the ultra processed stuff could also be helpful. I don't like that. Most people haven't probably haven't thought of that. Yeah, shop the periphery is the saying. Yeah. So you don't go for the ultra processed foods. But at the end of the day, the big take-home point here is that number one, swapping out these things doesn't have to be difficult. You can do one at a time, a week at a time, and do simple things to help eliminate your risk. But the big thing is that colorectal cancer is increasing in young people. And so number one, make sure to get your colonoscopy if you're 45 or see your doctor. And if you're young and you have symptoms, things like bloating or constipation or bleeding or other problems, don't just blow it off. Go see your doctor and get early screening because we're seeing too much colorectal cancer and young people to us.