What I Noticed After Two Weeks of No Ultra-Processed Foods

On New Year’s Eve, I shared on Instagram that I was starting a 30-Day No Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) Experiment. (Chances are, many of you reading this are doing it with me!).  

For the past two weeks, I haven’t counted a single calorie or stepped on a scale. I haven’t tracked macros or worn a glucose monitor or sworn off carbs. I just did one thing: I stopped eating UPFs.

Not “mostly.” Not “on weekdays.” Completely. As much as humanly possible. And what surprised me wasn’t what I lost, but what I gained. Here’s what I observed:  

Observation 1) I Had More “Clean” Energy

I’m not talking about the jittery caffeine-induced buzz that has you slumped by 3 PM. This was different. My brain felt clearer. My body felt steadier. And I was less zapped at the end of the day.

My theory? When you remove UPFs, your body stops wasting energy trying to metabolize substances it doesn’t recognize as food, such as emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, flavor enhancers, and stabilizers.  

These additives are not neutral passengers. They require immune surveillance and are metabolically expensive. When that burden is lifted, energy can be redirected to processes such as muscle repair, hormone regulation, and brain function. I found myself getting into bed at night just because it was my bedtime, not because I was exhausted.  

Observation 2) My Digestion Changed

I noticed slightly fewer bowel movements. Not constipation. No bloating. No discomfort. Just…less urgency. (Sorry if that’s TMI!) This sounds trivial, but it’s actually fascinating.  

UPFs are “pre-digested.” They’re industrially stripped of fiber and structure, so they melt in your mouth, which tricks your brain into eating more. This is great for the company’s bottom line, but it turns your gut into a high-speed conveyor belt. (Read: more pooping, in general.)

Whole foods are intact. They engage in chewing, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes. When food is real, the body doesn’t rush to expel it, and it extracts nutrients more thoroughly.  

Which brings me to the third and perhaps most striking change:  

Observation 3) My Appetite Went Down

My appetite dropped, but not in a suppressed or deprived way. I just wasn’t constantly thinking about food. My meals felt satisfying, and then I moved on with my life.

• The Why: UPFs are designed to break your “fullness” switch. They combine sugar, fat, and salt in a ratio that doesn't exist in nature. This mix confuses the brain and dulls leptin signaling (your brain’s “I’m full” hormone).  

When you switch to whole foods, your brain recalibrates. The satiety signals get louder, and your hunger cues become more accurate. You stop eating because you’re satisfied, not because the bag is empty.

Observation 4) I Lost About a Pound

Honestly, I hesitate to mention this because weight loss is not the headline here. But it is worth noting. When appetite regulation improves and metabolic efficiency increases, body weight often follows.  

This experiment was not to “cleanse” or “detox.” (I actually dislike those terms as I find them built on hype and pseudoscience.) Your liver and kidneys already handle detoxification just fine.  

This was simply about removing “food” that was never meant to be a daily input. I wanted to see what happened when I gave my body fuel it actually recognized.  

What I’m Taking Away From This

The goal here isn’t perfection. There have been times when I don’t really have an option. If faced with starving or eating something awful, I’ll reach for my favorite protein bar. But absent those situations, I plan to continue to minimize eating UPFs.

Remember, UPFs don’t just add empty calories. They demand energy, disrupt signals, and create noise in systems that work best when we have “nutritional clarity.”  

But when that noise is gone? The body does what it’s designed to do. And that system is incredibly powerful.  

Bottom line: sometimes, the most powerful experiment isn’t adding something new. It’s taking something out and paying attention.

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