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00:00Fatty burgers, greasy pizzas, salty chips.
00:06We all know this is bad for us.
00:09And we all know that this is good for us.
00:12Fresh fruit and veg, whole foods,
00:15packed with vitamins, fibre and all the good stuff.
00:18Delicious.
00:20But what about all of this?
00:22The supermarket where we buy pretty much all of our food.
00:25Here is where we find ourselves in murky waters,
00:29bombarded by endless choice, irresistible deals and confusing health claims.
00:34This is ultra-processed food.
00:37If you're trying to be healthy, this is the new battleground.
00:41In the UK, we're starting to realise that ultra-processed foods
00:46could be having a major impact on our health.
00:49I'm tired, like, all the time.
00:51I have acid reflux.
00:52My blood pressure.
00:53Constipation.
00:54I'm Professor Tim Spector,
00:56a leading world expert in gut health and nutrition.
00:59And along with GP and dietary advisor, Dr. Candy Ejafor,
01:04we're going to show you how to transform your health
01:06as we meet four families whose ultra-processed diets
01:10may be making them ill.
01:12My main problem is my weight.
01:14Because of diabetes, they had to remove one of my toes.
01:17By showing them...
01:19Oh, my God!
01:20..how much ultra-processed food...
01:22It's bad.
01:23..they're really eating...
01:24Oh, that's crazy.
01:25It's making me feel really sick, actually.
01:27..we'll reveal what these foods are doing to you.
01:31You are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
01:34That's really quite scary, actually.
01:36Your heart health is 78 years old.
01:38It's kind of make or break.
01:41We'll show you how to spot an ultra-processed food.
01:46It's really like a sort of glue.
01:48We'll find out how they're made...
01:51Oh, that looks really horrible.
01:53..and give you simple swaps to make healthier choices.
01:56That is delicious.
01:57..without costing you any more money.
01:59We are still within our budget.
02:01But can our families ditch ultra-processed food?
02:05The brown sauce!
02:08..and transform their lives...
02:10It's a fantastic result.
02:11..for good.
02:12What have I signed myself up for?
02:20We don't yet have a universal definition of ultra-processed food.
02:24But for me, it means food that has been industrially processed
02:28that has a negative impact on health.
02:31And when it comes to eating,
02:32most ultra-processed foods are hyper-palatable,
02:35meaning you can't stop eating them,
02:37calorie-dense,
02:39large amounts of additives and chemicals
02:42you really don't want in your body,
02:44they're soft and easy to eat,
02:47and crucially,
02:48they're lacking in any real nutrients and fibre.
02:51UPFs make up over half of our diet in the UK.
02:55Our cupboards and fridges are absolutely full of them.
02:59Eating these foods in large quantities
03:02is associated with rising levels of obesity,
03:04increased heart disease,
03:06dementia and even some cancers.
03:08So, what ultra-processed foods are you eating?
03:11Less than 40% of us feel confident
03:14identifying ultra-processed foods,
03:16so it's no wonder we feel confused.
03:18Well, let me help.
03:20Take porridge oats as an example.
03:22Steel-cut oats and whole-rolled oats
03:25are almost completely unprocessed,
03:28with the nutrient-dense
03:29and fibre-packed coatings still intact.
03:32Instant-flavoured porridge oats
03:35are typically ultra-processed.
03:37They're often mixed with sugars,
03:39flavourings and preservatives,
03:40a far-flung cry from the natural form.
03:43My aim is to get you looking at the back of packets
03:48every time you go shopping,
03:50ensuring your food choices are well-informed
03:52and not just well-intentioned.
03:59Time to meet our next family,
04:01whose diet is dominated by ultra-processed food.
04:04My name's Sarah, and this is Nick,
04:06and we are the Chapmans.
04:08The Chapmans!
04:09How long have we been married?
04:11We have been married for 29 years.
04:14No, we've been together 29 years.
04:17No, we've been together 30 years.
04:18No, we have 30 Christmases together.
04:20Well, that means we've been together 30 years.
04:22Not necessarily.
04:23For this happily married couple,
04:25life revolves around their Labrador Boomer,
04:27regular visits from their grandchildren
04:29and food.
04:30Lots of ultra-processed food.
04:32He cooks everything in bulk.
04:35Nick does all the cooking,
04:36and I just sit there and, you know,
04:38he's a feeder, really.
04:39We'll celebrate our successes
04:41with food and drink.
04:43And that's you being Mr Romantic.
04:45You've always presented it beautifully,
04:49and that's your way of telling me you love me.
04:52Well...
04:53Well, it is!
04:54Like lots of Brits,
04:56both 63-year-old Nick and 59-year-old Sarah
04:59work from home,
05:00which is bad news if you're partial to ultra-processed snacks.
05:04Are you having any crisps?
05:06I was going to have a piece of pork pie.
05:08Oh.
05:09OK.
05:10Mmm.
05:11I've got the mother of all biscuit tins.
05:14It's got the name of all my grandsons on it,
05:16and it's full of the best biscuits.
05:18The average packet of shop-bought biscuits is not only out to process,
05:24it also contains more than your maximum daily recommended intake of added sugar.
05:29I'll make a cup of tea,
05:31I'll eat three biscuits,
05:33and then I'll take the cup of tea and three biscuits through to you.
05:43Then I'll come back in here and get another three biscuits.
05:46So it makes you feel as if we've got the same quantity of biscuits,
05:50but...
05:51Are you serious?
05:52Yes.
05:53I didn't know you did that.
05:55Click that on its head.
05:56Right.
05:57I can open a bottle of wine and take a glass out of it
06:00and leave it in the fridge...
06:02Yeah.
06:03...for a week.
06:04Whereas, to her, the bottle of wine's going,
06:06drink me, drink me, drink me.
06:08That's my biggest vice.
06:09There we go.
06:10There's my biggest vice, is wine.
06:12A box of white wine could contain around 1,500 calories,
06:16with supermarket wines often containing sulphites,
06:19preservatives and acidity regulators,
06:22making them ultra-processed.
06:26Shop and eat, drink, shop, eat, drink, shop, eat, drink.
06:30We don't even consider what we do, where we buy it,
06:35what we put in our mouth and how we cook it.
06:37And Nick and Sarah aren't alone.
06:39The majority of Brits also live on ultra-processed foods.
06:43If somebody said to me,
06:44in your fridge, what is ultra-processed?
06:47I'd go, possibly corned beef, possibly cheese.
06:50I think that'll be it.
06:51But I bet I'm wrong.
06:53Fortunately, Dr Candy is on hand
06:56to explain exactly what UPFs are
06:59and what they're doing to us.
07:04Hello.
07:05Good to see you.
07:06So lovely to see you.
07:07Thank you for having me.
07:09Welcome to our home.
07:10So Nick, Sarah,
07:11I understand that you guys both have a bit of a medical history.
07:15So can you tell me a little bit about what you've both been through?
07:18I've had cellulitis in my leg for 20, 30 years now.
07:22And then back in 2022, I got a belt of cellulitis and it went to sepsis.
07:28Oh, no.
07:29I nearly lost the leg.
07:30Oh, wow.
07:31There was one point where surgeons were standing around
07:33and we were discussing where the leg was going to come off
07:36and I was trying to negotiate with them where they were going to amputate.
07:40But fortunately enough, it didn't happen.
07:42Yeah.
07:43So I came out of hospital from that in September 2022.
07:46Nick is not the only one, though, who has suffered with serious ill health.
07:53So all the way throughout 2023, I was having chemotherapy
07:57and at the end of 2023, I had a mastectomy on my left breast
08:01and I was cancer free as of November 2023, which was great.
08:05That's brilliant.
08:06I do want to ask as well, like, how do you guys feel in yourselves?
08:10I'm carrying a lot of weight.
08:12Okay.
08:13So that's obvious.
08:14I'm tired, continuously tired.
08:16In medicine speak, we call it TATT, tired all the time.
08:20And what I often find is that it's something embedded in the lifestyle.
08:24Okay.
08:25Interesting.
08:26I'd love to have lots more energy again.
08:27And so tell me about your digestion.
08:29Okay.
08:30So I'm on some post-cancer drugs at the moment, which lower my immune system,
08:34which also have an effect on my gut and they give me a bit of diarrhea occasionally.
08:40And Nick?
08:41When I got sepsis, they put me on antibiotics.
08:44So it's now just over two years and they've just taken me off them.
08:48When I was on them, sometimes without being too much into the detail,
08:54things were a bit, you know, looser than normal.
08:56Yes.
08:57So antibiotics, it's actually a Greek terminology, which means against life.
09:00And so it does take away good and bad bacteria inside the gut.
09:05And so it's really important that when you've been on antibiotics for quite a significant period of time,
09:10that we work to try and replace some of that good bacteria into your gut and kind of stabilize it again.
09:16So what is your big motivation for doing all of this?
09:19Grandchildren.
09:20It's got to be the grandchildren, isn't it?
09:21Yeah.
09:22We've got eight grandsons.
09:23Eight.
09:24Eight.
09:25Grandsons.
09:26Yes.
09:27Very noisy grandsons.
09:28Yes.
09:29My dad died at the age of 59.
09:30Your dad died at the age of 67.
09:32So they didn't get the chance to see their grandchildren.
09:35See it through.
09:36Yeah, of course.
09:37Go up.
09:38That's what we want.
09:39Oh.
09:40I understand.
09:41We're going to help you do that.
09:43Time for Dr Candy to have a rummage around Nick and Sarah's kitchen to see just how much ultra-processed food they're eating.
09:51Let's see what's in here.
09:52So you've got a chicken pie here.
09:55We do like pie, don't we?
09:56We do.
09:57Chicken pie, steak pie.
09:58Yeah.
09:59And how often are you having these?
10:00At least once a week.
10:01Yeah.
10:02Sometimes twice.
10:04Ultra-processed foods like ready-made pies typically offer little in the way of fibre and nutrients.
10:10And because they're both calorie-dense and convenient, we tend to overeat them, increasing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related conditions.
10:21This squirty whipped cream.
10:23Oh, yes.
10:24Catches my eye.
10:25It's great with ice cream.
10:26Mm-hmm.
10:27On a mince pie.
10:28And do you know what's in it?
10:30Cream.
10:31Any idea?
10:32Just cream.
10:33Yeah.
10:34I can see emulsifiers, stabilisers, propellants.
10:37So this is what I'd classify as an ultra-processed food.
10:41Oh, dear.
10:43Some pork sausages.
10:44No, I've really never thought that that was processed food.
10:48Regular consumption of processed meats like sausages, bacon and ham has been linked not only to expanding waistlines and higher BMI, but also to a greater risk of obesity and an increased likelihood of developing bowel cancer.
11:02Gravy.
11:03It's ultra-processed.
11:05Okay.
11:06Modified maize starch, dextrose, gelling agents, maltodextrin, stabiliser, invert sugar syrup.
11:13I can see I'm just going to have to live off raw carrots after this.
11:17I was amazed to see just how much ultra-processed food was in their kitchen.
11:24From the wine, to the processed meats, to the sauces, and the biscuits.
11:29Clearly, they love their grub, but they've got no idea just how it's making them feel so unwell.
11:39Coming up, I tell you why biscuits are so moorish.
11:43The bliss point.
11:45They meet the exact same criteria for addiction as tobacco-based products.
11:50As Nick and Sarah face up to the scale of their wine habit.
11:54Oh, my God!
12:05I'm on a mission to transform the nation's diet.
12:08Our cupboards and fridges are absolutely full of ultra-processed food.
12:13By showing you what UPFs are made of.
12:15They have large amounts of additives and chemicals.
12:18And with the help of GP Dr Candy, find out what they're doing to our health.
12:23In medicine speak, we call it TATT, tired all the time.
12:26We're meeting families whose diets are packed with ultra-processed food.
12:31And in Cambridgeshire, Nick and Sarah have a giant biscuit tin overflowing with their favourite sweet treats, including custard creams.
12:4096% of Brits have said they love a biscuit.
12:44One in five have said that they can eat an entire pack in one go.
12:48Now, if this is you, don't feel that it's your fault.
12:52It's not a lack of willpower.
12:54It's because they have irresistible taste that just gives you pleasure when you eat them.
13:01The manufacturers have literally spent billions creating the bliss point.
13:06The perfect combination of fat, sugar and salt that lights up your brain to give you that pleasure signal.
13:14Now, on their own, some butter.
13:17It's greasy.
13:20You really couldn't eat very much of that.
13:22A bit of sugar.
13:24That's just overpowering sweet on its own.
13:27And salt.
13:29But, I'm going to show you what happens when you eat them together.
13:33Adding butter and sugar, and then a bit of salt.
13:37So now, when I taste this, I can feel my pleasure centres being activated in a way that I didn't get by having any of these individual ingredients.
13:49As Goldilocks said, it's just right.
13:52Most ultra processed foods are what we call hyper palatable, which means as well as providing enjoyment and pleasure,
14:00they stimulate the dopamine driven reward centres of the brain in a similar way to addictive drugs.
14:06In fact, they meet the exact same criteria for addiction as tobacco based products.
14:12They actually produce a physical and complex urge to keep eating and override your body's natural fullness cues.
14:21This means you'll overeat, you'll gain weight, and you'll be eating foods of little nutritional value.
14:27So, if you've ever eaten a packet of biscuits and found that you're no longer enjoying them, but you just can't stop, now you know exactly why.
14:42Whilst sweet treats like biscuits are obvious hyper palatable sugar bombs, Nick and Sarah's evening treat also contains sugar and is similarly ultra processed.
14:57With the UK now the sixth largest wine consumer in the world, Nick and Sarah are not alone, but as the wine they drink is both ultra processed and full of empty calories,
15:10it's time for Dr Candy to shock them into action and reveal the extent of their annual intake.
15:19Are you ready?
15:20Are you ready?
15:21Yes.
15:22Yes.
15:23Open your eyes for me.
15:26Oh my God!
15:27Oh my God.
15:28Party!
15:29Good grief.
15:32Do you...
15:33That's not what we drink in a year, is it?
15:36That's exactly what it is.
15:38So you've said that you drink on average about three bottles of wine per week.
15:45Mm-hmm.
15:46Which equates to about 936 glasses of wine per year.
15:54It actually makes you feel sick.
15:56So the majority of this is probably yours Sarah.
16:02Yeah.
16:03There's nothing like putting it out in front of you is there?
16:06The reason we're doing this is to show you how much added sugar and extra calories you're consuming in a year.
16:13Here, we're looking at about 91,000 calories.
16:17If our friends were to see this and our family was to see this...
16:23Oh, it's dreadful.
16:26What on earth might they think?
16:29I think what's really clear as well is that this really has to...
16:33Stop.
16:34Mm.
16:35I'll stop you from putting sausage rolls down your neck.
16:37Can you stop me putting ultra-processed drinks down my neck and we should be okay?
16:41Should be okay.
16:42Earlier, Dr Candy performed a range of health tests and now she's back with Nick and Sarah to deliver the results.
16:53Oh, give it to us.
16:55Sarah, your waist circumference came up high, which puts you in the higher risk category.
17:02And that's higher risk for things like cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions.
17:07Mm-hmm.
17:08Your weight was 62.7 kg.
17:11And when we put that together with your height, it gives us a BMI of about 27.9, which puts you in that overweight category.
17:18Mm-hmm, okay.
17:19Your fasting insulin level was borderline high.
17:22What does that mean?
17:24So it's likely that you do have an impaired insulin resistance and that later on can lead to things like diabetes.
17:32Interesting.
17:33Okay.
17:34Yeah, nobody's mentioned that to me before, so that's...
17:37Diet will really help bring those levels into an optimal range.
17:42Yeah.
17:43Okay, Nick.
17:44Oh.
17:45Here we go.
17:47Your weight was high, so that's 129 kg.
17:50And when we do a BMI calculation, that's at 43.2.
17:56According to the NHS, anything above 40 is classified as severely obese.
18:02All right.
18:04Over the last 30 years, the proportion of adults in England who fall into the obese category has almost doubled.
18:11And our intake of UPFs has also risen, now making up the majority of the UK diet.
18:16Okay, and then when we look at your blood markers, so all of the cholesterol markers were all raised.
18:21Your heart health was 78 years old.
18:25And actually, your risk of having a heart attack or stroke is also quite high.
18:31Okay.
18:32Time to do something then.
18:34Mm-hmm.
18:35How are you feeling, Sarah?
18:37Okay.
18:38All right.
18:39It's really tough, I know.
18:40It's another reason why I wanted to take part in this, because I knew that he needed this a lot more than most.
18:50And if I can do something to stop it happening or, you know, he's going to die one day, but if I can have a little bit more time with him.
18:59Of course.
19:00Of course.
19:01And how do you feel, Nick?
19:03Disappointed with myself, really.
19:04I didn't think it was quite that bad.
19:05Okay.
19:06Yeah, I'm fine.
19:07Good.
19:08I feel guilty because Sarah's upset.
19:09Nobody likes to upset the one you love.
19:24Try not to be too hard on yourselves on what's happened before.
19:29Sometimes it just takes one thing to really just flick that switch on and understand that it's a process.
19:36But, you know, you're very fortunate to have each other in this journey.
19:40And I'm really confident that, you know, your motivating factors, your will to be here is so strong that we'll definitely see improvements.
19:48We'll definitely see a difference.
19:50Good.
19:51Good.
19:52Yeah.
19:53So Nick's heart age is 78, 15 years older than his actual age, and the average life expectancy of a man in the UK.
20:03Heart age is calculated from a range of factors, including weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as family history.
20:09And it indicates your likely risk for future heart problems.
20:13I've always had an unhealthy relationship with food.
20:17And I think I need to understand food.
20:21I need to understand nutrition.
20:23And then that might give me a chance of sorting out.
20:27It's amazing to see just how much Nick and Sarah mean to each other.
20:33I mean, seriously, they're like the best grandparents.
20:35You just want to give them a hug.
20:37It only makes me more determined to do everything I can to help them.
20:45It's vital that Nick and Sarah switch to a healthier diet.
20:49And I'm keen to show them and you some simple tricks to make it easy.
20:54Everyone knows vegetables are good for you, but I've got a tip to make them even healthier.
20:59Now, brassicas like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale all contain something called sulforaphane.
21:06This is an antioxidant that has anti-cancer properties and probably also reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
21:15So you want plenty of it.
21:17So how do we get more of it?
21:19Well, it's released when we cut into the cell walls, damaging them.
21:24You release the sulforaphane and this happens every time we cut any of our vegetables.
21:30But there's a problem.
21:32If you put it straight into the pan, that heat actually stops that sulforaphane being released.
21:38But I've got a solution for you.
21:40Chop and stop.
21:41All you need to do is to chop your vegetables 10 to 15 minutes ahead of time.
21:47Leave it, go and have a cup of coffee and come back to it.
21:50And that gives it enough time for the sulforaphane to be in sufficient quantities to really have a benefit on your health.
21:57And if you want to maximize the amount of sulforaphane, I've got another tip.
22:01Simply put your brassicas like broccoli in the microwave.
22:05Cook it that way and you'll get four times as much sulforaphane just by cooking it in the microwave rather than by normal cooking.
22:12There you have it.
22:13Two tips.
22:14Very simple.
22:15Making your vegetables even healthier.
22:20Coming up, Nick and Sarah are going to have to be all in on a new eating plan.
22:24The brown sauce!
22:26And I discover the grim reality of ultra-processed meat.
22:30It's hard to believe this is going to come out looking like a ham.
22:33Oh, yummy!
22:35We're a nation drowning in ultra-processed food.
22:49Oh my God!
22:50And Dr Candy and I have been looking at what's actually in all those salty, sugary foods.
22:55Dextrose, gelling agents, maltodextrin.
22:59And why we can't stop eating them.
23:01The perfect combination of fat, sugar and salt.
23:05Not to mention finding out the major impact they're having on our health.
23:09Your heart health was 78 years old.
23:11For Nick and Sarah in Cambridgeshire, it's been a wake-up call.
23:14It actually makes you feel sick.
23:16And an education.
23:18This is what I'd classify as an ultra-processed food.
23:21Oh dear.
23:22And the UPF revelations are not over yet.
23:28We're going to ask you to eat two different sandwiches and I'm going to time how long it takes you.
23:33Oh.
23:34Is it a race?
23:35Yes, Sarah.
23:36It is a race.
23:37How long will it take to eat an ultra-processed corned beef sandwich compared with a sourdough and veggie option?
23:46These two sandwiches are calorie equivalent.
23:49Good grief.
23:50So Sarah, I'm going to give you the sandwich that both you and Nick usually eat.
23:56And Nick, I'm going to give you this sandwich.
23:59Are you ready?
24:00Yes.
24:01Let's begin.
24:02Oh my word.
24:03You can't even pick yours up in a time, innit?
24:04Don't speak with your mouth full.
24:05I know.
24:06So this is quite an interesting experiment because Sarah, you've already finished and that didn't
24:30take you too long.
24:31Ultra-processed foods tend to be packed with calorie-dense ingredients, meaning that for
24:37each bite you eat, you consume a lot more calories than if you were eating the whole
24:42food equivalent.
24:43With less space being taken up in your stomach, you can be left feeling hungry, causing you
24:48to overeat and ultimately gain weight.
24:51It might be worth mentioning that you've just eaten about half the calories that Sarah
24:56has, but you're more full than you usually would be.
25:00Yes.
25:01Wow.
25:02Brilliant.
25:03Looks like Nick and Sarah are beginning to understand the downsides of UPFs, which is
25:07good because Candy is now going to clear out their cupboards.
25:11this whipping cream.
25:12Yeah.
25:13I'm going to put that away.
25:14Some fizzy drink.
25:15Sources.
25:16The brown sauce.
25:17The wine.
25:18Get rid of it.
25:19I'm happy with that now.
25:20I've made my peace with my wine.
25:21So you're on board.
25:22We're on board.
25:23And you're ready for the next step.
25:24Yes.
25:25We're ready.
25:26Okay.
25:27Nick, can you help me carry this out?
25:28Yeah, absolutely.
25:29There we go.
25:30It's quite heavy, isn't it?
25:31It is.
25:32We've cleared out almost all of Nick and Sarah's ultra processed food, but we have left their
25:45wheat and bran cereals.
25:47Whilst most ultra processed breakfast cereals are anything but a healthy choice, whole grain
25:52wheat and bran are comparatively low in sugar and packed full of fibre.
25:57They help keep your bowels regular, support a healthy gut microbiome and reduce the risk
26:02of blood sugar spikes.
26:04So, in my opinion, these are an excellent example of an ultra processed food that can be
26:09enjoyed as part of a healthy balanced diet.
26:17Nick and Sarah both have poor gut health as a result of their medication and their ultra
26:23processed food habit.
26:24However, this can be improved by adding in lots of fermented food.
26:28So, Candy has brought them some exciting ingredients and is ready to introduce them to their new healthy
26:34diet.
26:35Now, these are fermented foods which are really good for your gut.
26:38So, helping replenish your gut when you've been on a long term stint of antibiotics.
26:42Okay.
26:43So, this is kimchi.
26:44What?
26:45Okay.
26:46Super beet kimchi, live cultured.
26:48Now, that would normally put you off wouldn't it when it said live cultured.
26:51The live cultures in kimchi improve the diversity of good bugs in your gut which can help boost
26:57your immunity.
26:58So, what would I do with that?
27:00So, you can use that as a flavouring, as a topping or you can use it inside your sandwiches.
27:04A bit like we'd use a pickle.
27:06Yes.
27:07We're filling Nick and Sarah's cupboards with whole foods, fruit and veg, beans and pulses,
27:12as well as fermented food and drink like kombucha in a real push to improve their gut health.
27:18So, the kombucha I think will be a great alternative to the wine that you're drinking.
27:23I've never seen that before.
27:24We've also got some lentils and beans for you as well.
27:27Okay.
27:28A typical meal plan for Nick and Sarah will be overnight oats for breakfast, a roasted
27:35veg sandwich with added kimchi for lunch and minestrone soup for dinner.
27:41Minestrone is a filling and healthy choice thanks to the beans and pulses which are a
27:45great source of plant-based protein, olive oil which can contribute to good heart health
27:50and plenty of antioxidants from the herbs and vegetables, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.
27:56How do you feel looking at all this new stuff?
27:59Even looking at the greenery seems to give me energy.
28:03And some more good news.
28:05Everything here is price equivalent to what you would normally spend on your weekly shop.
28:10Excellent. That's good news.
28:11Yeah, it is good news.
28:12You know, it looks as if it might be more expensive.
28:15And certainly, the hope is that you'll be eating less because you'll be fuller for longer.
28:19Good luck.
28:20I am here if you need me.
28:22See you in a few weeks.
28:23Absolutely.
28:32Some pigs like these will live a long and happy life.
28:36In the UK, every year, we kill over 10 million pigs for food.
28:42Pork is a valuable source of protein, vitamin B, iron and zinc.
28:47So how do we get from pigs to a mass-produced, prepackaged slice of ham that you put into your lunchtime sandwich?
29:00I'm back at Mission Kitchen in London to find out more.
29:04Hi, Emil.
29:05Hi, Tim. How are you?
29:06Good to see you.
29:07My question today is how do you transform pork into a typical processed ham that you'd put into a sandwich?
29:15So this is a micro example of what you might find in a big facility.
29:19So there's usually going to be multiple different kinds of cuts that you'll find there.
29:23Here, I've just got some pork belly in a big facility that might just have like rendered just pure fats.
29:28Then we have some leaner cuts and then we have some kind of off cuts.
29:32What's an off cut?
29:33An off cut is the less desirable stuff.
29:35So they might have some gristle in there.
29:36They might have some like sinewy bits, just a lot of fats.
29:39Cartilage.
29:40Cartilage.
29:41All those kind of things that you can really blend down and then turn into a paste.
29:44But you wouldn't normally eat?
29:45You would not be eating that.
29:47It's the kind of thing that if you're eating a piece of meat you might want to spit it out because it's a bit chewy or might break your teeth.
29:52But you're going to make that all edible?
29:54Yes, absolutely.
29:55So what's next?
29:56So what's next is we need to turn this into a paste.
30:00So we're making a really gooey paste out of this?
30:03Yes, we're going to go mostly goo, a little bit of a texture in there as well.
30:07Okay.
30:08So we're just going to add all this into here.
30:10Okay.
30:11And now we just blend all this up.
30:13So as you can see, it starts to get gloopy.
30:17Turning into one big Play-Doh-y bit of goo.
30:20That is all done.
30:23Oh, that looks really horrible.
30:26And we haven't even put the chemicals in yet.
30:28We have not.
30:29Okay.
30:30So now we're just going to add our ingredients.
30:32This one is salt.
30:33Salt.
30:34Okay.
30:35Lots of salt.
30:36Then we have our brown sugar.
30:37Why do you have so much sugar in ham?
30:39Just for taste.
30:40This is a fairly common ratio that's going to be used in a lot of ham.
30:43To make you eat lots of it.
30:45Then we've added our ascorbic acid.
30:47This is used a little bit for taste and also kind of helps speed up a lot of that curing process.
30:52And also it's a little bit of a stabilizer with a preservative.
30:55Next, our herbs and spices.
30:56Just a nice little blend.
30:58And then last but not least, transglutaminase or also known as meat glue.
31:02Meat glue.
31:03Yes.
31:04So what this does, the enzymes in it turn it into one homogenous slab.
31:07So they're going to take all these different cuts, even the cartilage and the muscle and everything and fat and make it all similar.
31:13Yes.
31:14And why does it have a lid on it?
31:15We have a lid on this because we shouldn't be inhaling it in this amount.
31:19We shouldn't be too worried, but overexposure can have a lot of issues.
31:22It's less dangerous when it's wet, but when it's in a powder form you need to be very broken.
31:25I didn't know that, so that's interesting.
31:26Now we're just going to mix that in.
31:28It's hard to believe this is going to come out looking like a ham.
31:31Now we're going to fill this cylinder up.
31:34It's like a pressure cooker.
31:35This is going to be similar to a pressure cooker, so this actually has a spring to compress everything down.
31:41So we're going to press that down, nice and sealed.
31:44OK.
31:45So we've added the meat glue, we've added the curing salts.
31:48Basically what we need to do is let those enzymes start to break down.
31:51So usually we'll just pop this in the fridge overnight, 24 hours.
31:55OK, so assume that's been curing in your fridge for 24 hours.
32:00What do we do now?
32:01So what we do now is we take this and we're going to pop it in a bain marine.
32:04And the second it reaches approximately 70 degrees centigrade,
32:08we're going to take it off and then we're going to refrigerate it.
32:11So it's going to take about an hour-ish for something this size,
32:13but I have something ready so we can try it right now.
32:15Fantastic.
32:17So, as you can see here, that pressure.
32:21So yeah, we have the fat and then this is just going to be pure collagen slash gelatin that's being pressed out.
32:27And here, it might take a little coaxing.
32:36Oh, yummy.
32:37Looks like dog food.
32:39So as you can see, it's turned into the one big old slab of meat.
32:42You can see it's just starting to look very similar to the kind of things you'd see in a deli or just in a plastic pack.
32:48It looks just like you'd get in a supermarket in those pre-packed things that are dirt cheap.
32:53Exactly.
32:54You really are a magician, Emil.
32:57And here we have it.
32:58Would you like to give it a try?
32:59Not really, but this is for science, so I'll have to.
33:05That's that kind of sweet, hammy flavour that you get in the sliced.
33:08Yes, it tastes like ham.
33:10Congratulations, Emil.
33:11You've created ham from bits of fat, gristle and a bit of meat and all kinds of weird chemicals and including that amazing meat glue.
33:21It's disgusting, but fascinating.
33:24Thank you so much.
33:25Well, thank you for coming.
33:26Let's see how Nick and Sarah are getting on.
33:36Having ditched their ultra-processed heavy diet, hopefully it's more healthy than ham.
33:43Well, here goes.
33:44This is kefir, K-E-F-I-R.
33:47Let's see what it's like.
33:49Actually, that's nice.
33:58But embracing change isn't always easy.
34:05I'm going to get the large sauce.
34:08Oops.
34:10Gosh, I can't get them out.
34:13Whereas before, their diet was almost solely ultra-processed.
34:16Diced onion.
34:17What else have we got?
34:18Kale.
34:19Yeah.
34:20We've got some carrots.
34:22The Chapmans are now cooking with foods that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, gut-friendly
34:26and delicious.
34:28So I'm cooking this wonderful masterpiece.
34:31I'm managing to do it very well.
34:32I'm nearly done.
34:33It smells absolutely incredible.
34:35And as a result, big changes are happening.
34:38How are you feeding while I'm doing this?
34:41Anxious.
34:42Anxious?
34:43Because you're in my kit.
34:49So what's the verdict on Sarah's first veg-packed minestrone soup?
34:54I think that's a thumbs up.
34:57Coming up, I'm going to show you how to make a sweet treat that's actually healthy for you.
35:03Pecans, almond flour, dark chocolate.
35:06Really good.
35:07And Nick and Sarah find out how ditching ultra-processed foods has affected their bodies.
35:13Oh my good grief!
35:27Ultra-processed food is in all our homes.
35:31Creeping into our kitchen, cupboards and fridges.
35:34We do like pie, don't we?
35:35We do like.
35:36Chicken pie, steak pie.
35:37And using clever science to make them totally irresistible.
35:42They meet the exact same criteria for addiction as tobacco-based products.
35:47I found out they contain a lot of nasty ingredients.
35:50Transglutaminase or also known as meat glue.
35:53Meat glue?
35:54Yes.
35:55And can be really bad for us.
35:56All of the cholesterol markers were all raised.
35:58So it's vital that we try and reduce them from our diets.
36:01Just as Nick and Sarah are determined to do.
36:04Are you ready for the next step?
36:05Yes.
36:06We're ready.
36:07It's all about making healthier swaps.
36:09Which can be easy, even when it comes to the nation's favourite.
36:12Biscuits.
36:14Nick and Sarah love their biscuits, as do their grandchildren.
36:17But they're usually buying store-bought, ultra-processed ones.
36:20So I'm going to show you how you can still have a sweet treat that's actually healthy for you.
36:27No extra chemicals. You're in charge.
36:33So let's get started.
36:35Most cakes and biscuits have eggs in them, which are okay, but they don't give you much fibre.
36:40So this is why we're combining this flaxseeds with water.
36:43Leave it for 15 minutes.
36:44The flaxseeds absorb the water and naturally produce like a gluey substance that locks all the stuff together.
36:52Then we're going to add the olive oil, which is full of healthy fats.
36:56And we're adding sugar.
36:57It seems like a lot, but actually that's divided by 12 of these cookies.
37:01That's much less than you'd be eating in a store-bought equivalent.
37:05And then I'm going to chop up my pecans.
37:08Nuts are fantastic source of fibre.
37:11We're going to add these to our mix.
37:14And then we're going to also chop up the dark chocolate.
37:18It turns out that dark chocolate is actually healthy for you.
37:21Remember, it all comes from a plant originally.
37:23And we're going to add that to the bowl.
37:26Finally, we're going to add our almond flour.
37:28This is really the alternative to what you'd normally use for the standard wheat flour.
37:33It's much healthier.
37:35A pinch of salt in here.
37:36Not too much because we're going to add a bit more at the end.
37:38Okay, so this looks nicely mixed.
37:42And so now for the bit I really enjoy.
37:44Squidging it with your hands into those little shapes.
37:48And get stuck in here.
37:50You can see how it's all gluing together nicely.
37:53And we're going to make roughly even cookies out of this.
37:58There you go.
38:00And finally, sprinkle a little bit of sea salt on top.
38:02Right, next thing to do is to pop these beauties into the oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
38:09Mmm.
38:23They look absolutely great.
38:25They smell fantastic.
38:26Let's see what they taste like.
38:29Mmm.
38:35Fantastic.
38:36Not only do they look different, but they taste different to those ultra-processed ones.
38:40They don't just immediately melt in your mouth.
38:43There's something really substantial there that fills you up, that really satisfies you.
38:47Mmm.
38:49Really good.
38:50For Nick and Sarah Chapman, love of family and each other was driving their desire for diet change.
39:00And goodness, did they need to change.
39:03Lovely.
39:05Dr Candy's health results were a wake-up call they both needed.
39:09He's going to die one day, but if I can have a little bit more time with him.
39:11And by eradicating UPFs from their diet and meeting the challenge head on, both Nick and Sarah are beginning to notice distinct changes.
39:19I'm a lot brighter. I feel a lot brighter as well. I feel more alert.
39:25I'll tell you what I've noticed. The colour in your face is getting better.
39:29Is it really?
39:30Yeah.
39:32This is wobbling a bit.
39:34When that starts to wobble a bit, you start to look as if you're going to get a bit thinner.
39:37And also, you haven't been able to get into this for ages. That's just an example.
39:42Whereas you, you're always gorgeous.
39:44That's lovely of you to take, thank you.
39:45That's all right, good.
39:47From an easy to eat diet of soft breads, biscuits and processed meats, the Chapmans are now enjoying whole foods rich in taste and substance.
39:56I must admit, it takes me a bit longer to eat this because you have to chew your way through it.
40:00Well, it's the same with the oats, but I do find this fills me up a lot better in the mornings than just a couple of slices of toast.
40:07Do you know what? I never thought I would see you eating anything but toast and jam in the morning.
40:12Mmm.
40:14I also never ever thought that you would drink kefir.
40:19I didn't like the name.
40:20No.
40:21No, the name makes it, yeah, the thought of it.
40:24This new diet is definitely having an effect.
40:27I've noticed I'm pooing for England.
40:34Getting rid of wine and its empty calories was crucial to improve Sarah's waistline, so it's good to see her trying out fermented alternatives.
40:42Chin chin.
40:43Chin chin.
40:44Chin chin.
40:46I wonder what it tastes like if you've got vodka in it.
40:51It's been six weeks since the Chapmans embarked in their diet revolution and today they're coming to see Dr Candy and me to see what effect removing ultra processed foods from their diet has had on their health.
41:02We've changed our entire menu.
41:06Yeah.
41:07We've cut out all the bad food and we generally have.
41:09Yeah.
41:10I don't think we could have done any more to make this work.
41:13No.
41:14We've really tried.
41:18When Candy first met the Chapmans they were gorging on an ultra processed food fest.
41:24Mmm.
41:25It was a diet making them overweight and adding to their existing health issues.
41:30But the couple I'm meeting now seem lighter, brighter and dare I say it, slighter.
41:37So lovely to see you both.
41:39Really appreciate all the effort you've put in.
41:41Hopefully we're going to show you it's paid off and Candy's got some great results to share with you.
41:46Let's dive in.
41:47So I'll start with you Sarah.
41:48Okay.
41:49You've lost a few pounds off your weight.
41:51Uh huh.
41:52Yeah.
41:53And a couple of inches off of your waist as well.
41:54Which is great.
41:55Wow.
41:56Perfect.
41:57Well done.
41:58I mean it's been such a short space of time so really to see that movement is really something.
42:02So your fasting insulin, that's gone down quite significantly.
42:05That's getting rid of all that wine I should imagine.
42:08So your insulin hormone has gone down from 15.2 to 9.2.
42:12Oh wow that's a significant drop.
42:14Yes that's really moving in the right direction.
42:16So we're really happy to see that.
42:17Well I can say thank you for putting in all the hard graft you have.
42:21Excellent.
42:22So with you Nick.
42:23Oh okay.
42:24Your results are really really impressive.
42:29Okay.
42:30So you've lost over half a stone in your weight.
42:34Wow.
42:35Well done.
42:36So that's really significant.
42:37Yeah.
42:38And your waist, that's gone down 12 inches.
42:4112 inches?
42:42Wow.
42:43Yeah that's 30 centimetres off the centre of your tummy.
42:46Well done.
42:47Fabulous.
42:49Your fasting glucose has improved so much that it's now in the normal range.
42:54And your fasting insulin has gone down from 12.1 to 4.2.
43:00Oh my good grief.
43:01So that is a significant improvement in sugar handling.
43:05So your age is 63 and your heart health at that time was 78.
43:1078.
43:11Now we've brought it down to 75.
43:14Okay.
43:15So I know it might not feel like a big improvement but it's substantial in the sense that you are
43:19moving in the right direction.
43:20Yeah.
43:21In such a short space of time.
43:22Yeah.
43:23We've really been able to move the needle.
43:25A year every two weeks.
43:26Yeah.
43:27You'll take that one.
43:28That's perfect.
43:29It's funny because I did say that I wasn't expecting a huge drop in that because I know
43:34I've still got a lot of work to do.
43:36Certainly on my weight.
43:37That's very good progress for six weeks.
43:39So don't underestimate it because it is hard to shift that risk score because that
43:44takes everything into account.
43:46Brilliant.
43:47Well done you.
43:48Your cholesterol markers have also improved as well.
43:52This is the one I want.
43:53So your non-HDL which Tim will tell you about has gone from 4.2 to 3.4.
43:59Okay.
44:00You've come down from being in the unhealthy range right into the normal range.
44:07Wow.
44:08So that is really, really good.
44:10That will shift your risk of future heart.
44:12Fabulous.
44:13I'm speechless.
44:16Yeah.
44:17Well you're doing amazingly well.
44:19I was really worried about him.
44:21You want to keep him a bit longer.
44:24And yeah.
44:25It's going to happen.
44:26It's going to happen.
44:27That's great.
44:28He might get knocked down by a bus tomorrow but he's not going to die of a heart disease.
44:30Thanks for that.
44:32I can really see.
44:33You look healthy.
44:34What a difference it's made.
44:36We feel different.
44:37Yeah.
44:38We feel, well, we feel brighter, more alert, we're happier.
44:42I think we're really motivated going forward, aren't we?
44:45Yeah.
44:46Do you think you view food differently now?
44:48Yes.
44:49100%.
44:50We plan what we're going to eat.
44:51Together.
44:52We plan what we're going to buy together.
44:53And if we're not sure when we're walking around the shops, we will stop and check the ingredients.
44:58All the time.
44:59If it's got any dodgy ingredients in it, we just put it back on the shelf.
45:02No.
45:03I still mention the sausage rolls on a regular basis, but I'm not tempted.
45:08Then we come on to the wine.
45:11The wine.
45:12It doesn't bother me about, it must be wine.
45:15It's just got to be something cold in the fridge that's convenient.
45:17What have you chosen?
45:18What's your...
45:19Kombucha.
45:20We had never heard.
45:21I'm amazed at kombucha.
45:22Yeah.
45:23Absolutely amazed.
45:24We loved it.
45:25I love it.
45:26You guys have done a fantastic job.
45:28I think you've got everything it takes now to just carry on doing this, you know, for the rest of your lives.
45:33Never go back to the old ways.
45:35No.
45:36And enjoy the fruits of your labour.
45:39I'm absolutely amazed.
45:40Really amazed.
45:41I was hoping for some results in various places, but to almost get a clean sweep across the board is just amazing.
45:51How you can actually change your life expectation and improve your internal organs just by the change of a diet.
45:58I'm very proud of what we've done.
46:00I'm very proud.
46:01Very proud.
46:02Yeah, very proud.
46:06Next time.
46:07Three, two, one.
46:09Claire, Georgia and Jay come face to face with their ultra-processed diet.
46:13Oh my God.
46:14That's a lot of garlic bread.
46:15We find out what might be lurking in your chicken nugget.
46:18Chicken skin.
46:19Just look at that.
46:20It is quite revolting.
46:22And we see if ditching the ultra-processed foods has changed their bodies.
46:27Am I still obese?
46:34Grand estates mean grand problems.
46:35Desperate means and desperate measures to keep the coffers coming in.
46:38Saving country houses with Penelope Keith on more for next.
46:42Some digital detective work required next here.
46:44Gather intelligence, identify users and make the public safer.
46:4724 hours in police custody.
46:49The secret network.
46:51The secret network.
46:52The secret network.
46:53The secret network.
46:54The secret network.
46:55It's almost impossible to launch data in the field.
46:56Come in with the speed trains.
46:57chao
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