A Free Gift Today

Did you catch The “Just One Thing” Day on the BBC in honour of Dr Michael Mosley?

I just caught the highlights, and am struck by the wide-reaching positive difference he made, and how effectively he promoted behaviour change, in fun and entertaining ways.

If of interest, these links take you to the highlights (Apple Podcast/ BBC website)

I loved Dr Mosley’s work and my thoughts are with his wife and family.

❤️

It made me ponder this question today:

📍What one thing have you done recently that significantly improved your health and wellbeing?

One of the best “one thing”s I did was to cut down on ultra-processed food (UPF), starting with diet cola in 2011.

I must admit, that long hours and stressful postgraduate subspecialty training meant that I often neglected my self-care.

And bad habits crept up on me.

By 2011, I had inadvertently developed a bad diet cola habit, as my boss’s clinics would be so overbooked, that at 8pm we were still seeing patients who arrived 4 hours ago.

It was an all day clinic, where the morning clinic morphed into the afternoon and evening.

Without a break.

Running on empty, the only thing to fuel me was the vending machine of fizzy drinks and chocolate.

That mindless habit soon became a craving for the cold fizzy caffeinated drink.

Which led to sugar cravings from the UPF, and poor sleep with the caffeine.

With a lot of effort, I changed that one thing, which was the first step towards increased awareness of the impact of UPFs.

🌟Ultra-Processed Food (UPF) and your Brain

Did you know that in the UK, 40% of food consumed is UPF?

This goes up to 60% in the USA!

📍Brain-related UPF impact*

🌟The Gut-Brain Axis.

UPF can affect the gut-microbiome, which in turn can cause inflammation, affect mood and cognition.

🌟 Blood sugar and Metabolic Health

Hidden sugar and ultra-processing of carbohydrates can cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar.

This ‌can affect brain energy, concentration and cognitive function

This blood sugar stabilisation is also an effective part of my migraine-prevention programme.

*I share more brain and body impact of UPF in my book below 😊

📍FREE Bonus for you today:

My deep dive into UPF continued after my above personal journey, particularly as many patients often ask about dealing with cravings for UPF, in the context of weight management (to treat their neurological condition).

A common difficulty is knowing where or how to start reducing UPF.

This led me to write a short workbook-style book Quit Ultra-Processed Foods Now, just published, with insights and practical tips on transitioning away from UPF.

It is FREE for you to download for the next 24 hours only – and please share this with others who may find it helpful. (Paperback and Audiobook are available for purchase, if preferred)

FREE Download : Quit Ultra-Processed Foods Now

📍Question for you today:

What one UPF would you like to cut down?

Wishing you good health for your brain and body,

Dr Sui Wong MD FRCP
drsuiwongmd.com