Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are everywhere, and navigating them can feel overwhelming. In this follow-up episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian takes the conversation a step further, moving from the science to real-life strategies that make sense—and make a difference.

You’ll get a fresh perspective on how to simplify the way you approach food, without falling into the trap of extreme rules or complicated plans. Using her three-step method—Reduce, Restock, and Reorganize—Dr. Wendy breaks down how small shifts in your pantry, fridge, and shopping habits can help you eat better, feel better, and still enjoy the foods you love.

This episode is about making food choices that fit your life, your taste, and your time—without guilt, confusion, or overwhelm.

FROM THE EPISODE

Here's the truth, not all ultra-processed foods need to be banished forever or at all. Some are worth showing the door, but some of them actually that fall into this Nova classification as ‘ultra-processed’ have good quality ingredients and they just make life more convenient and you can feel proud about them.

WE DISCUSS:

(2:19) Brief overview of UPFs from part 1 episode

(6:43) My revelation about “Reduce” vs “Rid”

(12:42) How to assess UPFs—and how to identify some changes

(18:34) Smart restocking - Pantry, fridge & freezer tips

(33:05) Reorganizing for success—simple tweaks that make a big difference

(38:31) A mindful moment: Ground yourself in 30 seconds

(39:53) Recap, key takeaways, and your challenge for the week

CONNECT WITH WENDY:

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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey—together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams, and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

REFERENCES:

Brichacek, A., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed foods: A narrative review of the impact on the human gut microbiome and variations in classification methods. Nutrients, 16(11), 1738. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111738

Full paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11174918/

Capra, L., Hudson, M., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed food intake, gut microbiome, and glucose homeostasis in mid-life adults. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 137, 107427. https://doi.org/10.1016/cct.2024.107427

Full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1551714424000016

Chen, X., et al. (2020). Consumption of ultra-processed foods and health outcomes: A systematic review of epidemiological studies. Nutrition Journal, 19(1), 86. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-020-00644-1

Full paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7441617/

Dai, J., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed foods and human health: An umbrella review and updated meta-analyses of observational evidence. Clinical Nutrition, 43(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2024.04.016

Full paper: https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(24)00122-5/fulltext

Esposito, S., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed food consumption is associated with the acceleration of biological aging in the Moli-sani Study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 120(6), 1432–1440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.10.006   

Galdino-Silva, T., et al. (2024). A meal with ultra-processed foods leads to a faster rate of intake and to a lesser decrease in capacity to eat compared to a similar, matched meal without ultra-processed foods. Nutrients, 16(24), 4398. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244398 

Full paper: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/24/4398 

Hall, K. D., et al. (2019). Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake. Cell Metabolism, 30(1), 67–77.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008  

Hamano, Y., & Sawada, R. (2024). Ultra-processed foods cause weight gain and increased energy intake. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 26(11), 5431-5443. https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.15922

Full paper: https://dom-pubs.pericles-prod.literatumonline.com/doi/10.1111/dom.15922

Lane, M. M., et al.  (2022). Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients, 14(13), 2568. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14132568 

Lane, M., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: Umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses. BMJ Global Health. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2023-014202

Full paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10899807/

Lv ,J.L., et al. (2024).  Ultra-processed food consumption and metabolic disease risk: An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies. Frontiers in nutrition, 11, 1306310. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024 .1306310 

Full paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10864658/   

Mazloomi, A., et al. (2023). The association of ultra-processed food consumption with adult mental health disorders: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutritional Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2022.2110188

Full paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/1028415X.2022.2110188?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Whelan, K., et al. (2024). Ultra-processed foods and food additives in gut health and disease. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-024-00893-5

Full paper: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38388570/

Wiss, D., & LaFata, D. (2024). Mental health and mechanisms: Where do eating disorders fit into the puzzle? Nutrients, 16(12), 1955. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16121955

Full paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11206753/

Ultra processed foods, you know

they're not doing you any

favors.

Maybe you've even ditched that

fiery red snack with the

glowing dust.

But now what?

How do you actually make

a change without it feeling

like a total overhaul?

That's where RID, RESTOCK, and

REORGANIZE come in.

Real steps, real impact, and

honestly it's easier than you

think.

We experience 1,000 waking

minutes on average every day.

How are you spending yours?

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

you're listening to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I can't wait to connect

with you here with practical

ways to eat well, move

daily, and be healthy.

To optimize every waking minute

you live for a happier,

healthier life.

Thank you for sharing some

of your waking minutes with

me today.

Let's get started.

I'm saying yes to better

days, yes.

I'm on my way, yes.

It's gonna be okay, yeah.

Welcome back to 1,000

Waking Minutes.

I'm Dr. Wendy Bazilian and

today we're making it real.

Because when it comes to

ultra processed foods, so many

people feel stuck.

You hear all the stats,

you see the headlines, and

you know that ultra processed

foods aren't ideal.

But beyond throwing out that

sort of neon colored chip,

we all know which one

that is, what's next?

And that's what we're tackling

today.

We're moving from the knowing

to the doing.

And I'm going to walk

you through three simple, realistic

ways to unprocess your kitchen

and your everyday choices.

Don't worry, this isn't a

complete overhaul.

In fact, we may revisit

this little by little over

time.

We're all works in progress

and this is certainly one

that warrants revisiting over time.

But this is a sort

of no stress, no overwhelm

approach.

Small, smart changes is all

I'm asking and they do

add up over time.

But before we get into

the how, I want to

take a quick minute to

talk about the what and

the why on this.

Don't worry, I'm not going

to go into the deep

science today, I promise.

But I want to take

a moment to frame this

up again, since I did

an episode previous to this

just about the what and

the why a little bit

more.

But so that today actually

makes sense.

Ultra processed foods, often called

UPFs, the acronym for short,

they get a lot of

attention.

But what does this actually

mean?

Well, back in 2009, researchers

at the University of Sao

Paulo in Brazil had developed

what's called the Nova classification

system.

That is not an acronym,

that means new.

And it categorizes foods not

based on their nutrients, as

we often look at, but

on their processing, how much

they're processed to what extent.

And here's the thing, it's

a great tool for research.

I think it is a

great tool.

And it's allowed a lot

of researchers since then, there's

an explosion of research using

the Nova classification system, which

actually helps researchers not replicate

studies, I mean that also,

but to model studies that

can be comparable over time,

I guess.

So it is a great

tool for research.

But here's the thing, it

doesn't tell us how to

eat.

It can be used in

various ways, to be suggestive.

But that's where we come

in today, we're going to

talk about the how, not

the how to eat, but

how to use the processing

scale in our own kitchen

and in our own lives.

And why does this matter?

Well, we talked about it

in the last episode where

I introduced the ultra processed

foods to you through my

lens on here at 1,000

waking minutes.

But to sum it up

briefly, ultra processed foods can

accelerate biological aging.

That's when eaten in excess,

all of these are when

eaten in excess, not like

the once in a while

type of thing.

But that's sort of like

pressing the fast forward button

on aging, not a great

thing.

They can also increase risk

of certain chronic diseases.

They can impact gut health,

our microbiome, as well as

mental health.

And ultra processed foods can

also impact and alter our

taste preferences over time, what

we taste what we crave.

And they really make it

easier to overeat, which is

problematic, without even realizing it.

So that is really problematic.

Because, you know, it's one

thing to overeat, because you're

having a big meal, and

you're taking extra bite, and

it's delicious.

And you know, it's a

big meal.

And that's what you're doing.

But to do it without

even realizing it, that is

problematic.

But this isn't about fear

here, it is about clarity,

the more we understand, the

more power we have over

our choices.

And at the end of

the day, health isn't about

restriction, it's about intention, and

what choices we make personally,

about what we put into

our mouths, when the quality,

how much and all those

things.

So this brings me to

a favorite quote, I just

want to share that I

think is fitting here.

It's a sentiment that's often

attributed, I found to Leonardo

da Vinci.

But it's actually from Claire

Booth Luce, a playwright, and

one of our first female

US ambassadors.

In 1931, she wrote in

one of her books called

Stuffed Shirts, I'll be in

a slightly different context here.

But she wrote, quote, "The

height of sophistication is simplicity."

And that quote, "The height

of sophistication is simplicity."

And I would say, well,

I really love this.

Because when it comes to

food, the closer we get

to real whole foods, unprocessed

ingredients, the more sort of

elegant or maybe sophisticated, perhaps

they become, and we can

return to what's essential.

Now, I'm not going to

say that we all need

to eat whole, real, fresh

foods all the time, because

we live in the real

world.

But the food that fuels

us best, often is the

simplest.

So today, in that spirit,

we're shifting from science to

strategy and taking all that

we know so far anyway,

along with some good old

fashioned common sense, and we're

going to turn it into

something we can actually do.

So after we wrapped up

the last episode, I had

a bit of a realization.

For nearly 20 years, I've

been using three R's, which

we're going to talk about

today, RID, RESTOCK, and REORGANIZE.

And I've used them as

a simple and practical way

to help people clean up,

do spring cleaning, maybe on

their food choices, whether it

was reading ingredient lists and

looking at labels, or cutting

back on certain additives, looking

to put new things into

their diets, removing some of

the more obvious ultra-processed

food culprits.

It always just made sense,

this sort of RID, RESTOCK,

REORGANIZE.

And back in the early

2000s, hydrogenated oils were everywhere,

you might remember.

And it wasn't until 2006,

when labeling regulation made it

law to force them to

be seen.

They were in the spotlight,

they had to be on

the label.

And over time, manufacturers phased

them out, thankfully.

And by the way, as

of 2015, many people don't

really know this, they were

actually removed from GRAS status.

GRAS stands for Generally Recognized

as Safe as an Ingredient.

They were removed by the

FDA.

And that was a time

when we were trying to

identify on ingredient lists, and

I would encourage like, let's

RID these from the diet,

you can't easily spot them,

let's find these, and let's

pull them back, and let's

really limit or RID them

and remove them from the

diet.

And the same was true

for me in the work

I was doing then.

Certain things just made sense

early on.

There was some early science

coming along, nothing hugely scary

or totally conclusive, but just

learning of the origin of

certain things like artificial colors,

and certain preservatives, and other

additives, that even before there

was mounting research, they just

didn't seem necessary in the

diet.

So I would use the

term RID.

I mean, if it says

artificial, you know, it's in

the name, hmm, I would

think.

I thought as a consumer,

I was a young student,

I was a young, newly

minted, degreed and credentialed health

professional.

So I think it's okay

to say RID sometimes, and

we're going to remove some

things that don't make sense

or that aren't necessary in

our diet, let alone potentially

risky.

But this also coincided where

I worked at the time

at a destination spa, where

food came straight from the

organic garden and guests came

to reset their diets, their

movements, their mindset, all the

things, healthy habits, and their

health overall.

And when you focus on

real nutrient-rich foods, it

wasn't about restriction, but we

were making space for what

nourishes us, and sometimes that

entailed RID.

So because I so strongly

believe, since I started studying

nutrition and counted on that

good food, and saw the

science and the power of

the nutrients and the phytochemicals

in food, it just seemed

like the right word.

So what I'm getting at

is I just sort of

stuck on the RID.

But here's what I realized,

maybe RID isn't the only

word for that first step.

So maybe the first R

I'm going to shift and

say could be RID, but

it could also be reduce.

Because these days there are

foods and ingredients that you

may want to remove altogether

from your kitchen or your

routine or your habit, but

the real goal really isn't

all or nothing.

I want to not build

in flexibility for flexibility's sake,

although I think that is

important, even moderation should be

done in moderation, as I

always like to say.

But about reducing ultra-processed

foods, I'd like you to

think about maybe there will

be some RID, and I'm

still going to stick with the

RID at the beginning, but

RID or reduce is what

we're going to sort of

have in the spirit of

the first step.

Then we're going to talk

about restocking, and then we're

going to talk about our

environment, focusing on the environment

that you have and what

you can do there in

reorganizing where you have control,

say the fridge or the

freezer.

And the best part is

that even small reductions can

make a big difference.

So let's start with a

RID and dive right in

there, and maybe we'll call

it reduce completely over time.

So let's start with that.

How do you reduce the

ultra-processed foods without overwhelm?

I don't mean going through

your kitchen with a bulldozer

or like a tornado that

tosses everything out in sight,

because that full sort of

reset actually can be disastrous

for some.

In fact, many people who

have done that, and occasionally

I've heard people come to

me who said, you know,

I took everything out.

It just comes right back

in very soon thereafter, because

all of a sudden you

have an empty pantry and

don't know what to do

with it.

It doesn't have to be

that dramatic of an overhaul,

but it is about making

intentional choices one at a

time.

So think of it more

as like reducing and refining

and resetting.

Here's the truth.

Not all ultra-processed foods

even need to be banished

forever or at all.

Some are worth showing the

door, you know, like "out

you go!"

But some of them actually

that fall into this Nova

classification as ultra-processed have

good quality ingredients and they

just make life more convenient,

and you can feel proud

about them.

So where do we start

with this?

People always ask me, what

should I cut back on

first?

In other words, where do

I start?

And the answer isn't everything

at once, as I mentioned.

We want to rethink things,

we want to reduce some,

and then maybe we want

to do some removal, full

-on RID.

So I think the best

place to begin is with

the ultra-processed foods that

are just there.

And what I mean are

ones that you eat on

autopilot.

Maybe you're not even thinking

about some of the things

that have come into your

pantry.

And that's why it's important

to look at your pantry,

look at your refrigerator, and

check things anew with new

eyes, new sort of glasses,

new science glasses on, if

you will.

So these are things that

you eat not out of

love, you don't adore them,

but more like habituated.

It's just sort of like

on your shopping list every

week.

Or if you do digital

shopping, online shopping, it just

shows up in your cart

every single time.

So here's how you spot

some of those things.

Number one is checking the

ingredient list.

Surely you've heard this tip

before, check the ingredient list.

And sometimes it feels like

it's assigned to like dieting

or focusing on a key

nutrient like fiber or some

key things.

But what I want you

to do is to focus

with this new lens.

If you wouldn't buy the

ingredients you see separately, if

you can't imagine picking up

maltodextrin at the grocery store

next time, or sodium benzoate,

you know, on aisle five

in the grocery store, it's

probably ultra processed.

Do you have to throw

it away right away?

No.

But put that in your

mind as one item in

your pantry that maybe warrants

consideration for ridding, or maybe

replacing.

Look particularly at the first

five ingredients.

And this is not a

magical number.

I know there are people

in my field who would

be like, oh, Wendy on

the five ingredients here.

It's not about the number

five.

But look at the primary

ingredients.

Those are the ones that

are most prominent in the

package.

By labeling, ingredient labeling law,

ingredients have to be labeled

in descending order by their

contribution, by weight, by percentage

into that product.

So say, the first three

to five are the ones

that are most prominently showing.

And they're as ingredients if

you were doing a recipe

from home from scratch.

So if sugar or refined

oils or preservatives show up

early, it's worth considering for

this RID and reduce step.

And then watch for some

like tricky words or tricky

ingredients like stabilizers, emulsifiers, artificial

flavors that help keep food

shelf stable, maybe hyper palatable,

maybe.

But they don't actually help

keep you feeling any better

or even your best.

So this really isn't about

eliminating everything fun or never

eating packaged foods again.

It's about becoming aware and

deciding where you want to

make a shift here.

So that's the first place

to start.

So cleaning out your kitchen

can feel totally overwhelming.

So don't think of this

as all or nothing.

Instead, think of it like

tidying up or making space

for the foods you want

to eat more of.

Maybe and when we get

to REORGANIZE, you take one

space even at a time.

Here's a simple way to

approach it.

Out with the truly old.

I mean, if you have

a jar of mystery sauce

in the back of your

refrigerator, or you have a

bag of wilted vegetables, or

maybe some fresh herbs, sometimes

that happens you get the

herbs, you use them for

recipe, and they sort of

get stuck back somewhere in

the drawers, and they just

sit there and they get

sort of archaeological over time.

Start there.

Start with the truly old.

Identify the so-so ultra

processed foods, the ones that

you eat just because they're

around.

Maybe there's a box of

crackers that you got in

a gift package over the

holidays, something that you picked

up because you were just

hungry on the spot, that

keep making their way to

your plate or they just

keep grabbing.

This is a great place

to start on sort of

reducing and removing through that

red.

And then look for some

of these ingredients to consider

swapping.

If you do see hydrogenated

oils or trans fats, look

for better types of fats.

Maybe we're going to be

looking for more whole food

fats like nuts and seeds

and avocado and olive oil

instead.

Look for that word high

fructose corn syrup, HFCS.

Try choosing other types of

sweeteners is where we're going

to swap to, but look

for that in the ingredient

list.

And definitely look for those

artificial colors, the flavors, and

the preservatives, especially the ones

that sound like a chemistry

set.

Some of those words are

fine, and I don't want

to malign every word.

Sometimes they're just labeled that

way.

But if it says artificial

on it, that's a pretty

good clue that it is

an ultra processed food.

And maybe, maybe just maybe

we want to reduce or

eliminate it from our diet.

Picture yourself at the grocery

store again.

Would you ever ask a

clerk, where will I find

that red dye number three

that we talked about in

another episode?

No, of course not.

That's a sign for you.

Remember, we don't have to

do this all at once.

Just pick like one thing,

maybe scanning a label or

picking a shelf.

Maybe the next time that

you grab something to use,

take a quick peek.

You can be purposeful at

this and maybe swap out

one by one.

And that's where we'll get

to RESTOCK in a moment.

So now that we've started

making some space, what do

we fill this with?

That's where RESTOCK comes in.

We're going to talk about

making better choices for our

own environment without making it

complicated.

So cutting back on ultra

processed foods doesn't mean giving

up convenience or your favorite

foods.

I want to make that

clear.

It's not about deprivation.

That's not the intent.

It's about better swaps and

about upgrades.

So think of it this

way.

And I meant to bring

one.

This is a podcast and

audio format, obviously, but I

do put it up on

YouTube.

So I forgot to do

this.

So imagine this or maybe

try it.

I love writing on bananas

with a ballpoint pen.

I often write my daughter

little notes into her lunchbox.

I had a ballpoint pen

on a banana.

It's just really smooth and

easy to do and really

fun.

But imagine a banana that

says "Ingredients: banana."

That is at its purest

and unprocessed food, mother nature

right there in front of

you.

And think about ingredients in

homemade applesauce.

What would that have?

Well, it would have apples

and maybe some cinnamon, um,

maybe just that, maybe a

little added sugar, but maybe

not.

But grab a pack of

apple flavored snack.

And suddenly there is a

list of maybe eight, 10,

15 ingredients, half of which

start sounding like a science

experiment.

And again, it's not inherently

bad.

I'm not placing a morality

bad or good, but it's

getting further and further away

from the apple.

In fact, sometimes you'll see

in small print apple flavored

bits or artificially and naturally

flavored on something that comes

from or sort of conveys

it coming from a whole

food.

Even similar foods can be

worlds apart in how their

process.

My daughter, who I often

reference here on this podcast,

who is wise beyond her

years, she's only six.

She puts it really perfectly.

She said a homemade chocolate

cake is different than one

from the store, right?

It's still the cake, but

think about the level of

processing from one that you

do at home, which is

processing, by the way, baking

is a process.

Um, but it is and

can be totally different.

And that's what we're thinking

about when we RESTOCK.

We're bringing in more whole

real food ingredients to the

front and fewer unknown or

helper ingredients that some call

mystery ingredients or scientific or

chemistry names.

So where do we start

with that?

Um, you may be wondering

like, what do I do?

And I like to think

of it in categories.

And this is something that

you could actually do category

by category, if you choose,

maybe tackling one or two

at a time.

So one would be our

fruits and vegetables.

What do we need to

eat more of?

What do we shop for?

What do we actually know

and hopefully love in fresh

and frozen forms?

This comes in a variety.

Check out your fresh, your

frozen, your dried, your canned,

and look at those foods.

Where do they feature in

your home?

Do you have fresh and

frozen with no additives?

Um, do you have cans

or jars that may or

may not have added sugars?

This is a great place

to start swapping in better

choices.

If you find that what

you have has some of

these different ingredients, like added

sugars, you can find it

in real fruit juice.

For example, you can find

lower sodium alternatives.

You can find ones with

less or no preservatives in

them.

Another category, your beans.

Do you buy dried beans

or do you buy canned

beans?

And are your cans, most

of them are now, thankfully

most, BPA free, where they

BPA free linings on your

beans.

Again, are they lower sodium?

Do you feel about good

about the quality?

Are the ingredients just basically

the bean and salt?

What's in it?

Take a look.

This is where we can

start to choose to, um,

in that reduce to RESTOCK

and swap in.

Your nuts and seeds.

This is a good place.

Make sure that you have

them as long as you

can enjoy them.

And people in your family

don't have allergies to tree

nuts or peanuts.

Think about keeping them in

the fridge.

And we're going to talk

about reorganizing in a minute.

Think about your whole grains,

the whole category, everything from

pasta to oatmeal, to quinoa,

to rices.

If it's in a package,

check that whole is the

first ingredient on most of

them.

You know, I'm an advocate

of white rice.

We have white rice in

our family.

You can have them, but

be aware of what you're

purchasing and what kind of

swap ins in restocking you

can make.

Look at your lean proteins,

whether it's fish or poultry,

plant-based options, meats.

Look for humanely and sustainably

raised when possible.

Look for lower additives.

Look for sort of the

markers, both on the ingredient

list in the front of

package that give you some

assurance when you're swapping in.

And I would extend that

to your eggs and dairy.

Look for things that, or

in your plant-based options,

looking for no added sugars

as well.

And look for ways that

you can upgrade or pat

yourself on the back because

maybe you're doing some of

these things already.

Maybe in this world of

overwhelm, you don't have as

many ultra-processed foods in

your home than maybe you

thought or were challenged by

in your mind.

And then an important category

is snack foods.

Think about, you know, the

more natural nut butters that

maybe don't have the added

sugars.

Few, but some still have

the high fructose corn syrup

in them.

Think about the whole fruits

and cheese and plain nuts

for your snack foods.

Think about replacements for some

of, not all of, the

package boxed snacks.

And then an important one,

hit that refrigerator door.

That's where I keep them

mostly, but the condiments.

Think about and look at

those condiment bottles, your dressings,

things that may have been

hanging around for a while,

the different sauces that may

be there.

Check the expiration date, the

Best Buy dates, check all

that and check the ingredients

as well.

Things like that.

So spending time looking categorically,

not all in one day,

not all at one time,

not even all in one

week maybe, but take categories

apart and look for opportunities

to proactively RESTOCK with the

better option.

Maybe it's when you run

out of the last one

if you want to minimize

food waste.

That's totally cool.

But think about how will

I RESTOCK it the next

time here?

And this would be a

good time in restocking to

just stop for a moment

and talk about sugar.

I was trying to think

of how to euphemistically talk

about it.

This is time to consider

writing the old Dear John

letter to the added sugars

in the restocking phase, breaking

up with the excess added

sugars in our diet.

I have absolutely nothing bad

to say about sugar in

general.

The sweet flavor, sugar can

be a good quality in

our diet.

It's a we eat more

than we need in sugar

in general.

And B, there's a lot

of excess added sugars in

the diet and in our

packaged foods.

Ultra processed foods tend to

be loaded with added sugars.

It sneaks into everything and

you'd be surprised.

Well, we will definitely have

episodes about added sugar and

things like this, but it

sneaks into things like breads

and sauces where you wouldn't

expect it.

It sneaks into crackers.

I used to have a

very well-known cracker.

They changed it.

They had four different types

of sugar in the ingredient

list.

And the reason I determined

that four different types of

sugar is because by the

time those four were added

in in small amounts, they

fell lower on the ingredient

label, which story for another

day.

But taking a look at

sugar, there have been studies

that sugar can be even

more habit-forming than certain

drugs in animal models, mind

you, but that they can

be even more addicting.

So I'm not down sugar.

It is much to say

that sugar and sweet can

fit in our diet.

There are natural sugars that

occur in our food.

But with regard to the

excess added sugars, that is

a great place to take

a hard look at your

foods and your boxes and

your cans and containers and

start with awareness and look

for sugar on the labels.

Look for gradual ways to

swap out the excess added

sugars in for and cutting

back slowly to get your

taste buds naturally accustomed to

the more natural sugars if

you haven't already when you

do add them and be

the one to add them

most of the time.

And rethink your beverages because

a lot of added sugars

really show up in the

sugar-sweetened beverages like soda

and fruit juices and whatnot.

So I just want to

give you a few examples

within the RESTOCK, and then

we'll move on to REORGANIZE.

Again, the idea here is

not to overwhelm today, but

to get you thinking about

how to take this little

by little in managing ultra

-processed foods in your own

home and your pantries.

So here's a few examples.

Let's say that you enjoy

flavored yogurts.

Maybe you can shift, and

it may take a couple

steps, but toward a plain

yogurt with sort of DIY

toppings.

Maybe you add your own

fruit.

Maybe you add a little

cinnamon or drizzle of honey

instead.

You start controlling because remember,

this is about processing, not

just the ingredients, but it's

about upgrades and the level

processing.

So maybe you can shift

your yogurt.

If you enjoy either a

sugar-sweetened, if sugar-sweetened

or cold cereals are in

your pantry, or even if

they're not sugar-sweetened, maybe

you take a look at

them and say, is there

an upgrade that I can

do there, a swap in?

Maybe there's a whole grain

cold cereal with an upgraded

ingredient list and fewer additives

and other things there.

There's many on the market

these days.

Or maybe you can go

toward a rolled oat that

have more fiber and maybe

less sugar and still delicious

and filling, and you get

to control the sweetness in

that regard.

When it comes to things

like packaged savory salty snacks,

think about packaged chips and

what could upgrades be.

So maybe it's the roasted

chickpeas or the salty seaweed

snacks that are popular now,

or even popcorn.

And the reason here is

not going down on fried

even, or saying the chips

are bad, but it's about

getting more nutrition in.

So this part is really

key.

You can season them however

you like.

You can still enjoy your

chips when you have them.

And even I, I was

going to say others, may

have said in the past,

well, get baked chips instead.

But I really want you

to be thinking about, in

this ultra-process journey, about

what can I shift or

swap to in restocking?

It actually gives me a

boost nutritionally.

Like chickpeas will add plant

-based protein and fiber.

Popcorn is a grain that

has fiber in it, and

it's low calorie, high crunch,

and you can add the

flavoring yourself.

So it's adding something in

your crunchy salty snack.

Things like granola bars, maybe

you can shift to trail

mixes that you are DIY

mix and match on your

own.

Or there are some really

nice natural bars now that

have really simple ingredient lists.

The macro bars I like,

Kind has a number of

them, Cliff Bar, there's a

number of others as well.

But maybe customizable and more

wallet-friendly are some of

the DIY options where you

mix and match your own

trail mix to suit your

taste.

You can throw in the

dark chocolate chips or chocolate

chips if you like as

well.

You're in control because we're

really talking about upgrading the

quality and the nutrition at

the same time.

And then I'll finish in

this sort of RESTOCK era

that we're in right now

with our store-bought dressings,

just because many of us

still have those in our

refrigerators on the refrigerator door.

Many times, take a look

at those.

Classic bottled dressings are very

often loaded with stabilizers and

sugar and other preservatives, and

it is really easy to

make your own simple dressing.

And I just keep a

ball jar with a secure,

you know, a good lid

on it readily available so

you can add some ingredients

and make an olive oil

or a mixed blended oil,

vinegar, some kind of citrus,

some kind of acid, some

herbs and spices and have

super simple, delicious dressings.

So that's the last place

that I'm going to focus

on here before we jump

into REORGANIZE.

The goal, again, is not

to throw out everything in

the red phase or to

dive in and RESTOCK and

do a, grand slam shopping

spree at the grocery store,

but just pick one thing

at a time or one

category at a time and

look for your opportunities to

RESTOCK.

See how it feels.

And if you like it,

then try another.

That's how real change happens

incrementally over time.

And I have to tell

you, there have been clients

that I've worked with over

the years where like all

remember something that they did,

you know, a shift that

they made maybe a year

before.

And by the time we

talk about it again, they've

forgotten that they ever did

anything different when it's small

incremental changes, it can be

really incredible.

It really becomes part of

your life.

So I encourage you to

think about that.

So finally, we've got better

choices in the mix.

We've started reducing and clearing

space.

The last one is REORGANIZE.

This is the RID RESTOCK

REORGANIZE.

It's really a great time

to set ourselves up for

success and also create awareness

of the change that's happened.

And that's what can happen

when you shift things around

visually in your home.

It's like a little reminder

that you can do.

So you've made the space,

you've added those improved choices.

Now to make them work

in your real life is

about putting them in front

of you so that you'll

select them.

So let's be honest, we

don't eat based on logic

all the time.

We eat what's right in

front of us.

And sometimes it just looks

good.

We see it, we grab

it.

That's where you put your

food and where you put

your food matters and why

it matters just as much

as what you buy.

So this isn't about going

picture perfect here.

You do not need a

Pinterest worthy kitchen or Instagram

worthy wherever you are on

social media, but setting things

up that reflect the health

that you can choose on

a regular basis.

The goal is to make

the better for you foods,

your default, the ones that

are easier to grab.

They're the first thing to

see and not the last.

So here's how you do

it.

First, clear the clutter.

A lot of people are

decluttering these days, but try

to clear space so that

you don't have the cookie

jar front and center unless

you just made cookies and

it's cute cookie jar and

you're doing that on purpose.

Move that away.

The box of snacks, don't

let them be staring at

you all day so that

you walk by and you

want to have one.

Put the bag of chips

away.

If you do have bags

of chips or even snack

foods in general, find the

space for those and swap

those out.

Make front and center the

fruit bowl, have a fruit

bowl on your counter.

So it's right there in

front of you.

It's beautiful art.

It changes with the seasons

and fresh fruit is just

so much prettier to look

at than bags and packages

and all that kind of

stuff.

In your refrigerator, put the

good stuff up front.

So long ago, we really

needed that crisper, many of

us, to put the vegetables

in to keep them really

preserved as long as possible

because we did less shopping.

But if your fresh berries

or veggies or hummus even

is tucked way back in

the fridge, then you're less

likely to choose them or

remember them, or they may

actually go bad before you

get to them.

So don't be afraid to

bring them up to eye

level.

Wash your grapes, maybe not

your berries, you rinse those

right before you eat them,

but you can wash your

grapes and leave them in

a bowl in your fridge

so you can go in

and grab some, maybe use

some scissors to cut some

little bunches off your grapes

so you could just grab

a little bunch.

Maybe make some crudités and

make some plates of crudités

in your refrigerator, something that

you can grab easily without

even thinking.

Another tip, and I call

this my Sharpie trick, and

this is from my grandmother,

June, who always had a

Sharpie pen strung to the

refrigerator door, as I recall.

And she always had it

there because then the pen

doesn't go walking as many

pens do in households.

And she would always label

the food in whatever system

works for you, either when

to use it by, when

you put it in, and

then it's a way that

you can actually track your

food over time a little

bit.

And also make sure that

you actually eat them before

they go bad and become

a science experiment.

So, you know, six months

for your pantry staples, about

a year for your spices,

you know, think about maybe

writing an O with the

date for the date that

you opened something if you

don't want to do it

on the reverse so that

you know, like, oh, I

opened that three months ago,

that dressing, maybe it's time

to move it on, or

maybe it's time to upgrade

and RESTOCK.

And then certainly rethink your

storage and REORGANIZE, rethink your

storage a little bit.

If you love your dishes,

make them easier to grab

to make your food beautiful.

Have a section in your

fridge or pantry that's designated

just for your go to

healthy snacks.

That makes it easier to

choose than opening the whole

pantry and seeing the world

of food as I call

it.

Just make it easier.

Have your pre cut veggies

at your eye level so

you can take them out.

These become sort of your

health habits as you go

as you also do this

sort of unprocessing of your

space.

So tonight, take five or

10 minutes to do a

little of this reorganization.

While you're starting the RID.

And maybe you can't RESTOCK

quite yet.

But you're starting that process

of looking at what you

have maybe one category at

a time, maybe do a

little bit of reorganization, pop

on a little music.

What song could we play?

Maybe don't stop me now

by Queen or some other

great song that comes to

mind to get you in

the groove or something that's

really upbeat that makes you

feel empowered.

And make sure that your

first choices you set up

for you, the first things

you choose are the ones

that are simple, but that

you'll enjoy, you know, easiest

to grab, make healthy choices

become second nature for you.

That's the goal.

And that's the whole point,

really making it doable, making

it stick and making it

work for you.

Okay, well, we talked about

the RID, RESTOCK and REORGANIZE.

I'm not going to do

a full mindful minute together

with you today.

But I do want to

do a quick simple grounding

check in, pause on purpose,

shall we call it.

If you're sitting, feel the

chair beneath you.

If you're standing, notice the

way your feet press into

the ground, sort of rock

back and forth and feel

the ground.

If you're walking or moving,

feel the rhythm that you're

making.

Nothing to change, nothing really

to do except to notice,

feel the presence of your

body, sort of the gravitational

pull to the earth.

Now let's take a slow

deep breath in.

Just let it out.

That's it.

That's all for a mindful

moment today.

One breath, one pause, one

moment to reset.

Of course, if you want

to take this further with

finding your moments in meditation,

I do have a full

episode that I did recently

on sort of an introduction

to meditation and mindfulness, a

whole conversation that's waiting for

you.

And in each episode, we

usually do a mindful minute

together.

But I wanted just to

have a grounding moment before

we recap on our day.

All right, here's my challenge

for you this week.

Just try one swap.

Maybe it's grabbing a whole

real food snack instead of

some usual that you may

already be less happy with,

but haven't made any changes.

Or try something simple and

satisfying that's just new that

you may add.

Just one small shift.

Try it on and see

how it feels.

Remember, this isn't about rules

or any kind of perfection

that we're going for.

It's about movement in the

right, the forward direction, shall

we say, because these little

steps do add up over

time.

Take a look at your

labels, try a swap, and

set your space up for

success.

That's RID or reduce, that's

RESTOCK, and that's REORGANIZE.

Every choice we make in

our 1,000 waking minutes shapes

how we feel, how we

move, how we show up.

And the great thing is

that there's no final exam.

There's no end point.

You don't have to get

it all right to make

a real impact on your

life and your health.

We'll certainly be coming back

to this topic.

There's lots to explore in

this space.

And if you're enjoying this

podcast, I hope that you're

subscribed.

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are so you don't miss

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a comment and review.

It means the world.

It means a lot to

me.

Thank you in advance for

that.

You can always reach me

at wendybazilian.com.

You can find me there

and you can write me

at 1KWM@wendybazilian.com.

This is 1,000 waking minutes.

I'm Wendy Bazilian.

And until next time, be

well.

Thank you for tuning into

1,000 waking minutes.

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