📰 The Natural Living Newsletter September 2025

Stay informed. Stay grounded. Stay real.

 

Hi,

I’m Dr. Andres Digenio. August was a full month: bread, yogurt, protein bars, pizza—and practical swaps for all of them. Below you’ll find all August articles with their matching Real Food Reclaimed companions, numbered in lockstep.
📌 For completeness, I’ve also included the September 1 companion article so the two series stay aligned.

Before the full list, a quick headline worth your time:

​

📢Breaking News!

 

CDC Confirms It: Over Half of America’s Calories Come from Ultra-Processed FoodsA concise data snapshot and what it means for families, schools, and workplaces.🔗 Read the article 

​

🧁 What We’re Really Eating  — Parts 10 → 6

Commercial Bread & Buns—Part 10
Why many grocery loaves stay pillow-soft: conditioners, emulsifiers, added sugars, industrial oils—and how “whole grain” claims can distract.
🔗 Read the article 

​

Protein Bars & Shakes—Part 9
“20 g protein” often comes with syrups, isolates, sugar alcohols, gums, and “natural flavors.” When a label reads like a lab note, it’s not simple fuel.
🔗 Read the article 

​

Flavored Yogurt—Part 8
From “fruit on the bottom” to dessert in disguise: sweeteners, starches, colors, and stabilizers can turn a good food ultra-processed.
🔗 Read the article 

​

The Truth About Frozen and Restaurant Pizza—Part 7
Synthetic cheese, refined crusts, industrial oils, and sodium overload—why our favorite comfort food so often crosses into UPF territory.
🔗 Read the article 

​

Processed Meats (Hot Dogs, Nuggets, Deli Slices)—Part 6
What really makes them “processed,” why nitrites/nitrates and fillers matter, and better ways to think about convenient protein.
🔗 Read the article 

​

​​

🍽 Real Food Reclaimed — Parts 10 → 6 (Companions)

​

Better Bread & Buns—Part 10
How to pick—or bake—breads with short, recognizable ingredients; what to ask at in-store bakeries; and smarter bun choices (≤3 g sugar/serving, skip long conditioner lists).
🔗 Read on

​

Real-World Alternatives to Protein Bars & Shakes—Part 9
Greek-yogurt + nut/fruit packs, cottage-cheese bowls, make-ahead egg bites, and simple chicken-salad lettuce cups—portable protein without the additives.
🔗 Get the ideas 

​

Yogurt You’ll Actually Feel Good About—Part 8
Build bowls that taste like the sweet cups—minus the gums and colors: plain/Greek yogurt, real fruit, a drizzle of honey, and a homemade crunch topper.
🔗 Read the guide 

​

A Real-World Alternative to Frozen and Restaurant Pizza—Part 7
Enjoy pizza night without the baggage: smarter dough, real cheese, simple toppings, and sodium-savvy strategies.
🔗 Try the swaps 

​

A Real-World Alternative to Processed Meats (No Nitrites, No Mystery)—Part 6
Homemade tenders, roast chicken, beans/chili, and other satisfying proteins that sidestep nitrites and fillers.
🔗 Cook from this playbook 

​

Back-to-School, Back-to-Basics: Five Fast Wins

1. Stock a real-food snack bin (nuts, fruit, cheese sticks, plain yogurt cups).

2. Batch-cook one protein on Sundays (chicken thighs, beans, or chili).

3. Make water interesting: keep a pitcher with citrus + mint in the fridge.

4. Sandwich smarts: better bread + real fillings (roast chicken, egg salad, tuna with olive oil).

5. One-pan dinners: sheet-pan veg + protein, olive oil, salt, one herb blend.

 

If these stories help you, please share this newsletter or a favorite article with a friend. That’s how our real-food movement grows—one plate, one home, one habit at a time.

 

To real food,

​

Dr. Andres Digenio
Physician • Author of The Natural Diet (August 2026)