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The Natural Living Newsletter — July 2025
Welcome to our very first issue!
Hi,
I’m Dr. Andres Digenio, and I’m glad you’re here. If you’ve recently subscribed, thank you — you’re now part of a growing community committed to cutting through the noise, questioning what we eat, and reclaiming health in a world dominated by ultra-processed foods (UPFs).
In this first monthly update, I want to give you a quick, curated overview of where we started in June — and where we’re heading next.
Why It Matters: America’s Ultra-Processed Food Crisis
We kicked things off with a sobering fact: Americans now consume more ultra-processed food than any other country. These products — industrially formulated, chemically flavored, and nutritionally hollow — are not just convenient. They’ve become foundational to our diets, driving obesity, diabetes, and chronic illness on a massive scale.
“It’s not just what we’re eating — it’s what we’re no longer eating.”
🧒 What Our Kids Are Really Eating — And Why California’s Bold Move Matters
From brightly colored cereals to pizza and fries in school lunch trays, our children are growing up immersed in ultra-processed foods. But there’s hope: California lawmakers recently advanced a bill that could ban the most dangerous UPFs from public schools — a major policy shift with national implications.
“It’s a bold stand against the food industry’s grip on the next generation.”
🍕 What We’re Really Eating — The 10 Most Common UPFs in Our Diet
We followed up with a practical breakdown: which ultra-processed foods are shaping our everyday lives the most? From sugary cereals and packaged snacks to "healthy" flavored yogurts, I explored the ten biggest offenders — and why they’re so hard to give up.
“The problem isn’t one product. It’s the pattern.”
🕒 Too Busy to Eat Right?
If UPFs are so harmful, why do we keep choosing them? Time is often the biggest reason. In this piece, I addressed the common myth that eating healthy takes too long — and offered a real-world mindset shift.
“We don’t need perfection — we need better defaults.”
🔍 Where We’re Going Next — Two New Series
June laid the groundwork. Now we’re diving deeper — with two ongoing series designed to inform and empower:
📦 Series 1: Inside the Pantry
We’re unpacking each of the 10 most common UPFs — starting with sugary cereals — and exposing what’s really inside: the additives, the marketing strategies, and the psychology behind their appeal.
🔗 Start with Part 1: Sugary Cereals
🧃 Series 2: Breakfast Reclaimed (and Beyond)
For every UPF we spotlight, we’ll also show a real-food alternative — practical, fast, and family-friendly. These aren’t aspirational meals. They’re simple changes you can make now.
🔗 Try these 3 real breakfast swaps
🍽 Sundays at the Table
Not everything I write is about nutrition labels or legislation. Sometimes it’s about remembering where we came from. In this piece, I reflect on the quiet ritual of Sunday meals growing up — real food, simple dishes, and the sense of connection that came with gathering around the table week after week. It’s a reminder that eating well isn’t just about what’s on the plate, but who we share it with.
📌 Coming in August
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More UPF breakdowns: Think frozen dinners, fruit-flavored yogurts, protein bars, and beyond
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Real-food recipes for school lunches, weeknight dinners, and satisfying snacks
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Community tips: How others are making the switch — and how you can too
Thanks again for joining this mission. If you find value in these stories, I hope you’ll share this newsletter with a friend or family member. We’re just getting started.
To real food,
Dr. Andres Digenio
Physician • Author of The Natural Diet (February 2026)
📰 The Natural Living Newsletter — August 2025
Stay informed. Stay grounded. Stay real.
Hi,
I’m Dr. Andres Digenio, and I’m grateful to have you here. If you’re new to the newsletter — welcome. You are part of a growing community that’s choosing to look more closely at what we eat, how we live, and what we’ve come to accept as “normal” in modern food culture.
Looking Back — June’s Starting Point
Before July’s deep dives, June was all about laying the foundation. We began by exploring why America leads the world in ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption — and what that means for our health. We looked at how these products displace real foods in our diets, fueling obesity, diabetes, and chronic illness. We examined the 10 most common UPFs shaping our everyday lives and launched two parallel series: Inside the Pantry (renamed What We’re Really Eating) — exposing what’s in each of these foods — and Breakfast Reclaimed (renamed Real Food Reclaimed) — offering practical real-food swaps.
Building on that foundation, July took us further inside America’s pantry — uncovering what’s really inside some of the most common ultra-processed foods in our households, and pairing each investigation with practical, real-food alternatives anyone can start using today.
🧁 What We’re Really Eating
Our deep dive into the most common UPFs showed findings that were both familiar and unsettling:
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Packaged Snack Cakes (Part 2): Mini muffins, chocolate rolls, pound cake bars — they look like home-baked treats, but most are lab-engineered snacks with a long shelf life and an even longer list of additives.
“A little treat” shouldn’t come with a chemistry lab.
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Soft Drinks (Part 3): Behind the zero-calorie label lies a cocktail of artificial sweeteners, acids, and coloring agents. These drinks may be calorie-free — but they’re not consequence-free.
Zero sugar doesn’t mean zero risk.
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Quick Meals (Part 4): From boxed mac & cheese to instant noodles and rice packets, these pantry staples feel like time-savers. But they come packed with flavor enhancers, preservatives, and stripped-down carbs that offer little more than a blood sugar spike.
Convenience shouldn’t cost your health.
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Potato Chips (Part 5): That satisfying crunch? It’s no accident. These snacks are engineered to be light, salty, and “vanishing” — encouraging us to eat more without realizing it.
It’s not just the flavor — it’s the formula.
🍽 Real Food Reclaimed — Real Alternatives That Work
Alongside each breakdown, we’re building a roadmap for change — simple, doable alternatives that prove healthy eating doesn’t have to mean restriction or complexity.
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Snack Cake Alternatives (Part 2): Swapping vending-machine sweets for banana oat muffins, yogurt berry bites, or real-food chocolate gives you control over ingredients — and satisfaction without regret.
Sweet doesn’t have to mean synthetic.
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Soft Drink Alternatives (Part 3): Sparkling citrus infusions, herbal iced teas, and real-fruit coolers offer hydration with flavor — minus the phosphoric acid and synthetic sweetness.
You don’t have to choose between water and soda.
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Better Quick Meals (Part 4): Short on time? With a few clean ingredients — like whole grains, real broth, and fresh veggies — you can rebuild dinner into something nourishing, fast, and satisfying.
Real food can be just as fast — and far more fulfilling.
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Chip Alternatives (Part 5): Think kale chips, roasted chickpeas, and crisped veggie slices. All the crunch, none of the industrial oils or addictive additives.
Crunch doesn’t have to come in a foil bag.
🍬 Special Focus: The Sugar Trap
In mid-July, we looked at a major new study on sugar and type 2 diabetes — and why not all sugars are equal. The findings are a reminder that even “better” sugar substitutes may come with hidden risks, especially when used to create the illusion of health in ultra-processed products.
When the label says zero, the science may still say caution.
📌 Coming in September
We’ll wrap up the ten most common UPFs in our diets and continue the conversation with more real-world solutions:
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Processed Meats — Hot dogs, nuggets, and deli slices under the microscope
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Frozen Pizza — Why it feels homemade, but isn’t
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Protein Bars & Flavored Yogurt — When health food is just health-washed
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Commercial Bread & Buns — What’s really hiding in that sandwich roll
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Reclaimed Recipes — Real-food versions for school lunches, weeknights, and grab-and-go snacks
If these stories resonate with you, I hope you’ll forward this newsletter to a friend or share the Medium articles on your favorite platform. We’re building a real-food movement — one plate, one article, one conversation at a time.
To real food,
Dr. Andres Digenio
Physician • Author of The Natural Diet (February 2026)
📰 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
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Stock a real-food snack bin (nuts, fruit, cheese sticks, plain yogurt cups).
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Batch-cook one protein on Sundays (chicken thighs, beans, or chili).
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Make water interesting: keep a pitcher with citrus + mint in the fridge.
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Sandwich smarts: better bread + real fillings (roast chicken, egg salad, tuna with olive oil).
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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 (February 2026)
📰 The Natural Living Newsletter — October 2025
Stay informed. Stay grounded. Stay real.
Hi,
I’m Dr. Andres Digenio. During the month of September, we focused on clarity—what “ultra-processed” really means (via NOVA), how to spot it in seconds, and what happens when policy starts to catch up. Below you’ll find concise summaries, why each piece matters, and what to do next.
📢 California Just Drew a Bright Line on Ultra-Processed Foods in Schools
California’s AB 1264 gives cafeterias a workable definition of ultra-processed foods so buyers know what to keep and what to phase out. Instead of vague “healthy” claims, it points to clear label signals—additive stacks (flavors, colors, emulsifiers, intense sweeteners) plus high sugar/salt/saturated fat—and sets a timeline for steady swaps rather than an overnight overhaul.
In practice, this means menus move toward plain yogurt, fruit and vegetables, beans, and simple grains, and away from dyed or flavored drinks, dessert-style breakfasts, snack cakes, and sauces thickened and sweetened to imitate homemade. Vendors will identify which products don’t meet the standard; districts will use those flags to update purchasing on schedule.
If your child is in school, share this article with the school and ask when they’ll start swapping in non-UPF options.
Read: https://medium.com/p/000d3013199a
🧪 NOVA 101: The Four Groups — Built From the Source (Monteiro et al.)
This is your one-stop reference for NOVA—what each group means (G1 to G4), how to spot them on a label, and where they show up in the store. It keeps things simple with side-by-side examples (like a 4-ingredient bakery loaf vs. a conditioner-heavy factory bread) and quick calls for common aisles (yogurt, cereals, canned foods, plant-based meats, frozen entrées).
You’ll also get a 10-second label scan and six quick plays to make G1–G3 your default without perfectionism. Save it for fast checks while you shop.
Read: https://medium.com/p/87c3de1dd9df
🧭 What “Ultra-Processed” Really Means — and Why It’s a Useful Lens
This explainer shows, in plain language, how “processed” differs from “ultra-processed”—and why the difference is about formulation, not packaging or calories. It walks through a simple shopping example (canned tomatoes vs. a snack cake) to show that UPFs are built from refined bases plus additive stacks and reworked textures, then gives a quick two-of-three label check and a few easy habits (steadier breakfasts, a snack script, “cook once, eat twice”).
Read: https://medium.com/p/9cbf75c35154
🌍 It’s Not You. It’s the Food Environment.
This piece explains why overeating isn’t a willpower problem. When shelves are packed with ultra-processed, hyper-palatable foods, people naturally eat more—faster—and feel full later. Trials show this happens even when calories and nutrients look the same on paper.
It also shifts the focus from “find the perfect diet” to fix the environment: clearer labels, better school and public-program purchasing, and less junk-food marketing to kids. While policy moves, you can nudge your own setting—keep real food visible (fruit, yogurt, nuts), build chew into meals (veg, beans, intact grains), and swap heat-and-eat entrées for simple, quick assemblies.
Read: https://medium.com/p/4bc96b646c2b
⚖️ Avoiding Ultra-Processed Foods Might Double Weight Loss—Even When “Healthy” UPFs Meet Guidelines
A new randomized trial found that people lost about twice as much weight eating mostly minimally processed foods compared with a diet of ultra-processed foods—even though both plans met healthy-diet guidelines. On the real-food plan, participants ate less without trying and had fewer cravings. This points to something simple: how a food is built (textures, additives, speed of eating) matters beyond the nutrients on the label.
What to do with it: start with easy swaps the study mirrored—overnight oats instead of bars, plain yogurt + fruit instead of sweet cups, sheet-pan protein + veg instead of heat-and-eat entrées.
Read: https://medium.com/p/0b3da6a8704a
🧰 Reader keepers: 6 quick plays readers loved this month
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Breakfast anchor: eggs; oats; or plain/Greek yogurt + fruit/nuts.
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One simple swap per aisle: bread, yogurt, cereal, snacks—trade the UPF for the simplest G1–G3 you’ll actually eat.
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Front-load fiber & protein: start meals with veg + beans/eggs/fish/chicken; you’ll eat slower and feel fuller.
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Bundle snacks: eye level = fruit, nuts, water; UPF treats high shelf/back bin.
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Cook once, eat twice: batch a grain + a protein on Sunday; remix into 10-minute bowls, wraps, or salads.
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Package ≠ UPF: the ingredient list decides—cosmetic additives or kitchen-unfamiliar substances → UPF.
If these stories helped you, please forward this newsletter to a friend or colleague who label-reads—or wants to start.
To real food,
Dr. Andres Digenio
Physician • Author of The Natural Diet (February 2026)
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