If you’ve ever stood in front of your pantry, craving something salty or sweet, and thought, Why can’t I just control myself?—let me stop you right there. It’s not your fault, and today I’ll tell you why.
But before we dive into today’s blog article, I want to share some thoughts. I recently read an article written by a nutritionist and wellness “expert,” claiming ultra-processed foods are not bad. She argued that people need to stop obsessing over food ingredients and should just eat them in peace because “it’s all fake.”
Well, there are countless medical studies proving that chemicals commonly found in foods and packaging are harmful to human health.
A particularly interesting 2020 study emphasizes the impact of dietary additives on gut health and suggests that reducing these additives may benefit individuals with IBS. I suffered from IBS my entire life I suffered of IBS my entire life, until I learned about food ingredients and started to choose better options. No medication needed anymore, just the right foods provided by this wonderful planet were capable to heal my gut. Need I say more?
Furthermore, awareness of the undeniable connection between health and nutrition is finally gaining momentum and pushing governments to take action. In the US, health activists like Vani Hari are stepping up, appearing on Fox News to highlight the urgency of banning harmful chemicals in food. This isn’t just a fringe movement—this year, respected experts like Dr. Mark Hyman testified before the “Health Subcommittee Hearing: Investing in a Healthy America: Chronic Disease Prevention & Treatment,” calling attention to the dangers of ultra-processed foods and the toxic additives hiding in our food supply.
Still think this is an exaggeration? An overreaction labeled as “orthorexia”? Or is it finally time to wake up?
Why Does the Food Industry Use Harmful Chemicals?
To briefly explain the motives behind using harmful chemicals in food, you need to understand that the modern food industry is a profit-driven powerhouse. Ultra-processed products must survive on store shelves for as long as possible to maximize profit, but also to enhanced flavor and get your taste buds keep asking for more and more so you come back buy the product over and over again.
The problem is that these chemicals, designed to extend the “best by” date or to mesmerize your taste buds, also override your natural hunger signals and keep you hooked. These foods may also offer convenience but lack nutritional value.
And for women over 35 experiencing hormonal shifts, it is no joke to add one more reason to feel unbalanced, in pain, and even out of control of their cravings.
Let’s break down how ultra-processed foods collide with hormonal changes during perimenopause, the toll they’re taking on your health, and—most importantly—how to reclaim your power.
How Ultra-Processed Foods Hijack Your Brain and Body
Ultra-processed foods—chips, cookies, sugary drinks, fast food, packaged snacks—aren’t just convenient; they’re scientifically engineered to keep you coming back for more. By combining high levels of sugar, salt, fat, and additives, these foods create a “bliss point”—a precise combination that triggers dopamine release, making you crave more.
A 2019 study published in Cell Metabolism showed that overconsumption of ultra-processed foods disrupts appetite regulation and increases obesity risk. These foods rewire your brain, making it harder to recognize when you’re full. The more you consume ultra-processed foods, the more your brain begins to expect that dopamine hit, leading to cravings that feel almost impossible to resist. See? I told you it wasn’t your fault!
The Hormonal Storm of Perimenopause
Now, imagine your already disrupted hunger signals being compounded by hormonal changes. In your late 30s to early 40s, estrogen and progesterone levels start to fluctuate, directly affecting two key hunger hormones:
Leptin: The “I’m full” hormone. Estrogen helps leptin work efficiently, but declining estrogen weakens leptin signals, leaving you hungry even when you don’t need food.
Ghrelin: The “I’m hungry” hormone. When progesterone drops, ghrelin increases, leading to intense cravings, often at night.
A 2024 study ties hormonal shifts during perimenopause to increased appetite, weight gain, and altered eating behaviors. Combine these changes with a diet dominated by ultra-processed foods, and you’re trapped in a cycle of cravings, overeating, and frustration.
The Ripple Effects on Your Health
The toxic combo of ultra-processed foods and hormonal imbalances doesn’t just lead to weight gain. It triggers a cascade of health issues:
Insulin Resistance: Ultra-processed foods, loaded with refined sugars and carbs, spike your blood sugar. Over time, this forces your body to pump out more insulin, increasing your risk of insulin resistance—a condition already more likely during perimenopause due to declining estrogen.
Mood Swings and Fatigue: Ultra-processed foods create blood sugar spikes and crashes, leaving you irritable and exhausted. Add fluctuating hormones to the mix, and it’s no wonder you feel overwhelmed.
Chronic Inflammation: Chemical additives and unhealthy fats in these foods promote inflammation, worsening perimenopause symptoms like joint pain, brain fog, and fatigue.
Why Willpower Isn’t the Answer
Let’s be honest: you’ve been told that eating less and exercising more is the solution. It’s a tidy, oversimplified narrative that completely ignores the complex interplay between your hormones, the ultra-processed food environment, and your gut microbiome.
The truth? It’s not about discipline. It’s about a system designed to make you fail.
Ultra-processed foods are not just nutrient-depleted; they’re filled with chemical additives like artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and preservatives that directly disrupt the balance of your gut microbiome—the ecosystem of bacteria that plays a crucial role in regulating your hunger, metabolism, and even mood.
Studies have shown that these additives can trigger inflammation, alter gut permeability (hello, leaky gut), and feed harmful bacteria, tipping the scales toward dysbiosis—a microbial imbalance that wreaks havoc on your body.
For women over 35, navigating hormonal transitions like perimenopause, this disruption hits even harder. Hormonal shifts already affect hunger-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin, making it easier to overeat and harder to feel satisfied. Add in the gut-disrupting chemicals found in ultra-processed foods, and you’re not just fighting cravings—you’re battling a system that amplifies them at every turn.
It’s not about lacking willpower. It’s about an industry that profits from keeping you stuck in a cycle of cravings and overconsumption. When your gut microbiome is out of balance, your hunger cues go haywire, and your natural ability to regulate food intake is sabotaged.
This isn’t a call for you to “try harder.” It’s a call to recognize that the deck has been stacked against all of us. The solution isn’t deprivation or punishing workouts—it’s understanding how ultra-processed foods are designed to exploit your body’s vulnerabilities and making empowered choices to support your hormonal and gut health instead.
How to Reclaim Your Body and Mind
Focus on Whole, Nutrient-Dense Foods
Replace ultra-processed foods with high-quality proteins, healthy fats, and fiber-rich vegetables. Protein is essential for regulating hunger because it increases satiety hormones like peptide YY while reducing hunger hormones like ghrelin, keeping you fuller for longer. It also stabilizes blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes and cravings.
Prioritize Hormone-Friendly Nutrients
Add foods rich in the following nutrients:
Omega-3s: Salmon, chia seeds, walnuts, to reduce inflammation.
Magnesium: Spinach, almonds, dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher), to regulate mood and improve sleep.
Phytoestrogens: Flaxseeds, organic tofu, sesame seeds, to gently mimic estrogen’s effects.
Although I’m a fan of supplements when needed, a variety of whole foods is what we all need to maintain good health.
Regulate Stress and Sleep
Elevated cortisol disrupts hunger hormones even further. Incorporate stress-management practices like simple breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, or walking. Aim for 7–9 hours of restorative sleep, as poor sleep increases ghrelin and cravings.
Hydrate Intentionally
Dehydration often mimics hunger. Start your day with a glass of lemon water, and stay hydrated throughout. Adding a pinch of Himalayan pink salt turns plain water into a cheap, effective electrolyte drink.
Listen to Your Body
Rebuilding hunger and fullness cues takes time. Mindful eating is part of all my coaching programs because it’s so important. Chewing is the beginning of digestion. Savoring your food connects you with the present moment and fosters gratitude for the living beings that made it possible.
To wrap up today's article, I want you to know that I’ve fought cravings for as long as I can remember. Every family celebration that involved food was a nightmare for me because I knew I was going to overeat.
I started suffering from hormonal imbalances like PCOS and endometriosis at the age of 15, experienced postpartum depression three times in a row, and had my first perimenopausal symptoms at 39.
Because I struggled to maintain a healthy weight due to hormonal imbalances, I used to fill my diet with “light” labeled products—ultra-processed foods that promised to keep me “in shape.”
Today, it’s been almost five years since I started learning to nurture my body correctly. And it's also being five years since I last experienced an irrational craving that pushed me to binge eat. I’ve completely healed my taste buds and rebuilt my microbiome to keep me healthy and happy. No more dieting, no more appetite-suppressant drugs.
Was it hard? Not really. But I had to stay consistent, trust the process, and believe in the ability of my cells, organs, and entire body to regenerate and help me become a healthier human being.
So please, don’t focus solely on “avoiding” chemicals in foods. Shift your awareness toward finding nutrients when you buy your food products. Those nutrients are found in preparations that contain ingredients you already know and recognize.
Are you ready to make that change? Let’s take the first step together! If you have any questions, that’s why I’m here—and I’m just one message away to help you.
You’ve got this!
Sources:
Rinninella E, Cintoni M, Raoul P, Gasbarrini A, Mele MC. Food Additives, Gut
Microbiota, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Hidden Track. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 27;17(23):8816.
"Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake" https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(19)30248-7
“Anaya C, Culbert KM, Klump KL. Binge Eating Risk During Midlife and the Menopausal Transition: Sensitivity to Ovarian Hormones as Potential Mechanisms of Risk. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2023 Feb;25(2):45-52. doi: 10.1007/s11920-022-01405-5. Epub 2022 Dec 24. PMID: 36565385; PMCID: PMC9974637”https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9974637/
Elizabeth L, Machado P, Zinöcker M, Baker P, Lawrence M. Ultra-Processed Foods and Health Outcomes: A Narrative Review. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 30;12(7):1955. doi: 10.3390/nu12071955. PMID: 32630022; PMCID: PMC7399967. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32630022/
Duval K, Prud'homme D, Rabasa-Lhoret R, Strychar I, Brochu M, Lavoie JM, Doucet E. Effects of the menopausal transition on dietary intake and appetite: a MONET Group Study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014 Feb;68(2):271-6. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.171. Epub 2013 Sep 25. PMID: 24065065; PMCID: PMC4954773. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4954773/
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