What’s really in your food? Learn to spot ultra-processed ingredients

🧃 Ultra-processed foods are everywhere—packaged snacks, sweetened yogurts, cereals, sauces. These foods often contain additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors that disrupt your gut, spike blood sugar, and throw off hormonal balance.


🧪 Research from the NOVA food classification system shows that diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and even early menopause. These foods are engineered to be hyper-palatable but offer little nutritional value.


🔍 Tip: Focus on the ingredients list, not just the nutrition facts. The first ingredient listed is what the product contains the most of—if it’s sugar or refined flour, that’s a red flag. Look for short ingredient lists (5 or fewer items you recognize), and stick to whole, organic foods whenever possible. Minimize packaged or convenience items.

At Vagal, we teach you how to shop smart, reduce processed food intake, and fuel your body with nutrient-dense, hormone-supportive meals.