More than half of the calories consumed by the average American are from nutritionally empty, artificially manufactured, ultra-processed foods that are loaded with sugar, fat, and salt.

That adds up to hugely increased risks for heart disease, stroke, erectile dysfunction, obesity, dementia, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer, and other chronic conditions.

Of course, ditching those pre-packed goodies all at once is tough. But would you be willing to eliminate half of those processed foods from your diet for two months?

Could you ditch processed meats and opt for grilled, skinless chicken breast instead?

Do you think you can skip sugar-coated, multi-colored breakfast cereal and have a bowl of no-fat plain yogurt with berries?

You can still munch on flavored chips or eat that white flour bagel.

The rewards will be amazing.

That's what researchers from Drexel University found when they had 14 people who were overweight or obese cut their intake of ultra-processed foods by around 50%. That immediately took 600 calories a day off their plate and cut sugar consumption in half, saturated fat consumption by 37%, and salt intake by 28%.

As a result, study subjects lost almost 8 pounds, and said they had more energy and felt happier.

To help you give this experiment a try, take a look at Dr. Mike's books "What to Eat When" and "The What to Eat When Cookbook."