Diet
Coach Kannan
Table of Content
Most individuals think their diets are generally healthy, but you might be shocked at how your favorite spicy or sweet snacks affect your body. Whether you frequently battle illness or must deal with persistent aches and pains, or struggling with weight loss, altering what you eat may be the easiest remedy and your first step toward leading a better lifestyle. What comes to mind when you hear the term “junk food”? This expression is frequently used to discuss the nutritional value of food and typically applies to any dish that isn’t very healthy for you.
Junk foods attract people searching for a quick and tasty bite to eat. Sadly, even though these foods may taste fantastic, they offer little nutritional value to your body since they frequently contain excessive amounts of salt, sugar, oils, artificial colors, flavorings and preservatives.
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about junk food including what is junk food, why you should avoid junk food and how to spot junk food in daily life.
Junk food is any food with little to no nutritional value. A simple way to think of junk food is ‘empty calories’.
Junk foods have calories but are ‘empty’ in terms of their nutritional value.
Most fast meals, such as sweets, soda, bakery items, and hamburgers, alongside salty and fatty foods, fall under the category of junk food. They typically have very little by way of vitamins, minerals, and other nutritious components while being heavy in calories, sodium, and fat. The body will receive less of the vital nutrients and vitamins it needs if we consume more of these meals at the expense of more nutritious alternatives.
While junk food might be a joy for the taste buds, it is well-recognized that it has negative health implications. Regular consumption of these may hurt your health and permanently harm your body.
According to scientific studies, eating processed foods, junk food, and foods containing high amounts of salt and sugar increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Junk foods can also impact your alertness, mood and mental health.
Now that we’ve answered the question of what is junk food, let’s look at a list of some of the most popular examples of junk food.
Soda is essentially carbonated water, sugar and flavorings. In recent times, giving up soda has become more and more common, and for a valid reason. If you haven’t already, taking soda out of your diet is an excellent way to significantly lower your sugar intake and your chances of developing health conditions, including hepatic, renal, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes. Even diet versions of many sodas contain some sugar, caffeine and added ingredients which can cause problems if had in excess.
For extra energy during the day, many individuals resort to energy drinks that are caffeinated. But the same factors that render these beverages so good at maintaining you active also make them highly harmful to your health. They include a lot of sugar, carbohydrates, and caffeine, which can cause elevated blood pressure, headaches, dehydration, and other symptoms.
Chips are typically what comes to mind when you mention “junk food” to most people. For many people, chips are their go-to snack item because of their salted coating and delicious crisp texture. The reality is that they are laden with fats, salt, sugar, artificial flavorings and preservatives. The flavors added are developed in a lab and are intended to be addictive. This is why you crave more of these foods and it is easy to overeat them.
Although bakery items like biscuits, croissants, and cupcakes are undoubtedly delightful, they are also harmful if eaten regularly. Most bakery goods are produced with processed sugar, flour, fat, and additives. As a result, these items are low in fiber and high in sugar. These foods can cause health problems such as excess weight, cardiovascular disease, elevated blood pressure and even depression.
It should not be a surprise that chocolate & candy are junk food. They are almost entirely made up of sugar plus some flavorings. They do not contain anything in terms of nutrition. They are a big reason that the sugar content in our daily diet is high. Having these foods often also builds a habit of wanting something sweet often and this results in cravings which can be hard to control.
Junk food can be categorized into two broad categories, i.e. fast food and processed food.
Fast food is often defined as foods that can be quickly and easily made and served. Fast food is clearly identifiable by its accessibility. They essentially provide a less expensive & convenient option to home-cooked food. Nevertheless, fast food can be heavy in calories, fat content, sugar, and sodium, much like junk food. To determine whether fast food is junk food, we need to ask the simple question – is it really empty calories? This helps you identify fast food options that are really junk foods.
Common types of fast-food that are really junk foods are:
The bulk of fast-food restaurant operators selling the above foods use tons of butter and frying oil to prepare their dishes. Hence, most meals are laden with sugar, salt, and fat and create a high risk of leading to health conditions like elevated blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes.
The trend is slowly changing now. In the early days of the sector, because of our hectic lifestyle and lack of free time to make nutritious home-cooked meals, the fast-food industry flourished without paying attention to nutrition. But recognising the demand from consumers for healthy options, several proprietors of fast food outlets have opened salad bars, grills, lean protein options, vegan menus, and whole-grain buns in their eateries—this aids in providing consumers who care about nutrition with wholesome fast food.
Also Read: Junk Food Vs Fast Food
Given that most foods undergo some sort of processing, the phrase “processed food” might be confusing. Foods do not always become unhealthy when they undergo industrial processing, such as freezing vegetables, or pasteurizing milk.
Processing does not typically reduce the food’s nutritional value if no additional chemicals or additives are added. Yet, there are distinctions between chemical and mechanical processes. Chemically processed meals frequently have minimal nutritional content and only include refined components and artificial additives. They often contain extra chemical sweeteners, colors, and flavorings.
Most processed food that is chemically processed is made to be:
Health is not a priority.
The main ingredients in such foods will be flour, sugar, salt and oils. They’re cheap, addictive and last long.
Foods that have been highly processed taste delicious and are affordable. But, they frequently include substances like trans fats, refined sugar, and sodium that could be dangerous if ingested in abundance. Compared to whole meals, these foods also have much lesser levels of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
A significant study with over 100,000 participants indicated that eating 10% of extra ultra-processed foods was linked to a 10% or a substantial rise in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, and cerebrovascular diseases.
Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation. Most processed meats contain pork or beef, but processed meats may also contain other red meats, poultry, offal, or meat by-products.
This includes products like ham, sausages, and canned meat that have undergone processing to increase their texture, taste, and shelf life. Processed meat is classified as a Group I carcinogen by the World Health Organization due to its propensity to cause cancer, specifically colorectal cancer.
Some foods are considered healthy when, in reality, they are pure junk. Here are some examples of such junk foods in disguise:
It might sound more pleasant to consume fruit pureed into a sweet, liquid beverage rather than the fruit in its whole form. The reality is that most fruit smoothies are sugar bombs and calorie-dense and include sugars in the form of juice, agave, syrups etc.
Granola has successfully carved a niche for itself in the healthy food market. Yet, this crunchy food is typically packed with sugar and calories. Granola has whopping 600 calories in one serving. So it’s more like a dessert than a breakfast option.
Individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities should follow a gluten-free diet. Many gluten-free goods are full of preservatives, are high in calories, and poorer in nutrients.
Most protein bars that line supermarket aisles are just upgraded candy bars with whey or soy protein powder added to it. Some contain up to 350 calories and anywhere between 10-30 ingredients that can cause many problems for your digestive system.
Consuming junk food frequently means eating extra fat, sugars, preservatives and artificial flavors and colors. None of these are healthy. Nevertheless these junk foods are addictive, which means you will end up overeating such foods. This increases the likelihood of obesity and heart illnesses, among many other chronic health issues.
Obesity that results from this can cause problems for your heart, liver, kidneys and thyroid. Additionally, it has been hypothesized that consuming junk food affects the brain in a similar way to abusing addictive substances. This might explain why cravings for junk foods can seem uncontrollable.
Healthier food choices, such as fruits, vegetables, etc., may even be rejected as a result of a junk food addiction, resulting in severe malnourishment.
Also Read: Everything you need to know about Avoiding Junk Food?
Junk food intake can cause a variety of health issues. Let’s examine a few of the negative consequences of junk eating.
Obesity and the linked health problems it causes are two of the main adverse effects of eating junk food at your beloved fast food chains. Junk food’s extra sugar, calories, and fats result in weight gain. Diabetes, joint discomfort, and heart disorders are just a few health problems obesity can cause.
Junk food has a lot of sugar and fat, which can change how the brain functions by triggering certain chemical responses. The body may lose essential minerals and amino acids when junk foods are consumed in excess. These may lead to the brain’s incapacity to cope with stress, ultimately leading to depression.
Overeating junk food can put the brain in a problematic situation. Overeating can result from excessive sugar consumption since it can change blood glucose levels and make the brain crave more food. The body may find it challenging to digest a lot of junk food.
One of the numerous negative impacts of junk food is the lack of vitamins and nutrients. Vitamins and nutrients are necessary for the body’s healthy growth and development. The growth of your brain and other body parts can be hampered by poor eating patterns. Too much soda and sugar consumption can also erode bones and cause tooth decay.
Sugar-sweetened drinks have been demonstrated to raise the likelihood of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes and increase the chances of getting obese. Your blood sugar control worsens due to metabolic syndrome, causing more weight gain.
The issue is not with the potatoes in the fries. When consumed in proportion, boiled potatoes can be nutritious. The issue arises when the fries are salted, prepared, and fried using a lot of low-quality oil.
Ice cream is heavy in calories and sugar, and since it also contains a lot of fat, it will not help with weight loss. A scoop of ice cream sometimes is absolutely ok, but not an ice-cream sundae.
Fruit juices are typically seen as being nutritious. Some diets, like detoxes, even have a focus solely on juices. Despite being marketed as a healthy drink, fruit juice is frequently high in natural sugars, even when no additional sugar is present. Instead, you are much better off in having the whole fruit, which is higher in fiber and will keep you full for longer.
Be alert about health bars, protein bars, smoothies and shakes. They tend to be more like dessert. Choose whole foods that are minimally processed instead like fruit or real food snacks like makhana, puffed rice and peanuts.
Also Read: How To Stop Craving For Junk Food?
When it comes to diet, do not think of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods. The poison is in the dose.
By now, you should have a good awareness of what is junk food, its harmful effects and why you should avoid it. We’ve also covered some of the most common junk foods around us today. Use the guidelines in this article to recognize these foods and include them selectively in your diet.
Even if junk food is tempting, you should limit your intake as much as possible. The most practical way is to schedule your treat meals each week so that you have discipline around it. This way you will get your treats but also not overdo it.
We do not advise completely giving up junk food either, especially if you really like them. You can delight your taste buds while avoiding its negative effects by occasionally consuming junk food in moderation.
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