Many of us may be surprised to learn that my healthy people don’t always eat healthy foods! It’s tragic I know. The sad reality is that we are old enough to make our own choices when we are away from home and we don’t always choose green peppers when there are chips around.
Does Junk Food Exist?
You hear a lot about “junk food,” but what makes a food “junk”?Any food that is high in sugar or fat, with very little protein, vitamins, and minerals, or fiber is junk food. Junk food is not the best choice for everyday snacking. You can eat junk food sometimes, but it should be eaten along with a healthy diet. Junk foods usually add too many calories. If you are not a physically active person, be sure to eat healthy foods before eating any junk foods.
Negative effects of eating junk food
Obesity
Fast foods are loaded with fat and calories. Eating junk food without any restrictions will have adverse effects on your weight as you will take in more calories than you can expend. And then you will expand. Shortly stated: no amount of trans fat is good or healthy.
Obesity itself increases the risk of potentially fatal heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, as well as sleep apnea and respiratory problems.
Cardiovascular impact
In line with fact, number one is the consequence of your heart. Eating foods that contain it can increase your LDL (bad cholesterol), lower your HDL (good cholesterol), and increase your risk for type 2 diabetes.
The magical combination of fat, sugar, and lots of sodium (salt) makes fast food seem tastier. Food intake high in sodium can lead to water retention, which is why you may feel puffy, bloated, or swollen after eating fast food. A diet high in sodium is dangerous for people with blood pressure conditions. Sodium can elevate blood pressure and put stress on your heart and cardiovascular system.
Sex life
A healthy heart equals healthy sex. Any eating habit that’s bad for your gym game is also bad for your sex life. The foods you eat, how much you eat, and how often you eat them can mess with your energy levels, blood flow, and hormones - all critical players in supercharging your sex life.
Diets that are high in sugar are going to impact your overall cardiovascular health, which subsequently impacts the health of the little man below. Too much sugar will also lower your libido by reducing testosterone levels.
“Hmm... Pizza or burgers? I’m not sure what I feel like tonight.”
Mental
Not only does fast food add inches to your waistline, but scientists and researchers have also indicated through various studies that junk food can cause severe damage to your brain. There are certain nutrients that we need for the different functions in our bodies to work effectively, and the brain is no different.
If we are not making healthy food choices and eating enough of nutrients that our bodies need to function correctly, it makes sense it is going to be harder for us to be mentally healthy as well as physically healthy, People that have higher intakes of junk and processed foods are more likely to suffer from depression.
Individuals with low levels of healthy food (vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, lean protein - food that sustains health) are also at an increased risk. Even if you're eating good food, if you're also eating a lot of junk food, it can be a problem.
How Do You Protect Yourself?
If unhealthy, processed food, is sabotaging your weight loss efforts, outsmart junk food cravings with these clever tricks outlined below.
Practice the five-ingredient rule
First, read the ingredients on the food package. Ingredients are listed in order of how much of each ingredient is in the food. There is most of the first ingredient and the least of the last ingredient listed on the label. If one of the first ingredients is sugar, oil, or butter, that food is best to eat only once in a while. If there are more than five ingredients on a food label—a red flag for food processing—don’t buy it. (Or if you do, consider it a treat instead of an everyday purchase). This is an easy way to avoid impulse buys like flavor-blasted chips or pre-made cookies when food shopping.
Break your routine
It only takes a few weeks to form a habit. So if you always associate 3 p.m. with a trip to the vending machine, start a tradition to walk around the block for five minutes instead. This may kick your craving altogether.
Keep the healthy stuff handy
Store healthy foods you want to eat more front and center in your fridge and out on your countertops. Snack foods are so easy to dig into—you just rip open a bag. If you had, say, red peppers all sliced and ready to go, they’re all the more tempting to dip into hummus.
Lastly, Know your trigger foods
Whether you've got a sweet tooth for chocolate and red velvet anything or love salty treats like pretzels, know the foods that send you down the spiral of junk food binging. You've already accomplished half of the battle by identifying them. Keep them out of the house.