What is Junk Food?
Junk food undoubtedly makes your mouth watery, but it’s not good for our health. The food we eat has a significant impact on the body and mind. You might have observed that people who eat junk food often have less drive to do daily activities.
They are the people who like to sit and chill. They do not feel the need or drive to do any kind of physical activity. It is crucial for us to understand that the body and mind require fresh and clean food.
Junk food is basically food that contains a lot of calories with significantly less nutritional value. This type of food is addictive because of its taste. Imagine you buy a device that is just heavy, and you can not use it to do any work. Junk food is no different from it.
Why Should We Avoid Junk Food?
Basically, junk food is a category of food high in calories, salt, and processed sugar and is often deep-fried. Salted and sugary snacks like chips, candy, sweets, desserts, and fast/street food like burgers, Pani puri, samosa, and pizza (depending on nutrients and how it is prepared) are mostly the food choices that one has today’s life. (1)
This kind of food seems cravingly delicious, but you are not doing any favor to your body by eating those low nutritional unhealthy food. Instead, you are doing the opposite. It is harmful because of the adverse effects it has on your well-being.
Research says, watching ads about processed foods encourages people to eat more of them. It actually activates the reward system in the brain when one eats it on a daily basis, in the same way as addictive drugs (cocaine & alcohol). So, the more you eat, the worse your body gets, but you feel satisfied like any other drug.
Manufacturers consider two factors while preparing these kinds of foods; the first is “sensation” while eating, which includes its smell, taste (sweet, salty, spicy, etc.), and crunchiness. The second factor is the nutrients in it, which are very few, but they add the perfect blend of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates that excites our brain and makes us want to eat more often. (2)
Disadvantages:
Obesity
Junk food contains loads of sugar, carbs, and fats, contributing to weight gain. Obesity can cause many medical issues like joint pain, diabetes, and heart diseases.
Digestive Troubles:
Excessive sugar intake fluctuates blood sugar levels and makes the brain demand more food, eventually leading to overeating. So, the body cannot digest such huge quantities, and this may leave your brain in confusion.
Hinders Growth And Development:
Major consumption of these causes a deficiency of essential vitamins and nutrients, which hampers the growth of one’s body. Excess intake of soda and sugar causes tooth decay and weakening of bones.
Learning And Memory Problems:
A study stated that people who stick to a junk diet performed poorly in cognitive tests. So, it was concluded that junk food could weaken your memory and the brain. It causes damage due to inflammation in a certain part of the brain, which is responsible for memory and recognition.
Depression And Anxiety Issues:
It can cause certain chemical reactions in the brain, which affect its functioning. If you overconsume these, the body loses essential nutrients and amino acids. This weakens your brain, which becomes unable to deal with stress, and anxiety. Hence, it leaves you feeling depressed.
Junk foods have many disadvantages, including:
- High sodium can cause headaches and migraine
- High-sodium food also causes bloating in the body
- Having large amounts of junk food may increase your risk of depression
- The carbs and sugar content can lead to dental cavities
- High carb content can cause acne
- Trans fat content can give raise LDL cholesterol levels
- Empty calories these foods may cause insulin resistance and increase blood sugar levels
Healthy Food And Junk Food
| Junk food | Healthy food replacements |
|---|---|
|
Soda |
Fruit juice, Lime juice |
|
Candy |
Fresh fruits |
|
Chips |
Dry fruits |
|
Salty/Packaged foods |
Salads |
|
Sugary drinks |
Home-made milkshakes |
How To Stop Eating Junk Food?
1) Drink Water
Thirst is often confused with hunger and food craving. We tend to have cravings when our body needs water. If we have water in this case, it gets settled. But, if we have food, it gets complicated.
2) Eat Whole Meals
Have carbs, protein, fat, and other essential nutrients in meals. This will fulfill your food requirement and cravings. The problem lies in our diet and the way we plan our meals. Have complete foods to avoid cravings which lead to overeating.
3) Keep a Gap Between Meals
Do not eat frequently. Keep at least 3 to 4 hours a period in between meals. Only drink water in between if you need it. Do not have sugary drinks or soda, thinking it will take fulfill the cravings.
4) Do not Get Extremely Hungry
Eat when you feel hungry. Also, ensure not to be hungry for a long time after your stomach gets empty because it can lead to cravings.
5) Distract Yourselves
Do something else as soon as you crave to eat any junk food. You can either listen to some music, watch your favorite show or movie, exercise, or do some physical activity.
6) Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivation also makes us crave. Get enough sleep every night, and be fresh every morning. Have more water. Sleep empty stomach, which will help you heal and recover your body and mind.