Junk Food - The Leading Physicians of the World

Junk food is food that has low nutritional value and high calories that may cause harm to your body. Junk food, also called fast food, is food you can get at many food kiosks or fast restaurants in every town street. Other characteristics of junk food include:

 Low in fiber

·         Highly palatable (have a good taste)

·         High in trans and saturated fats

·         High is simple and processed sugars

·         A small volume offers a high number of calories

·         Cheap and convenient

Junk Food Items

It is estimated there are about 160,000 fast food restaurants across the country, and the number is predicted to double in the next decade. People who choose to eat in these restaurants prefer them because they are cheap, fast and convenient.

Below is a list of junk food items and substitutions you can make for them:

·         Fried chicken

Fried chicken is high in fat and calories and chemicals that may cause you illness. Fried chicken should be avoided by all means. You can replace fried chicken with grilled chicken.

·         Soda

Soda is usually chemical-laden, acidifying and loaded with artificial sweeteners. Dried varieties of sweeteners are likely to add more calories in your diet leading to weight gain.

·         Egg sandwich

Your breakfast sandwich can be unhealthy choice for you when it is laden with hormones, antibiotics and dairy products. You can substitute sausage sandwich with a Glowing Green Smoothie for a healthier breakfast.

·         Milkshakes

Milkshakes, for example a vanilla-ice-cream-milk-shake is loaded with sugar, saturated fat and flavoring chemicals that can leave you feeling sick or sluggish. You can substitute them with homemade smoothies for a healthier meal.

·         French fries

French fries for your lunch can be unhealthier due to fat bombs potentially fried in rancid oil. An alternative to this is side salad with no dressing.

·         Sandwich melt

A sandwich melt from a fast food place can contain, dairy products, salt, gluten-containing chemicals and artificial sweeteners that are truly toxic to your body. You can substitute it with veggie wrap for a healthier meal.

Other examples of junk food items are:

·         Pepperoni pizza

·         Fish and chips

·         Caesar salad

·         Hamburger chili

·         Hot dog

·         Cheesecake

·         Popcorn shrimp

·         Chicken nuggets

·         Teriyaki chicken

Reasons why Eating Junk Food is not Good

As you have already learned, junk food is food with low nutritional value but calorie dense. Below is a list of reasons why eating junk food can affect your body:

1.       Affect your energy levels

Junk food contains no nutrients that are needed by your body to stay healthy. This means that you may feel chronically fatigued after eating junk food for a long period of time. This is as a result of lack of enough energy to complete your daily chores. Junk food contains a lot of simple sugars which put your metabolic process under stress. For example, when you take refined sugar, your pancreas responds by secreting high amounts of insulin to prevent high levels of sugar in the blood. Since junk food contains inadequate good carbs and proteins, your blood sugar levels decreases suddenly after eating them. This leaves you feeling fatigued, grumpy, and craving sugar.

2   .       Nutrient deficiencies

Multiple junk foods are prepared through processing that removes fiber and vitamins or minerals, leaving the foods with high and unwanted calories that nutritionists disparage. Children or teens who eat junk foods are likely to develop nutritional deficiencies that may lead to mood swings, low body energy, poor academic achievement and sleep disturbance among other health conditions.

Nutrition deficiencies can also lead to depression in teenagers as a result of hormonal changes in puberty. A healthy diet plays a major role in keeping your hormones balanced. Junk food on the other hand has little or no nutrients required to balance your hormones. Consumption of saturated, trans fatty acids and processed food is associated with about 58% increase in risk of depression.

3.       Obesity and poor performance

Junk food has large amounts of fat which means that you are likely to gain weight and become obese since fat accumulates in your body after taking such food for a long time. Obesity as a result of junk food can put your body at a risk of developing chronic illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease or heart attack.

Junk foods also contain high levels of sodium and fat that can cause hypertension or high blood pressure.  Excess sodium in your diet can also renal malfunction which can lead to kidney disease.

High levels of fat in junk food can in the short term lead to poor cognitive function. You are likely to be exhausted and have problem while concentrating since your body gets little oxygen.

4.       Can lead to Diabetes

Long-term consumption of junk foods can also lead to type-2-diabetes. This is as a result of high levels of simple carbohydrates and sugar in the foods. Diabetes type 2 occurs since taking too much sugar stress your metabolic process leading to production of large amount of insulin to prevent high blood sugar levels.  Since junk food contains little or no protein or complex carbohydrates needed by your body to maintain consistent blood sugar levels, your blood sugar levels decreases suddenly after taking the food. Over time, the metabolic stress destroys your body ability to produce and use insulin (insulin resistant) leading to type 2 diabetes. Short-term consumption of junk food can also make you feel uncomfortable, lead to mood swings, constipation and low energy levels which restrict you from exercise that you may need to burn of extra calories.

5.       Heart and liver damage

Junk food contains high levels of sodium and fat which can contribute to heart disease by increasing blood cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol leads to arterial plaque buildup which in turn causes heart disease. High levels of trans and saturated fatty acids in junk foods can also lead to fatty liver deposits. These liver deposits can with time lead to liver dysfunction or liver disease