Junk food is so popularly frowned upon that I almost every day hear people cursing it for their lack of six-pack abs. Yes, that might be one of the reasons for the low fitness level but not the sole reason. Let's talk about what is considered junk food. Do not confuse junk food with fast food (that is another different story)
Junk food definition
Junk food is a pejorative term for food containing a large number of calories from sugar or fat with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins or minerals. The term can also refer to high protein food like meat prepared with saturated fat. Junk foods have empty calories, i.e. the energy content is not complemented with proteins and lipids required for a nutritious diet.
 |
| Junk Food |
So, when you say "junk food", according to the definition I'm going to assume you are referring to candy, soda, chips, etc.
Is Junk food unhealthy?
If a substance provides no nutritional benefit and triggers negative activities in the body, I think it's safe to say its unhealthy. Frequent consumption of junk food increases the intake of excess fat, simple carbohydrates, and processed sugar which may lead to a higher risk of obesity and cardiovascular diseases among other chronic health problems. But it would be an injustice to demonize all the junk food by definition. The quantity of consumption plays a major role in determining its effect on health.
The main reason for the over-consumption of junk food is its easy accessibility and the pleasure it gives to the taste buds. It is very difficult to resist the temptation of tasty junk food. In low amount, It is in fact sometimes healthy from both physiological and psychological perspective. Some so-called junk food such as chocolates can be healthy in moderation nonetheless.
Can Healthy food also be unhealthy?
It is always suggested to stick with a healthy diet but there is no denial in the fact that healthy food is not always tasty. In order to make them delicious the additions sometimes imbalance the nutritious components. I have seen that in the quick fix of being healthy people often tends to cross the consumption limits of healthy foods, which is again unhealthy.
 |
| Healthy Food |
When I say unhealthy, I mean unhealthy according to different fitness goals. Same food can have different results for a person trying to gain weight, a person trying to stay lean and a person trying loose bodyweight. So, one shouldn't fall into the trap of getting more healthy food to become more fit. It's tricky.
How to balance health and pleasure?
So how should one eat healthy food and do not overeat at the same time or eat avoid junk food and do not feel life tasteless?
 |
| Balanced Diet |
Avoiding the sight of junk food is one solution but not a very practical one. What worked for me and most of the people I know are getting more aware of the nutrition values of food that gets into your body. Below are a few points to bring into your daily life to eat healthily:
- Make a habit of reading content on food packages
- Learn to read and understand the nutritional information of food items
- Calculate and remember the range of calories your body needs
- Use some apps to track and monitor calorie and macros intake (for few initial weeks)
- Repeat the processes and practice it till you master it
Final verdict
It is very difficult to maintain a lifestyle with only healthy food, as they call it, resisting the temptation of yummy food all the times can take a toll when you are low in energy. Being a social animal, it is pretty normal to binge on food once in a blue moon. Till you're following a diet of moderation and keeping the balance you're going to be awesome.
Comments
Post a Comment