These days, taking care of your fitness and being mindful of what kind of food you consume directly affects your overall mental and physical well-being. But unfortunately, we are surrounded by various unhealthy foods, so it becomes crucial to not succumb to these tempting but harmful food habits and stick to a nutritious and high-value diet.
Which foods can be termed unhealthy foods?
Unhealthy food is a category of food items with little or no nutritional value, which includes an insufficiency of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other essential nutrients. They are high in saturated and trans fats, sodium, and sugar. Unhealthy foods are tempting, but they cause more harm than good.
The 10 harmful effects of junk food
Consuming excess unhealthy foods can cause many ailments, eventually leading to the decline of our health. Junk food can make you feel bloated and tired, cause tooth decay, drastically slows your metabolism, and hamper your concentration.
Here are some harmful effects of junk food to keep in mind:
- Weight gain or obesity
- Diabetes
- Kidney and liver problems
- High blood pressure and cholesterol
- Chronic allergies
- Skin and hair problems
- Depression
- Addiction to high-carb and high-sugar diet
- Cardiovascular problems
- Cancer
Why you should avoid junk food
Low energy:
Consuming too much junk food can lead to a lack of energy because food high in sugar or carbs will first lead to a spike in blood sugar. That will give you a slight energy boost and decrease drastically. Unfortunately, this vicious cycle is never-ending, and you will keep returning to binge-eating junk food and getting addicted to this habit.
Lack of oxygen:
Regular consumption of junk food also leads to poor concentration levels and lethargy; you will always feel drowsy and unmotivated, a direct reaction of your brain cells not receiving the required amount of oxygen.
Made with harmful additives and chemicals:
Junk food is laced with a lot of additives, preservatives, and chemically processed spices which can lead to cancer and allergic reactions.
Find below an unhealthy food chart for you to understand the food items you should avoid:
Unhealthy food list
Sugar:
Sugar is a complete source of empty calories as it has 100% energy and no other nutrients. The desirable way to consume sugar is through diet, naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, dry fruit, and milk/milk products. Cut down on sweets, candies, chocolates, soft drinks, fruit juices, and biscuits, and consume sugar in moderation.
Caffeine:
Coffee is a major source of caffeine. Coffee beans are grown with the use of pesticides and herbicides that are toxic in nature. Caffeine is also found in chocolates, colas and other soft drinks, and it is better to avoid them. Some signs of caffeine problems are headache, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, fatigue, etc. Excess caffeine can disrupt your ability to get restorative sleep. High doses of caffeine cause digestive problems and increases the risk of heart disease.
Soft Drinks:
Soft drinks are bad for health due to their sugar and caffeine content. Eliminate the intake of soft drinks from the diet and replace them with herbal teas, lemon water, and water.
Refined Foods:
Refined and processed foods are made of refined wheat flour or maida with no or very little fiber content. Lack of fiber in diet leads to constipation and sluggish bowels, and in worst cases, it can also lead to colon cancer. On the contrary, a whole-food diet with plenty of veggies and fruits provides sufficient fiber.
Saturated Fats and Trans Fats:
Excess saturated fat intake can lead to obesity and increased cholesterol levels, leading to heart-related problems and other disorders. All fried foods, fatty meats, and ghee come under saturated fat. Bland food, which has less oil and spices, is hardly palatable, so people jump towards the rich, spicy, and oily foods that give them taste and palatability.
Trans fats are unsaturated fats chemically modified to have a structure similar to saturated fats. This modification is done through hydrogenation to make them more solid and stable at room temperature.
Both trans fats and saturated fats raise the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol in the blood and lower good cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Animal Protein:
Although animal protein foods like fish, egg, dairy products, and chicken provide a complete source of protein that is good for health, in excess, it can be harmful. Likewise, the most popular source of animal fats like cheese, full-fat milk, ghee, red meat, and beef can cause a lot of damage to one’s health.
Salt:
Salt is an essential nutrient the body requires, which helps regulate its fluid balance, maintain heart rhythm, conduct nerve impulses and contract muscle. However, high amounts of salt intake can lead to hypertension. High-sodium foods are canned and tinned foods, pickled meat, highly salted breakfast cereals, buns, cakes, pastries, packed soups, sauces, etc.
Cooking Oils:
Use refined oils instead of desi ghee. Using 2-3 teaspoons of oil daily is enough for the necessary body function. Keep your oils on rotation. Don’t reuse the oils as they increase the risk of heart disease and produce free radicals in the body.
Alcohol:
Avoid drinking too much alcohol as it causes dehydration, irritability, headaches etc.
Junk Food:
French fries, burgers, chips, pizzas, etc., are the hot favorites amongst the current generation. However, they contain plenty of calories which can lead to weight gain. One of the main reasons for obesity and child obesity is junk food intake. Apart from these elements, factors such as unhealthy cooking conditions and inadequate quality checks add to the hazardous nature of fast food or junk food.
To lead a healthy life, refrain from consuming these unhealthy food items and choose a healthy, nutritious diet for positive results.