What is Junk Food anyway?

Why do so many people say it’s Bad for us??

Why do we want it?

How would it affect our bodies if we stopped eating it?

What would we eat if we stopped eating Junk Food?

Can we stop eating it?

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Junk Food is not Food…it’s products that we eat that have low nutritional value, that have been “produced” by people, not nature;

it is usually “ultra-processed”;

it is usually packaged and takes very little preparation before eating. 

It is high in calories and sugar, usually is high in saturated fat and high in sodium, with these additions making it very tasty.

It is also usually much more convenient than real food.

Is it bad for us? 

1.     A diet that is heavy in junk food can result in obesity, depression, digestive issues, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death.

2.     As early as age 30, arteries could begin clogging, and lay the groundwork for future heart attacks.

3.     Testing on rats by Scripps Research Institute in 2008 suggested that eating junk food alters brain activity in a manner similar to addictive drugs like cocaine and heroin.  After many weeks with unlimited access to junk food, the rats tested became desensitized, requiring more food for pleasure. 

4.     Eating junk food can steal your energy levels, and your emotional well-being.

5.     Research with children eating a diet heavy in junk food showed a link to excessive hyperactivity in 33% of the children, showing that children eating excess junk food at the age of 7 are more likely to be in the top third on the hyperactivity scale.

6.     It causes inflammation in the brain, raising risk of developing neurodegenerative conditions.

7.     A steady diet of junk food actually alters our brain and how we behave, and how we learn.

8.     Research suggests it affects the decision-making part of our brain, and the rule-following part is also impaired.

9.     In a recent peer-reviewed journal article that included nearly 10 million participants, researches reported that greater ultra-processed food exposure is linked to increased risk of early death, and increased risk of developing the diseases of aging (cardiometabolic diseases, obesity, dysregulated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and diabetes)

These are some comments made by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a couple of days ago:

“We are the sickest country in the world.

60% of population has chronic disease; in the ‘60’s it was 6%.

At that time a typical pediatrician would see one child in his lifetime that had diabetes.  Today one out of every 3 children who sees a pediatrician is pre-diabetic or diabetic.

We are paying more to treat diabetes than the entire military budget of the United States.

All these chronic diseases, the United States is paying 5 times our military budget to treat them.”

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 Why do we want it?  It’s so tasty! And it’s Everywhere!!

1.     It is typically more convenient than real food;

2.     Junk Food consumers typically eat too much in one sitting.

3.     After you eat junk food, you are less likely to eat healthy foods like fruit and vegetables.

4.     Food manufacturers spend billions of dollars on research & development to create flavor profiles that trigger the human affinity for sugar, salt and fat.  So,

5.     It tastes delicious; it is enjoyable, and gives us pleasure.  Our brain releases dopamine; makes us feel good.  It results in addictive effects on the brain.

6.     Food manufacturers spend massive amounts on marketing to create powerful brand loyalties that studies show people will care about.

As far back as 1968-1977, there began a very high-profile attempt to identify and curb junk food in the American diet (by the McGovern Committee; U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs)

The intent was to investigate malnutrition and hunger in the U.S.

The committee took issue with over-use of salt, sugar and fat in processed foods (even back then!!), also with the high percentage of ads for junk food on TV, and stated that bad eating habits could be as deadly as smoking.

The committee was heavily criticized from many directions, including the food industry and the American Medical Association.

Other Countries have made some changes:

Denmark has a fat-food tax, as of 2011, for food that contains more than 2.3% saturated fat.  (This one only lasted a little over a year.)

Hungary has imposed taxes on foods and beverages high in added sugar, fat and salt.

Norway taxes refined sugar, and Mexico has various taxes on unhealthy food.  Several states in Mexico banned sales of junk food to minors, starting in August of 2020.

The Navajo reservation in 2014 mandated a 2% junk food tax, targeting problems with obesity and diabetes among their population.

The United Kingdom proposed policies in 2021 that would call for a ban on online ads of foods high in fat, salt and sugar, and an additional ban on advertising such foods on television before 9 p.m.

In October, 2021, Spain announced a ban on the advertising of several categories of junk food to children under 16, on television, radio, online in movie theaters and in newspapers.  Affected foods include candy, energy bars, cookies, cake, juice, energy drinks and ice cream.

In Australia, a Wollongong University study in 2015 found that junk food sponsors were mentioned over 1,000 times in a single Australian cricket match broadcast (branding worn on players’ uniforms, scoreboard, etc.).

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How would it affect our bodies if we stopped eating it?

You think you’re “aging”?  You think “old age” is for the birds?

What if those symptoms are not “old age”?  (Would you believe that is possible?!)

What if it’s you poisoning your body, killing and injuring your mitochondria (our body’s energy source) and weakening your immune system so it can’t fight off illnesses and aches and pains?

What if, for real, we are slowly poisoning ourselves into these illnesses?

If you leave off junk food, and all sugar for a couple of weeks, you would be amazed at your energy (real energy, not caffeine or sugar energy), and at the way you feel…and the way you can think.

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What would we eat if we didn’t eat such convenient, fast, delicious junk food?

1.     We would feel deprived for a short time, regardless of what we did eat, if we left off all our junk food.  We might even feel flu-like symptoms for a couple of days, and may feel grouchy, as if we were depriving ourselves of something actually necessary for our existence—like an addict.

2.     We would eat high quality foods full of nutrients.  Fruits, vegetables (organic as much as possible), good quality grass-fed or wild-caught meat.  Also good quality oil/fat (not vegetable oils or seed oils which are terrible for our health).

3.     These foods are full of nutrition, antioxidants to fight off diseases and illnesses, and they nourish and protect our brain.

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Can we stop eating it? 

“Oh, I just want to eat some good ol’ comfort food and start again tomorrow” and we eat the donuts.

We know it’s bad for us, but we eat it anyway.

Can we counter this?

Yes.  Yes, we can.

1.     You can eat healthy food!  Fruit and Vegetables. Good Quality meats.  Good Quality fats.  Avocados.  Oily fish and other Omega-3’s.

2.     Be Active.  Not just burning calories.  Being active every day boosts neuroplasticity mechanisms in the brain.  It will help you change your thinking.  And you will feel more like changing.

Fruits and Vegetables have Antioxidants.  Antioxidants fight inflammation.  They fight inflammation in the brain (neuroinflammation).

This helps our thinking processes.  It helps keep brain fog away.  It helps us to problem solve.

Think about your brain for a minute.  Do you know that your brain never switches off?  While you’re peacefully sleeping, do you realize your brain is working?

Did you realize your brain uses about 20% of the calories you consume?  It uses those calories to maintain your body temperature, your breathing rate, your heart rate, and even your emotions.

Our brain needs healthy food instead of junk food (non-food).  Our body needs it.  Our sleep needs it.  We need it for strength in our body.

If we set our mind to it, we can change the way we eat.  It will change our lives.

We will feel better.

We will think better.

We will act better.

We will sleep better.

We will have more energy.

The food industry does not want you to change the way you eat.  So that “junk food” will continue to be super-tasty.  And those ads will continue to nudge our brain toward it.

But YOUR LIFE will be so much better if you take those steps to make the change.

In my opinion, making small changes in leaving off these things will not work.

In my opinion, cleaning out all the junk food out of your sight in your home is what makes the difference.  All of it.  Cold turkey.

Your taste buds will change in a short time.  You will be able to actually taste “real food”.  And you will like the new real flavors.

And in my opinion, you need to activate your body daily.  It helps the whole process.

All you need is

1.     A Decision.

2.     A Plan.

(If you need help with either of these, I can help you individually.)

If you make the decision, and begin with only leaving off packaged food and sugar (including all sodas and juice), within a very short time you won’t need that “tough will power” to get you through.  You will feel and think so much better, you’ll want to continue.

Will you ever taste junk food again?  Sure you will.  But don’t, for a good long spell.  So you can see how real food affects your body without all the poisons added.

After you feel all the differences, and you really want something, go ahead and have it.  A small bit of it.  Then go back to eating your real food.  Your life will love you for the change.

I hope this was helpful.  If I can help you in any way, please let me.

Thank you for reading.

Sharon