One thing I have noticed about junk food is that it never feels satisfying. You can take them throughout the day and not feel like you have eaten anything.
I understand that it is supposed to be a snack and should not be replaced with food, but it still baffles me how people can consume so much in a day and it still does not qualify as food.
Now, I have a theory why this so.
Normally food is supposed to be filling. When it comes to filling up, carbonates are the real deal, which is why you need to supplement carbs with protein and other types of food to achieve a properly balanced diet.
However, junk food lacks fiber and hardly holds any weight, allowing people to eat a lot of junk food and never realize they have consumed so much because they are not full.
For me, junk food is not all that bad once in a while, but it becomes problematic when people consume it in large quantities while taking added preservatives, artificial sugar, coloring saccharine, excessive salt, and so on. This is the mechanism by which junk food causes weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, and high levels of bad cholesterol.
Can people master how to properly take junk food?
No.
I believe this is because junk food is designed to be addictive due to its lack of filling properties. So this is why it is difficult to get in and out. It is either in or out, and it is difficult to find middle ground.
Sodas are among the most addictive junk foods. Then, years ago, I was mostly binging on soda at every opportunity, which I did for more than 7 years. Throughout that time, I had serious stomach and gut problems, but I lacked a proper education on what I should and should not consume.
In contrast to salt, sugar does not have a burn mechanism in the body. Little to moderate sugar consumption may not cause type 2 diabetes, but when it becomes excessive, it indicates that the body can no longer handle the sugar; they are no longer stored as fat because the person is already overweight, and thus the body can no longer produce insulin or enough insulin to process the sugar.
Sugar is the problem not salt
Excess salt is also harmful, but the mechanism by which the human body excretes salt differs from that of sugar. Human tears and sweat contain salt, so sugar is often to blame for problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
In reality, people are always under the impression that because they are young, they are unlikely to develop diabetes. Now, while diabetes can be inherited, we must recognize that lifestyle has a greater impact.
Now, I understand that we live in a world where junk food appears to be unavoidable, but if you can eat 1% junk and 99% whole food, you are somehow safe. Unfortunately, junk foods account for 50% of most people's diets, and they have yet to find a way to overcome their addiction.
Personally, I believe that the only way to overcome junk food addiction is through self-discipline and resolve. This is the easy way. The second method is to already have complications from diabetes or heart disease, and the fear of death will do the trick. The latter is the harder path, but most people prefer to learn the hard way.
Junk-free
I have not had any junk food in over two years. I mostly eat whole foods and have reduced my processed food intake by more than 50%, including more real tomatoes and peppers that are not in sachets with added preservatives.
That being said, I reduced them by more than 50% but have not completely eliminated them. So, instead of biscuits or cakes, I prefer cucumber because it can serve as both a fruit and a vegetable.
Carrots and watermelon are two other fruits to snack on, but I have not had them in a long time. However, I make sure to eat cucumber every day so that I do not miss out on the feeling of having a snack.
I eliminated red meat for the first few months of my diagnosis and replaced it with eggs, but I have since reintroduced it because it is a good source of protein and fat, especially the fatty cuts.
I am not completely whole, as I still need to incorporate a few whole foods into my diet, but money has been a constraint, and I am happy with the progress I have made.
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