Junk foods may provide you with tasty alternatives to wholesome foods at times. When consumed too often, however, they add extra calories and pounds that cause problems over time. Junk foods can even become an unhealthy habit for many people. Removing junk food from your diet brings you health benefits to restore energy, alertness and self-confidence.
Negative Effects
Eating junk food as a treat once in a while may not interfere with your health as long as you practice a healthy diet regularly and enjoy an active lifestyle to burn off extra calories. Too many fast foods, candy, pastries, high-fat chips and other fat-filled snacks cause persistent and long-term trouble. You consume excess amounts of saturated fat through junk foods. High intake of saturated fat causes digestive difficulties and leads to weight gain. Many processed snack foods and fried foods in fast-food restaurants include trans fat, made from hydrogenated oils to make them last longer. Saturated and trans fats raise harmful cholesterol levels, which can result in heart disease. Although junk food may satisfy your hunger, they lack the vitamins and minerals of fresh, wholesome foods. You gain pounds without vital nutrients with junk food.
Fiber Protection
Eating fruits and vegetables during meals or as snacks instead of junk food helps to control your weight and improves your blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables have plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber to aid digestion and protect your health. Whole-grain foods, also high in fiber, make a healthy alternative to junk food by helping to lower your blood cholesterol. Whole grains, including whole-wheat or whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta, oatmeal and brown rice, provide you with a feeling of fullness without the digestive problems from junk food.
Snacks and Meals
Fruit, vegetable sticks or high-fiber nuts, such as almonds or pecans, make healthy alternatives over junk food for snacks between meals. Fiber-rich foods digest smoothly to avoid the effects of upset stomach and spoiling your appetite caused by junk foods. Low-fat protein foods, such as fish, skinless poultry and lean meat, do not contain the high-fat content of fatty meals found in fast-food restaurants for a quick bite to eat. With healthy protein foods, you become energized and alert without the lethargy that strikes you after eating junk food.
Mental Health
Avoiding junk food also protects your mental health. A study of 3,486 middle-aged people found that those on a diet high in fruits, vegetables and fish had significantly lower risk factors for depression than people who practiced a diet rich in processed meat, fried food and sugary desserts. Researchers analyzed dietary patterns and assessment reports on the subjects over five years, according to the November 2009 issue of the "British Journal of Psychiatry."
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