What is junk food. Why junk food is so popular How to get rid of junk food

Most of us, if we don't love ourselves, we certainly love ourselves. And, according to psychologists, such self-centeredness within reasonable limits is quite a useful phenomenon (by the way, the ability to say “no” when you really don’t want it is just one of the most useful skills - read more about it). However, why then, despite all the great self-love and healthy egoism, we allow ourselves to consume ... junk food? At the same time, we are not talking about literal scraps from garbage cans, but about junk food.

About, what it is, why junk food should not be consumed, what foods are included in the category of such “junk” food and how they can be replaced in our diet- our publication will tell you about all this ...

What is junk food

If you translate literally junk food from of English language, then you and I will get the term weed or garbage food. It is noteworthy that some food products began to be called so disrespectfully relatively recently. And, for the first time, the term junk food arose back in the 70s of the last century in America. So, they called food products that did not require special time costs for their preparation (so similar to modern ones), had a high but empty calorie content, and also contained a huge amount of all kinds of harmful substances - saturated fats, carcinogens, food additives, sugar and salt... That is, you guessed it - you "5" for quick wit, junk food is not healthy and not the right food, which should not be in the diet of a person who is worried about his health. All these chips, salted nuts, cakes, sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, chocolate bars, biscuits - despite the fact that they look attractive and cost a lot, should go where they belong - in the trash can.

The most popular types of junk food

Despite the fact that theoretically we understand what products can be included in the category of junk food, World Without Harm still decided to remind you, our readers, about the main enemies healthy lifestyle life and part-time leaders of the hit parade of junk food products.

French fries and potato chips

First of all, it's french fries and chips. There is a lot of salt in these signature dishes and the menu of any decent one, so,

in a bag weighing 35 grams, up to 2/3 of daily allowance adult salt intake.

And if you eat a little more - in order not to upset the balance, you will have to adhere to the principles for the rest of the day. In addition, there are a lot of saturated fats in french fries and chips, which in a special way affect the level of bad cholesterol - they increase it, this delicious junk food contains carcinogens - in particular, a substance such as acrylamide, which leads to malfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract. -intestinal tract and negatively affects the work of the peripheral nervous system.

salted nuts

The second place in terms of their harmfulness in the junk food category is occupied by salted nuts. Someone prefers to use them with beer (learn more about), and someone just like that. Well, despite the fact that nuts themselves are quite healthy products, the amount of spices and salt that the manufacturer adds to them turns them into a time bomb for your body. There is no longer any benefit to speak of. Besides,

very often as a result right conditions storage of these products, they begin to mold, and the mold, in turn, begins to produce carcinogens, but you can no longer determine that the nuts are expired and spoiled, since the taste of mold and its smell clog the aroma of synthetic spices and flavors ...

Chocolate biscuits and bars

And, our top three in terms of harmfulness are closed by chocolate bars and cakes, biscuits and other sweet products, created in order to increase your energy charge and charge your body with vigor. Everything would be fine, but all this is just a record amount, and a burst of energy due to a sharp increase in the glycemic index has a short-term effect, after which you feel empty and exhausted, as a result of a sharp jump in insulin in the blood and subsequent hypoglycemia ...

Unfortunately, due to its affordability in terms of pricing, as well as its specific rich taste, junk food has many fans. Moreover, experts claim that they have developed a real one, and the number of such addicts is increasing every year. At the same time, among those who were captured by junk food are children, teenagers, students, sweet tooth, office workers, housewives, lonely pensioners, people who are always in a hurry and never make it on time...

All this threatens that by the end of 2015, according to the forecasts of the World Health Organization, more than 2.3 billion adults around the world will suffer, and more than 700 million will say goodbye to things from their own, since with their obesity it will be simply impossible to wear your favorite dress . Therefore, the harm of energy-intensive foods, which are high in sugars and fat, and low in minerals, vitamins and other micronutrients, is obvious. Add to this the general tendency of most of humanity to lead a sedentary lifestyle and you will understand what threatens us all.

How to reduce the harm of junk food

Do you want to reduce the harm of junk food in your life, and not face its consequences, which we wrote about above? Simply, eliminate junk food from your diet. Replace all these chocolate bars, sweet soda, beer, hamburgers, cakes with other products - fruits, meat pies, homemade cakes, eat more simple and healthy food - cereals, fruits, vegetables, meat, etc.

Special attention should pay attention to the role of junk food in the lives of our children. Every day, sending them to school, we push their health to the abyss with our own hands, offering an energy bar instead of a homemade sandwich, forgetting that in doing so we form the wrong culture of food consumption and harmful food addictions in our children. But is this what we want for our children?

So that later we don’t have to explain to them that their favorite chips and hamburgers are junk food, it’s better to show by example that these foods should not be consumed, then you won’t have to wean them.

Ah, now World Without Harm will offer you some options, what can replace junk food in your menu and in the diet of your children

Garbage that is not thrown out in time litters our lives. And junk food - junk food - not only clutters up our lives, but also shortens its duration.

To junk food literal translation, just means “junk food”), in principle, fast food can also be attributed, however, recently these two concepts have been separated.

So if fast food is any food fast food(a lunch of semi-finished factory products, hamburgers, shawarma, pasties, hot dogs and all other products of street eateries), then junk food is chips, salty croutons and nuts, various snacks, soda, packaged juices, chocolate bars, etc. .

Both junk food and junk food are incredibly bad for our health. In addition to the huge
the amount of empty calories, the mass of trans fats, food additives, dyes, preservatives, insane amounts of salt or sugar, they do not contain anything else.

Even the tiny amount of protein that such products can contain will never be compared with the harm delivered by the rest of the ingredients from the composition.

Junk food is rightfully considered the most harmful garbage in our lives, because with the regular use of such products, human health indicators deteriorate significantly, which means that the quality of life suffers.

How can junk food ruin your life?

If you still believe that chips are fried natural potatoes in spices, and snacks are made from cereals, then at least pay attention to the ability of these products.

For example, many have already checked and made sure in practice that potato chips burn perfectly if they are set on fire. And a sprite or other similar drink poured into an electric kettle perfectly cleans the appliance from scale formed on the heater. In addition, cola and other carbonated drinks can be used to clear clogged pipes.

Now think about what really goes into these products, since they work like chemical substances? For sure, one chemistry and no more.

An experiment for the film

In 2004, an American, Morgan Spurlock, voluntarily agreed to an experiment in his diet for the sake of filming the documentary "Double Portion" about the dangers of junk food and fast food. Videographers filmed the life of Morgan, who deliberately ate for a month only in fast food restaurants, ate chips, drank soda, ate French fries.

During the filming, it was shown what was happening with Morgan's figure and weight, how he felt, what mood he was in. Morgan took all kinds of tests and passed medical examinations for exact definition health status.

What a shock it was when, after a month of eating junk food, it turned out that Morgan gained 10 kg of weight (only fat mass!), He suffered liver damage and sexual dysfunction. Doctors interrupted this disastrous experiment.

As a result, the restoration of health and weight after the end of filming took Morgan several months of treatment and regular intensive training in the gym. And this is with a complete transition to proper nutrition.

Now imagine what happens to people and their health if they eat this way for many years? How many years will it take to restore the body, weight correction? And will it be possible to cleanse and restore the body completely?

By the way, in 2005 the film "Double Portion" with the participation of Morgan won an Oscar as the best documentary. This film really should be shown to everyone who still crunches chips and drinks soda with food.

Scientific data on junk food

However, not only actors and directors checked the harm of junk food. Scientists have thought about this issue. So, an experiment was conducted, during which several dozen experimental people who voluntarily agreed to eat junk food (in addition to standard food) for 5 days in a row were tested for health.

As a result, it turned out that all the participants in the experiment already on the fifth day of such nutrition showed significant changes in metabolism, the amount of substances in the blood increased, affecting changes in the hormonal background and the number of reproductive cells.

Seeing how we eat, our body itself worsens reproductive health in order to reduce the likelihood of having pathologically ill children. Think about it, especially if you are yet to become parents!

Analysis of popular junk food

Truth-seeking lab assistants were added to the actors and scientists.

They conducted research on the most popular varieties of junk food and put their reports up for public discussion.

French fries, salted nuts and chocolate bars were selected for the study, and here is what we managed to find out:

French fries

Just 40 g of french fries contains 2/3 of the daily salt requirement. Even if you eat such a serving of potatoes, you will have to adhere to the principles of a salt-free diet for the rest of the day.

If you eat more (and even in a child's serving of potatoes about 100 g!), Then you will really exceed the norm for salt. What will happen in the end? Well, in the initial stages, you are threatened with swelling, weight gain due to the accumulation of fluid in the body, pressure surges.

With severe swelling and poor discharge of fluid, there is a risk of earning hypertensive crisis with the risk of subsequent heart attack and / or stroke.

Often eating very salty foods will also ruin your kidneys and stomach. In general, the prospects are not at all bright. And when you consider that french fries are fried in a vat of oil that has been overcooked several times already, then they contain very harmful trans fats with a carcinogenic risk.

Trans fats increase the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, and this is a guarantee of problems with the heart, blood vessels, all the same hypertension, the risk of heart attack and stroke. Trans fats pollute the body, fill it with toxins, increase the amount of adipose tissue, the most dangerous abdominal (abdominal fat), and adversely affect weight and figure.

Overcooked vegetable oil many times is not just trans fats, these are carcinogenic trans fats (for example, acrylamide), that is, those that, in addition to all other hazards, also increase the risk of cancer. And this is not a joke at all!

By the way, chips and other snacks that are cooked in oil have similar properties.

salted nuts

Nuts themselves are a very useful product. They are rich in vitamins, microelements, herbs. x proteins and necessary for the body fatty acids such as omega-3s.

But when nuts are fried for a long time in oil, with salt, flavorings, flavors, and then packed with preservatives, then all of them beneficial features disappear. Again, there is a lot of salt in the nuts, just a lot. And what happens when you go over too much according to the norm of salt, we wrote above.

Secondly, the oil in which such nuts are fried does not better than butter in which chips and french fries are fried. And, finally, numerous spices and artificial flavor enhancers are pure chemistry.

No less interesting is the fact that nuts in packages often begin to grow moldy, and mold also produces carcinogens. Feeling the taste of mold due to flavors and flavor enhancers is almost impossible.

Chocolate bars

This is a real carbohydrate bomb, which greatly increases the level of glucose in the blood, causing a sharp response of the pancreas, which begins to produce insulin. As a result, you get a quickly passing feeling of fullness, increased appetite already after half an hour or an hour, an excess of sugar in the blood and the constant work of the pancreas.

Junk food often causes excess weight, poor health, apathy and nervous tension. It fills our diet with empty calories, gradually destroying us from the inside. Be careful what you eat and don't let yourself ruin yourself!

Were you interested in our article? Then like and write in the comments, have you completely abandoned junk food?

Junk food is definitely one of the tastiest perverse pleasures. modern world and an integral part of popular culture. People eat junk food at fast food outlets, schools, sports games, amusement parks and movie theaters, and a host of other places. Moreover, junk food is sometimes easier to find than water. Unfortunately, the consumption of unhealthy food is costly in terms of human health. No matter how delicious these foods are, unhealthy foods are just as bad for your health as alcohol and smoking. You can see for yourself with these twenty-five facts about junk food that might convince you to eat healthier.

25. The term "junk food" was originally used in the sixties, but became widely popular in the next decade, when the song "Junk Food Junkie" reached the top of the charts in the mid-1970s.

24. Many studies over the past few decades have shown that excessive consumption of unhealthy foods is directly associated with an increase in obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and some types of cancer.

23. If you're looking for someone or something to blame for the unhealthy eating culture that exists today, then you should blame the TV. It has been scientifically proven that nearly 80 percent of all food commercials that run on Saturday morning children's shows are junk food ads.

22. The American snack "Cracker Jack" was the first to use toys to sell junk food to children without thinking about morality at all!

21. You've probably heard over and over that a can of Coca-Cola contains approximately eight or nine (or even ten, according to some sources) teaspoons of sugar. However, you've probably never heard that metal cans are by far the most expensive of all "ingredients" since the famous sweet water is made primarily from water, additives, refined sugar and caffeine.

20. The sweets industry in the United States generates $23 billion annually and is the world leader in junk food sales. Surprisingly, candy sales continue to rise despite concerns about junk food and obesity.

19. In the late 1970s, Daniel White assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Administrator Harvey Milk. In a controversial verdict that led to the legal slang "Protection of Twinkie", White was found guilty of manslaughter rather than murder because he allegedly suffered from depression. His change in diet from healthy foods to Twinkies and other sugary foods was used by the defense as a symptom of depression.

18. Halloween sells $2 billion worth of candy, more than any other holiday in America. This makes Halloween the most unhealthy and "fat" holiday.

17. In case you're wondering, french fries are (of course) the most popular type of junk food in the entire world. A serving of McDonald's french fries has about 600 calories and won't help you satisfy your hunger, but will instead make you even hungrier.

16. Dunkin' Donuts reportedly sells approximately 6.4 million donuts a day. In other words, Americans consume over 2 billion donuts a year from Dunkin' Donuts alone.

15. Tootsie Roll (Tootsie Roll) was named after the daughter of its creator, Clara (Clara), nicknamed Tootsie. It was the first individually wrapped penny candy. During World War II, Tootsie Rolls were placed in soldiers' rations because they tolerated various weather conditions well. Hmm, what do you say they're made of?

14. Before the term "junk food" became popular, junk food became part of the American diet in the 1920s, but it was through television advertising after World War II that junk food became more popular and nutritionists finally started to worry.

13. Have you ever wondered when and how gum became so popular? As early as 1891, William Wrigley Jr. began selling soap in Chicago. To increase his sales, he gave gum to his customers. When his gum became a hit, he decided to start making and selling gum instead of soap.

12. The vast majority of researchers and nutritionists agree that fats from unhealthy foods make the brain crave more food, which of course leads to obesity in the long run.

11. Twinky is the undisputed champion of all junk snacks and it is estimated that Hostess produces over 500 million Twinky every year. By the way, according to some reports, the substance that gives Twinks their delicate taste, cellulose resin, is also used in rocket fuel.

10. Despite not being the best-selling chocolate bar, Snickers is undoubtedly the most popular in America due to its supposed health benefits.

9. Recent scientific studies conducted in China have shown that the growth rate of breast cancer in the country has increased significantly due to the consumption of Western junk food.

8. There is a theory that suggests that daily consumption of candy and junk food by children is associated with later life violence, although many psychologists and scientists openly disagree with this theory.

7. Many studies have shown that mothers who eat unhealthy foods during pregnancy and breastfeeding give birth to children who are prone to obesity throughout their lives. Their children are also prone to diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood fat.

6. Alloxan is a by-product of white flour bleaching and is found in many foods classified as junk food. What is he doing? Studies show that it leads to diabetes in healthy animals by destroying their pancreatic beta cells. Imagine the harm it can do to people.

5. A study conducted by the Healthy Children's Food Campaign (CFC) showed that some foods for children can contain as much, if not more, saturated fat and sugar than unhealthy foods.

4. For thousands of years, natural licorice has been used as a medicine to treat ulcers, sore throats and coughs. The first licorice "candy" was an attempt to mask the bitter taste of the medicine, although most American licorice "candies" do not currently contain historical medicinal properties licorice.

3. Whenever you want to eat junk food, remember that the most popular thickener, corn dextrin, used in some junk food products, is also the adhesive for envelopes and postage stamps.

2. We all tend to think that a good milkshake is made from milk and cream. This is absolutely not true, at least when it comes to the delicious "Wendy's Frosty", which contains not one, not two, but 14 different ingredients (called thickeners).

1. A recent study found that young women who consistently eat unhealthy foods are at a higher risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that commonly causes type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Junk food (from the English junk food - weed food) is a term that has appeared in everyday life relatively recently. They call food that does not require cooking and has a high, but at the same time contains many harmful substances: sugar, salt, carcinogens, many food additives that we can only guess about. Literally, junk food is unhealthy, unhealthy food. It includes chips, salted nuts, sodas, cakes, sandwiches, hamburgers, chocolate bars, etc.

The term "junk food" originated in the 70s in the United States. Initially, this food was called weed because for packages that filled trash cans to the top and were carried by the wind along the street, but over time, the word junk food began to refer not only to packaging, but also to the quality of the food itself. A large amount of salt, spices, dyes, flavors, fat adversely affects the work internal organs, can lead to the formation of gastritis, indigestion, deterioration of the skin condition, metabolic disorders, and even problems of the hormonal system.

Most popular junk food:

Chips, french fries.

These foods, so beloved in fast food establishments, contain a lot of salt (in 35 g. a bag of chips contains 2/3 of the daily salt requirement). You can read about the daily need for salt in a person in our Manufacturers indulge the consumer with both potato and corn chips, but both of these products are extremely harmful to humans. After all, chips are a mixture of fats and carbohydrates, dressed in a shell of dyes and flavor enhancers. Eating french fries is akin to that. Both of these products are supersaturated with carcinogens (contribute to the development cancer), saturated fats (which increase levels). One of the most well-known carcinogens is acrylamide, which impairs the normal functioning of the stomach and negatively affects the peripheral nervous system.

Junk food and its consumption originated in our country with the advent of McDonald's. You can read about the dangers of food from McDonald's. The harm of chips has been officially proven and manufacturing companies pay millions in fines to the state. To my great regret, in Russia, chips are sold in any store, and every day I see a large number of people with these rustling packages filled with this poison.

salted nuts.

The nut itself is a healthy product, but the huge amount of spices, salt and other additives contained in packages with nuts negates all the beneficial properties of nuts.

Chocolate bars and cakes.

The well-known "Mars" and "Snickers" are a collection of a huge amount of calories, this is achieved through chemical additives, dyes and flavors. The candy bar boom started in the 90s, the huge amount of sugar in this product makes a person eat it again and again. Manufacturers often label these sweets as "energy-boosting", citing their high carbohydrate content. But the burst of energy due to the high levels of these products is very short-lived, after a while it is replaced by fatigue due to a jump in insulin in the blood and subsequent hypoglycemia.

Sweet carbonated drinks.

This product is a mixture of chemicals, gases and sugar. In fact, their only purpose is the distribution of harmful substances throughout the body. So, Coca-Cola is known for its ability to remove scale and rust. Consider whether it is worth sending such a liquid to the stomach. In carbonated drinks, 4-5 teaspoons of sugar per glass of water can be considered the equivalent. It is not surprising that it is simply impossible to quench your thirst with the help of such drinks - you want to drink after 5 minutes!

Fast food products.

This junk food is becoming more and more dense in the life of a modern person, and this is explanation. In conditions of lack of time, it is so convenient to use ready-made products. It is worth adding boiling water to a cup, and you have a ready-made dinner on the table in the form of mashed potatoes, noodles or soup. Naturally, such products are far from being made from natural ingredients; they contain many chemical additives in the form of flavor enhancers, dyes, flavors. The most popular instant product is noodles, which appeared on the Russian market in the 90s. You can read more about instant noodles.

Alcohol.

This junk food is practically related to modern man. Alcohol is definitely detrimental to human body, this has been discussed many times. Do not rely on the fact that a moderate amount of alcohol does not harm or is beneficial to a person. This is just an invention beneficial to manufacturers. In addition, it should be remembered that a large number of alcoholic products are of illegal origin, such drinks contain toxic substances, in other words, you buy poison with your own money. Alcohol is especially dangerous for young girls.

Junk food and its consequences

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a disappointing forecast: by 2017, approximately 2.3 billion adults in the world will be overweight, more than 700 million will be obese. The WHO names the main enemies of human health as "a global change in nutrition towards an increased consumption of energy-intensive foods with a high percentage of fat and sugars, and a low content of vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients" and a trend towards a sedentary lifestyle.

Junk food is becoming more and more popular, causing people to become downright narcotic. addiction! As a rule, junk food is common among students, teenagers and people who lead an overly dynamic unhealthy lifestyle. Every year there are more and more such people. This is facilitated by all kinds of advertising, the absence or minimum amount of natural food products on sale that would serve healthy snack for people. But in fact, the reason people depend on such products lies in their composition. Almost all junk food contains ixitotoxins - they enhance the taste. All ixitotoxins are united common property- the ability to enhance the taste of food. They are different from regular sugar and salt, which only irritate the receptors on the tongue. Ixitotoxins act on taste centers in the brain itself. They excite our brain, as a result of which, any food seems tasty and bright.

Junk food and its secret ingredient

One of the most insidious properties of ixitotoxins is their ability to be addictive, which explains people's cravings for foods like junk food. People who are addicted to such products often cannot eat normally, because healthy food seems tasteless to them, the brain is waiting for other sensations. This is the whole secret of the mass products business, using low-grade raw materials, manufacturers stuff them with chemical flavor enhancers. This is a definite benefit for them, which is why junk food is flourishing all over the world.

Dr. Blaylock studied these substances in detail in his works, and was able to prove that taste enhancers not only irritate parts of the brain, but also have a destructive effect when such food is regularly consumed. The problem is that many manufacturers do not list flavor enhancers in their products, but this does not mean that they are not there. For the sake of profit, manufacturers find ways to get around the law. For example, a sausage manufacturer buys a component like vegetable protein. And it already has “flavors” from the native manufacturer. As a result, they do not fall into the list of ingredients: only vegetable protein will be indicated there. Another question arises: if these substances are so harmful, why are they allowed by law? There are several reasons for this:

1. During development, each of these substances was scientifically tested, and therefore was found to be safe (naturally in very small doses). Therefore, ixitotoxins are legal;
2. Junk food is a giant industry built on top of the chemical industry and there is a lot of money in it. Therefore, it is beneficial for everyone, including the state. Junk food will continue to thrive. The choice is only ours!

Junk food and how to deal with it?

The most correct and simple answer is not to eat junk food. Instead of chocolate bars, use fruit as a snack, instead of sweet soda - mineral water and so on. . And, of course, you need to learn to fill up with simple healthy food, best cooked at home. The basis of a healthy human diet should be vegetables, fruits, cereals and so on.

But consider the situation if you are not at home and are forced to purchase your snack in a store where junk food abounds. What you need to look at first of all in the composition of the product:

Forewarned is forearmed! Let's all avoid unhealthy foods together, and maybe one day the situation in the world will change. Junk food is a problem that every adult can handle! The only exception is children. Studies around the world show that the culture of food consumption in the family greatly influences the food habits of the child in the future. Therefore, parents should be more careful about their own diet.