We all love to eat something delicious. Candies, chocolates, soda, chips - isn't that right? And well, if you bought such a yummy, ate it and forgot about it for the coming year. But what year is it, what are you. Today a bunch of chips, tomorrow crackers, the next day a stake, and so on. It is tasty, but there is no benefit from such food.
What are empty calories?
Food that does not benefit the human body is called empty calories. It includes fast food, synthetic sweets (chewing marmalade, some types of chocolate), sausages (made according to TU), all dishes prepared on the basis of a large amount of oil, fried food in oil, sweet carbonated drinks, and, of course, food from McDonald's, KFC and other fast food restaurants.
Simple carbohydrates
Is it junk food or is it just plain? We will find out what is behind the concept of “simple carbohydrates”. In general, carbohydrates are fuel for the body. They are the main "suppliers" of energy. More precisely, complex carbohydrates. This food is saturated with this type of carbohydrate, which is slowly absorbed by the body. They give a feeling of fullness, and the human body works for a long time and thoughtfully on their conversion into energy. Such carbohydrates are beneficial.
Simple carbohydrates are sugar. Accordingly, those foods that contain large quantities of sugar do not participate in the energy supply of the body. He takes them and puts them aside, that is, turns them into fat. They are absorbed quickly, but do not bring benefits to the body. Therefore, food containing carbohydrates, which the body can easily cope with, can be attributed to unhealthy foods.
Why are we eating this?
It would seem that the cons of junk food are obvious. These are health problems. First of all, obesity, problems with the heart, blood vessels, gastrointestinal tract. And this is only a minimum of harm received from eating fast food and other "goodies."
However, people continue to eat it. Go to fast food restaurants, buy dubious carbonated drinks, chips and other “plastic” food. Why is this happening? There are several answers to this question:
The cultivation of such food in the media. Beautiful advertising on TV, nice photos and videos on the Internet, beckoning advertising posters on the streets. Tempting signs at fast food restaurants. All this forms a certain attitude to unhealthy food. She is beautiful, tasty, relatively inexpensive. Why not peek at McDonald’s once or twice? Or don’t you get a bag of instant noodles at the store?
Many-beloved fast food contains addictive flavors. And a person simply "sits down" on junk food.
The same situation with drinks. Cola is made from water, caffeine, sugar, aromatic and flavoring additives. Not the most healthy composition, given that the can of this drink contains about 5 teaspoons of sugar. However, people drink themselves and buy it for children.
Such foods contain fats. And they make our brain want even more food, that is, stimulate appetite.
Harmful food can be classified as publicly available. It is cheap, creates the effect of fast saturation and is sold everywhere.
Frightening facts
All arguments for unhealthy food will crumble, you just need to read about what harm it does to the human body.
Harmful food provokes the appearance of cancer. In addition, she is responsible for problems with pressure and heart disease.
Many fast food manufacturers offer children's toys in addition to their products. More precisely, put them in packages. What for? Yes, because their main audience is children. And accustom to the consumption of this terrible food from a young age.
One of the most popular and bought among a large selection of junk food is french fries. It seems, what is dangerous in ordinary potatoes? Firstly, most often it is eaten with sauces. And secondly, a portion of delicious potatoes contains 600 kcal. And after a person ate it, he will feel hungry after 1-2 hours.
Some popular and favorite junk food products use thickeners. In particular, corn dextrin. It may comply with sanitary rules and regulations, but it is embarrassing that this polysaccharide is used in other industrial sectors as an adhesive.
Returning to the legendary Coca-Cola. Who does not know, at the moment, an aluminum can is more expensive than the production of the drink itself. It’s worth considering.
Positive sides
Can there be a plus to junk food? He is only one, very doubtful, but it is worth mentioning him. At least in order to be able to compare the list of pros and cons of this food.
The main positive side of fast food is the speed of its preparation and accessibility. Fast food chains exist in almost all cities, you can always run in and have a bite to eat, without spending a lot of time. Pricing policy is low.
Or in order not to cook at home, you can buy fast food. Heat in a microwave or pour boiling water and wait five minutes. Everything, the food is ready, you can eat.
Minuses
There are much more than pluses. What are the disadvantages of junk food? In part, we have already examined them:
Fast food leads to various diseases and obesity.
It includes addictive flavoring additives.
The benefits of junk food are just a publicity stunt. People, under the influence of advertising, eat what only harm them.
Fast food is extremely high in calories. As mentioned above, in a portion of french fries - 600 kcal, and in a can of Coca-Cola - several teaspoons of sugar.
A large part of the inhabitants of Russia consume fast food. This is a serious minus for their health.
You can speak for and against unhealthy foods, knowing its positive and negative sides. As we see, the latter are several times larger.
Interesting Facts
Did you know that in America, McDonald's is an ordinary eatery for the poor? While in the territories of many post-Soviet states he was equated with a restaurant.
Until 1990, hamburgers sold exclusively on the streets, they were considered food for the poor class.
Why isn't junk food advertising banned? Because it is not beneficial to anyone. People from childhood are made dependent on the media and their propaganda.
What to eat?
If fast food cannot be eaten, then what to eat? Especially when you really want to eat, in your pocket a minimum of money and time to spare.
Healthy and unhealthy foods vary widely in affordability. But in the case of a saving mode and lack of time, it’s easier to run to the nearest store and buy a couple of bananas and a bottle of mineral water there. It's cheaper and healthier than a burger or hot dog.
As for the working category of citizens, they often have no time to eat right. And often there is no possibility. In this case, you can take lunch with you from home, now it is not forbidden in many offices. For employees there is a buffet where you can warm up the food brought.
At other enterprises, there are canteens in which you can purchase a set lunch. Perhaps it is not as tasty as homemade, but certainly more healthy than fast food.
In some places, the practice of ordering home lunches at the office has taken root. They are delicious, it’s verified. But prices are not yet affordable for everyone.
But what about the house? In the evening, when there is no strength left for anything. As an option, boil chicken stock in a slow cooker and eat with white bread or homemade crackers. This is if there is absolutely no food in the refrigerator. And you can always warm up the food left over from yesterday and eat.
We are all about healthy eating and healthy. Give us examples of junk food. What can you eat this for dinner, really bad? Trite. Ready frozen cheburek. Popular chebupel now. Frozen shawarma or hamburger. Even a sausage sandwich is not the best choice for dinner.
Conclusion
In this article, we looked at what junk food is. Recall key points regarding malnutrition:
Fast food leads to heart disease, gastrointestinal tract and obesity.
Harmful food enters our lives through active media propaganda.
Children are “bribed” with toys by some manufacturers of fast food. The consumption of this food is imposed from childhood. They teach him purposefully.
Unhealthy food is very high in calories, while it does not give a feeling of fullness. On the contrary, I want to eat fast food again and again.
Various flavors and flavor enhancers are added to such foods. Therefore, it is addictive.
The main emphasis is on the relative cheapness of fast food, its availability and the speed of preparation.
Sometimes you want to treat yourself to junk food. And it is good if this desire comes once a year, is satisfied and disappears firmly after that. Before you eat a hamburger in a fast food restaurant, you should think: do you need this?