Ok so what is junk food?
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ProTFitness
Posts: 1,379 Member
Ok so what is junk food?
Well you probably have heard many different types of definitions for junk food, but let’s make it very simple. Junk food is pretty much any food that provides little nutritional value compared to the calorie intake. But what is meant by nutritional value? You could argue that chocolate bars have nutritional value because they provide your body with energy. However, the problem with most chocolate bars is that they also include a ton of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours and colors, and fat that lines our stomach the moment we consume them!
What are some of the most common junk foods (I hope this is obvious to most of you already):
■Fast foods from all the big chains (just stay away from them period.)
■Candy bars (almost anything you can buy in a seven eleven)
■Ice cream (this includes even most low fat, low sugar varieties)
■Chips, microwave or movie theatre popcorn, nuts that have been processed (my weakness!)
■Delivery pizza, frozen pizza, fast food pizza (extremely high fat and carb content)
Why can’t we avoid them?
There are so many reasons behind why we can’t avoid junk food, but let’s simplify it again as much as we can.
Firstly, they taste great. Manufactures of junk foods will put together whatever ingredients they can find to make their product taste the best it possibly can. Millions of dollars are spent on testing these products and seeing how much people like them. I’ll get to what this means for our health as a consumer in a second, but in relation to the millions spent on testing these products, manufacturers of junk foods also spend millions and nowadays hundreds of millions on advertising these to us.
The brilliant thing about their advertising is that they really are throwing a blanket on us that tricks our minds to believe that even those healthy actors in commercials or ads are also eating these junk foods on a regular basis. There is a major disconnect here with the actual truth. Let’s just say this. I bet you we would think twice about these junk foods if they showed obese people eating these same junk foods! Think about that for a minute.
You may laugh, or you may think it’s not funny but if you have ever had a pet, would you be ok with feeding them any of these junk foods on a regular basis? No right? So why would it be ok to put this same junk into your own body? Ok, I know this is quite extreme, but we need to have a shift in our thinking and this is the best way I know how to make this point. Let me take it to the next step and see where the evil lies behind junk food.
Why are they so bad for us?
What junk foods don’t contain are essential vitamins, minerals and healthy amounts of fibre, protein and complex carbs (slow to be absorbed by our bodies). These are all the things that will keep us lean and fit. Again, this is a fact, there is not debate! Foods that are high in nutritional value include fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy products, whole grain breads and pastas, and beans and legumes.
Ok, so remember when I was talking about manufacturers making the best tasting junk foods possible irrespective of us as consumers? Well because there is also another factor to their madness. They also make sure to take into consideration how cheap they can produce these foods. That is why high fructose corn syrup was born. It is a very cheap and easy to produce sugar that is extremely sweet.
With all this in mind, junk foods have all the necessary ingredients that give us almost all the ailments we try to avoid. This includes obesity (or just being a little overweight), coronary heart problems, cancer, degenerative diseases such as loss of eye sight and hearing, weakened immune system, lower sex drive….and the list goes on and on. In pure honesty, it doesn’t get any worse than this. It really doesn’t when it comes to what we voluntarily put into our bodies.
We have a choice here and need to consciously make an effort to avoid junk foods as much as possible. If you think that’s impossible then I’m not going to sugar coat it for you, but you are simply being lazy. Think of all the benefits you will gain right away with getting rid of that unwanted fat around your midsection and being proud that you were smart enough to be aware and avoid junk foods.
Well you probably have heard many different types of definitions for junk food, but let’s make it very simple. Junk food is pretty much any food that provides little nutritional value compared to the calorie intake. But what is meant by nutritional value? You could argue that chocolate bars have nutritional value because they provide your body with energy. However, the problem with most chocolate bars is that they also include a ton of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavours and colors, and fat that lines our stomach the moment we consume them!
What are some of the most common junk foods (I hope this is obvious to most of you already):
■Fast foods from all the big chains (just stay away from them period.)
■Candy bars (almost anything you can buy in a seven eleven)
■Ice cream (this includes even most low fat, low sugar varieties)
■Chips, microwave or movie theatre popcorn, nuts that have been processed (my weakness!)
■Delivery pizza, frozen pizza, fast food pizza (extremely high fat and carb content)
Why can’t we avoid them?
There are so many reasons behind why we can’t avoid junk food, but let’s simplify it again as much as we can.
Firstly, they taste great. Manufactures of junk foods will put together whatever ingredients they can find to make their product taste the best it possibly can. Millions of dollars are spent on testing these products and seeing how much people like them. I’ll get to what this means for our health as a consumer in a second, but in relation to the millions spent on testing these products, manufacturers of junk foods also spend millions and nowadays hundreds of millions on advertising these to us.
The brilliant thing about their advertising is that they really are throwing a blanket on us that tricks our minds to believe that even those healthy actors in commercials or ads are also eating these junk foods on a regular basis. There is a major disconnect here with the actual truth. Let’s just say this. I bet you we would think twice about these junk foods if they showed obese people eating these same junk foods! Think about that for a minute.
You may laugh, or you may think it’s not funny but if you have ever had a pet, would you be ok with feeding them any of these junk foods on a regular basis? No right? So why would it be ok to put this same junk into your own body? Ok, I know this is quite extreme, but we need to have a shift in our thinking and this is the best way I know how to make this point. Let me take it to the next step and see where the evil lies behind junk food.
Why are they so bad for us?
What junk foods don’t contain are essential vitamins, minerals and healthy amounts of fibre, protein and complex carbs (slow to be absorbed by our bodies). These are all the things that will keep us lean and fit. Again, this is a fact, there is not debate! Foods that are high in nutritional value include fruits, vegetables, lean meats and dairy products, whole grain breads and pastas, and beans and legumes.
Ok, so remember when I was talking about manufacturers making the best tasting junk foods possible irrespective of us as consumers? Well because there is also another factor to their madness. They also make sure to take into consideration how cheap they can produce these foods. That is why high fructose corn syrup was born. It is a very cheap and easy to produce sugar that is extremely sweet.
With all this in mind, junk foods have all the necessary ingredients that give us almost all the ailments we try to avoid. This includes obesity (or just being a little overweight), coronary heart problems, cancer, degenerative diseases such as loss of eye sight and hearing, weakened immune system, lower sex drive….and the list goes on and on. In pure honesty, it doesn’t get any worse than this. It really doesn’t when it comes to what we voluntarily put into our bodies.
We have a choice here and need to consciously make an effort to avoid junk foods as much as possible. If you think that’s impossible then I’m not going to sugar coat it for you, but you are simply being lazy. Think of all the benefits you will gain right away with getting rid of that unwanted fat around your midsection and being proud that you were smart enough to be aware and avoid junk foods.
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Replies
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There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..0 -
Amen to that sister, i agree 100%. we can always make our own foods healthier if made at home from scratch with healthy ingredients. As for the popcorn I LOVE IT but the microwave popcorn i will not touch because of the so called ingredients in them, i will stick with popping my own popcorn with healthy coconut oil.0
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There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
This was an article I came across and PS microwave popcorn is bad for you it is full of chemicals. Popcorn air poped with no oils or butter now that would be a healthy snack. Remember if it is proccessed which mircowave popcorn is then it is full of chemicals.0 -
I absolutely refuse to give up foods I enjoy. Do I eat them every day? No.
But I still eat them. And I still lose weight. And I enjoy my life and don't feel depressed over what I can't have.0 -
People people calm down!!! This is an article that I came across from one of the healthy sites that I read. THIS IN NO WAY IS TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO!! IT IS TRYING TO INFORM THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW OR WHO JUST DONT KNOW WERE TO START WHEN IT COMES TO NUTITION AND WEIGHT LOSS. I am all about helping and giving people good articles. I also ssuggest doing research on everything.
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There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
This was an article I came across and PS microwave popcorn is bad for you it is full of chemicals. Popcorn air poped with no oils or butter now that would be a healthy snack. Remember if it is proccessed which mircowave popcorn is then it is full of chemicals.
How is it bad for you, I know from your previous posts that you are anti everything, but it provides a low calorie (150 cal a bag) snack that is filling. I eat about a bag a night for the past 10+ years, never been sickened, I am heathly, normal choesterol, no cancers etc, so what is so horrible about it? Prove that these evil "ingredients" are bad for you, calling something chemicals doesnt make it bad, it doesnt obviously hinder, but has infact helped me lose the weight I have.
Why do you feel the need to call people lazy because they dont eat like you do?0 -
People people calm down!!! This is an article that I came across from one of the healthy sites that I read. THIS IN NO WAY IS TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO!! IT IS TRYING TO INFORM THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW OR WHO JUST DONT KNOW WERE TO START WHEN IT COMES TO NUTITION AND WEIGHT LOSS. I am all about helping and giving people good articles. I also ssuggest doing research on everything.
Please credit who you copy/paste your article from. Otherwise, people assume that these are your words.0 -
People people calm down!!! This is an article that I came across from one of the healthy sites that I read. THIS IN NO WAY IS TELLING PEOPLE WHAT TO DO!! IT IS TRYING TO INFORM THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW OR WHO JUST DONT KNOW WERE TO START WHEN IT COMES TO NUTITION AND WEIGHT LOSS. I am all about helping and giving people good articles. I also ssuggest doing research on everything.
well dont make posts like you are an authority telling people what they should eat and calling them LAZY if they wont eat what you tell them to!0 -
Reduced fat ice cream....have it every night...yep..a full cup...and almost always stay under my calories.
Why it ISN'T "junk food" to me, its a wonderful daily treat that I allow myself for exercising and eating right!
In my serving: Calcium 20%, Protein 6g, fat, carbs, sugar, yep yep yep!
Also included are delicious chocolate chips...
I know I could eat a carrot stick and celery for a night time snack...but what fun would that be...and what would I look forward to in the evenings as the children are sleeping and I curl up on the couch with my husband?0 -
Prove that these evil "ingredients" are bad for you
I think this article, and the OP, is probably referencing the recent research into the artificial butter flavor and it's link to cancer among factory workers who have high exposure levels. Here's one scholarly journal article:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WXH-4JHMRR4-3&_user=655046&_coverDate=08/15/2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1493659652&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000034138&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=655046&md5=eb3790ddf30cdff4213fc11c4833ec0c&searchtype=a0 -
There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
WHOA!!! :huh: Easy on the harsh words...0 -
There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
It is all the crud that is in the bag with the popcorn.0 -
There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
WHOA!!! :huh: Easy on the harsh words...
She peroidic tries to tell MFP what they should eat...0 -
There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
It is all the crud that is in the bag with the popcorn.
I am heathy, never had a negative affect from it. so it must not be too bad0 -
ok so i did some quick research about microwave popcorn. I ended up on the oprah info site and while it had been a concern it isnt really now. not too much of one anyways. and i quote:
'Manufacturers have taken that concern to heart: The country's largest makers of microwave popcorn—ConAgra, General Mills, American Pop Corn Company, and Pop Weaver— no longer use diacetyl in their products, which include Act II, Orville Redenbacher, Pop Secret, Pop Weaver, and Jolly Time.'
diacetyl was the chemical that was the big concern. if your interested, one of the sites i went to was
http://www.oprah.com/health/Is-Microwave-Popcorn-Bad-for-You
but i must admit i loooooove popcorn. i dont care if its homemade or microwaved. i will have about two bags a week! glad they fixed the big issue! lol0 -
There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
Anything microwavable is full of preservatives and chemicals to give it a shelf life.
Get an air popper if you want something healthy!!!
And just because you have lost 70 pounds and eating some of those junk foods doesn't make you healthier..............0 -
There she goes again telling us what to eat...
I eat a lot of what you call Junk foods, I have lost 70 lbs, and several pants sizes, but I wont stop eating them so I am lazy now? Your info is a little extreme and biased, remember when your similar thread was deleted
Microwave popcorn is not junk food, it (popcorn) has tons of well documented health benefits..
WHOA!!! :huh: Easy on the harsh words...
She peroidic tries to tell MFP what they should eat...
If you are getting that upset from it, it must get under your skin for a particular reason............maybe because it is the truth???
I feel she is only trying to instill healthy habits in a lot of people that feel "everything in moderation" is healthy.
I happen to agree with her as do many doctors. They just won't tell you the truth.0 -
Holy Cow!
Thank you for your information.
Everyone else needs to CALM down. I mean seriously?
Truth hurts huh?
Funny how I never "got" that she was telling me want to eat. I'm an adult and can make my own decisions, but I am grateful for all the info I can get my hands on.0 -
Is it me or does the "tone" of this post sound condescending?
I have my own definitions of what junk food is. And I'm pretty passionate about my feelings about food. For me, junk food is anything that has ingredients I couldn't buy on the open market and make myself. BUT I'd never presume to tell someone else what "we" should be eating. we all have to pick our poisons. For some folks on this board walking to work might be more toxic than anything they could eat in three weeks!
I think it's always a good idea to communicate in a way that seems egalitarian, since this weight loss journey is such an individual and personal one for each of us. The important thing is to encourage each other to live out the choices we make for ourselves0 -
Is it me or does the "tone" of this post sound condescending?
I have my own definitions of what junk food is. And I'm pretty passionate about my feelings about food. For me, junk food is anything that has ingredients I couldn't buy on the open market and make myself. BUT I'd never presume to tell someone else what "we" should be eating. we all have to pick our poisons. For some folks on this board walking to work might be more toxic than anything they could eat in three weeks!
I think it's always a good idea to communicate in a way that seems egalitarian, since this weight loss journey is such an individual and personal one for each of us. The important thing is to encourage each other to live out the choices we make for ourselves
I didn't get the tone of her being condescending...............
I think she copied and pasted an article.
However, I feel the same way as the article and I know you are educated about what is in the food we buy and eat..........
A lot of people on this site are not, or they simply don't care............0
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