Life Tips Daily

Easily divisible into two categories: salty and sweet, junk food includes but is not limited to the following:

Sweet

• candy
• cookies
• chocolate bars
• pastries
• icecream and similar dairy products

Salty

• chips and similar treats
• french fries
• buttery popcorn (unless you’re eating light or no fat versions)

For each category of item listed above, I can name my favourite brand, and name 4 “lesser” brands; this is not the sort of familiarity anyone should ever be able to brag about. Junk food tastes good, is addictive (you can’t eat just one can you?) and is convenient-if you choose wisely, no cooking or baking is involved. It’s no wonder then that eating too much of it is a bad habit that can be easily picked up.

The consumption of junk food is usually a bigger problem with women than men (it may just be the men I know but they seem to prefer their junk food in liquid form (beer), although it is worth mentioning that the consumption of beer often increases their consumption of true junk food).

The only positive effect of eating too much junk, is the taste: it tastes good, which makes your tastebuds happy. The negative effects, however, have the potential to last longer than any of the good feelings.

Health and weight gain
The delicious sweets and salty snacks that we love so well are often high in calories and fat. Increased calories and fat are never good news: expect to experience some weight gain!

Besides making you feel and look less attractive, weight gain above your healthy weight is implicated in far too many diseases to name. The main disease that is currently increasing at alarming rates in North America is diabetes. Increased weight also affects your blood pressure, which in turn affects the heart’s ability to function. Impaired cardiac function can lead to blockages in arteries, and heart disease. Weight gain also affects your cholesterol levels: it increases your body’s levels of bad cholesterol, which leads to an increase in your chances of getting the previously mentioned diseases.

Add to that the fact that many of the salty snacks that are prepared in or with oils have a chance of being prepared with hydrogenated oils, which are saturated fats, a particularly unhealthy type of fat, and it’s easy to see where the weight gain comes from in the beginning.

So we agree, junk food is bad. If you find yourself surrounded by these unhealthy treats, here’s what we need to do:

Phase out your current junk food stash
Although the plan is to eliminate eating too much junk food from your diet forever, going cold turkey may not be possible. In that case, stop replenishing your junk food stash as you eat through it. Your stash is any collection of junk food that you keep full and interesting (with a variety of treats), and may include any of the following: junk food drawer at work, the junk food cupboard in the kitchen, large junk food repositories in your bedroom. As long as these stashes are kept well stocked, there is no incentive to stop consuming its contents.

Decrease your consumption
Eat what you have, but eat it in moderation. Try eating half or a third of what you would normally eat in one sitting (standing/lying). Eat a chocolate bar in two days instead of your usual one. Another good idea I read was to eat junk food (if you have a craving for it) after eating a meal. That way, you’re less likely to eat as much because you’re not hungry (sadly that doesn’t mean you won’t eat far more junk than you ought to!).

Eliminate your stash
Once you eaten up your stash, and gotten used to feeling satisfied with less junk food, it’s time to eliminate the idea of a stash. If you find yourself craving a junk food item, buy it, savour it and then return to your healthy eating habit. Do not bring it into your cupboard or drawer again. Not having a stash doesn’t mean you can’t still eat junk food; it only means that you can’t mindlessly eat junk food anymore. This is key: if it’s not in your house, you won’t be able to eat it. And if you have to dress up and go out in the cold to buy yourself that icecream, you might decide that it just isn’t worth it. You will be more mindful of the decisions you make with respect to junk food consumption.

I’m going to be trying these tips too, and I hope I’ll have good news to report. Unfortunately, I had just bought some things to replenish my work stash yesterday!

Breaking bad habits is not easy.