10 Reasons to Stop Eating Junk Food

We’ve all been told that junk food is bad for us, but because it tastes so darn good, most of us continue eating it;.After all, fruits and vegetables can’t beat the taste of fries, right?

Wrong!

Not only are fruits and vegetables among the most tastiest natural and healthiest foods on the planet, but junk food is also the lowest common denominator. It might tempt you with its "rock ’n’ roll swagger," but junk food offers absolutely no vital nutrients and zero health benefits.

Is it really worth risking your health and possibly enduring chronic disease as a result?

Here are 10 reasons why you should stop eating junk food:

Junk Food Is Linked To Diabetes

Diabetes is caused when the pancreas becomes so under siege that it can no longer produce adequate amounts of insulin. Insulin is the hormone that turns sugar into fuel, and as experts point out, junk food is loaded with unnatural sugars that can lead to type-2 diabetes that unfortunately can result in serious complications and premature death.

Junk Food Causes Digestive Issues

Virtually everyone on the planet will encounter digestive issues at some time or another. Among these issues are irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, bloating and excess gas. However, some complain that they suffer from digestive issues all the time, and the reason for this could be that they eat too much junk.

Junk food is full of oil, sugar, trans fats and chemicals that wreak havoc on your stomach. In addition, once your stomach is irritated, your digestive system goes out of whack.

Junk Food Causes Brain Fog

Many people just assume that only our bellies, thighs, and double chins are affected by a poor diet. However, fats don’t just make their way to your bulging abdomen - they also attack your brain.

When bad fats - such as those found in junk food - reach your brain, they cause brain fog, which is that feeling you get when you can’t focus on anything.

Junk Food Causes Fatigue

Junk food contains very few nutrients, vitamins and protein, all of which are essential for an invigorated you who seizes the day. If you exist on junk food alone, you’re going to struggle to do anything at optimum power. You’ll largely feel lethargic and run down.

Junk Food Is Linked With Depression Among Teenagers

1 in 3 U.S. teens eat junk food each day, and on top of the hindrance to their physical health, it is also important to consider what effect junk is having on their mental well-being.

Research has shown that the more junk food we eat, the more we are prone to depression. This is especially the case for teenagers because they are more susceptible to hormonal changes, which can be massively influenced by their diet.

Junk Food Can Cause Elevated Blood Sugar Levels

Junk food is rich in sugar, which puts stress on the metabolism. Moreover, because it’s low in carbs and protein, your blood sugar levels are more at risk of plummeting when you stop eating. This can make you feel moody and make you want to eat even more junk food.

Junk Food Can Increase Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Heart disease is indeed really scary, but there are preventative measures we can take to ensure we don’t struggle with it later on in life. Avoiding junk food is one such method because such food is rich in bad fats that increase your bad cholesterol levels and in turn encourage plaque to form and heart disease to develop.

Junk Food Can Damage Your Liver

Once your liver becomes overloaded with all the junk you’re throwing at it, it will certainly let you know. You’ll feel lethargic, stressed, irritable, and you may develop headaches, skin conditions and a whole lot more.

Junk food has been linked to liver disease on more than one occasion, and it turns out that it can be just as bad for your most overworked organ as alcohol.

Junk Food Increases Your Risk Of Cancer

The main reason for the link between certain foods and cancer is a lack of fiber. Moreover, junk food is low in mostly everything that’s good for you - including fiber.

Junk Food Is Linked To Kidney Damage

Fries are soaked in finely processed salt. When combined with a fatty, greasy hamburger, you’re essentially double downing on kidney disease, which comes about when too much salt increases blood pressure on a consistent basis.

CRAP vs FOOD

So what should you be enjoying instead?

Eat less CRAP

• Carbonated beverages
• Refined sugars
• Artificial sweeteners and colors
• Processed foods

Eat more FOOD

• Fruits and vegetables
• Organic (whenever possible) lean proteins
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Drink water

Listening to Your Body

I was trying to have this post ready last week but Canva was refusing to download the pictures, skewing my posting schedule.  Then came Friday's massive outage.  So frustrated by it all I gave up on completing this post last week.  Technology...can't live with it, can't live without it.

For many of us, better health does not come naturally. It is something we all must work on in order to lead healthy lives and have overall excellent health. This means listening to your body and understanding what it's telling you about what's going on inside the body. Here are four ways you can listen to your body so you can have a life that is sustained by good health.

You can listen to your body every time you put on your clothes or when stepping on the scale.  Do your clothes fit right?  Are they becoming too loose on you or are they fitting snugly?  Is the scale tipping one way or another in the wrong direction?  If you find that you are losing too much weight or packing on the pounds, it may be that you are being affected by stress and are not eating in ways that promote good health. Good health comes from eating a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. This is in lieu of eating processed foods such as cookies, cakes, processed meals, and candies—all of which have excess calories and preservatives that are generally unhealthy for you. 

Eating too little can affect your health as well. (I tell Benny this all the time since the only meal he really eats is the dinner I prepare.) When you eat less than the amount of food you are supposed to eat, you can suffer from lack of proper nutrients. Lacking in proper nutrients, your body does not function properly and you can cause yourself to be sick from lack of the nutrients to support immune health.

Your digestive system is not only the way you get proper nutrients but also it is a main way your body uses to protect itself from pathogens. The digestive system is one big part of the immune system so you need to treat it with the care it deserves. This means paying attention to episodes of diarrhea that can strip the colon of protective bacteria, constipation, and indigestion from being under excess stress or eating the wrong foods. 

#HealthyTipsByaccuflora Day 1: What is a #probiotic and why should you take them? Merriam Webster defines a probiotic as a microorganism that when consumed maintains or restores beneficial bacteria to the digestive system. Rich meals & #fastfood can leave us feeling sluggish, bloated, and irregular. #Dairy products may be difficult to digest. #Stress & #aging may affect our digestive system. #healthyliving #digestivehealth #probiotics #guthealth #LAWRTW #longandwindingroad #longandwindingroadtowellness #BrandNewMe

A photo posted by Cassandra Schmigotzki (@longandwindingroadtowellness) on Oct 23, 2016 at 1:33pm PDT

You can care for your digestive system by eating healthy foods and by taking probiotics, which can 

replenish the gut with good bacteria. Probiotics can be taken in by eating plain yogurt with live cultures or by eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kefir. 

If you can’t get it in the foods you eat, you can purchase many probiotic supplements at the drug store or online. Some of the best probiotics are those that come in spore form. The spores can survive the acidic environment of your stomach and then release the live bacteria in the intestines, where they take root and drive out the bad bacteria and fungi.

This means following your blood pressure and pulse very carefully. If you are inactive or have a family history of high blood pressure, you may be suffering from high blood pressure and not know it. This means you have to check your blood pressure every time you run across a blood pressure machine at the drug store or grocery store. When you see the doctor, your blood pressure will be taken as well. If it is consistently elevated, you may need to be on an anti-hypertensive medication or modify your diet and exercise program so you can avoid some of the many complications of high blood pressure.

You should check your pulse as well on a periodic basis. A high pulse can mean that you are too inactive or are under a great deal of stress. Exercise can cause your heart to function better and will slow your pulse to normal levels. 

Feel tired, but keep pushing yourself past your limits? Are you fighting fatigue on a regular basis, instead of taking the time to rest and rejuvenate? Fatigue and low energy are both your body talking to you and letting you know that you need to rest and relax, if you don’t listed you will crash and burn.

Are you ignoring anxiety, instead of looking to erase its sources and lower stress levels? Stress kills, and you are the only one that can take care to reduce its load on your body, mind, and spirit. Great ways to fight stress and its impact are Tai Chi, meditation, yoga and taking vacations on a regular basis.

Where do you need to listen to your body more?

Walking Can Help You Lower Your Blood Pressure And Strengthen Your Heart

Walking has all sorts of health benefits among them the ability to help lower your blood pressure and strengthen your heart. Many people at risk for stroke and heart disease are overweight, unhealthy and have a hard time exercising. Thankfully walking is an easy, low-impact workout that almost anyone can do.

Start where you’re at. Just put on your shoes and head out there. If all you can do is walk for five to ten minutes, start there. It’s a great start and that’s a lot more exercise than you’ve been getting. Stick with it for a week and then see if you can make it for 15 minutes.

If you can go for 30 minute walk, start there. Pick up the pace, walk briskly and after a week or two, try to go for 45 minute walks. Or break up your walking workout into 3 shorter sessions interspersed throughout your day.

If you have any health conditions and in particular, if you’re suffering from high blood pressure and are at risk for heart disease, discuss your walking plans with your doctor. The two of you can come up with a plan that’s appropriate and safe for you.

Getting out and walking will help you on several different levels. The act of walking itself, particularly if you can go for a walk out in a pretty park is very relaxing and will lower your blood pressure soon after the walk. That’s a terrific benefit of walking and something that will help you feel better right away. But the benefits don’t stop there.

The regular exercise will strengthen your heart. Remember your heart is a muscle and going for a brisk walk works out more than your leg muscles. As you work out your heart, it gets stronger and better at pumping blood through your body. And as you strengthen your muscles and your body overall, you are likely losing body fat. That’s good news for your blood pressure long term. All it takes is heading out there for a short little walk each day. As you get stronger those walks will get longer and you may even give swimming or riding your bike a try.

Healthy diet, regular exercise, and losing weight are some of the most effective ways to reduce hypertension regularly. Add to that the fact that walking helps you reduce your stress levels and it’s no wonder that walking regularly has such beneficial effects on your health. Ready to get started? Put on your shoes and go for that first walk.

Replacing Your Holiday Dinner with Healthy

Background Courtesy of Anusorn P nachol | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Holiday dinner isn't exactly synonymous with healthy eating.  However, there are ways to make it a bit more heart healthy than normal.  Here are five suggestions to get  you on your way to a nutritious holiday dinner:

Baked Potato Photo Credit: Stefano A via Compfight cc

Mashed Potatoes Photo Credit: BrownGuacamole via Compfight cc

 

In and of themselves, potatoes are harmless. They're relatively low-calorie, and provide large amounts of potassium and vitamin C. However, they become caloric monsters when people add other things to them. Baked potatoes loaded with sour cream and butter do not need to make it to your holiday dinner table. There's a healthier way to do potatoes.

Garlic mashed potatoes make a great healthy addition to any holiday meal. Through the use of low-fat milk or cream, these spuds can be just as smooth and creamy as their unhealthy counterpart. However, this subtle change brings down the saturated fat content of the dish. If additional flavor is desired, try adding a bit of parmesan cheese.

 

Cranberry Sauce Photo Credit: Veganbaking.net via Compfight cc

Baked Spiced Apples Photo Credit: william couch via Compfight cc

 

One might think that something made with a healthy fruit would actually be healthy. Unfortunately, cranberry sauce doesn't quite work that way. Any benefits provided by the antioxidants are pretty much neutralized when you consider amount of sugar present in a serving of canned cranberry sauce.

For a healthier alternative, nix the cranberry sauce and make some baked spiced apples. After cutting up 4 or 5 apples, season them with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg. Apples are naturally sweet, so they don't need much sugar. Nevertheless, they can be made sweeter with a bit of Splenda.

Green Bean Casserole Photo Credit: Glenn Gutierrez via Compfight cc

Sautéed Fresh Green Beans Photo Credit: ehpien via Compfight cc

 

On their own, green beans are rich in vitamins and minerals. When combined with heavy cream and fried onions, their nutrients are blocked out by saturated fat and sodium. Likewise, cooking them for long periods of time has a tendency to leach out those nutrients.

Leave the cream and the fried onions alone this year. With a bit of olive oil, garlic and onions, green beans can be sautéed into a delicious side dish. Cooking them with these ingredients will add an unique dimension of flavor without totally destroying their nutrition content.

Bread Stuffing Photo Credit: ontheflyrecipes via Compfight cc

Quinoa Stuffing Photo Credit: pinkeerach via Compfight cc

 

Stuffing is delicious, but no one ever discusses how unhealthy it can be. Most varieties are made with over-processed white bread. Some of them are even made with sausage and other high-fat meats. Nevertheless, there's no need to remove it from the holiday dinner menu. Quinoa stuffing is a healthy alternative that will satisfy your need for stuffing.

With ingredients such as quinoa, squash, apples and cranberries, quinoa stuffing is packed with nutrients. Use the same spices as you would for your favorite stuffing, and see what a treat you'll have on your hands.

 

Whole Turkey Photo Credit: kevinq2000 via Compfight cc

Turkey Breast Photo Credit: davidmulder61 via Compfight cc

 

While turkey is generally considered a lean meat, the entire bird doesn't fall under that category. Some people prefer dark meat because of the flavor content. However, many of them don't realize that dark meat has more saturated fat and sodium than breast meat.

Do yourself a favor by switching out the bird for two or three turkey breasts. Due to a shortened cooking time, they'll be able to maintain more moisture. They'll be so juicy that people won't even miss the dark stuff.

Through these alternative foods, you’ll be cutting down on a lot of saturated fat and sodium that aren’t your heart’s best friend, and hopefully be able to spend more holidays with the family because of it.

 

Jason Kane is a professional blogger who knows the struggles of eating healthy during the holidays and hopes to help others with the knowledge he’s obtained. He currently writes for AEDs Today, a leading supplier of automatic external defibrillators.