5 Reasons to Avoid Fast Food Consumption

As I drag myself to my new job, I past numerous fast food joints and coffee shops offering unhealthy food.

Of course, we know it tastes yummy, and you enjoy the sumptuous delicacy, but it isn’t doing any good to your health.

Unfortunately, many of us, including me, are looking for convivence and forgetting what fast food does to our bodies.

All of us know, eating a poor quality diet high in fast food is linked to a higher risk of obesity, depression, digestive issues, heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and early death.

But here are few other things to consider before you pull up to that drive-thru window.

Fast Food Causes Slower Brain Response

It comes as a surprise, yes, but this is a real thing.

You’ll realize a slow thinking rate over some time.

Studies show that when children who take different foods are put to assessment, those frequently eating fast-food or processed foods, often score lower in science, mathematics, and reading. 

The secret is fast foods lack iron, a key component to brain cell development – a reason to keep off the burger shop already.

Weak Immune System

Your body has the task of building its resistance to fight diseases.

The fuel to get the appropriate defense mechanisms are nutrients from fresh and healthy foods.

When you over eat fast foods, the body grows weak since the snacks aren’t rich in nutrients. 

Just a few days of junk food could change your metabolism.

A small study of 12 healthy young men found eating junk food for just five days led to a reduced ability of their muscles to turn glucose into energy, even though they didn’t eat more calories as part of the study.

Over the long term, this change could lead to insulin resistance and eventually type 2 diabetes.

Eating fast food, junk food, or processed foods will cause numerous hospital visits because diseases easily prey on your body.

The food exposes you to illnesses and also kills the ability to fight the disease.

 

Addicted to Fast Food

Most fast foods are processed and purposely contain some chemicals that affect the brain cells and cause humans to become addicted.

Though some of the chemicals are not strong, serotonin and others cause the brain to stir the pleasure cells when you consume the foods.

A reason you will never walk past the best philly cheesesteaks joints.

We are all aware of the health risks to smoking, over indulging with alcohol, but fast food companies are just as addictive, if not more so.

Mark Schatzker’s nonfiction book The Dorito Effect (2015) studies the trends in industrial food production that have resulted in a loss of flavor, which is then made up for by the addition of artificial flavors that fool the body into believing it is receiving nutrients that may or may not exist in the actual food. 

I highly recommend anyone who eats fast food on a regular basis to give this book a try.

The simplistic reasoning and insightful observations conclude fresh food lacks flavor.

At the same time as food flavor was becoming bland, the science of artificial flavorings was growing rapidly, circa 1960’s.

The Dorito is a prime example of where these two trends intersect.

Because of the weakening natural flavor of corn, the Dorito chips made by Frito-Lay didn’t taste as good as the traditional tortilla chips they mimicked; the science of “flavoring” solved this problem, and the modern cheese-dust coated Dorito was born.

Time Wastage

If you walk into, or pull up to the “convenient” drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant today, the chances of meeting a long queue are inevitable.

But because you can’t do without a burger, you’ll jump into the line for your turn of service.

Don’t you think you’re wasting time?

It will only dawn on you when lateness for necessary errands begins, and other diseases invade your system.

The slogan ‘fast food’, isn’t fast as you think!

Obese

Many tend to argue on the calorie component of fast foods. But the truth is that these foods have high amounts of fat and calories, which only add unwanted weight to the already fatty body. 

Once you add the weight, losing it becomes an uphill task, which breeds other problems.

So, when you think of pizza or burgers, see yourself adding weight to almost 150 pounds, and perhaps you’ll quit instantly!

All healthy eating plans do NOT include visiting the local fast food stop; including my plan…

Although it is not easy to let go of the fast-food habit, the disadvantage of eating it sure outweigh the advantages.

This junk compromises your health and emotional well-being. 

Start off slow by driving by that coffee shop or fast food restaurant on the way to work, then take the next step and start cooking at home more.

Eventually, you will give up fast food forever.

---

Don’t stop and pick up a pizza on the way home, try these ham and cheese pizza bites and control how much fat, carbs, and junk your family eats tonight.