Ending the age-old tussle between taste and health

Have you ever heard of the seven cardinal sins stated in the Christian teachings?  One of them is gluttony, that is excessive eating or eating out of temptation and greed.  The mention of gluttony as a ‘sin’ itself shows the importance of what you are about to read today.

Although it is fine to give into your cravings sometimes, devotees and doctors agree alike that binge eating unhealthy food while you ‘Netflix and Chill’ is only going to bring doom to your body. As a matter of fact, in comparison to just 40 years ago, our consumption of fast food has tremendously increased. We say, why not minus unhealthy food and replace it with healthy eating habits while you still binge away on Netflix and eat healthy yet tasty snacks?  To give you more clarity and as well as motivation for making the switch TODAY, let me tell you a few pros and cons.

We all know, fast food is tasty, especially fries. But here’s the thing! Many theories prove that eating diets containing high sugar or fat can create chemical changes in the brain which leads to increased dependence on such food. Also, by having too much fast food there is a chance that one may lose out on nutrients like tryptophan and amino acid, the lack of which can cause depression.

Apart from that, healthy food can also be tasty so you don’t have to heap on excessive amounts of trans fat present in fast foods. Trans fats, as studies show, are harder to digest. There are a number of recipes online that you can try at home and still have tasty food without compromising on your health. Just a little bit of effort and you’re good to go! In fact, why have food that reduces health and brings diseases on the pretext of taste when you can create your own tasty healthy feast.

Do you ever feel lethargic after having a hearty meal, especially if it is fast food? This does not happen when you don’t do excessive eating or have healthy meals. In fact, having a smoothie may be the best way to kick start your day. It is tasty and also gives you the energy and freshness required for work. 

Moving on, everyone knows that junk food has an adverse effect on our health and body. But did you know it can also impose problems in our cognitive growth and development? Many studies show that consuming junk food on a large basis can cause memory and learning problems. Diets with high sugar or fat can supress the activity of a brain peptide called BNFD which helps in memory formation. The healthy production and functioning of synapses present in the brain that are responsible for learning and memory can be disrupted by eating too many calories. 

Moreover, and with no doubt, one of the scariest discoveries has been the association of junk food to dementia. Insulin helps in the carrying of signals between nerve cells and forming memories. However, a study shows that increase in fatty and sweet food substantially increases the insulin levels in your body. With higher level of insulin brain may become resistant to this hormone. This may result into difficulty in thinking, remembering or making memories, thus increasing the risk of dementia.

I do agree that fast food can be cheaper as compared to adopting a healthy eating habit, however an easy solution to this can be reached by including low-cost locally available fresh natural produce rather than convenience foods. Even if you want to eat junk food once in a while, make sure that you club it with some physical activity in your routine. A quick cardio or a post dinner can help keep things in balance. And if you don’t wish to do any physical activity, then your junk food consumption needs to be reconsidered.