We all know how bad junk food is for your health. It is one of the underlying causes of the increase in cases of type 2 diabetes; however, people seem to be unable to stop eating junk food and fast foods. Well, now British dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine has some tips on how to kick the habit.
Nichola Ludlam-Raine is a specialist Registered Dietitian with fifteen years of clinical experience working for the NHS. She has appeared on BBC Breakfast numerous times, BBC Morning Live, Steph’s Packed Lunch, ITV Tonight and GB News, and contributed to titles such as Stylist, Daily Mail, The Sun, The Independent and Business Insider.
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Junk food is a term used to describe food that is high in calories from macronutrients like sugar and/or fat, but low in essential nutrients like fiber, protein, and vitamins. It’s often processed and easily accessible, making it a popular choice for many people.
Junk food is often packed with empty calories that don’t provide sustained energy, lacks essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and is often heavily processed with added sugars, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients. It is also designed to be extremely tasty, making it difficult to resist.
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. It’s the most common type of diabetes. Unlike type 1 diabetes, where the body doesn’t produce insulin, in type 2 diabetes, your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use it effectively. The other major difference from type 1 is that type 2 is not an inborn condition, it develops over time. The main cause is obesity. As obesity rates increase so do the rates of type 2 diabetes.
Nichola Ludlam-Raine wrote in The Daily Mail, “This type of hunger tends to arise suddenly and demands to be satisfied almost instantly, making it tempting to grab an ultra-processed snack. But you are unlikely to feel completely satiated afterward.”
“Although they may taste good, they don’t do much for our health, and eating them can lead to further food cravings just a short time after because they don’t supply the nutrients that our bodies need.”
So, what should one do?
Well first of all don’t have these foods around the house. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.
And don’t fall into the “comfort food” trap either. These foods – junk food – should never be eaten just to make you feel better.
“We are also more likely to be drawn to sweet, high-fat, highly processed foods or salty snacks at moments like this because they represent a ‘reward’ or a ‘treat’ and often have connotations from childhood,” Nichola Ludlam-Raine wrote.
People should deal with what is bothering them instead of eating junk.
Also, never eat junk food when you are genuinely hungry. At those time only eat nutritious foods. Junk food will temporarily allay your hunger, but since it lacks nutrients you will continue to feel hungry over time and just end up eating more.
“If we’re ravenous, it can be easy to eat too quickly or be drawn to high-fat, high-sugar foods which offer a quick hit but won’t leave you feeling full for long,” says Nichola Ludlam-Raine.
