It’s amazing how our food habits have changed over the past decades! We learned a lot of new products, the existence of which we had no idea about during the years of the Soviet past, learned how to cook delicious dishes from exotic vegetables and fruits, and this variety of the diet was only beneficial. But in general, we have become worse in food, and one of the main reasons is our addiction to fast food .
It is impossible not to note the social reasons for the universal prevalence of fast food . In our hectic days, not every working woman can find time to prepare a full breakfast, lunch and dinner. And fast food that can solve this problem is so tempting! It seems, well, what could be easier – I ran into the food court after work for a bite to eat, or I warmed up frozen convenience foods at home. But few people think about the consequences. The main problem of such a diet is the excess of calories, the content of high amounts of fat and the lack of vitamins.
Fast food manufacturers deliberately try to make their meals high in calories – they have eaten only one inexpensive hamburger and are already full. By making healthier, healthier meals, meals will inevitably become slower and more expensive.
Another problem with fast food is the wrong combination of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Usually hamburger, hot dog, and fries are washed down with cold sodas. Due to the low temperature of the drink consumed with the hamburger, the fat contained in its filling instantly freezes and practically does not decompose.
There has been a lot of controversy in recent years about trans fats, which are used in the fast food industry. The hydrogenation process makes it possible to obtain solid fats from liquid vegetable oils. Hydrogenated oils and margarines based on them have a number of advantages: they are cheaper than butter, have a longer shelf life and allow reusable use when frying. That is why hydrogenated fat (trans fat) has become the backbone of the fast food industry and the engine of its rapid development. The catch is that during hydrogenation, changes occur at the molecular level, and today scientists have already proven that if you stuff your body with defective trans fats, this will lead to serious disorders – cardiovascular diseases, obesity, decreased immunity, etc. So next time you are thinking of eating a hamburger / fries / hot dog or reheating frozen pasties in a skillet, think – do you care about your own health and the health of your family?
Some women are sure
that beauty is achieved with creams, masks, peels, braces and competent makeup. But in fact, the basis of beauty is proper nutrition. Skin, hair and nails are the first indicators of health. And it is they who suffer in the first place with improper nutrition. Lack of minerals and vitamins, unbalanced diet negatively affects the condition of teeth, hair, nails and skin. So the famous maxim can be slightly paraphrased: tell me what you eat today, and I will tell you how you will look tomorrow.
But it is not only “unhealthy” food that can become the enemy of health and beauty. Sometimes we just choose the wrong dinner companion, which is often the TV. This affects children especially negatively – the child, being distracted by cartoons or movies, is not able to control how much he eats. TV-addicted children are less sensitive to satiety – this is the verdict of scientists. And in relation to adults, a book or magazine can become such a harmful companion, which will also distract you from lunch.
A late dinner, especially a hearty one, will also not be beneficial. An evening snack should be light – vegetables, lean meat, poultry or fish, fruits. Foods containing fast sugars – white bread, cakes, chocolate, after 18 hours it is better not to eat.
At night, the pancreas makes more insulin, and insulin makes the body store fat. Better to leave sweets and pastries for breakfast.
The sense of proportion in food is also a very significant factor. Abuse of even the most useful foods can lead to undesirable consequences. Take green tea, for example. A lot is known about its healing properties: it helps to fight age-related diseases, prevents obesity, resists arthritis and even saves from cancer. Do not abuse this drink (drink too much or very strong), insomnia, morning weakness, increased irritability and premature fatigue are guaranteed to you. After all, green tea contains stimulating substances: caffeine, theobromine and theophylline .
Nutritionists all over the world agree that the most harmful foods are:
1. Sweet carbonated drinks. They are distinguished by a huge sugar content: in one glass of it at least five teaspoons. It turns out that such drinks not only do not quench thirst, but, on the contrary, cause it!
2. Potato chips, especially those made not from whole potatoes, but from mashed potatoes. It is a blend of carbohydrates and fat with artificial flavors.
3. Sweet bars. The combination of a large amount of sugar and various chemical additives provides the highest calorie content and the desire to eat them again and again.
4. Sausages, small sausages, cooked sausages, pates and other foods with so-called hidden fats. In their composition, lard, internal fat, pork skin occupy up to 40% of the weight, and with the help of flavorings they are masked as meat.
5. Fatty meats, especially fried.
You can also cite other foods that nutritionists have stigmatized. Sweets – They will make us gain weight as they are high in calories but lack in nutrients. Salt – it increases blood pressure. Also, beware of salt “hidden” in sauces and gravies. Alcohol – Do not drink more than 2 servings of alcohol per day, it contains a lot of calories and interferes with the body’s absorption of vitamins. The healthiest option is red wine. Saturated Fat – Found in meat, cheese, chicken skin, and ice cream. Increases cholesterol levels and promotes weight gain.
In conclusion, I would like to remind all of us: we do not live in order to eat, but we eat in order to live. A moderate, balanced diet can guarantee a long life.