Junk Food
Many homes contain so much junk food that it has become the stable of our diet.
The idea of going through one’s home and removing junk food can be a stressful situation. Simply because it is how you might have grown up.
You may know that junk food is a major contributing factor for diabetes and high cholesterol development but what you may not know is that junk food may predispose you to cancer. Lets explore some food that are part of the Junk Food Diet and how they affect your health.
Foods High in Trans Fats
Trans fats are impostors. They are solid at room temperature, while in their unadulterated form they are really supposed to be liquid. It is this change that makes them so deadly. Trans fats are added to numerous foods to preserve a foods life and to make you feel full, at least temporarily.
This modification, however, makes the fat much more prone to oxidation, forming carcinogenic compounds after exposure to air. This is why trans fats have been revealed to increase the inflammatory processes in the body, paving the way for cancer.
Wheat Products (Especially Processed White Flour)
Wheat products are anti-nutrients, and not a staple of nutrition. Even the healthiest of the lot (whole wheat) are still light-years from being healthy. Wheat products increased inflammation in the body, particularly in the intestine and bowels.
This may manifest mildly in some people are Crohn’s disease, Celiac’s, or gluten intolerance. Coupled with the fact that wheat’s high carbohydrate content spikes insulin levels chronically, wheat products only serve to fill your sweet tooth—but at what cost? Wheat’s pro-inflammatory characteristics make it one of the worse ingredients in junk foods on the list.
Sugar
Though sugar itself cannot be deemed as a cause of cancer, it sets in motion a cascade that indirectly promotes cancer development. How? Excessive fat storage.
When we eat too much sugar, it is processed by the liver and stored as fat. However, as this amount increases, so do substances known as cytokines. These cytokines are pro-inflammatory, meaning that they increase inflammation in tissue throughout the body. This inflammation and oxidation can pave the way for tumor growth.
Salty Foods
Salty foods can do much more than just leave you thirsty. It is well known that a high sodium diet increases blood pressure and may increase risk of heart disease but now it is also known that a high salt diet can more than double your risk of developing stomach cancer, especially if you are male. Fast foods are notorious for loading up on sodium.
In conclusion, junk food may taste good and leave you filled but it delivers NO REAL nutritional value. Sure, you ate a lot of carbs and fat, but chances are those macro-nutrients won’t be used to build your body, they will set it up for disaster. Just be sure to read the labels on the foods you buy and go for foods with the least processing.
If you are interested in improving your diet to one that builds your body, please download our FREE 28-Day Clean Eating Meal Plan.
Deika King, TND, MH, CCT, PSc.D
Traditional Doctor of Naturopathy Houston
832-422-7271
