Consequences of Eating Junkfood
- C Morales
- May 1, 2016
- 2 min read
Before your pick up another Oreo, you might want to read this. I used to be the kind of person who would just watch my caloric intake for the day (whether it was junk food or not was irrelevant). We know the consequences of eating good food, diminished fat and cellulite on the body, improvement in skin texture and clarity, alertness in the mind, and increase in energy and feelings of satiety. But what happens when you eat something full of sugar, preservatives, and unhealthy fats?
Blood Sugar Spike and Crash: We can rapidly digest those Oreos because they are composed mostly of simple sugars, which are then broken down into glucose. Your pancreas has to release extra insulin to convert the extra blood sugar into glycogen (stored in the muscles and liver) as excess blood sugar is toxic. After a huge sugar high, stress hormones are secreted to release the stored sugar. This is what I call a “carb coma” when you feel shaky, nauseated, and a general feeling of ugh.
Impaired Immune System: One hundred grams of sugar equals roughly one cup of sugar, which according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition can reduce white blood cell counts for up to five hours.
Increase in Body Fat: If there is leftover glycogen in your liver and muscles, (which if you are eating lots of desserts, there always is) that gets converted directly into new muffin tops, belly pudges, and saddlebags.
Memory Loss: A study done at the Baycare Center for Geriatrics tested memory recall with people who had consumed high sugar and high fat meals compared to healthy meals. Not surprisingly, the study concluded that healthy food improves your memory.
Broken Heart: The American Society for Nutrition published another study in 2007 that concluded that eating just one fatty meal increased blood pressure and made hearts work harder. There was one day I ate a hamburger and fries and the hamburger was delicious. I ate the entire thing and afterwards, I felt heavy, lethargic, and like my heart was working overtime.
Have you ever felt yucky after eating unhealthy food, or felt good after eating a salad?
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