What is the one type of food all of us survive on nowadays? It’s fast, easy to make, delicious and popularly called ‘fast food’. As the name suggests, this type of food can be made fast and easy without any hassle. In this fast moving life of ours, fast food fits in beautifully. It occupies a prominent place in our food history. Many food giants are engaged in making fast foods, selling them to millions of hungry customers every day. Fast food chains are slowly spreading across the globe, swallowing up countries like USA, UK, China and India.
Fast food is indeed mouth-watering but what about its health factors? Have you ever stopped to think what it does to your body? Fast food, junk food and spicy food almost synonymously convey a greasy oily delectable food platter that includes the likes of hamburgers, French fries, kebabs and pizzas. The oil and fat content is dangerously high in fast foods and this has become a growing concern among individuals. Children, especially teenagers have been hit the most by this terrible fast food wave. It is estimated that one out of every ten teenagers is obese, thanks to the emergent rise of fast foods.
Let us start talking about how fast foods are gradually taking a toll on our health. The effects may be short term and long term. Short term effects include indigestion, acidity and bloating of the stomach. Indigestion and problems in the stomach can lead to poor health which gets reflected on the skin and hair as well. But the long term effects are what we need to be concerned about. Weight gain, obesity, heart problems, high blood sugar, cholesterol are just a few diseases that rear their ugly heads. These diseases are affecting the present generation adversely with every individual having some kind of disease related to unhealthy eating.
The evaluation of the ingredients of some of these fast foods would give us a better idea of the matter. Mono- saturated fats, monosodium glutamate (commonly called MSG), sodium nitrate, white flour and artificial sweeteners are some very common harmful ingredients of fast food. Despite the fact that fast foods also contain nutritious vegetables along with the harmful contents, the processed nature of fast foods tend to diminish most of their nutritious value, if any. The harmful ingredients can block the heart and trigger a heart attack. Because of the presence of artificial sweeteners, the blood sugar levels are also likely to rise. Fast foods are high in fats and carbohydrates, producing a lot of extra energy that the body can’t put use to. Ultimately this is what leads to massive weight gain. High-calorie content is not the only concern of fast foods. The presence of harmful preservatives also cannot be overlooked. These cheap artificial preservatives can cause permanent damage to our body. Mention also must be made of animal fat, which is used as an active ingredient in many popular fast food chains. Apart from making us unhealthy, fast foods are also supporting animal slaughter at an alarming rate.
Obliterating fast foods completely may not be a very practical idea. Fast food restaurants employ thousands of workers in their manufacturing, processing and selling units. Many people are financially dependent on them. Moreover we have become accustomed to them and will never be able to divorce them from our life. The only solution is to cut back on our consumption of fast food- as much as possible. It is okay to binge on fast foods once in a while but try to eat healthy the rest of the days. Also, companies selling fast foods should make an endeavour to make them healthier and remove harmful ingredients from its contents. A good idea is to replace the harmful and toxic ingredients with less toxic ones- not compromising on the taste in the process.
We can also make an effort to make our own fast food at home with healthier ingredients. Use as much vegetables as you can. Stack up on lettuce, tomatoes and onions inside buns to make a re-rendition of your favourite hamburger. In place of white buns, use healthier whole grain buns. Don’t forget to use olive oil while making your fast foods, rather than trans or whole fats which are detrimental to your health. Olive oil is healthy for the heart.
The whole point of fast foods is not to waste much time in making them. Instead of going to your favourite fast food restaurant every day, try conjuring some tasty treats at home. Homemade pizzas, lasagnes, burgers and fries can be quite tasty if made properly. A healthier alternative to frying food is to bake them. A non-meat fast food is a much better option than the meat filled ones. Vegetable fast foods can have the same delicious taste as the non-vegetable ones. By refusing meat you refuse the inhuman slaughter of animals. Processed meat is also not healthy at all, especially red meat. Lastly, we should remember that fizzy drinks are also a part of the fast food experience. These carbonated drinks should be avoided completely. Opt for healthier fruit juices instead. Choose a healthier life style to ensure a longer life span.
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