How to stop eating junk food
We’re all human. We all get urges to e
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at what we’re not “supposed” to .
So, what do you do when junk food cravings strike full force? How do you fight the urge? Today’s article focuses on – what can feel like – the impossible: how to stop eating junk food.
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In 30 seconds
Junk food can provide a quick meal and feel satisfying in the short-term. However, with side effects like lethargy, obesity, dehydration, elevated blood pressure, and heart conditions, junk food is doing your body far more harm than you might realise.
With junk food manufacturers hacking your dopamine levels through the perfect harmony of saturated fats, salt, and sugar, your brain is tricked into a cycle of junk food addiction.
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The first step to quitting is to know how to stop eating junk food. Avoiding cold turkey, staying hydrated, going for a walk, and meal-planning with whole foods in mind are just a few strategies you can leverage while ridding your body of ultra-processed foods.
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Why you can’t stop eating junk food
Let’s start by addressing the problem. You already know that junk food is unhealthy. You know that it can cause weight gain, cholesterol problems, and a range of other health conditions.
But despite those reasons, you’re still unable to beat your junk food cravings. You feel like you can’t stop eating junk food, even though your rational side is telling you not to.
If you’ve noticed you can’t stop eating junk food, it’s likely down to your dopamine.
What happens when you eat junk food?
Now that you understand what’s got you hooked on junk food, let’s take a look at why junk food is so bad for you. Is it really as bad as people say?
The term “junk food” really is descriptive of what it is: junk.
Low in nutrients, high in saturated fat, and extortionate levels of added sugar and salt: junk food is no picnic for your body.
With 7% of people in the UK eating junk food every day, the health consequences are dire.
Consequence of junk food 1: weight gain
One of the most well-known consequences of eating junk food regularly is significant weight gain. From 2021 to 2022, child obesity in the UK increased by 50%.
It’s no surprise that junk food causes weight gain. The NHS even position “eating large amounts of processed or fast food” as one of the core reasons for suffering from obesity.
This year, a study – published in Cell Metabolism – took place. The researchers from The National Institutes of Health aimed to discover just how much weight you can gain from eating junk food alone and why.
The study – in a nutshell – proved that eating processed foods results in 20% more calories than eating healthier alternatives. Those calories cause weight gain.
The study also demonstrates that we soak up more of the calories in highly processed foods due to a lack of insoluble fibre.
How to stop eating junk food
It’s evident that eating junk food has devastating consequences. So, how do you stop eating junk food and, instead, opt for healthy foods? Here’s a step-by-step list of how you can break the cycle and stop eating junk food.
Step 1 to healthy eating: identify your motivation
When we’re making a change to our lifestyle – whether that’s to get in better shape, improve our mental health, quit smoking, or any other change to routine – we need to identify our reason for making the change.
This motivation should be clear for you, as it’s what will keep you going when you get those junk food cravings that you’re struggling to shake.
Motivations could include wanting to lose weight for a big event, being an example to your children, or improving your mental health.
Whatever it is, make sure you have identified it before you tackle the mission of bidding junk food goodbye.
Step 2 to healthy eating: don’t go cold turkey
As with any drastic change, if you eat junk food regularly, cutting it out of your diet overnight isn’t advised.
In 2018, a study was published in Appetite Science Journal which suggested that quitting junk food can actually cause withdrawal symptoms that are similar to when you quit smoking (or quit any other addictive substances.)
Going “cold turkey” when you’re quitting junk food may result in mood swings, irritability, exhaustion, and headaches.
So, eat junk food in moderation, reducing the frequency you eat junk food over time.
Step 3 to healthy eating: create a meal plan with whole foods
Your food choices will play a huge role in giving up junk food. While we’re not aiming to give up junk food overnight (as per our previous step,) you’ll need to focus on eating extremely well for the days where you continue eating junk food, so you can compensate for that.
Whole foods are a key way to do this. Whole foods are foods that aren’t processed. Essentially, they’re foods that haven’t had fat, salt, and sugar added to them, as well as key nutrients like fibre haven’t been removed.
Examples of a whole food diet include whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Unprocessed meats like chicken and beef can also be considered whole foods, too.
While meal planning may seem like an inconvenience, it will encourage you to really think about the nutritional value of each meal. Leaving it until 6 PM on a Monday evening is often the most turbulent time for battling your junk food cravings.
That said, if you consistently plan your meals on a Sunday for the week, you’re able to spend the time you need deliberating the best choices for you (and your family) throughout the working week.