By Dr Veena Murgai
No Junk Food Please – Why?
1 – What is junk? Something you don’t need and throw out of the house. So junk food is not needed by the body, and must not be eaten.
2 – It can be categorized into three parts:-
a) Fast foods like Pizza, Burgers, French Fries, Kachauri, Samosas, Golgappas, etc.
b) Aerated Drinks, Colas, Rasna, etc.
c) Processed foods like Maggi, Kurkure, Bakery products like cakes, pastries, biscuits, etc.
3 (a) Fast Foods are yummy; they are scrumptious, delicious, calorie loaded, nutrition less which have a deadly effect on health. They are made using refined flour (Maida) and are full of fat and salt. The refined flour is stacked with simple carbohydrates that the body effortlessly converts to sugar which then converts it to fat and this gets stored in the adipose tissues (fat cells).
(b) Besides, white flour fat is used in the form of Dalda, Margarine for kneading the dough or for creaming. This fat is a rich source of trans fatty acids which are deadlier than pure ghee and butter and are responsible for degenerative diseases of the heart, cancer, etc.
(c) Deep fried cutlets in Dalda, made of vegetables, mutton or fish go between the buns in burgers and, to top it all, they are dipped in mayonnaise sauce.
Once eaten, these cause lethargy, therefore all the calories get stored.
Besides, the additional cells these fats accumulate in the blood stream create health disorders leading to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis in adults and obesity in children. Fast foods also have a content of salt which is addictive.
(d) Besides this, a number of chemicals like colours, flavours, raising agents, dry whiteners, stablisers, softeners and preservatives are used.
(e) Remember chemicals are used in the chemistry laboratory and are not supposed to be eaten but they definitely make the food tastier.
4 – Aerated drinks: They are injurious to health, are highly sweetened, have artificial flavours, colours, and sweeteners added to them besides the caffeine which is addictive. Phosphoric acid is used as a preservative. These destroy the enamel of the teeth and the appetite also.
5 – Processed foods: (a) Most of these like Maggi, Pasta, Lays, Bakery Products, Kurkure, etc.
Besides the refined flavors have trans fats and high level of preservatives colouring and flavoring.
(b) Fast food addicts must wake up to the consequences of the ill effects of these foods. The best diet in the world is the Indian diet – Chapatti, Rice, Dal, Sabzi, Yoghurt, Salad, Chutney and papar, minus the excess fat added to it.
6 – Consumers please wake up, our first priority is good health. Don’t lose it for the taste which lasts for two minutes from the time you put it in the mouth and swallow it.
7 – Please give it a thought to maintain good health.
(Dr Veena Murgai is Professor, Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics, National Award JN Bose Memorial Medal winner)
