3554: [Part 1] Should You Completely Avoid Junk Food? by Kris Gunnars with Healthline on Nutrition Advice

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Should you completely avoid junk food? Part 1 by Chris Gunners with Healthline.com. And I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Wednesday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily where I read some of the best health and fitness blogs to you, usually with a little bit of my commentary at the end. Now today's post is a bit on the longer side, so I'll read the first half today and then finish it up for you tomorrow.

[00:01:25] Now before we get to today's post, I do remember it's Wednesday. It's the middle of the week. We might need a little bit of inspiration to get through these last couple of days, so every Wednesday on this show I share a little bit of inspiration. So here's today's quote. When we wait, we regret. When we take action, we create. Anonymous. I love that quote because it's so true. There'll never be a perfect time to exercise.

[00:01:52] There will never be a perfect time for anything, but you just have to take action sometimes. Alright, I'm sure you're excited to hear today's post, so let's get right to it and start optimizing your life. Should you completely avoid junk food? Part 1 by Chris Gunners with Healthline.com Junk food is found just about everywhere. It's sold at supermarkets, convenience stores, workplaces, schools, and in vending machines.

[00:02:21] The availability and convenience of junk food make it difficult to limit or avoid. You may have wondered whether you should steer clear of it at all costs or follow the mantra and enjoy everything in moderation. This article tells you everything you need to know about junk food and whether complete abstinence is better than the occasional treat. Junk food 101. While everyone's definition of junk food may vary, most people agree it's not the healthiest thing for you.

[00:02:45] These highly processed snacks contain an abundance of calories, especially in the form of fat and sugar, and little to no vitamins, minerals, or fiber. Examples of junk food would include soda, chips, candy, cookies, donuts, cake, and pastries. While these items typically come to mind when you think of junk food, others are not so easily identifiable. Junk food in disguise. Many foods that are thought of as healthy are really junk food in disguise.

[00:03:14] For example, fruit drinks provide vitamins and minerals but may also have the same amount of sugar and calories as soda. Manufacturers market granola and breakfast bars as being free of high-fructose corn syrup and packed with heart-healthy whole grains. Yet, these bars may contain as much added sugar, if not more, than a candy bar. Similarly, manufacturers market gluten-free products such as cookies, cake mix, and chips as healthier options than their gluten-containing counterparts,

[00:03:43] even though both foods may have similar nutrition profiles. Even naturally gluten-free products like certain juices, chocolate bars, and hot dogs are labeled as gluten-free to make them appear healthier. Gluten is found primarily in wheat, rye, and barley, and only a small percentage of the world's population must avoid gluten for medical reasons. Summary Easily identifiable examples of junk food include chips, donuts, candy, and cookies.

[00:04:09] But, some products such as sports drinks or breakfast bars also meet the classification since they're high in sugar and calories yet low in nutrients. Addictive qualities Junk food is thought to be addictive. These addictive qualities are centered around sugar and fat. Sugar may stimulate the same brain reward pathways as drugs like cocaine. Independently, sugar hasn't been consistently shown to be addictive in humans, but when combined with fat, the combination can be hard to resist.

[00:04:38] First, studies observed that the combination of sugar and fat is more commonly associated with addictive symptoms, such as withdrawal or loss of control over consumption, than sugar alone. A review of 52 studies found that the foods most associated with addictive symptoms were highly processed and contained high amounts of fat and refined carbs, like sugar. That said, regular or even intermittent consumption of highly processed foods has the potential to stimulate the reward and habit formation center in your brain

[00:05:07] that increases cravings. This can lead to over consumption of junk food and with time, weight gain. There is still much to learn about food addiction, which tends to be more prevalent among people who are overweight or obese. Summary Independently, sugar and fat aren't shown to have addictive qualities, but together, they can stimulate the reward center in your brain that increases cravings for junk food. Associated with obesity and other chronic diseases Obesity is a complex and multifactorial disease.

[00:05:37] The ease of access, high palatability, and low cost of junk food is believed to be a major contributor, along with other conditions, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Obesity Junk food has a low satiety value, meaning it's not very filling. Liquid calories like soda, sports drinks, and specialty coffees are one of the worst offenders, as they can deliver hundreds of calories without affecting your appetite. A review of 32 studies found that for every serving of sugar-sweetened beverage consumed,

[00:06:07] people gained anywhere from a quarter to half a pound, or 0.12 to 0.22 kilograms, over one year. While seemingly insignificant, this can correlate to several pounds over the course of a few years. Other reviews have noted similar results suggesting that junk food, especially sugar-sweetened beverages, are significantly associated with weight gain in both children and adults. Heart disease Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

[00:06:34] Sugar intake is one of several risk factors for this disease. Added sugars have been shown to raise a specific type of fat in your blood, called triglycerides, and increase blood pressure, both of which are major risk factors for heart disease. Regularly eating fast food has also been found to increase triglycerides and reduce HDL, or good cholesterol, another risk factor for heart disease. Type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body becomes insensitive to the effects of insulin,

[00:07:04] the hormone that lowers blood sugar. Excess body fat, high blood pressure, low HDL, or low good cholesterol, and a history of heart disease or stroke are leading risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Junk food consumption is associated with excess body fat, high blood pressure, and low HDL cholesterol, all of which increase your risk for type 2 diabetes. Summary While there may be multiple reasons for the growing rates of obesity and chronic disease, the easy access to,

[00:07:34] as well as low cost and high palatability of junk foods are major contributors. The harms of diet obsession. Hear that on tomorrow's episode. You just listened to part 1 of the post titled Should You Completely Avoid Junk Food? by Chris Gunners with Healthline.com and I'll be right back with my commentary. Shaq here. What's it like to buy a car from Carvana 100% online and get it delivered to your door? Let me tell you.

[00:08:04] Your car is here, Mr. Shaq. Thank you, Mr. Carvana guy. Can't wait to take it for a spin. Only the best for you, Mr. Shaq. Hey, have you always been so big, tall, and handsome? Not always. I was 6'10 once. Seven days delivered or returned it, Mr. Shaq. Not that I would. You never do. No, I never do. So buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply. See our seven-day return policy at Carvana.com. Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it. For a limited time at the Home Depot,

[00:08:33] get 10% off installed carpet projects on trusted brands like LifeProof, LifeProof with PetProof Technology, Home Decorators Collection, and Traffic Master. Plus, with installation starting at just 49 cents per square foot, upgrading your space is more affordable than ever at the Home Depot. Offer valid September 24th, 2026, through October 4th, 2026. Exclusions apply. For licenses, see HomeDepot.com slash license numbers. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary.

[00:09:00] The first half of this article paints a pretty dark picture, right? And even though I know one of my all-time favorite foods made this list of junk foods, donuts, I was still bummed to hear about it. Now, the author of today's article, Chris Gunners, mentioned something really important. He said that foods are often marketed as a health food, even though they're not that nutritious for us at all. And he talked about gluten-free foods, but there are so many other offenders out there too.

[00:09:27] If you look at the way some of the foods are packaged or boxed, you might find that when a food manufacturer is trying to market something as healthy, they'll use green. They'll use lots and lots of green on their packaging. Why is that? Well, it's because we have associated green with something that's good or healthy or nutritious for us. Think about stoplights. Green means go, right? So it's like we've been conditioned. When we see green, let's go. It's probably a good choice for us.

[00:09:57] But that's not true. We have to be smarter consumers. There's an easy way to try and not get fooled by some of these marketing tricks. Look at the ingredients. So right before you're about to put something in your shopping cart, take a look at the nutrition facts label. Find the list of ingredients. Look at what the first five ingredients listed are. Why the first five specifically? Well, it's because the ingredients are listed by weight. Meaning the first ingredient listed

[00:10:25] is what the product is made mostly of by weight. The second ingredient is what the product is made second most of by weight and so on. And you only need to look at the first five because if the product has more than five ingredients, well now we could probably guess that there are a lot of extra chemicals and preservatives in there that your body probably doesn't need. So when you pick up that box, look at the nutrition facts, find the ingredients list. First thing, has it got more than five ingredients? If yes, then it's probably got a bunch of stuff in there you don't need.

[00:10:55] If it has five or fewer ingredients, look at them. What's the first one listed? If it's sugar or syrup or something that ends in O-S-E, which means it's a form of sugar, then you now know, okay, that product is made mostly of sugar. But if the first ingredient is whole wheat or whole grain, something like that, well that's what the product is made mostly of. It's simple tricks like these that can help us be smarter consumers. All right, that does it for today's episode.

[00:11:25] Have a wonderful rest of your Wednesday. I'll see you back here for tomorrow's show where we'll finish up this post and where your optimal life awaits.