3555: [Part 2] Should You Completely Avoid Junk Food? by Kris Gunnars with Healthine on Mindful Eating

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Should you completely avoid junk food? Part 2 by Kris Gunnars with Healthline. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik, your very own personal narrator. Welcome to a Thursday edition of Optimal Health Daily. This is one of five podcasts where we read you from blogs for free so that you don't have to read them yourself. Except on Fridays, which is tomorrow. That's where I usually answer your questions.

[00:01:24] Now, today's post is a continuation from yesterday. So I'd recommend listening to yesterday's episode first if you haven't already. But if you're all caught up, I'm going to keep this intro nice and short. So let's get right to part two as we optimize your life. Should you completely avoid junk food? Part 2 by Kris Gunnars with Healthline.

[00:01:49] The harms of diet obsession. Though it's important to know which foods can contribute to poor health and weight gain, constantly obsessing over food is unhealthy. Classifying foods as clean or dirty or good or bad can lead you to form an unhealthy relationship with food. One study found that following a strict, all-or-nothing approach to dieting was associated with overeating and weight gain.

[00:02:12] In other words, people who restricted themselves had a harder time maintaining a healthy weight compared to those who were more flexible with their food choices. Another study observed that strict dieting was linked to the symptoms of disordered eating, anxiety, and depression. What's more, people who dieted more strictly on the weekends were more likely to increase their weight in one year when compared to those who dieted less strictly on the weekends.

[00:02:35] These studies suggest that overly strict diets that completely eliminate the occasional treat not only impede weight loss efforts, but also negatively affect health. That said, many people are turning to a more flexible approach to dieting. Using this approach, 80-90% of your calories should come from whole and minimally processed foods. The remaining 10-20% should come from whatever you like, be it ice cream, cake, or a chocolate bar.

[00:03:01] This approach also allows you to enjoy holidays, special events, or social outings without having to obsess over whether you'll be able to eat the available food. Summary. Constantly obsessing over food, commonly associated with strict dieting, is counterproductive for weight loss and may lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. Everything in moderation? Everything in moderation is the typical advice when it comes to junk food.

[00:03:26] Eating your favorite treats in moderation can help you stick to your diet, especially long-term, enjoy holidays and other special events, and avoid unhealthy preoccupations with food. Besides, completely abstaining from junk food is not sustainable, enjoyable, or worthwhile for your health. But not all foods may be enjoyed in moderation by all people. Some have tendencies to overconsume foods until they feel uncomfortably full. This is what's known as binge eating.

[00:03:53] Binge eating is often followed by feelings of loss of control, along with unpleasant feelings and emotions. Different emotional or biological triggers, such as depression, anxiety, or hunger, are known to trigger binge eating episodes. But certain foods may also act as a trigger. Some evidence suggests that certain foods, like pizza, ice cream, or cookies, may trigger this same response, leading to an episode of binging. However, research in this area is lacking.

[00:04:18] If you have a binge eating disorder, it may be best to speak with your healthcare professional or counselor first to decide whether it's best to completely avoid trigger foods rather than having them in moderation. Summary. If you have a binge eating disorder, speak to your doctor or another healthcare professional to decide the best way to avoid junk food triggers. How to eat less junk food. Here are several ways you can reduce your junk food consumption. First, try leaving it on the store shelf.

[00:04:47] Not having it in your house takes away the temptation altogether. Second, avoid eating chips or other snacks directly out of the bag. Instead, portion a small amount into a bowl and enjoy. Also, replace your junk food with healthier choices. Fill up on fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, and berries. Vegetables like leafy greens, peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower. Whole grains and starches like oats, brown rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes. Seeds and nuts.

[00:05:16] Almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds. Legumes like beans, peas, and lentils. Healthy protein sources like fish, shellfish, tofu, and poultry. Consume dairy in moderation like Greek yogurt, cheese, and fermented dairy products like kefir. Consume healthy fats like olive oil, nut butters, and avocados. And don't forget about healthy beverages like water, sparkling waters, green tea, and herbal teas. And remember that it's best to implement small changes over time to ensure lasting results. Summary.

[00:05:45] You can reduce your consumption of junk food by leaving it on the shelf, practicing portion control, and adding more nutritious foods to your diet. The bottom line. Junk foods are high in calories, sugar, and fat, but lack important nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They're thought to be a key component in the obesity epidemic and a driving factor in the development of certain chronic diseases. The combination of fat and sugar may make junk foods easy to overconsume.

[00:06:13] Still, completely avoiding them may not be beneficial. Enjoying your favorite treat on occasion is a more healthful and sustainable approach for most people. If you're worried about trigger foods, talk to a healthcare professional. You just listened to part two of the post titled, Should You Completely Avoid Junk Food? by Kris Gunnars with Healthline. And I'll be right back with my commentary. You're listening to a quick ad. You know what else is quick? Selling your car on Carvana.

[00:06:43] Just put in your vehicle information and we'll give you an offer. Done. No hassle. No negotiation. No guy from an online listing lowballing you. Which means by the time I'm done explaining this, you could have basically done it. Still haven't started? Hey, better late than never. Sell your car today on Carvana. Pickup fees may apply. Thinking about refreshing the carpet in your home? Now's the time to do it.

[00:07:13] For a limited time at the Home Depot, 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.

[00:07:42] Alright, so yesterday, I was talking about how bummed I was that donuts made the list of junk foods. But really, you know, I knew that already. Of course I knew donuts were a junk food. But here's the deal. Just as Chris mentioned in this article, I enjoy a donut on occasion. I don't completely stay away from it. Why not? Well, as Chris mentioned early in today's episode, if we try and avoid something, we just tend to want it more. So if we say, I can't have that. I can't eat that. I can't have it.

[00:08:11] I can't have it. And we constantly tell ourselves that. We then just end up wanting it more. And then once we get our hands on it, it may lead to binge eating. Think about it this way. If I were to have you close your eyes right now, don't do this if you're driving, of course, and I told you to not think about blue elephants and to stop thinking about blue elephants and blue elephants and blue elephants and stop thinking about blue elephants with their blue ears and blue tails and blue skin. Blue elephants, blue elephants, blue elephants, stop thinking about blue elephants. I told you to stop thinking about them. Why can't you stop thinking about blue elephants?

[00:08:41] If I just kept doing that, you at some point would have this image of a blue elephant in your mind. But I kept telling you to not do that. The same kind of effect happens when we think about food. If you're telling yourself all the time, I cannot have that donut, I cannot have that pizza, I cannot have that cookie, well, now it's already in your mind. You're already picturing it. You're already thinking about it. Just like with the blue elephant, you're kind of now obsessing over it. And so that craving for that food that you quote unquote can't have

[00:09:10] is now becoming potentially stronger and stronger. So please do allow yourself to indulge every once in a while, provided that it's safe for you to do so. If you think you might be veering on the binge eating disorder side of the spectrum, then absolutely talk to a healthcare professional and see whether having even a little bit is a good idea for you. For me, I know it's better if I just keep donuts out of the house, for example. But if I'm at work and somebody brought some in, it doesn't mean I completely avoid it. I go, oh, you know what? It's been a while since I've had one.

[00:09:40] I'll take one and then that's it. I'm not gonna go back for more. I'm gonna enjoy this one donut, not feel guilty about it, and then move on with the rest of my day. All right, that wraps up today's episode. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day and I'll see you back here tomorrow for the Friday Q&A and where your optimal life awaits.