Fast food

In the last post, I wrote about natural food. Carrying on with the same thread, let us now learn about unnatural foods or simply put food that is not meant to be consumed. And one among that is ‘fast food’. Hmm fast food is it? Yes indeed fast food. With the developments man has achieved in various fields, he is paying on one count dearly. And that would be time. As told very aptly in a Facebook upload I saw recently, ‘now you can have costly watches but you do not have time’.

There is no time to sleep, eat, talk, and laugh. For that matter, there is no time at all for anything. In my last posting at a nature cure centre, I met a few patients and I had to explain the follow up diet chart and practice schedule. This, the patient had to follow up for a period of time. I was totally at a loss because this person does not have time to eat, sleep or drink water. I was baffled and asked, ‘can’t you drink water while you are working’, ‘no’, because he does not have time to pee after that. He earns in millions, has so much bank balance but he has no time to live his life.

In this fast paced world of ours, everything has to be fast. As a result, our food too has to be fast. So, there you go fast food, food which can be consumed on the run. On the down side, food which increases your waistline fast. By definition, fast foods are foodstuff which is fast to eat, it can either be precooked or easy to serve and had on the go, mostly finger foods which does not need cutlery. Food stuffs which can be called fast food are hamburgers, French fries, sandwich, pizza, rolls, cutlets, fish fries, chicken fries, diet coke, hot dogs, tacos, more towards our side pani puri, vada pav, bhel puri, chole bhature, and so on.

This fast food culture is spreading like a wild fire the world over. One can see food chain restuarants of fast food like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC, and Subway everywhere in the entire globe. Business and revenue generated by this sector is stupendous. But the health problems following it are even huger and have further repercussions.

The foodstuffs served in fast food joints are ‘not foodstuffs’, actually, they are stuffs which look like food. It is loaded with sucrose syrup and refined carbohydrates, devoid of any fibre or any other nutrients. A balanced diet should comprise of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water in the right proportion. In fast foods, one gets empty carbs and nothing else. These simply give a false sense of filling the stomach but the body keeps craving for more as it is deprived of the nutrients. Also, if a person’s diet consists of only these stuffs, he is bound to suffer from deficiency disorders. The stuffs served here have to be preserved for a period of time and to help keep it fresh for long, preservatives have to be added. It is most of times deep fried and saturated oils are used for the same.

And as a result, one can see the obesity epidemic on the rise the world over. The ever expanding waistline which refuses to decrease however much you run, jog, or starve at times is a result of fast food consumption. As they say, ‘you are what you eat’. Eating burgers every day, one finally looks like the burger. Leave alone the shape of the body; one has to consider the higher incidence of colon cancer in the west due to absence of fibre in diet. Not only this, one can list down a number of health problems fast foods can cause. To name a few, constipation, diabetes mellitus, cancer, gastritis, obesity and many others not to mention diseases for which obesity and diabetes are risk factors for. So, do we need this? Not at all. Why pay 500 bucks and buy for yourself diseases?

Change your diet to a more fruit and vegetable based diet with ample amount of water or fresh juices. And see the differences for yourself.

 Today’s mantra for health:

·         Avoid fast food like the plague.

·         Eat fresh fruits and vegetables in the form of appetising salads and fruit bowls.

·         Drink plenty of water during the day. It keeps craving for snacks away. Simple logic, your tummy is full.

·         Something spicy can be prepared using veggies to avoid having snacks.

·         Have your kitty parties and buddy bonding with healthy foodstuff, try fruit combos using innovative recipes and home-made stuff.

·         Stop running with everyone in the rat-race; take a breath, live life relishing its varied aspects like real food.

Sarve bhavantu sukhinah (may all be blessed)

Love and regards,

Roshni