No Junk Food
"I did a 30-day no junk food challenge and it’s not as easy as I thought. There were cheat days and struggles along the way. Some words from a dietician, former vegetarian, and someone who lives with a deadly milk allergy were given. This opened my mind to how people actually live day by day. In the end, I’m glad I did it.
First off, there’s the question, What is junk food? According to Western Australia’s department of health, junk food is 'food and drinks low in nutrients (e.g. vitamins, minerals and fibre) and high in kilojoules, saturated fat, added sugar and/or added salt.'
When I interviewed a local dietician, Sherri Hall, a keyword in her description was energy dense. She used a twinkie as an example to explain. The twinkie is high in calories (energy) but doesn’t have a lot of vitamins and minerals. This is compared to something that is “Nutrient dense” like blackberries. They have plenty of vitamins and minerals but not as many calories as a twinkie.
With these definitions in mind I began my challenge. Some foods were easier to avoid than others, soda wasn’t that difficult but cookies and microwave meals definitely where. Yes, there were cheat days because of events and consistent migraines. I didn’t shame myself for a cheat day, I just made sure that I focused more on healthy options. So, obviously it wasn’t thirty days all together.
In order to avoid reaching for a soda or a bag of chips, I came up with alternatives. Instead of soda I started drinking natural fruit flavored sparkling waters. My exchange for chips were Lime rice puffs. Not only were these healthy options but they taste great! Honestly, I’d prefer these sparkling waters over soda."
First off, there’s the question, What is junk food? According to Western Australia’s department of health, junk food is 'food and drinks low in nutrients (e.g. vitamins, minerals and fibre) and high in kilojoules, saturated fat, added sugar and/or added salt.'
When I interviewed a local dietician, Sherri Hall, a keyword in her description was energy dense. She used a twinkie as an example to explain. The twinkie is high in calories (energy) but doesn’t have a lot of vitamins and minerals. This is compared to something that is “Nutrient dense” like blackberries. They have plenty of vitamins and minerals but not as many calories as a twinkie.
With these definitions in mind I began my challenge. Some foods were easier to avoid than others, soda wasn’t that difficult but cookies and microwave meals definitely where. Yes, there were cheat days because of events and consistent migraines. I didn’t shame myself for a cheat day, I just made sure that I focused more on healthy options. So, obviously it wasn’t thirty days all together.
In order to avoid reaching for a soda or a bag of chips, I came up with alternatives. Instead of soda I started drinking natural fruit flavored sparkling waters. My exchange for chips were Lime rice puffs. Not only were these healthy options but they taste great! Honestly, I’d prefer these sparkling waters over soda."
