Junk and Food

The definitions below are from my online dictionary.

Food: Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth.

Junk: anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible; trash.

Today I offer this quote from Dr. Mark Hyman, the medical director of Canyon Ranch and author of a number of very good books, "There is no such thing as junk food. There is junk and there is food."

You wouldn't eat junk, would you? Somehow, stick the word food after it and it seems okay, at least on occasion or for a treat, right? It's ubiquitous and cheap, too, which makes it both hard to avoid and...well, it kind of looks like a bargain.

Old habits die hard. I know that. And so you don't go screaming away from the computer, never to read this blog again, I offer a strategy. When you want to eat junk, follow these five steps:

1. Remind yourself that you are not a trash bin. This goes for whether or not you paid for the junk. Free junk is still junk. When you've paid for the junk, remember you're not saving money when you eat things that will cause you to feel badly or negatively affect your health. What you eat today really does affect your long-term health.

2. Eat food. If you want crunchy junk, try crunchy carrots, celery or an apple. If you want sweet junk, try adding more sweet vegetable into your diet - sweet potatoes, carrots, cooked onions, fruit. If you crave creamy, try natural peanut butter or your own homemade rice pudding.

3. The craving for putting junky things in your mouth is often a sign that something is missing from your life: sleep, love, joy, relaxation, meaningful work, or enjoyable movement. Examine your life and you may find what's causing you to want to put junk, instead of food, in your body.

4. If you're going to eat junk, portion some out. Studies have shown that the more you have in front of you, the more you'll eat. So, pick a reasonable amount, portion it out, put the rest where you can't easily reach it for more. Better yet, resist the temptation to buy the bigger, cheaper bag or box: the less you have in the house, the less you'll eat. As Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University said about all-you-can-eat buffets, "You are going to get fat at no extra charge and then spend a fortune to lose the weight you gained for free. Wake up and smell the Slim Fast! This is not a bargain." I think his point works just as well when it comes to pillow-sized bags of chips, etc.

5. Don't give in to using the euphemism - you're not eating "junk food", you're eating "junk". There's something to be said for honesty.

If you still put junk in your body or more junk than you'd planned, be kind to yourself. It's not the worst thing you'll ever do and you'll survive it (as long as it's not an everyday thing that's leading to chronic illness - but be clear that it might be). We're talking how to be madly healthy here, and looking for ways to be healthier. Berating yourself is never a path to health - loving yourself, no matter what, is.

And just so I don't soundall high and mighty - let me come clean right here, I'm as likely as the next person to eat junk. Especially when tired or stressed: those are my triggers. The strategies I use to deal with it is to keep only the healthiest snacks I can find, or make, in the house. Our newest treat is agave sweetened, coconut milk "ice cream". Is the better stuff expensive? You bet it is, but we're worth it! The expense is one reason I often bake our own desserts: it helps keep the food budget in check (and it gives me complete control over the ingredients). Another tip my health coach gave me when I was having trouble avoiding a bag of pretzels was to put a note on the bag, just under the clip that closed it, which said, "Carrots!" This immediately solved the problem I was having - I'd want something crunchy, there were the pretzels and in the moment, I just didn't think about an alternative. The note worked like a charm!

How much junk do you eat? Do you think of it as food? If you try to avoid it, what's your strategy?