The other day I got asked about ‘healthy junk food’ and at first I giggled, well actually I belly laughed at such a funny question! But then I got to thinking – even really healthy people like a bit of food that’s comforting in some way at times, and that’s one of the things that draws people to junk food.
There’s two things I want to touch on this week, one is indeed healthy junk food, and the other is real food.
Real Junk Food
If you’re on a diet junk food tends to be on the banned list.
If you do something like Uber Slim junk food is NOT on the banned list (because there isn’t a banned list).
I thought about this issue of eating junk food the other day after stubbing my toe really badly. I mean I thought I may have broken it in the 24 hours following, it was so painful. It hurt so much that I was amazed how quickly it settled down. The amazing powers of recovery!
However if I’d stubbed it again 3 or 4 more times that week I’d be in real trouble , I wouldn’t be walking very well and it would take ages to recover.
If you have junk food once in a while it’s not going to do you or your weight any lasting damage. But if you’re having it on a regular basis you’re not giving your body time to recover and regain its natural healthy balance.
Eating bad food on a regular basis is like stubbing the same toe time and time again. You are inflicting repeated damage, which is why junk food is manageable now and then if you really want it, but not regularly.
Healthy Junk Food
After laughing at the question about healthy junk food, I realised I actually have my own version of healthy junk food.
The reason I have this is because I still enjoy ‘comfort food’. And I enjoy this food much more than real junk food for two reasons – I’ve lost my taste for the real stuff, and I enjoy food more when I know I’m still nurturing my health when eating it (you may need a mind-shift to be in this place).
Here is one example of my version of healthy junk food, with a link to the super easy recipe.
Beans and chips (add an optional egg and pickled onions!)
Let me know if you’d like more of this, and I’ll post more.
Have a fabulous week.
Dr Julie