Proper nutrition is essential for the body to perform to its optimal potential. As discussed in our July 2021 blog “Eat Your Veggies”, it is equally important to your physical appearance (hair, nail, and skin health.) Food and nutrition, some that you might not consider from a holistic viewpoint, can have profound impacts.
The convenience of fast food is irrefutable for busy work schedules and families with members going in many directions. However, it is essential to remember that eating fast foods as a lifestyle is not conducive to one’s
overall health. One is because, as it is generally understood, food from fast food restaurants does not contain the important nutrition needed.
Two, how you consume your food is much more important than one might think. For example, if you eat too fast because you are rushed, you swallow more air. This can lead to bloating and gas. In addition, digestion starts in the mouth. The more you chew, the more saliva and digestive enzymes break down the food. The more you chew, the smaller the food particles are when they reach your stomach, which makes them more accessible for your stomach to digest.
The third reason the fast food lifestyle is unhealthy is that it usually includes multitasking. Did you know that studies show that multitasking while eating leads to people consuming more calories? When performing other tasks, including checking your phone, one can miss the cues to stop eating, like the subtle fullness sensations. If you are concerned about your weight, this simple information can be beneficial. There is also the theory that if you more fully enjoy what you eat, you can be satisfied more easily and with less food. This is because the brain can pay more attention to the flavors of the food you are tasting.
While it is okay to consume fast food if the circumstances warrant occasionally, one’s overall health is much better supported by mindful eating. Pay attention to not only what you eat but the environment you eat in (noisy, chaotic environments are more stressful and less supportive of good digestion), what else you might be doing while eating, and how you eat if you want to reach your health potential.
“Food is not just fuel. Food is about family. Food is about community. Food is about identity. We nourish all those things when we eat.” - Michael Pollan
“Older people shouldn’t eat health food, they need all the preservatives they can get.” - Robert Orben