How to Resist the Temptation of Junk Food

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I have a confession to make:
I have a weakness for junk food. Sweets, candy, chocolate, pizza, hamburgers,chips,ice-cream.

I think many people in the world share the same weakness.
“Approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million obese, and 9 million severely obese. “- Source – American Obesity Association

I do enjoy the taste of it, but I don’t always feel so great after I stuffed myself with junk food. Actually, mostly I feel bad and regret eating so much of it. The reason I regret it is not because I worry that I will turn into a fat slob, because right now I’m still young and thin and have no weight problem at all, I regret it because I know better. I have read so much about nutrition and the effects of sugars and processed foods, and I feel bad that I voluntarily put this junk into my body. It is taxing and stressful for the body, and as you may know, processed foods and sugars are the cause of many conditions and illnesses in today’s society, like diabetes,heart conditions, obesity, cancers and many more.

The problem with addictions, not just food, but many in general, is that at the time when wanting to give in to the addiction, you feel perfectly fine. Take the junk food example. When you are about to pig out of hamburgers and fries, you are not having a heart attack or dying from cancer right in that moment, so the risks and consequences seem far away and unreal, while the short term enjoyment you will get from the food is much higher, so the obvious choice is to indulge.

Another bad habit when it comes to eating that many people have, and that is a big cause of becoming overweight is “Anxiety Eating”. If someone has a stressful job, or a stressful relationship, it can cause some people to turn to eating as a way to lessen the anxiety and stress. They are not really hungry, often not at all, but they find that food, and often junk food, helps calm them down and makes them feel better and takes away the stress. If the stressful conditions remain for long periods of time, all the excess eating can cause serious health problems and obesity.

What I found is that the easiest way not to get tempted into doing something you don’t want, is to remove all conditions that allow you to give in to the temptation.

Sounds really simple doesn’t it? I know, when I buy a shopping cart full of junk food, chips, snacks, chocolates and whatever else is good but bad, I KNOW I’m going to eat it all at some point or another. So I just don’t keep junk food in my house.What I do instead is I’ll buy healthy snacks, things like pine-nuts, almonds, beef-jerky, cherry tomatoes, tuna, soup and other similar things. It’s not the intention that I starve myself, or deprive myself from food that tastes good, I just want to eat as healthy as possible, so when I get the urge to snack or pig out on something, then at least it will be good and nutritious for my body.

I used the example of junk-food because it is a personal weakness that I have, and I would rather cut it out of my life as much as possible. I think many people have the same weakness, so they should be able to relate to this post in some way or another.

I think it is the same with any addiction or weakness. Temptation for things that are bad and that we know we shouldn’t do but when we come into contact with we cannot resist. The same solution replies. Remove yourself from any situation or condition that allows you to be tempted.




5 Delicious snacks – Nature’s Super-foods




There are certain foods that are called super-foods, because as a single item they contain an incredible amount of nutrients and vitamins that can greatly benefit our bodies. Here are 5 of them that are easy to keep in your kitchen and snack on whenever you get the urge to binge on something:

Avocados

Avocados are my personal favourite. They are jam-packed full of nutrients. Contrary to common belief, they are NOT fattening, they actually reduce cholesterol levels and are really good for the heart.

Eat them plain, or with some pepper and salt. Eat them on brown bread. Mash them up and mix them with lemon juice and some pepper.



Almonds,Brazil Nuts and Pine Nuts

Crunchy and tasty and full of essential vitamins,minerals and fibre. Very good for reducing hunger cravings and a few handfuls a week have shown to reduce cancer and heart disease.

Eat ‘em just like that, raw and crunchy.





Bananas

Bananas are great for quick energy. They are NOT fattening and high in vitamin B which is good for the skin and hair, and potassium, which is good for lowering blood pressure.

Eat ‘em just like that, blend them into a smoothie or chop them up into a fruit salad.




Blueberries

Blueberries are the single food highest in anti-oxidants. This is great for preventing cancer, and is said to help with memory and concentration. Besides, they are deliciously refreshing.

Mix them in a fruit salad, eat them just like that or mix them through some plain Bulgarian yogurt.






Salmon

Salmon is delicious!The Omega 3 and essential oils found in salmon are incredibly good for us. Just watch out that the salmon you buy doesn’t come from polluted waters otherwise it may contain traces of the poisonous mercury.

Eat it just like that or put in on a piece of toast.




Green Tea

Green tea contains polyphenols, which could reduce heart disease, cancer and stroke risk. Green tea supports brain health and memory, likely due to a compound in green tea called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate)which is thought to boost the immune system and prevent tumors. I added green tea because I like drinking it, but also because I laughed out loud for literally 2 minutes when Glen told me about his addiction to green tea.

Aim for at least two cups daily.

These are just some very healthy foods that would be beneficial to your health to get into the habit of eating. Use them to replace foods that you normally binge on that are not as healthy or just plain unhealthy.

Another way to resist temptation is to set incentives for yourself. For example you may be tempted to not exercise at all, and prefer to sit at home watching TV. You know you would really love to have a fit and healthy body, but it just seems so much effort to get in your car and go to the gym and work out, while all you have to do is plop down on the couch and turn on the TV to have an evening of entertainment.

As an incentive, take out a gym membership, and pay in advance for an entire year. This may cost you $500 or more, so now every day that you do not go to the gym and make use of this membership, it is costing you money. This is just an example and of course you will have to set incentives that actually mean something to you and will make you want to resist the temptation.

All I would like you to remember from this post is that temptations CAN be overcome or avoided, and you are not a slave to them. You CAN live how you want to live, just take a few simple steps like I have described and it will make a big difference to your life.

Personally I am a big supporter of a raw food diet, meaning eating a diet that consists of as many raw fruits,vegetables,nuts, seeds and protein (salmon or sashimi) as possible. Find out how to live ‘Raw’ with the Raw Food Diet Secrets.


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  • http://ducedo.com Stefan

    Some great tips but we have to remember that to many bananas or blueberries is just as unhealthy as a burger.

    I saw a documentary a few years ago about a person who tried losing weight. He gave up all junk food and started to eat 15-20 oranges a day, resulting in him not losing any weight at all. Extreme example, but you can see where I’m going.

    Personally I started to use a calender after my knee surgery where I cross with a red marker for every day I manage without junk food. (post about it)
    .-= Stefan´s last blog ..Get People to Work For Free =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Stefan!

    Yeah that is true, that is the other extreme. It’s all about a healthy balance and variety of healthy foods.

    Too much of anything is bad, even too much of a good thing.

    Thanks for stopping by!
    (I read your post, was a good idea! )

  • http://www.lifestyledesign4U.com Gordie Rogers

    I don’t think that means bananas and blueberries are unhealthy for some, it just means that eating way too many is unhealthy. People have drunk too much water in the past and died too. Everything must be done with a bit of commonsense.

    A biology student told me once, humans should never eat bananas or drink milk on an empty stomach because our digestive systems can’t handle them very well. Better to consume them with other foods.
    .-= Gordie Rogers´s last blog ..How To Stay Motivated. =-.

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  • http://exilelifestyle.com Colin Wright

    Oh man, my favorite food, which just so happens to also be a super-food (very good for you with no down side) is quinoa. It’s an Indian rice-like grain that you can use as rice, oatmeal, or anything else with that kind of texture. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who is looking to cut back on red meat, because quinoa contains all 9 essential amino acids that are required by the body as building blocks for muscles while still operating as a cleansing grain. Yay!

    Did I mention its delicious (especially for people who are anal retentive about food texture like me)?
    .-= Colin Wright´s last blog ..I’m Writing This to Get Laid =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Hey Colin!

    Damn that sounds awesome! I’ve never heard of quinoa!! Definitely going to find out where I can get some of that to try it out. You’ve already convinced me to start eating it :)

    Thanks for stopping by!!
    Have a kick-ass weekend!

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Gordie!

    Yeah totally true! It’s all about balance and moderation. I never knew that about bananas, I always knew milk wasn’t great.

    After all, no animal drinks milk except for when they are still babies, so why should we as humans drink milk when we are adults?

    Cheers and have an awesome weekend!

  • http://www.thelifething.com JONNY | thelifething.com

    Well written Diggs. I would have to disagree with one point though. Out here in Bangkok they have Green Tea icecream. I tried it the other day, it tastes like feet.

  • http://positivelypresent.com Positively Present

    Great post, Diggy! I like your suggestions… Green tea rocks!
    .-= Positively Present´s last blog ..no one belongs here more than you =-.

  • http://www.freestylemind.com/ Oscar – freestyle mind

    Hey Diggy, I’m not overwight (maybe a bit underweight) so I can’t speak from personal experience, but it makes sense to me to eat a lot of fruit to avoid junk foods.
    .-= Oscar – freestyle mind´s last blog ..Cloud Living Review =-.

  • http://www.2-0.biz/blog Charles – Creative Lab

    Hi Diggy,

    Well I’m not quite so young anymore, and weight has been a major issue in the past. Hence the weight loss section on my blog (I had to dig deep into research to solve the problem).

    All sorts of things come into play, starting with addiction to sugar, resistance to insulin… Problems that develop over time, which explains why people that are thin at a young age tip over to being highly overweight past 30.

    Too much fruit leads to too much fructose, which messes up your liver and turns into trans fat. Milk has a high insulinic index, making it as bad as sugar. Fast food has fructose corn syrup and high glycemic index ingredients like sugar, white bread, fries…

    It is good that you focus on a balanced diet now, congratulations for that rare insight!
    .-= Charles – Creative Lab´s last blog ..Review of The Leap, and associated tools by Rick Smith =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Hey Jonny!

    Cool! Thanks :)
    Green Tea Ice cream???? woah, never heard of that! Lol, I think that could very well taste like feet. hehe :)

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Dani!! :)
    So good to hear from you!

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Oscar :)

    Yep, for me the biggest problem is not the fact that junk food is fattening, but that it is unhealthy for our bodies!

    Thanks for stopping by :)

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Charles!
    I can totally imagine that it becomes a problem as soon as you go over the age of 30. Right now I can eat as much of anything as I want without getting fat, however, that doesn’t make it less bad for my body.

    I think a balanced healthy diet is key, and it is good to get into the habit of this as young as possible :)

    Thanks for stopping by! Have a cool weekend! :)

  • http://www.thewaythatyouwander.com Nate

    Hey Diggy, I like this post a lot, I’m going to pick up some green tea this Sunday when I go grocery shopping. It might turn into my new thing, we’ll see.

    The thing with junk food for me is that I, like you, can eat anything and not gain any weight whatsoever. I struggle to see the future impact that my bad eating habits will have. Thanks for the reminder!
    .-= Nate´s last blog ..My business card(s) =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Nate :)

    Glad you enjoyed the post man! Green tea is awesome, just make sure you check that it is organic and doesn’t contain caffeine if possible.

    I agree with the fact that everything seems fine now, and it is difficult to see how that can change over time, but I still think that over years of eating an unhealthy diet, the body will start to protest with things like heart disease,diabetes or cancer. Of course I hope that is not the case, and it is possible to have a snack every now and then, but I think there is no harm in eating a healthy diet with lots of vitamins and nutrients :)

    Have an awesome weekend buddy!

  • http://www.thehappyself.com Dayne | TheHappySelf.com

    Very good post! My favorite healthy thing to eat are…apples. It is a good replacement for my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. :)

    Thanks for the great recommendations!

    Dayne
    .-= Dayne | TheHappySelf.com´s last blog ..6 Songs That Move My Soul =-.

  • http://www.aboundlessworld.com Bud Hennekes

    Great post my man.

    Funny how we feel guilty once we know the truth. Getting junk food out of my life is something I’m working on, but it’s hard especially in the college environment.
    .-= Bud Hennekes´s last blog ..11 Simple Daily Habits You Should Adopt =-.

  • http://lifeexcursion.com Dave – LifeExcursion

    I try to preach the same stuff. The one I disagree with is the year membership. I think if people have a contract and have to pay monthly that forces them to remember to do it. I know a lot of people that pay for 2 years and go to the gym for a month. You would think they wouldn’t want to waste the money but it is much easier to forget if already paid for.

    Dave
    LifeExcursion
    .-= Dave – LifeExcursion´s last blog ..ManvsFat : Adam Baker Kicking Ass by Losing It =-.

  • http://modernmartialartist.com.au/ Andy

    Hey Diggy,

    Great post, love the super foods, going to brew up a green tea right now.

    Andy
    .-= Andy´s last blog ..Where are the “Real Men?” =-.

  • http://www.upgradereality.com Diggy – Upgradereality.com

    Dayne!
    How are you doing Sir? :)

    Thanks for stopping by! hope you have an awesome weekend!

  • http://www.upgradereality.com Diggy – Upgradereality.com

    Bud!! :)

    Glad to see you are also working on the same goal of eliminating as much junk-food from your diet as possible :)

    Have a great weekend and work hard!

  • http://www.upgradereality.com Diggy – Upgradereality.com

    Heya Dave :)

    I see your point, it is more painful to pull money out of your wallet every month rather than once a year. I agree :)

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • http://www.upgradereality.com Diggy – Upgradereality.com

    Heya Andy!

    Glad that you enjoyed the post! Keep it healthy and enjoy the tea ;)

    Have a great weekend!

  • http://practicemakesmusic.com Jonas

    Regarding the too much fruit being unhealthy, yes that could be the case, but I disagree with the fact that it would be as unhealthy as junk food.

    The reason why the man Stefan mentioned didn’t loose any weight was because he replaced carbohydrates with carbohydrates.

    Fructose, without any fibers to extend the time which it takes for the body to process the food, will spike insulin levels and therefore either make you fat or just not loose any weight.

    I would still replace junk food with partly fruit any day, because it’s totally free from transfats and all that other shit that is in the processed junky some people eat daily.

    I won’t clog your comment box anymore, instead I’ll refer you to a great speech about nutrition and training. It’s reeally really awesome and contains a lot of unconventional wisdom.

    http://www.thedreamlounge.net/2009/09/07/proper-exercise-and-nutrition/

    Have a great night Diggie!
    /Jonas

  • http://www.urbanmonk.net Albert | UrbanMonk.Net

    Hey brother! I have the exact same issue…. I love junk food way too much. Except I think it’s now a real issue for me cos I’m starting to get diabetes or something, in my 20s. :( Your post is timely and somehow encouraging that a fit dude like you loves the fatty foods too.
    .-= Albert | UrbanMonk.Net´s last blog ..Booster Technique: Inauthentic and Authentic Emotions =-.

  • http://www.healthmoneysuccess.com Vincent

    Hi Diggy,

    I love salmon and green tea! I have it regularly and yes, those foods taste much better than junk foods.

    Cheers,
    Vincent
    .-= Vincent´s last blog ..The Power Of Certainty And Why You Need It =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Albert! :)

    Thanks for stopping by! Damn, that is not cool to hear, lay of the sugars man.
    I know they taste good, but they are pure evil I tell you ;)

    Have an awesome week!

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Vincent!!

    Salmon is the best, just had prawns and avo for dinner, man it was good :)

    Thanks for stoppiong by!! :)

  • http://improveminduniversity.blogspot.com Positive Gangsta

    Funny how i just ripped open a package of snickers reading your headline…lol. Does it matter i ate a pear today…l
    I guess I’m going to have end this chocolate run I’ve been having lately!

    Thanks for the eye opener
    .-= Positive Gangsta´s last blog ..5 Tactics to Failing Faster in life =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya :)

    Haha, yeah, Snickers are pretty good, I really like them too, especially when they are cold!
    Maybe limit yourself to chocolate every other day or so. :)

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • http://www.reachourdreams.com Jen

    Great reminder Diggy. I love chocolate and crisps but like you suggest, I don’t keep stuff like that in the house so it is not a temptation. I have noticed for example with biscuits, if I don’t have any I’m fine but once I have one I’ve got the taste for it and I’m off!
    .-= Jen´s last blog ..Dance to your own beat =-.

  • http://www.gonefeising.com Gonefeising

    Great ideas-my hubbie and I are trying to eat more fruits and veggies and not so much junk.
    I wondered though, is green tea really that great for you? I’ve heard tea has tannins in it that are damaging. Do you have any information about this?
    .-= Gonefeising´s last blog ..Ten Popular “trick” Softshoe Steps =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya Jen!

    Yeah I have exactly the same, if I don’t have it then it’s fine, but if I have it I’ll eat it, and once I start with something, it’s like a law that I have to finish the entire package :)

    Thanks for stopping by!

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Heya!!

    Glad your on the path to a healthy diet!
    I actually read an article yesterday saying too much green tea may not be good for you and actually encourage cancerous cells. So hmmm, conflicting studies.

    I think the safest is to do everything in moderation only, dont have too much of anything of a daily basis, a varied and balanced diet is the key I would say, but I am no nutritionist :)

    Thanks for stopping by

  • http://www.poweredpassion.com Mac

    Some great tips.

    You made a great point, people don’t see the effects of the junk food.

    People stop addictions when they realize it’s causing real problems in their life. Like a heart attack or something. Their conditioning changes.

    As for junk food, I would not call it food at all. It’s rather just a mix of chemicals and processed crap that stimulates your mind and give you that great taste feeling.

    Aspartame found in most soft drinks and other products excites the brain cells then kills them.

    Great Post.
    .-= Mac´s last blog ..Life is an Ever Growing Puzzle… =-.

  • http://www.jonathanfrei.com Jonathan Frei

    There’s noting wrong with junk food. It just when it becomes a regular meal that there’s a problem.
    .-= Jonathan Frei´s last blog ..How to develop a healthy information diet =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Hey Jonathan :)

    Yeah man I agree, every now and then it is fine, just don’t make it a daily habit :)

    Thanks for stopping by!!

  • http://www.chicprofile.com Tavia

    Hi Diggy! I also have an addiction for sweets. I’ve decided to do something about it and change my life style. I’m clean for more than 2 months :) so your article is really helping me out here. Thx
    .-= Tavia´s last blog ..The New Collection MAC Love Lace =-.

  • Diggy – UpgradeReality.com

    Hey tavia! :)
    Welcome to upgradereality!

    Wow, 2 months? Thats pretty impressive. Im keen to do a 30 day totally raw food challenge, but probably only next year after i go on holidays :)

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  • Cody Collins

    I have a huge problem with losing weight, im 15 but i’m still a big guy. I want to lose it so bad but I have no clue what the best and fastest way of doing it is.. any help?

  • Diggy

    Hey Cody,
    Man, I’m no expert in losing weight or anything. Simple logic tells me if you burn more calories than you consume you’re going to lose weight.

    So if you eat healthy i.e. lots of fruit,veg and lean protein and cut out sugars and fizzy drinks, and you combine that with some form of daily exercise e.g. running, sport, swimming etc. then you should lose weight and get a nice lean/toned body.

    Hope this helps, feel free to email me!
    Diggy

  • http://twitter.com/health_guidenow Health Guide

    Change in your habits. When your brains start thinking about the food full them. Go out and take a walk, call a friend, just make something that you forget about food and will keep you busy. And if you have to eat, take a fruit, apple or something http://the-3-day-diet-plan.com/how-to-resist-food




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