July 21st is National Junk Food Day, a day to step away from our diets and healthy eating habits for just one day, in order to enjoy the foods we’ve been craving. The term “junk food” entered our lexicon in 1972. Coined by Michael F. Jacbson of the Center of Science in the Public Interest, it described foods whose “presence in the human body beyond a critical level is harmful”, or foods that “are perceived to have little or not nutritional value.” Typical junk foods include ready-to-eat meals, many fast food items, candy, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. But even foods with some nutritional value can be classified as junk food if they contain harmful levels of any number of ingredients, including salt, fat, and preservatives. Studies suggest that eating junk food can actually alter brain activity in a manner similar to other addictive substances, and that bad eating habits can even be passed from mother to child while a baby is in utero! With obesity and diabetes taking a firm hold over America’s populace, it has become increasingly clear that our nation needs to assess it’s addiction to junk food.
But National Junk Food Day is a day to revisit the old food friends we’ve spent so much time ignoring. I tried to remain positive about today, putting this spin on the celebration: we all need a “cheat day” once in awhile so our cravings don’t drive us wild, and sometimes over-indulging is a great reminder that what we’ve been missing isn’t always as good as we remembered or imagined. Ice cream with potato chips or french fries, SlimJims, Starburst, M&M's, Cheetos, etc. Whatever your fix is grab a little and indulge in some nostalgia.
