Jul 20

Jul 20 National Junk Food Day

The website National Today asks the question “Have you ever wished for a day where you can eat absolutely anything you want?” And offers the answer: “Well, that day is today. National Junk Food Day is celebrated every year on July 21. Dedicated to the foods we like to snack on, this isn’t your average cheat day. Today, you can eat junk food for every meal.” This article on the “holiday” goes on to describe the popularization of junk foods as defined by those foods that are high in calories, sugars, fats, and salt.

Debunking Myths Related to Calories, Sugars, Fats, and Salt

1. Not all calories are created equally. For example, a 100-calorie serving of a vegetable or fruit will yield many more nutrients than a 100-calorie snack pack of processed grains for example. Here, the veggies, the fruits and the snack pack have the same calories count, which is 100, but there are many phytonutrients in the veggies and fruits that are lacking in processed snack food.

2. Not all sugars are created equally. For example, the glucose paired with fiber in a vegetable is a nutritionally better option than a processed snack because the fiber in a vegetable works to stabilize glucose sugars as well as to help one feel satiated and is beneficial to the gut microbiome whereas processed sugars are calorically-dense and may feed the unhealthy bacteria in the gut.

3. Not all fats are created equally. Healthy, unprocessed fats -- yes even the naturally saturated ones -- are healthy and are a building block to our hormones and immune system and protect our nerves. A processed or unstable fat, when denatured, can lead to free radicals in the body when consumed while not supported the aforementioned systems.

4. Not all salt is created equally. Salt has been demonized in the U.S., but the fact is that we need salt for our bodies to function properly. The key is consuming the right kind of salt. If it is simply “salt” or “table” salt, there may be added ingredients that are not necessarily friendly to one’s health. On the other hand, sea salt and Himalayan salts are sodium plus trace minerals which offer health benefits.

Whole Food is Delicious

The post describing National Junk Food Day adds that junk food is “also high in deliciousness” possibly implying that non-junk foods are not so delicious. This is a tragic notion from a nutrition perspective where whole foods are not only seen as fuel for the body that can positively affect one’s epigenetics, but also as delicious. For example, a date filled with coconut oil dipped in dark chocolate is a whole food treat that may be compared to a candy bar, but without the antinutrients of excess and processed sugars, unnatural fats, added flavors and other fillers. A bonus to this treat is that making it can be fun and is a great activity with kiddos.

Treat Culture Re-imagined

The article declares that “[j]unk food day is the perfect day to treat yourself [...] So go ahead and add extra cheese on that burger and go for that order of fries. Today you’re allowed!” As a Wellness Coach, it is hard to accept that one should need an institutionalized day to treat oneself. Why not embrace the idea that one can treat oneself to a healthy treat when reaching a goal or maybe as a way to cheer oneself up on a tough day. Such a treat need not be food related. Allow yourself to imagine the following scenario: What if we treat ourselves daily to 5 minutes of laughter for laughter’s sake or 5 minutes of breath work? Would it not be a treat to laugh out loud without any reason other than doing so? Now, imagine the endorphin rush you feel after you laugh. Doesn’t this sound like a treat? Or if you are a person who enjoys meditating, imagine the relaxation you feel after taking time for some deep breaths and visualization. What if you saw this as a treat?

Laughter is not medicine, but it is also a great treat!

Junk Food Day Activities?

Yes, you read that right, the article suggests activities for the “holiday” that include:

1. Eating one’s favorite junk food because “[t]oday those calories don’t count!”

By applying a little bit of logic, we can conclude that this is a marketing line. Of course, the calories still count, nothing has changed except that someone slapped a name on the day. While I am no fan of calorie counting because let us refer to the first myth debunked above. It is far more advantageous to consume nutritionally dense foods as close to whole as possible rather than counting calories.

2. Share said junk food on social media and brag about it. Is this really necessary? Do we not already get inundated with messages from the food corporations where they brag about their foods that are nutritionally void? What if we instead shared our healthy snack foods on social media and pivoted the conversation?

3. Throwing a junk food party because “[t]he only thing that is better than getting to eat junk food is getting to eat it with your friends.” The article even describes how the part should look: “No green leafy foods allowed, just everyone’s favorite cheesey, fatty, carby foods.” This cracks me up because if I were invited to such a party, I would take a platter of broccoli nachos! That’s right I would share with my friends carby broccoli loaded with organic, grass-fed, fatty cheddar cheese and salsa. Now don’t those should delicious? Not a fan of broccoli and want to play by the junk food day potluck rules? What about soaked Japanese sweet potato nachos? Both of these nachos are cheesey, fatty, and carby plus they are loaded with nutrients.

Carrot Cake can be fun AND nutritionally dense!

Reasons to like Junk Food Day?

1. No Calorie Counting. Not everyone does this and that’s okay because calories do not tell us about the nutrition of our food. So, let’s just not calorie count, but rather make our calories count nutritionally.

2. Is everyone cheating? The author of the article states, “There’s always that one coworker in the break room eating a healthy salad while you’re snacking on nachos. You don’t have to worry about them today because they’re (secretly) indulging in Junk Food, too.” Comparing our dietary styles to that of others serves no positive purpose as we all have different nutritional needs and have different approaches due to cultural context as well as flavor preferences.

3. Does the holiday “allow” you to satisfy a craving? The author goes on to describe what a craving is and that “[j]unk food cravings sometimes occur when the brain's opioids and dopamine react to the benefit of high-calorie foods. This is why studies have shown that when we're stressed, we're more likely drawn towards things like cakes and sweets. While eating junk food is not the way you should always deal with stress, National Junk Food Day gives you the perfect excuse (just for a day.)” Sure, there is the idea that one should not use this as a coping mechanism, but there is also a justification for it by saying that it is for just one day. Would we use this logic with someone who has an addiction of any kind or has an illness with a know trigger?