Nutritious Food vs Junk Food: The Ultimate Showdown for Your Health!

Let’s be absolutely honest from the outset. 

If you’re searching for nutritious food vs junk food, then I bet that what you are actually wanting to know is what foods you should or shouldn't be eating to lose weight. Right?

So let's drill straight down into the real question, which is what foods to avoid if you want to lose weight.

And the answer, as research shows, is not to avoid any foods whatsoever!

Now I know you might think that is a ridiculous statement, but let me quickly explain.

Nutritious Food vs Junk Food challenges

Lately, I’ve been getting pretty frustrated with all the blame that gets dumped on so-called “bad” food.

Sure, some foods are more nutritious than others. You don’t need me to tell you that a bowl of fresh strawberries has more nutrients than a strawberry milkshake. That’s pretty much common sense.

But if you’re here reading this, I’d bet that your real struggle isn’t just knowing what foods are “healthy.” The real challenge is actually eating more healthy food and less junk food so you can lose weight. Am I right?

So instead of telling you to skip the burger and grab a salad, let’s take a different approach. One that actually helps you choose healthy foods more often and lose weight without feeling miserable in the process.

Why it’s hard to choose between Nutritious Food vs Junk Food

The secret to making healthier choices isn’t about willpower or self-control. In fact, it’s probably the opposite of what you’ve been told.

This is the exact approach that helped me lose over 25kg without dieting. And while it might sound counterintuitive at first, trust me, it works faster than you’d expect.

Here’s the short version; We want what we think we can’t have. It’s just how we’re wired as humans. 

Think of a toddler eyeing the one toy they don’t have, especially if someone else is playing with it. Suddenly, that toy is the most important thing in the world and all that they want.

The same thing happens with food. The moment you tell yourself, I can’t have that chocolate bar, you start craving it even more.

So how do you stop this cycle?

Don’t put junk food on a pedestal

The first step is to stop labeling foods as off-limits and allow all foods.

Now I know you might be concerned that you will inhale your weight in chocolate when you allow it, especially because you feel so addicted to it. But, science backs up the idea that allowing all foods actually reduces the urge to binge on them and leads to weight loss. 

I know it sounds counterintuitive, particularly with so much information out there demonising certain foods. But the idea is that by allowing all foods and knowing that you can have them at any time helps you to stop obsessing about foods and start enjoying them.

Again, this is exactly how I have lost weight without dieting. In particular, I eat chocolate everyday, because by knowing I can have more tomorrow, it makes it easier for me to eat less today.

As well as knowing that you can eat all foods, the trick is to slow down and really savour the flavour of what you are eating. I go into it in more detail in my article about how to stop eating so much. But the general concept is to stop restricting foods and start enjoying them!

Now you may also be concerned about feeling addicted to foods like chocolate, so let’s look at the realities of food addiction.

But isn’t junk food addictive?

Now that we have discussed the importance of removing foods from their pedestal. Let’s now closely consider addiction. Because you've probably heard that certain foods are addictive, or at least designed to hit that bliss point that makes them impossible to resist.

It’s true that food companies engineer snacks to be extra tasty, and what is on the shelf in supermarkets is not the same as what was available 50 years ago.

However, foods being engineered for maximum pleasure doesn’t mean they are addictive, even if they may at times feel irresistible. Thankfully, being irresistible doesn’t inherently make them addictive.

We often think addiction comes from certain chemicals—nicotine in cigarettes, alcohol in drinks, sugar in food. But have you ever wondered how some people can also get addicted to gambling, video games, or even social media, none of which contain addictive substances?

So what’s really happening?

Back in the 1970s, scientists ran addiction experiments on rats. In one experiment, rats were kept in isolated cages with nothing to do but press a lever for drugs. Not surprisingly, they kept pressing the lever, many to the point of overdose and death.

But in another experiment, rats were placed in a more stimulating environment with lots of space to move around to play and plenty of other rats to interact with. Importantly, even though the rats had access to the same drugs, they barely used them at all.

This highlights the importance of connection and happiness when it comes to addiction.

And studies in humans have found similar outcomes, with rates of addiction falling as people feel more connected in their lives. For example, studies show that even something as simple as community gardening has been shown to reduce addiction rates.

So, how can you apply this to your own life and to help lose weight?

You don’t have to join a gardening club, though of course you can if you want! But the idea is, the more connected to your friends, family and community you feel, the easier it is to choose healthy foods more often. 

Again, this is definitely in combination with the previous point of allowing all foods. But something as simple as a weekly walk with a friend or joining a community class will make it easier for you to choose healthy options more often.

As a bonus, you will get extra pleasure from feeling connected.

And on that point, we are all designed for pleasure, as studies show. So it’s ok to eat a chocolate bar and derive pleasure from it!

Summary and next steps

It’s such a relief to be able to eat all foods without guilt. How would you feel being able to eat all foods and still lose weight?

Allowing all foods is the first step to losing weight without dieting. However, having a personalised and detailed plan is the quickest and best way to start seeing weight loss results. If you are ready to change your relationship with food and want to get results as quickly as possible, then book in for your free discovery call now. Plus in the call I will explain my weight loss without dieting guarantee!

—-------- About the author: James Hay

Hi, I’m James, an intuitive eating weight loss coach. I teach people how to lose weight without any dieting or restrictions.

My clients lose weight whilst eating all of their favourite foods.

I’m qualified in Public Health and also a certified nutritionist and health coach. I have personally applied what I teach to lose over 25kg and can help you achieve similar results without dieting. Let’s talk