Although today’s modern man has at his disposal not only industrially produced food, but also plenty of healthy and valuable food, a large part gives preference to the wrong food. A time-consuming workday or scheduling constraints in the daily lives of young people as well as adults are the reasons why quite a few people opt for “fast food” at the fast food restaurant, which is rich in salt, fat, protein and cholesterol, or for quickly prepared convenience foods that are usually high in sugar and energy.
Often, the enjoyment value of a food is the reason for its selection and thus for one-sided eating habits. In contrast to the high energy content, such foods have only a low content of valuable vital substances (micronutrients), because significant losses occur during processing. In today’s society, high amounts of sugar and refined carbohydrate-rich products such as white flour and husked rice are consumed instead of complex carbohydrates – whole grain products, potatoes.
Due to their industrial processing, refined carbohydrates have hardly any vital substances (micronutrients) in addition to their high sugar and thus energy content, and for this reason they increase individual requirements. Furthermore, the body quickly absorbs and utilizes sugar-rich products: The glucose serum level, i.e. the blood sugar level in the blood, rises immediately, but also falls again quickly.
Such fluctuations in blood glucose levels are often the trigger for renewed cravings for sweets, since refined carbohydrates and sugar only satisfy for a short time. The constant ups and downs of blood sugar levels can also lead to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and depression. In contrast, complex carbohydrates, which are far too rarely chosen for consumption, have a high fiber content and thus several interconnected energy molecules.
They are therefore absorbed more slowly into our bloodstream, do not cause sudden fluctuations in blood sugar, and provide a feeling of satiety over a longer period of time, unlike refined carbohydrate- and sugar-containing products.
High amounts of energy are also consumed through excessive alcohol consumption, as there are 7.1 calories in one gram of alcohol. This one-sided intake of fluids fails to meet the vital substance requirements necessary for the body.
