The joke is on US!

With so many choices in gourmet drive thru, how does one pick a single favorite? Oh, and check out the movie titled above as well for more horrifying information and effects of eating such quality foods.

It is true that I don’t eat at fast food places very often these days. And for that, I was thrown into melt down mode when I stopped into my, what once was, go-to for sustenance. Upon making my regular order, I about passed out when I got the total.

Your order comes to $20.60 the voice rang through the muffled speaker. Why is it you can barely understand what your order is when they repeat it to you, but the total is always much clearer? “Shit!” I said while pulling away from the squawk box and proceeding to the window behind three other patrons who could have possibly been in stupefaction as well from our orders total. As the line proceeded to move at an un-fast pace, I thought back to the last time I had visited Taco Hell. I recalled it being at least 6 years since I purchased my usual manly meal for one containing a chicken burrito supreme, 2 chicken soft tacos, a chicken quesadilla, and some other chicken thing that is new that wasn’t too bad either. That was my lunch back in the day, and yes, the chicken is the safest option there. If I recall, it wasn’t over $20 and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t much over $10. I know times change, but I either grew much bigger hands in the passing years, or something else happened.

“Uh, yeah Skinny, this has been happening since 2020”.

I realize that places need to raise prices to cover labor, but how much does unskilled labor make these days? My first job was a whole $.30 over minimum wage which was $3.15 back in 1989. I was in school and still lived with my parent, had a truck payment, gas, had to pay my own maintenance and insurance (maybe half, insurance was stupid expensive for a teenage boy). With that being my main bills, I still was able to do some things with the money that was left over. I also had a weekend job that helped with my gas and grub. My next job paid double that per hour, and I had to work 65 hours a week. I also had “been kicked out of the house” and was responsible for all the adult stuff now including rent, utilities, PLUS my own food, and other big kid stuff. There wasn’t anything left over to have much fun, so we just hung out in town or at someone else’s crappy apartment.

Looking back things were tight, but we made it work! Yes, I know stuff is way pricier than in the yester years, BUT what makes these kids think they must have union wages for a starter job? Some of them are driving newer and nicer cars than I am, and I know how much I get paid per hour! Which leads this topic back to the food.

Whenever I eat at a fast-food joint, I feel full, for a little while, then turn into a big slug inching along its weary way. What do you suppose they put in that food to make it have a certain appeal to us and make you crave more within a few hours? Not to mention what it does to the body (it makes me feel like taking a nap and doing as little as possible).

Fast food does exactly that to my system too, in and gone, fast. So, what do you think the biggest problem with these kinds of food are? For starters, they are high in:

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): This is in most drinks, since the body stores each sugar differently, it uses part of these sugars to give you the sudden “sugar rush” while the other type of sugars can’t be easily digested so the body stores it (as fat) around the liver and that can lead to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Trans Fats: While these fats are found in many things we eat (fast food or at home meals), they are artificially created fats that raise bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease.

Sodium Nitrite/Nitrate: Used in processed meats, these preservatives can form carcinogenic compounds when cooked at high temperatures.

Artificial Sweeteners: Fake sugars like aspartame and sucralose screw with metabolism and increase your cravings for sweet foods.

Potassium Bromate, TBHQ (Tertiary Butylhydroquinone), Propylene Glycol, Phthalates, Fluorinated Chemicals (PFAS). These are all found in fast foods and can cause a plethora of health issues and cancers.

Sadly, fast food is engineered to make you want more, and as a result, other healthier foods start tasting bland or unsatisfying because your brain craves the sugars, salts, and a whole cocktail of other addictive ingredients that keep you hooked. Unfortunately, for many Americans juggling hectic schedules, this type of convenient diet becomes the only practical way to eat. The harsh reality is that while these meals provide a quick temporary high, they inevitably send you crashing down soon after, turning that “quick fix” meal meant to boost your energy into the very thing that slows you down and sabotages your much-needed productivity!

Blood Sugar Spikes: Refined carbohydrates and sugars, lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels. This can result in an insulin surge, followed by a crash that leaves you feeling tired and hungry soon after eating

Increased Hunger: The high sugar and carbohydrate content can trigger hunger shortly after a meal, making you crave more food.

Other issues from eating fast food are: Bloating and Discomfort, Elevated Blood Pressure, Inflammation, Digestive Issues, Mood Changes, Cravings for More Processed Foods. All of these issues are found at the bottom of a paper sack after consuming the contents wrapped in more paper.

I’m not saying you should never eat fast food again—after all, we’ve been told it’s bad for us for years, yet most of us still indulge from time to time without too much guilt. What I am saying is this: take the time to learn how to cook a few simple, healthier meals at home. Try to incorporate more nutritious foods into your diet (if you can actually find them, which is a whole other blog post). Also, aim to incorporate some form of movement into your daily routine—not necessarily hitting the gym or jogging for hours, but small changes like taking extra steps when you don’t really have to, choosing to climb the stairs instead of pressing the elevator button, or simply moving around a bit more throughout the day. If you stick with these habits, within a few days or a couple of weeks, you’ll likely start feeling better overall and notice you actually have increased energy. That energy, in turn, encourages you to engage in even more movement or exercise, which then creates a positive, ongoing cycle that keeps you feeling vibrant and alive.