In today's world when the markets are full of food products with the most attractive cartons, flashy colours, a catchy tagline, celebrities endorsing them in their impeccable style; it gets almost irresistible for people esp. the young brigade.They are tempted to not only eat such food products but they flaunt what they eat. Food nowadays is more a sense of fashion than some real undaunted nutrition. 

Therefore, I believe that it is the duty of medical professionals to lift this veil and expose what is food and what is nothing but just a food label

With the below-mentioned points we can easily identify which foods to eat and which to avoid:

1. Whenever you buy a product always go through its nutrition facts: Most dummy foods/ junk foods have empty calories but are devoid of essential nutrition

 What is Junk food?

These are high in carbohydrates, sugar and fat. It has little vitamins and minerals which are very important for the body. Such abundance of empty calories is responsible for obesity, dental cavities, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases

2. Have a look at the ingredient label of the product you are buying: The point to ponder over here is the type of preservative used. 

Salts and sugars are commonly known preservatives. Along with these vinegar and vegetable oils are commonly used since time immemorial in pickles and chutneys.

Avoid food articles containing:

a) High fructose corn syrup: responsible for diabetes, obesity and heart disease.

b) Trans fats labelled as partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated mono and diglycerides: lead to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

c) Artificial flavours: includes 100 chemical additives which can cause allergic or behavioural reactions.

d) MSG: it stimulates taste buds, is habit forming causing addictions and overeating.

e) Artificial colours and sweeteners: Artificial colours cause hyperactivity disorders in children while the sweeteners are termed as possible carcinogens.

f) Preservatives like polysorbates, nitrates, sodium benzoate, sulphites: can cause infertility, are possible carcinogens and cause liver and kidney damage.

3. Effect on health: With the regular consumption of packaged foods diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart attacks are growing in alarming proportions.

Whenever you consume such products or buy them, google them out, and decide what is good for you.

4. Dummy foods better known as junk foods can exacerbate already existing diseases of the heart, liver or kidney.

5. Any food article esp packaged food that tries to grip you, take hold of you: beware!

It may be habit-forming and make try to rob you of your health. Bid an adieu to it!

Farm grown, unpacked, simple food consisting of dal, fresh green vegetables, curd, rice, chapati, fresh fruits is no comparison. Whenever possible try to cook your own food. Try easy to cook simple recipes, whose ingredients are available in the kitchen. Learn them on the net. 

Remember there is no shortcut to good health!

With this article, I hope I may be of little help to all those who are still wondering what went wrong with them that led to disorders/ diseases.