Would you like Type 2 Diabetes With That?

Growing up, my mom would take my brother and I to eat at McDonald's on Fridays before we went to watch my dad coach basketball at Colerain High School. We would each get happy meals, and then we would get to run around in the play place. This was a big deal, because we didn't eat a lot of fast food in my house. Going to McDonald's was always a special treat that we looked forward to.

Perhaps it's because of how I was raised... or because I am a health food freak... but to me fast food is still a special treat. Every once in a while there is nothing better than McDonald's french fries dipped in a chocolate shake. Or a mighty kids meal to cure a hangover. I mean... wait. I'm never hungover, mom. Just joking. 

Somewhere along the line, fast food became a staple for Americans. Did you know that most children in America can recognize McDonald's before they learn to speak? There are 31,000 McDonald's in North America, and we spend about 148.6 BILLION dollars on fast food every year. That averages out to about $492 PER PERSON every year on fast food.

What exactly are we getting for our $492?

Weight Gain

•  Eating more than twice per week at fast food restaurants is linked to significantly more weight gain over time than occasional visits.
• In 2009, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that living near a fast food restaurant is linked to a 5.2 percent greater risk of obesity.
• If you eat a Big Mac, large fries, and large Coke, you will have to walk non-stop for six hours to burn off the calories you have gained.

Type 2 Diabetes

• A 2004 study noted that regularly eating fast food doubles your chance of developing insulin resistance, which heightens risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Cardiovascular Disease

• In a 2005 study published in the "Canadian Journal of Public Health," found that regions with high concentrations of fast food restaurants are 2.62 times more likely to have extremely high levels of hospitalization for coronary problems.

Death

• Fast food is associated with an increased risk of death even after ruling out deaths due to cardiovascular conditions. 

So, what do you do when life is crazy and you are short on time, but you would like to pass on the side order of death?

Keep easy items on hand at home
Yesterday, I was in Chemistry class from 10-3:30, went to the gym, went to the store, and still had to go home and study for a huge Anatomy and Physiology exam. By the time I finished my run, I was starving. I wanted a healthy meal but didn't have a ton of time to prepare something. This is what I came up with:

Italian soy sausage, brown rice blend, asparagus, mushroom, and onion with reduced fat Parmesan cheese.

Know how long this took me? 6 minutes. The sausage is made by Trader Joe's and takes 1:10 in the microwave. The rice is a frozen organic blend that heats up in the microwave in 3 minutes. While the sausage and rice microwaved, I popped the veggies (which were already cut up) into a skillet with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil.

Making a healthy meal does not have to be a big production, and keeping easy staples like this on hand can help you avoid a nutritional nightmare.

Here is how this meal breaks down:
Calories: 387.5
Fat: 9g
Sodium: 27.5g
Cholesterol: 0g
Sugar: 3.1g

Just to compare...

McDonald's double cheeseburger, large fries, large coke.

Calories: 1250
Fat: 48g
Sodium: 1520g
Cholesterol: 80g
Sugar: 93g


If you find yourself in a situation where avoiding the drive thru is impossible, try to order wisely. Opt for grilled instead of fried, skip the sauces, stay away from the cheese and bacon, only order a single hamburger patty, and replace the fries with a baked potato or side salad. Skip the coke and get a water or an unsweetened iced tea. Sweet tooth? Go for the fruit and yogurt parfait instead of the milkshake.

I know that many times the drive thru is unavoidable, so in my next post, I will show you how to make healthy choices at some of America's most popular fast food restaurants. If you have a favorite fast food restaurant or fast food choice, let me know in the comments section and I will include some healthy swaps just for you!