Reasons to Avoid Oily and Spicy Food
The food we eat becomes our nutrition, our health, and our life. It can affect our skin, our stomach, sleep, weight, and hormones. Diets are not fads or thoughtlessly created routines. They are researched, studied, and recommended after much consideration. When doctors tell you to avoid or stay away from particular foods, it is because they are aware of it long term implications. You may have heard many medical experts suggest avoiding oily and spicy foods. Have you ever wondered why? And do you consume too much of those? Are you looking for improved quality of sleep, calmer gut, and clearer skin? Let’s find out the science and reasoning behind avoiding oily and spicy food.
Spicy food is regularly consumed by millions of Indians. Spices have several health benefits. Garlic, turmeric, and other traditional spices are essential to a healthy diet. So why do doctors recommend that we avoid excess oily and spicy food? The answer may lie in moderation. Our bodies have been conditioned from childhood to accept certain kinds of foods. However, with weather, age, climate, and lifestyle changes, our body also changes. We may be less inclined to digest or convert those foods. As we grow older, our bodies change and we start to show adverse reactions to spices and oily foods. That is not a fluke. It is a sign that your body is unable to process those things.
What you need to understand is that it is not the food that is harmful or bad. It is the body’s reaction to it which makes it worrisome. Some people are unable to handle the heat produced in bodies after consuming spicy or oily foods. So you may think you can handle the spice or the taste but lack of sleep, or indigestion, or rashes after consuming them is a sign your body is struggling. The combination of oily and spicy is dangerous. Greasy foods can cause obesity, cardiac diseases, poor quality of sleep, acne, and stress.
Foods that are cooked with excess oil are considered to be greasy. They tend to be high in calories, fat, salt, and carbohydrates. This combination is harmful when consumed in excess or regularly. Eating burgers, pizzas, spicy noodles, or junk food on a daily basis can impact your health negatively. People suffering from heartburn, reflux, or pregnant women should actively avoid oily and spicy foods. Adding spices in a moderate amount to your home-cooked meals is fine.
Eating spicy and oily foods right before bedtime can disturb your sleep. Spices can exacerbate acid reflux and cause discomfort to people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Capsaicin, a common compound found in spicy foods can increase your body temperature. It also depends on your body and its capability to digest those foods. Indians, Asians, Mexicans, and Latin American cultures are some who are accustomed to a moderate to high inclusion of spices. These cultures are now spread all over the world and have carried their foods with them. The combination of these spices with oils, fats, and carbohydrates can be the culprit behind obesity and stress.
Greasy or spicy food can harm the healthy bacteria that live in your gut. It can impact your ability to digest fiber, control weight, and maintain your immune system. Diets high in fats, oils, carbohydrates are potent and need to be reassessed. You can start reducing your spice and oil intake by replacing them with healthy alternatives.
Recent research has suggested that fats along with carbohydrates and sugar can cause weight gain and obesity. So what should you do if you are struggling to lose weight or maintain muscle? Have a balanced diet of healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Cut off junk food, greasy food, excess spice, and sugar completely. By having home cooked meals you can control the oil and spice that goes in your meal. French fries are not bad inherently but when cooked in excess oil, they can lead to weight gain, bloating, and obesity.
Oily and spicy foods have negative effects on your heart. It can increase LDL cholesterol, increasing your blood pressure. This will trigger hypertension, heart diseases, stress, and stroke. Studies have shown that people who eat pizzas, fried foods, junk food, and salty snacks have a 16% chance of stroke compared to the ones who didn’t.
Oily, greasy, and spicy foods cause acne, breakouts, and affect the quality of your skin. Eating these foods regularly leads to insomnia or poor quality of sleep. This will cause dark circles and dull skin. Eating fried foods increases the risk of acne in teenagers and adults. Women who reduced consumption of sugar and oily foods found that their skin cleared up after some time. Oily and spicy foods can lead to inflammation which results in acne. These foods are stripped of natural nutrients and are basically empty calories.
To conclude, spices and oils are not bad but dangerous when consumed excessively. You can replace vegetable oil with olive oil, coconut oil, or rice bran oil. Spices should be included in your meals in moderation. Ideally consume a diet that contains healthy proteins, moderate fats and carbohydrates. Stick to consuming junk food as a treat once or twice a month. Consult a medical expert before changing your diet or lifestyle.