Fast Food Facts:What Exactly Am I Putting into My Body?

Each day your body allows so many vitamins and minerals to be consumed and used. Looking at the recommendations below you can see what the FDA approves as the allowable intake and what may happen if you overdose on them.

Vitamin A =5000IU
Doses higher than 9000mg can cause dry, scaly skin, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, bone and joint pains and headaches.

Vitamin C =600mg
More than 2,000mg can lead to upset stomach and diarrhea.

Vitamin D =400 IU
Large doses can cause eating problems, coma, and death.

Vitamin E =30 IU
Doses larger than 1000 mg cause blood clotting, which results in increased likelihood of hemorrhage in some individuals.

Vitamin K =80mcg
Large doses may result in liver damage or anemia.

Thiamin =1.5mg
Large doses may result in difficulty breathing, tightness of the throat, bluish colored skin, and death.

Riboflavin =1.7mg

Vitamin =B-12 6mcg
Large doses may cause eye conditions.

Vitamin =B-6 2mg
Doses larger than 100 mg may cause numbness and tingling in hands and feet.

Calcium =1000mg
Doses larger than 1500 mg may cause stomach problems for sensitive individuals.

Iron =18mg
Doses larger than 20 mg may cause stomach upset, constipation and blackened stools.

Magnesium =400mg
Doses larger than 400 mg may cause stomach problems and diarrhea.

Zinc =15mg
Doses larger than 25 mg may cause anemia and copper deficiency.

Sodium = 2400mg

Copper = 2mg
As little as 10 mg of copper can have a toxic effect.

Potassium = 3500mg
Large doses may cause stomach upsets, intestinal problems or heart rhythm disorder.

So, why am I showing you this statistical outline? Because millions upon millions of people all over the world are consuming fast food daily. Sometimes fast food is being consumed two to five times daily and in large portions. Large portions of vitamins and minerals that make up these fast foods can be deadly if overdosed. Not to mention the amount of calories that are consumed. The recommended calorie intake is 2000 calories. Depending on your height and weight it can fluctuate.

However, many people do not follow how much iron or how many calories they take a day, many people just eat and not worry about it. Time is of the essence and not many households anymore find the time to cook a well balanced meal. It is just quicker and more convenient to hop in the car and drive to the nearest fast food joint and fill our hunger needs. But is that really a smart thing to do? Of course not and here is why. Let's take a look at 7 popular fast food joints and take a look at how much your body is actually digesting and using, compared to how much is being flushed out of your body or stored up as that spare tire.

1. McDonald's - McDonald's is the world's largest fast food chain , selling primarily hamburgers, chicken, French fries and carbonated drinks and more recently salads, fruit and carrot sticks. McDonald's restaurants are found in 119 countries and territories around the world and serve nearly 54 million customers each day.

So you order a regular hamburger, medium French fries, and a medium vanilla milkshake.
The hamburger gives you 260 calories, 2IU of vitamin A, 15mg of calcium, and 15mg of iron. The medium French fries give you 380 calories, no vitamin A, 10mg of vitamin C, 2mg of calcium, and 6mg of iron. The medium vanilla milkshake gives you 740 calories, 30IU of vitamin A, no vitamin C, 60mg of calcium, and 2mg of iron. All and all, 1380 calories, 32IU of vitamin A, 10mg of vitamin C, 77mg of calcium, and 22mg of iron. You're almost to your calorie limit and your already 2mg over your iron intake causing you to have some stomach issues.

How about the infamous Big Mac meal? The Big Mac with large French fries, and a large Coke. The Big Mac has 560 calories, 8IU of Vitamin A, 2mg of vitamin C, 25mg of calcium, and 25mg of iron. Those large fries contribute 570 calories, no vitamin A, 15mg of vitamin C, 2mg of calcium, and 10mg of iron. We can't forget that large Coke, 310 calories, no vitamin A, C, calcium or iron. This biggie meal gives you 1440 calories, and overdoses your iron intake by 17mg.
Some low calorie McDonald's fast food items would be the Chicken McNuggets 4 piece, Asian Salad, Bacon Ranch Salad, or the fruit parfaits. If you're looking for low iron items, stay away from the quarter pounders and the Big Macs and Big N Tastys.

2. Burger King - Burger King has been the second largest burger chain in North America, behind McDonald's. There are more than 11,220 Burger King outlets in 61 countries that serve over 11.4 million customers daily.

So you order your favorite a whopper jr., medium French fries, and a medium vanilla milkshake.

Whopper Jr. is 370 calories, holding only 4% of your daily vitamin A intake, 6% of your vitamin C, 8% of your calcium and 15% of your iron. Here come your medium fries at 360 calories, no vitamin A, 15% of your vitamin C intake, 2% of your calcium, and only 4% of your iron. And there is your vanilla shake, 560 calories, 15% of your vitamin A, 6% of your vitamin C, 50% of our calcium, and 2% iron. In total, 1290 calories, 19% vitamin A, 27% vitamin C, 60% calcium, and 31% iron.

So far Burger King is looking a little better than McDonald's. But what about a large meal for you big eaters out there? You guys want to 'King size" it all. A Triple Whopper, King Size fries, and a King size Coke. Let's just say the whole meal puts you at 2120 calories with 105 of your vitamin A intake, 40% of your vitamin C, 17% of your calcium and 63% of your iron. For your body's sake, don't Biggie size or king size anything.

3. Wendy's - Wendy's has over 6,700 restaurants worldwide and are famous for their Frosty dairy desserts.

And of course you want one of those Frosty's along with your Jr. Hamburger, your small fries, and your small drink. You start out with your Jr. Hamburger which is 280 calories, 2% calcium and 20% of your iron intake. Your small fries are 142 calories, 2%of your vitamin A, 10% of your vitamin C, 2% calcium, and 6% iron. Small Coke is 140 calories with no nutritional value.

Your small Frosty is 330 calories, no vitamin C, 15% of your vitamin A intake, 30% of your calcium, and 15% of your iron. Your small Wendy's meal gives you 883 calories, a lot less than the first two fast food joints, and also makes up 34% calcium, 17% vitamin A, and 40% of your iron intake.

You don't want a small meal, you're hungry, and so you want a Big Bacon Classic, with large fries, large drink and a medium frosty. 1182 calories in all and more than half of your daily iron intake at 55%. This meal would be great, if it was your main meal of the day and not a snack. You could save a lot of calories by withholding the large drink and large fries. Keep it small and simple. Wendy's also has a great variety of fresh salads that will fill that hunger spot.

4. Arby's - Now this place is my favorite… Arby's is known for selling roast beef sandwiches, potato cakes, curly fries and Jamocha milkshakes. There is no easy way of saying it, but this fast food choice is high in calories and high in sodium. Eight mozzarella sticks will put you at 2740mg of sodium. If you add a regular roast beef and a regular Jamocha shake, you are adding 1306mg to that 2740mg making your sodium intake dangerously high. And the calories are around 1800. Even the smallest Arby's meal, a regular roast beef, small curly fries, and a regular Jamocha shake will hike up your calorie intake to 1156 and your sodium level to 2305mg. If you choose to eat at Arby's don't overdo it. Think small.

5. Taco Bell - Here is another favorite of mine. Taco Bell serves food items loosely based on Tex-mex cuisine with over 6,500 Taco Bell franchises operating in the 48 mainland United States with 280 non- franchises.

Taco Bell is full of sodium, many menu items are well over the 1,000mg per item for sodium and anything grilled can reach the 700 in calorie intake. If you choose from the Fresco Style menu, there is a 25% reduction in fat. If you're thinking about calorie intake, stick with the crunchy taco at 170 calories or the soft taco at 210 calories.

6. KFC - Kentucky Fried Chicken is made of eleven herbs and spices of a secret recipe that keeps people flocking to buy this fried fast food. Fried is the key word for us health fanatics. A simple plate of Cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gravy, original recipe chicken breast and medium Pepsi gives you 880 calories, 2060mg of sodium, and a healthy dose of Vitamin A, C, calcium and iron. However, one piece of original recipe chicken is 380 calories and 1150mg of sodium. Think of what you get with a bucket of chicken? If you like extra crispy chicken instead, boost the calorie count up to 460 and sodium level to 1230mg. Don't forget that fried food has cholesterol and this meal equals about 280mg of it. In the case of KFC, remember that they have really great salads that are better for your body and less in sodium and calories.

7. Subway - Everyone has heard the rumors to use Subway as a main dish for your diets and eat Subway it is better for you than the regular fast food places. Well, is it? The answer is for you to decide. All subs have six grams of fat or less and contain high percentages of vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron. Calories hover under 350. The veggie delight sub is a perfect low everything for the dieter.

These are just a few of the many many fast food places out there, and it is your choice of which foods that you eat, but remember to think about what you are consuming and how much you are consuming. It takes 20 minutes for your body to digest what you are eating, so you may be really hungry right now and overstuff yourself with three Arby's roast beef sandwiches, but in about a half hour, your stomach may be yelling at you that you ate too much.

Eating is controlled by many factors, including appetite, food availability, family, peer, and cultural practices, and attempts at voluntary control. Whenever possible, eat whole, fresh, and unprocessed foods. Don't be confused about carbohydrates; they give you the feeling of being full longer which in turn helps you eat less. Never cut any food type out of your diet! And most importantly, remain conscious of the portion sizes of your food, the bigger the portion the more fat and calories never starve yourself from one meal to the next.

In conclusion, you are the one responsible for what you eat. So do it right!