Instant noodles are a convenient and cost-saving food; however, everyone advises against eating too much. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you ate instant noodles continuously for a week?
To find out the body’s reactions, journalist Hana Hong conducted an experiment on herself. She consumed instant noodles continuously for five days, eating three meals a day and recorded her body’s responses each day.
Day 1:
Hana prepared the instant noodles by simply putting all the seasoning packs into a bowl, adding boiling water, waiting for the noodles to soften, and then eating them. This simple and quick meal made her feel comfortable and saved her money, and she had no complaints.
Between meals, she felt a bit hungry but manageable. Her health and spirits were stable, and she didn’t feel anything unusual.
Day 2:
Upon waking up, Hana felt tired, but her body was fine. She continued eating the instant noodles in the same way as the previous day. Throughout the day, she felt normal, having enough energy to function without feeling strained.
By evening, Hana felt a bit foggy-headed and less alert, so she wanted to sleep early.
Day 3:
Upon waking up the next morning, Hana felt a salty taste in her mouth, possibly due to the sodium in the instant noodles. Her body reacted sluggishly when she just got up. To reduce the monotony of the instant noodles and add some nutrition, Hana decided to add some tofu and chopped onions into the noodles.
For both lunch and dinner, Hana added some other foods to her noodles like kimchi, mushrooms, vegetables, tofu, etc. She felt slightly queasy at the thought of instant noodles, but she tried to mix other ingredients to make it more palatable.
Day 4:
The fourth day was the worst. Hana felt an emptiness in her stomach even after eating. She frequently felt tired, weak, and entirely devoid of appetite, describing it as the feeling of being sick. The only thing she wanted was water, continuously feeling thirsty due to the sodium in the noodles. Her brain functioned slowly, her body lacked energy, and she always felt sleepy.
Day 5:
The fifth day was the last day of the experiment, and Hana felt extremely happy about parting ways with instant noodles. She quickly ate the packets and looked forward to ending this period as soon as possible. Her mood was better than the day before because she was about to return to eating real food.
Conclusion from Hana’s experiment:
After five days, Hana lost 2 kg, despite consuming high amounts of carbohydrates and cholesterol.
Interestingly, eating instant noodles regularly not only affected physical health but also mental well-being. Hana felt sleepy, weak all day long, often feeling fatigued.
Her mood was also affected. She felt cranky, irritable all day long, and even minor issues made her upset and vent her anger on those around her.
If this consumption of instant noodles continued for longer, it would increase the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes.
Eating instant noodles in a healthier way:
- Avoid eating instant noodles excessively and continuously for an extended period. It’s best to eat one pack every two weeks.
- Pair instant noodles with various foods like vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, which enhances the taste and is healthier.
- Ideally, discard the seasoning packs and season the noodles with common condiments like salt, pepper, soy sauce…
- If you prefer using the seasoning packs, use only half of it or avoid drinking the soup.
- If possible, boil the noodles multiple times to remove excess oil from the instant noodles.
