elllo
Views #435 | Low-Intermediate 4

Food and Health

Mike shares his thoughts about health and fast food.
image

Adrienne: So, Mike, you don't eat fast food, huh?

Mike: No, no. I find fast food not very healthy and I try to eat healthy and try to live a healthy kind of lifestyle.

Adrienne: How do you do that?

Mike: Well, I'm going to the gym, not smoking, just generally trying not to do too much bad stuff for your body I guess, you know like over doing things.

Adrienne: What kind of things do you think are bad for your body?

Mike: Stress, probably the worst thing is stress, but of course I think anything you do to much of, like you know, for example, if you, if you're somebody who smokes then smoking too much is probably a bad thing, although of course smoking I think is not good at all, but anyways, or, like if some people, if you want to go out for drinks then drinking too much is probably a bad thing, or eating too much is a bad thing so, so everything I think in balance is the healthiest thing.

Adrienne: Moderation is the key!

Mike: That's the word.

Adrienne: So what kind of things do you do to stay healthy?

Mike: Um, well, wake up, I mean wake up early, go for a run or go to the gym in the morning, everyday, and then just try to eat a balanced diet, not eat a lot of, like you said at the beginning, like fast food and stuff I stay away from in general, and not try to over do it with, try not to get too stressed out about things at work, and also try not to party too much.

Adrienne: Do you have any fast food that you like to eat just once in awhile, just as a special treat?

Mike: Um, yeah, sure! I mean I love chocolate, so you know, for sure. I've lived in Belgium for several months and I got used to really, really good Belgium chocolate.

Adrienne: Very good chocolate there!

Mike: Absolultely, so yeah! It's kind of, if I do occasionally I'll have a little bit of Belgium chocolate.

Adrienne: Mm, that sounds good. Maybe we should get some.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

fast food

I don't eat fast food because I find them not very healthy.

'Fast food' is food that a restaurant can make very quickly or already has made when you order it. People frequently eat fast food in their cars to save time when they are traveling. Hamburgers are a very common type of fast food. Notice the following:

  1. This is the most popular fast food restaurant around here.
  2. Fast food makes me feel terrible.

moderation

Moderation is the key, because anything that's too much is a bad thing.

You are showing 'moderation' when you avoid extremes of anything. You keep something at a healthy limit. For example, if you go shopping and there are 4 shirts that you want but you only buy one because you only need one you are showing moderation. Notice the following:

  1. He used to buy everything in sight, but now he shows more moderation.
  2. Moderation is not an easy thing to have when the food is this good.

balanced diet

I try to eat a balanced diet and stay away from fast food.

If someone has a 'balanced diet' he eats healthy foods from the important food groups, like vegetables, fruits, meats and grains. If everything you eat is from one food group you do not have a balanced diet. Notice the following:

  1. The doctor told me that I need to try to have a more balanced diet.
  2. It's hard to have a balanced diet when you eat in restaurants all the time.

special treat or treat

Do you have any fast food that you like to each once in a while, just as a special treat?

A 'special treat' is something that you do or eat once in a while as a reward. It is something that is not a good idea to do or eat all the time. Typically a food 'treat' is considered something sweet, but it can really be anything that isn't very good for you but you enjoy. Notice the following:

  1. I get a coffee from here once a week as a special treat.
  2. Eating in a nice restaurant like this is a special treat for me.

occasionally

Occasionally, I'll have a little bit of Belgium chocolate.

'Occasionally' is the same as 'once in a while.' Notice the following:

  1. He spends most of his time at his university, but he comes home occasionally.
  2. Occasionally I walk to the supermarket instead of going in my car.

Vocabulary Quiz

fast • moderation • balanced
treat • occasionally
  1. Pizza is a big for me since I almost never eat it.
  2. I used to come here all the time, but now I only eat here .
  3. The only kind of food she eats is fried chicken.
  4. She makes sure her kids have a very diet.
  5. One of the things about growing older is that you have to learn if you don't want to gain weight.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

Free Courses from ELLLO

One Minute English Videos

Free Courses from ELLLO