What is junk food? Learn New Vocabulary
Learn new phrases and phrasal verbs such as: cut back on, cut down on, work out, work off and burn off. And learn what junk food is, also known as cheat food or fast food. Enjoy :)
Episodes mentioned
Episode 118 – Exercise and Fitness – English Vocabulary At The Gym
Podcast Transcript
Hey there, you are listening to the English Made Simple show, this is episode number 1-1-9, number one hundred and nineteen, numero ciento diez y nueve.
Welcome to the short and sweet episode of the English Made Simple show, my name is Milena, I am your English coach from www.englishmadesimple.net.
And you, most of all, you are my listeners, raving fans of the English Made Simple show. And if you are looking to improve your English, really take it to the next level then hop onto the English Made Simple website and find out how you can Learn English with me. Just click on the link Learn With Me link on the website.
Cool, cool bananas!
So let’s not waste time and just dive straight into today’s episode.
We are going to learn some phrases, I said ‘some phrases’ because I haven’t yet counted them. Let’s see. One, two, three….I think it’s 6. I got 6 phrases. I told ya I am really bad at maths.
So let’s do what we typically do in these episodes. English expressions and phrasal verbs. This is what we do best!
Let’s start off with your first phrase for today, which is:
*Junk food. Let me ask you this question: How many of you eat junk food?
Junk food is also known as cheat food or fast food. In Spanish this is comida rápida.
What is junk food? I was thinking to give you a proper definition of junk food, but I will tell you what it is in a nutshell. Put very simply, I will give you my definition of it.
It’s that thing that makes us fat. That’s what it is! If we eat too much of it, we end up being overweight – con sobre peso – or even worse, we can end up obese. Things like fried food, processed food, food made from refined white sugar or corn syrup, white bread, salty food, including your favourite, sweetened carbonated beverages, like coca cola and so on.
I am not here to lecture you on eating healthy, you probably know all of this by now. Junk food is not good for us. But it’s so delicious, it’s addictive. Damn it! And it’s really high in calories, too.
Which is why, when we do eat it, we have to burn it off. Take me for example, if I ate too much junk food, I would have to do some exercise to work it off.
So that’s your next phrase, it’s a phrasal verb. To work off something or to burn off something.
*To work off something – to lose, to dispose of or get rid of by work or physical activity. In this case, I am referring to the physical activity, in other words exercise.
Por ejemplo, I had fish and chips for dinner on Saturday, so the next day I worked off that big dinner by going out for a run around the block.
Hope that was clear as mud. Haha Más claro que el barro.
So the phrasal verb to Work off means to lose or get rid of something by exercising.
I really need to cut down on those chips, man. They are really high in fat, probably saturated fat.
Which is not good. Not good at all.
And that’s your next phrase…
*Your phrasal verb to cut down on. Meaning to reduce the amount of something. In this case, it’s junk food! I need to cut down on those chips.
And another phrasal verb with the same meaning is to cut back on.
I really need to cut back on fried food. I really need to cut back on that.
And if I cut back on fatty foods and start exercising I can really lose that extra weight I gained. Sounds like a plan.
I definitely need to work out more often if that’s the case.
A-ha! Your next phrasal verb amigos is to work out. In the last episode, in the last episode number 118 I mentioned workout before. I said it’s spelled as one word. If it’s spelled as one word then it is a noun. If you are using it as a verb, to work out as in to exercise then make it 2 words – work and out, to work out.
For instance: For me, the most optimal time to work out is in the early morning, you’ll end up feeling energized the whole day.
I went to the gym yesterday morning and had a great workout!
Right, what’s that latin proverb about healthy body healthy mind. Let’s see if my Latin pronunciation is ok, Mens sana in corpore sano. Translated in English this is: a healthy mind in a healthy body. And in Spanish, mente sana, cuerpo sano.
Cool bananas!
Ok time to cool down amigos, we’ve been full on this week, it’s time for us to take it slow and stretch.
We are approaching the end of today’s show. If you’ve enjoyed today’s episode please share it with your friends, your friends the ones you eat junk food with. Those people. Share it with them, (just like you share those chips.) I know you’ve been eating those chips. I know you!
Alrighty, you’ve been jamming with Milena, your personal trainer, your English coach. Stay healthy, until next time, hasta la proxima!