Cancer and cardiovascular death are closely related to diet! The fatality rate ranks first in the world.
Granny Wang is 68 years old this year. Ever since she was diagnosed with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia more than ten years ago, she has paid special attention to her diet. She rarely eats meat and mainly eats vegetarian food. Sometimes she doesn’t even eat dinner. , euphemistically called "light and beneficial, don't eat after noon".
A few days ago, Grandma Wang accidentally fell while walking in the park, resulting in multiple fractures of femur , vertebra and other places. A hospital examination found that Granny Wang was severely malnourished and lacked protein, and she needed to recover for a long time.
Grandma Wang’s situation is because she did not correctly understand “light diet”. Many elderly people with chronic diseases talk about “meat” discoloration and worry that eating meat will aggravate their condition, so they often eat vegetarian food and avoid meat. The consequence of this is that lack of protein can easily lead to decreased immunity and insufficient bone-based protein synthesis, vitamin D deficiency can easily lead to osteoporosis , and vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to anemia and other hazards.
So what exactly is a light diet? Is it okay to just eat vegetarian dishes and not eat meat? Many people mistakenly think that a light diet is a "grazing" diet such as boiled vegetables.
A light diet is compared to a "fat, sweet and thick" diet. The so-called fat, sweet and thick taste is what Chinese medicine calls thick and thick taste, which generally refers to very greasy, sweet and delicate food or food with strong flavor. This type of food has high fat and sugar content, which can easily cause adverse effects such as obesity; and overeating greasy food can also weaken the digestive function, cause indigestion, and gastrointestinal dysfunction , thus affecting the normal absorption of nutrients. .
Therefore, a light diet is not just about eating vegetables. It is just recommended not to eat foods that are too greasy, sweet, and overly flavorful. In addition to the raw materials of the food, the cooking method is also very important for a light diet. If fried with a lot of cooking oil, even green vegetables are not considered a light diet.
A true light diet refers to a way of eating that has a lighter taste on the premise of a balanced diet and reasonable nutrition. One standard for a light diet is: less oil, less sugar, less salt, less spicy, avoid heavy flavors, and use correct cooking methods. From a nutritional point of view, a light diet can best reflect the original taste of food and is also a way of eating that preserves the nutrients of food to the greatest extent, which is of great benefit to our health.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University once conducted a survey and combined with relevant literature found that 40% to 50% of surgical inpatients had varying degrees of malnutrition. The reasons for this phenomenon are related to two aspects. On the one hand, patients are injured and undergo stress metabolic changes, resulting in loss of appetite and indigestion; some patients are unable to eat before surgery, resulting in insufficient nutritional intake. On the other hand, many people believe that when you are sick, you should drink more soup and porridge, and eat less "fat foods" such as meat, eggs, and milk, which ultimately leads to malnutrition and is not conducive to recovery.
The Lancet study tells us: 1 out of every 5 Chinese people will die from dietary errors. The Lancet released a major study: mortality and disease burden caused by diet in 195 countries and regions. The study followed for 30 years and came to many conclusions that subvert cognition.
Among them, the incidence and death rate of diseases caused by dietary structure in my country are actually much higher than those in the United States! You know, the United States is a country famous for its high-fat and high-sugar diet. Why is the death data more "pretty" than China's? What is the problem with the Chinese people’s dietary structure?
Research has found that the biggest "diet killer" for Chinese people is not sugar and fat, but excessive sodium, too few cereals and too few fruits. Statistics show that in 2017, 3 million people around the world died from a high-sodium diet, 3 million people died from insufficient intake of cereals , and 2 million people died from insufficient intake of fruits.
Specifically, in China, cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer mortality caused by diet rank first in the world.Among them, the daily sodium intake of Chinese people far exceeds the global average; the daily fruit intake does not reach the "passing line" (100g), and is far from the optimal recommended amount of 250g; the daily intake of miscellaneous grains is also passing the standard. below the line.
So, how can we eat without making mistakes and reduce the incidence and mortality of diseases? Let's look at it from several aspects.
Less salt, "firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea", salt is an essential condiment. Excessive sodium ions can lead to water and sodium retention, vasoconstriction, leading to hypertension, edema, obesity, osteoporosis, and even gastric cancer and other diseases. " Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents " recommends that adults' daily salt intake should be controlled below 6g. 6 grams of salt is equivalent to a flat cap of a beer bottle. An adult should not eat more than this flat cap every day.
There are certain differences in the daily salt intake for different groups of people: those under 1 year old - try not to eat salt and condiments such as soy sauce and oyster sauce; people with high blood pressure - the daily salt intake should be controlled below 3g; the elderly - —Daily salt intake should be controlled below 5g. Pickles, bacon, sausages and other pickled foods contain a lot of "invisible salt", so you should eat less of them. Prepare a salt-limiting spoon at home, eat out as little as possible, check the ingredient list when buying food, and try not to eat foods with high sodium content.
In addition to taking in less salt in your daily diet, you should also eat less snacks, such as potato chips, fried chicken biscuits, salt and pepper peanuts, buttered melon seeds, salted plums, etc., because most snacks have a lot of added Seasonings containing salt.
In addition, you should also eat less MSG (the main ingredients are sodium glutamate ) and soy sauce.
Less oil, whether it is animal oil or vegetable oil, it is not recommended to consume too much. The productivity coefficient of fat is more than twice that of sugar and protein, so lipid foods can easily lead to excessive accumulation of energy, leading to obesity, dyslipidemia , fatty liver and other hidden dangers. According to the Dietary Pagoda of Chinese Residents, the daily fat intake of adults should not exceed 25 grams. At the same time, it is recommended to use a variety of vegetable oils for cooking, such as rapeseed oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, sesame oil, corn oil, etc., and use animal oil when cooking soups. When cooking, steaming and stewing are the main methods to reduce the amount of fat.
Less sugar, The World Health Organization recommends that the daily sugar intake of adults and children should be controlled below 50 grams, preferably no more than 25 grams. What is the concept of 25 grams? It's about 2 tablespoons from a normal eating spoon. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2016)" recommends drinking as little sugary drinks as possible, because it is easy to consume more than 50 grams of sugar in the body without knowing it.
Eating a lot of added sugar will stimulate a rapid increase in insulin levels, thereby accelerating fat synthesis, and may even lead to the risk of diabetes . Eat a light diet, be sure to drink less sweet drinks, eat less sweet foods, and consume less sugar.
is less spicy. When it comes to spicy, it doesn’t just refer to chili peppers, but also includes pepper, Sichuan peppercorns, ginger, etc. Eating a small amount of spicy food on a daily basis can increase appetite and help digestion. It is recommended to eat a light diet with less spicy food. The capsaicin and contained in peppers will irritate various segments of the digestive tract that food passes through, such as causing damage to the mouth, esophagus, stomach, etc. In addition, capsaicin can also cause irritation to the skin.
A nutritionally balanced, light and nutritious diet should be diversified.
Vegetables are also low carbohydrate foods, and contain nutritious antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are an important factor in improving immunity and an important guarantee for normal gastrointestinal digestion. Soy products contain protein comparable to meat, but are very low in calories. At the same time, most soy products contain a large amount of fiber, which is beneficial to breaking down fat and inhibiting fat accumulation. Lean meat is rich in protein, enough to provide our body with the protein it needs every day. Moreover, lean meat is rich in iron and zinc , which are also necessary elements to maintain good health. Compared with fruits and vegetables, the content of lean meat is much higher.
Fish meat is rich in folic acid , vitamin B2, vitamin B12 and other vitamins, which is very helpful in providing nutrients to the human body. The meat is fresh and tender. Compared with poultry and livestock meat, it tastes softer and more tender and is easier to digest and absorb. Fish is also rich in magnesium, which has a good protective effect on the cardiovascular system and is helpful in preventing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and myocardial infarction. Moreover, fish is also one of the important sources of high-quality protein. For example, steamed tilapia and grass carp are both light, delicious and nutritious. The high content of protein in eggs, the composition of amino acids and is very similar to that of the human body, so it is easier to be absorbed by the body. At the same time, eggs have a strong sense of satiety. Eating eggs when losing weight is very helpful in delaying hunger and reducing food intake. An appropriate amount of milk can replenish the energy our body needs without bringing extra calories and fat to our body. It is also beneficial to the body's calcium supplement.
Fruits are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, etc., which are very beneficial to human health. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that adults should consume 200~400g of fruit every day. Some people think that fruits contain high sugar content, and they avoid eating fruits because they are worried about abnormal blood sugar. This is because they may choke, not to mention that even diabetics should eat fruits reasonably. Diabetic patients with stable blood sugar can choose fruits with a lower glycemic index and control their intake, which is good for the body. Make sure to eat 1 to 2 fruits every day, preferably different types of fruits; the time can be after lunch or before dinner; eat fresh fruits; fruit juices, jams, dried fruits and other fruit products cannot replace fresh fruits, so you should eat less fruits; It is not a vegetable, let alone a staple food. Fruit cannot be used as a substitute for meals or vegetables.
Research shows that appropriate intake of whole grains can reduce mortality, prevent cancer, improve sleep, and protect cardiovascular disease. But whole grains cannot be eaten blindly. We must be wary of some "pseudo-whole grains" in life, such as some whole-wheat breads, oatmeal, multi-grain biscuits, multi-grain steamed buns and whole-grain porridge that have been cooked for too long. Their nutritional value is not as good as Real whole grains may also add calories. Real coarse grains are oats, sorghum, millet, corn and other grains that have not been refined. In addition, eating whole grains should be done in a reasonable manner. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that adults should consume 50-100g of whole grains every day. Drink more water when eating whole grains. Don't eat the same kind of whole grains for a long time, but eat different whole grains.
Of course, on the premise of ensuring nutrition, whole grains can be cooked in different ways to make them taste more delicious.
"Food is the first priority for the people", food is fundamental, and reasonable and scientific eating can avoid a considerable number of health problems.
