Nutritious dietary advice

The core logic of a nutritious diet that is most suitable for the vast majority of ordinary people is never to accurately count calories and eat enough of certain "super foods" every time, nor to force oneself to quit all the "junk foods" that one likes to eat. Rather, it is to achieve "a variety of foods, appropriate proportions, and allow for a small amount of fluctuation" based on adapting to one's own dietary preferences, health status, and rhythm of life. There is no need to feel guilty about a mouthful of milk tea to the point of insomnia, and there is no need to swallow boiled vegetables that you can't swallow. Over the long term, the average diet level has reached the standard of more than 90% of people.

Speaking of which, when I was first doing public nutrition consultation, I particularly believed in the "standard answers" and was stuck with the values ​​of the Resident Dietary Guidelines. It wasn't until I met the elementary school teacher who had to catch the 6:30 morning bus every day and complained to me that he had to get up half an hour early to make breakfast according to the recipe I gave him.

Nowadays, there are a lot of arguments about diet on the Internet. Some people say that ketosis can cure all diseases, and some people say that veganism is the best way to maintain health. In fact, both sides have their own applicable scenarios. Take ketosis as an example. I do have a friend who has been diagnosed with insulin resistance. Under the guidance of a doctor, he adjusted to a ketogenic diet for 3 months. His fasting blood sugar dropped from 6.8 to 5.3, and his mental state was much better. However, there was also a little girl who followed the trend and tried blindly. After eating ketogenic meals for a month, her aunt simply postponed it for 20 days to check her hormone levels. Not to mention a vegan diet. If you know how to combine it, you can eat fermented soy products, whole grains, mushrooms, and supplement B12 and iron supplements, which can indeed meet your nutritional needs. However, two years ago, I met a girl who had been vegan for three years. Every time she stood up after squatting for a long time, her eyes became black. When I went to check, I found out that she was suffering from severe iron deficiency anemia. She was short of breath even when climbing the third floor. This was because she usually only ate boiled vegetables and white rice, and did not pay attention to iron supplements.

In fact, for ordinary people, it really doesn’t need to be so complicated. Take the most common three meals on weekdays as an example. If you are in a hurry in the morning, buy a vegetable bun with a tea egg from the bun shop downstairs, and pick up a box of cherry tomatoes from the convenience store on the way. For about ten yuan, the staple food includes protein and vitamins. It is much better than munching on cold salads to make up for the "fat-reducing meal" or being so hungry that you crazily gnaw on biscuits at 10 am. When ordering takeout at noon, you don’t have to choose those light food restaurants. Ordinary home-cooked restaurants order stir-fried seasonal vegetables, add a small stir-fried meat, and eat a small half bowl of rice. Don’t soak all the oil and soup in the vegetable. The nutrition is completely sufficient.

Many people struggle with whether to eat all whole grains, saying that fine grains are high in sugar and unhealthy. However, if you have chronic gastritis and are prone to acid reflux, eating too much gluten-heavy whole grains such as corn and buckwheat will cause you to suffer from bloating and pain. In this case, don’t force yourself to eat half whole grains and half fine grains. If you have stomach discomfort, it’s okay to eat all white rice and white steamed buns. There are also lactose intolerant people who have diarrhea after drinking milk. There is no need to force themselves to drink pure milk. They can switch to Shuhua milk or sugar-free yogurt. If they really don’t like dairy products, they can also eat more rapeseed and dried tofu to supplement calcium. This will not cause trouble with their gastrointestinal tract.

The question I encounter most often is “I had a meal of fried chicken today, did all my previous efforts go in vain? ”Not really. You have 21 meals in a week, even if 4 of them are hot pot, fried chicken, and milk tea, the remaining 17 meals can be a reasonable combination of staple food, protein, and vegetables, and the overall nutritional level is completely up to standard. I regularly go out to eat hot pot with my friends every Friday night. I try my best to show off my fat beef rolls with duck intestines and a glass of iced Coke. After eating this for three or four years, all the indicators in my annual physical examination are normal. I am in much better condition than those who eat boiled vegetables every day and insist on overeating for two months.

After all, a nutritious diet is never a shackles on your life, it is just a tool to help you eat more comfortably and be stronger. There is no need to follow the rigid standards on the Internet, and there is no need to compare with others who eats more "healthy". If you are happy eating, don't feel uncomfortable after eating, and have no major problems with your annual physical examination indicators, then this is the nutritional plan that is most suitable for you. Oh, by the way, if you are really not sure, just remember the simplest old saying: "An omnivore has good food, an omnivore has nutrition." Eat a little of everything and not much of anything. It's absolutely true.