Tips on diet, nutrition and health

The core logic of dietary nutrition and health has never been to eat "perfect food" or abstain from certain types of ingredients. Rather, long-term health benefits can be achieved by providing a variety of ingredients, reasonable proportions, and a stable eating rhythm that are consistent with one's own metabolic characteristics.

It may be different from the statements you have heard before about "eating blueberries to fight cancer" and "eating carbs will help you lose weight forever". I have been doing public nutrition consulting for 6 years and have seen too many cases of people who have landed themselves in the hospital just to follow the healthy recipes of Internet celebrities. Not long ago, a 23-year-old girl came to me and said that she had given up carbohydrates for three months and ate boiled vegetables and chicken breasts every day. Her aunt had postponed her treatment for 50 days, her hair was falling out so much that it was almost exposed on her head, and her weight was stuck at 100 pounds without moving.

Nowadays, there is almost a quarrel about carbohydrates on the Internet. One side says that low carbon is the way to go, and the other side says that high carbon is healthy. In fact, there is nothing wrong with both sides, but it is not clear who is suitable for it. People who have insulin resistance and usually feel sleepy after eating rice and steamed buns will indeed feel much better if they first replace refined rice noodles with half of whole grains such as beans or whole grains, or adjust to a low-carbohydrate diet for a short period of time. ； But if you usually exercise and run 5 kilometers every day, but still insist on not eating staple food, not to mention losing muscle, and the darkening of your eyes after running for two steps is only minor. When I was preparing for the half marathon last year, I ate two large bowls of white rice every day, but my body fat rate dropped by 1%. There is no absolute good or bad thing.

By the way, some people always divide food into two camps: "healthy" and "junk". You really can't do that. A while ago, a parent told me that her child secretly ate a popsicle, and she was so anxious that she stayed up all night for fear of affecting the child's growth and development. To put it bluntly, talking about toxicity regardless of dosage is just a joke. It’s definitely not enough for you to eat fried chicken and drink milk tea every day, but eating it once or twice a month will bring much more emotional value than if you hold back your endocrine disorders. When I was working the night shift, if I was so hungry that I would definitely go to the break room and eat a hamburger. If I was so hungry that I would have to go to the hospital for hypoglycemia, it would be a loss that outweighs the gain.

Many people ask me whether to calculate calories and macronutrients. I usually advise ordinary people not to bother and just use your hands to estimate. For a meal, a fist-sized staple food, a palm-thick portion of protein (fish, eggs, meat, and soy products will all work), two fists of vegetables, less oil and less salt, and you will basically not go wrong. There is really no need to buy a food scale and weigh it every day. When you go out to eat, you have to check the calories of each dish.

Oh, yes, there is also the controversy about fat. In the past, the mainstream dietary guidelines have always said to eat less saturated fat. In recent years, the ketogenic and paleo diet schools have said that saturated fat is not harmful to the body. Both sides have large sample studies to support it. Ordinary people don’t have to worry about it. People with a family history of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease should just eat less fat and butter. People with normal metabolism will not have any problems at all if they eat braised pork two or three times a week and drink two glasses of whole milk. My grandma is 86 this year and has always loved eating fatty meats. Now her physical examination and blood lipids are normal. She is more energetic than the old man who eats boiled vegetables every day.

Don't tell me, there is another small detail that many people don't pay attention to. Many times when you feel hungry, you are actually just thirsty. A girl came to me to lose weight before, saying that she couldn't help but eat a piece of cheesecake every afternoon. I asked her to drink 300ml of warm water before she wanted to eat next time, and to stand and walk for 5 minutes. If she was still hungry, she would eat again. She tried it for half a month, but she didn't eat the cake a few times, and she lost three pounds in weight. She felt amazing.

In fact, eating is inherently tied to life. There is no need to make yourself like an ascetic for the so-called "health". No matter how good other people's recipes are, it is all in vain if you feel uncomfortable eating and can't persist. Just like some people are used to eating three meals a day on time, some people are suitable for 16+8 light fasting. As long as their gastrointestinal problems are normal and the physical examination indicators are normal, they can do whatever they feel comfortable with. After all, health is a long-term matter, and it is a really good habit to stick to it for a lifetime.