Eat "Refined" but Also "Coarse" To achieve balanced nutrition, while maintaining food diversity, there is also an important principle for individual foods: try to eat all the edible parts. This means eating the whole food entirely, which allows for the complete absorption of the nutrients that plants or animals need for survival. For example, the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of plants are mostly edible, but for the sake of taste, we discard the parts we don't eat, which is actually a form of waste. For instance, most people eat refined rice and flour instead of brown rice and whole wheat. What's the difference between them? Analysis shows that brown rice has three times more vitamin E than refined rice and white flour, and ordinary flour has more than ten times the vitamins of refined white flour. Other nutrients like iron, calcium, and phosphorus are also lost the more they are processed. The dangers of frequently eating refined rice and flour also include the following: First, a decline in chewing ability. Refined foods are mostly soft and fine, requiring little chewing. Because the teeth don't get the necessary exercise, chewing ability decreases over time, making it difficult to eat certain foods. Second, it can easily lead to constipation. Refined foods contain less dietary fiber than coarse foods. Dietary fiber promotes intestinal peristalsis and keeps bowel movements regular. Therefore, eating refined foods often can lead to constipation, which in turn can cause diseases like hemorrhoids. Third, it can lower the body's immunity. Whole grains not only contain dietary fiber but are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that help the body resist various diseases. A study by Harvard Medical School also found that compared to women who ate less than one serving of whole grains per week, women who ate three servings of whole grains per day had a 25% lower risk of coronary heart disease.
The Nutrients We Discard
In the process of preparing food, items like celery leaves, lettuce leaves, broccoli stalks, radish skins, and radish tops are often habitually thrown away. In reality, the iron and carotene content in cilantro roots and spinach roots is higher than in their leaves, and the carotene and vitamin C content in celery leaves is higher than in the stalks. Instead of throwing them away, it's better to make good use of them. Lettuce leaves and radish tops are rich in carotene, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals. You can try eating them cold-dressed, and their texture is also fresh and tender. The broccoli stalk is the most discarded part. Its skin is quite tough, but after peeling, it turns out to be as tender and delicious as zucchini, making it a great ingredient for stir-fries. In short, every part of any food has a certain nutritional value. Since we can serve fish heads, chicken giblets, pork stomach, pork lungs, pig's trotters, and pig's blood on our tables, we can certainly make use of all the edible parts of our food. Refined Rice and Flour and Beriberi "Beriberi" is not athlete's foot, but a vitamin deficiency disease caused by a lack of Vitamin B1 from frequently eating refined rice and flour. In 1882, a Dutch doctor named Eijkman led a medical team to Indonesia. In 1883, an outbreak and epidemic of beriberi occurred there. Eijkman began his research but could not find the cause of the disease. In 1890, Eijkman found that chickens suffering from polyneuritis showed symptoms of spasms and a backward-curving neck, similar to beriberi. Later, he discovered that chickens fed with rice bran instead of polished rice remained healthy. Eijkman realized that beriberi might be a nutritional deficiency disease and that rice bran might contain a factor that could cure it. In 1897, Eijkman finally proved that the polyneuritis in chickens was caused by a lack of a certain nutrient, which could be cured by adding rice bran. Later, he used rice bran to cure some beriberi patients. In addition to beriberi, people who often eat refined foods may also experience numbness, dizziness, and symptoms of mental disorders. In the early 20th century, a study published in *The Lancet* showed that replacing polished rice with brown rice could have a therapeutic effect on mental illness. The latest research has found that Vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and chronic oxidative stress, both of which are considered potential mechanisms for the development of depression.
Celery Leaves with Dried Tofu Ingredients 100g celery leaves, 6 pieces of dried tofu, 20ml light soy sauce, 15ml vinegar, 2g sugar, 30g red pepper, appropriate amount of sesame oil Preparation 1. Wash and drain the celery leaves. 2. Dice the dried tofu and red pepper. 3. Bring water to a boil in a pot, blanch the celery leaves, then immediately cool them in cold water. 4. Squeeze the excess water from the celery leaves and chop them. 5. Put all ingredients in a bowl, add light soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. 6. Mix everything evenly and serve on a plate. Nutritional Analysis Many nutrients in celery leaves are higher than in the celery stalks, including B vitamins, vitamin C, and carotene, among other trace elements. This article is excerpted from "Dr. Ma's Talk on Nutrition" by Ma Guansheng, authorized by Phoenix Hanzhang Books. Reproduction is strictly prohibited.