An improper dinner is the culprit behind many diseases, and some common chronic ailments are caused by long-term poor dinner habits. So, how should we eat dinner?
1. Eat Dinner Early
Eating dinner early is a healthy recommendation from medical experts. Related studies have shown that eating dinner early can significantly reduce the incidence of urinary tract stones. Dinner foods contain a large amount of calcium. During the metabolic process, some calcium is absorbed and utilized by the small intestine, while another part is filtered through the renal glomeruli into the urinary tract and excreted from the body. The peak time for calcium excretion in humans is often 4-5 hours after a meal. If dinner is too late, when the peak calcium excretion period arrives, the person is already asleep. Urine then remains in the ureter, bladder, urethra, and other parts of the urinary tract, unable to be excreted in time. This causes calcium in the urine to continuously increase, easily depositing to form small crystals, which, over time, gradually expand and form stones.
2. Eat a Light Dinner
Dinner should be light, focusing on foods rich in carbohydrates, especially fresh vegetables, and minimizing the intake of excessive protein and fatty foods. However, in real life, because there is relatively ample preparation time, most families have very lavish dinners, which is detrimental to health. Consuming too much protein that the body cannot absorb will remain in the intestine, where it can spoil and produce toxic substances like ammonia, indole, and ammonium sulfide, stimulating the intestinal wall and inducing cancer. Eating too much fat can raise blood lipids. Numerous clinical studies have confirmed that people who often eat meat for dinner generally have blood lipids 3 to 4 times higher than those who often eat vegetarian meals. For people with high blood lipids and high blood pressure, frequently eating meat for dinner is like adding fuel to the fire.
3. Eat Less for Dinner
Compared to breakfast and lunch, dinner should be smaller in portion. It is generally recommended that the calories provided by dinner should not exceed 30% of the total daily dietary calories. Frequently consuming excessive calories at dinner can lead to an increase in blood cholesterol. Excess cholesterol accumulating on the blood vessel walls over time can induce arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. If dinner is too heavy, the concentrations of sugar, amino acids, and fatty acids in the blood will rise. After dinner, people's activity levels are often small, and calorie consumption is low. The above substances are then converted into fat under the action of insulin, and over time, the body will gradually become obese.