A healthy lifestyle not only helps prevent infectious diseases but is also the foundation for preventing and controlling chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes, malignant tumors, and respiratory diseases. A balanced diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. How can we eat scientifically and reduce our risk of developing chronic diseases?
A balanced diet requires a variety of foods to meet the body's various nutritional needs and achieve proper nutrition and promote health. We should strive to eat from the five major food groups (grains and tubers, meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, beans and nuts, vegetables, fruits, fungi, and algae, and energy sources like vegetable oil) every day, and plan our three meals a day according to the principles of substituting within the same category and variety. Substituting within the same category means exchanging grains for grains, beans for beans, and meat for meat, for example, rice can be exchanged for flour or coarse grains, and pork can be exchanged for an equivalent amount of chicken, duck, beef, or mutton. In addition, when choosing foods, one's own physical condition should also be considered, for example, obese people should eat less high-energy and high-fat foods.
Combine coarse and fine grains, and animal and plant foods, and eat more fresh fruits. Our staple food is mainly cereals. We should pay attention to increasing the intake of coarse grains and miscellaneous grains every day and choose less finely milled rice and wheat. Animal and plant foods should be cooked in combination every day, and try to choose a variety of vegetables, mainly dark green, purple-red, and other dark-colored vegetables, and eat less pickled vegetables. Fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meat are good sources of high-quality protein, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Fish contains more polyunsaturated fatty acids, and eating fish regularly (especially sea fish) has a certain effect on preventing dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases. The yolk of eggs has a high cholesterol content, so it is best for normal adults to eat one egg a day. People with high blood lipids should not eat too many. Fresh fruits are an important source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber in the diet and are recognized as the best anti-cancer foods, which can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. According to the recommendations of the Chinese Nutrition Society, we should eat 200-350 grams of fresh fruits every day.
Reasonably distribute the three meals a day, and eat on time and in moderation. Unhealthy eating behaviors such as skipping breakfast, eating too much for dinner, eating out frequently, and eating snacks unscientifically will increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. We should eat breakfast every day and have a good breakfast. Breakfast foods should include grains, animal foods (meat and eggs), milk or dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. Lunch should be filling, and it is best to eat foods that are low in fat and easy to digest. Dinner should be moderate, and staple foods should be rich in dietary fiber, such as brown rice and whole wheat foods. In addition, try to choose cooking methods such as steaming, stewing, and boiling. Eat on time and in moderation, chew slowly, and do not wolf down your food or eat erratically.
Limit salt and drink enough water. Excessive salt intake can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stomach diseases, osteoporosis, obesity, and other diseases. The total amount of salt should be controlled. The daily salt intake (including soy sauce and salt in other foods) for healthy adults should not exceed 6 grams. We should correct the bad habit of having too salty a taste. You can add seasonings like vinegar when cooking to enhance the umami of the dishes and help yourself gradually adapt to less salty food. Water is an important part of the diet and a substance necessary for all life. Insufficient or excessive water intake will harm human health. Generally, adults should drink 1200 milliliters of water (about 6 glasses) every day. Develop the habit of drinking water proactively, don't wait until you feel thirsty to drink. It is best to choose plain water and drink less sugar-sweetened beverages.