Living standards have improved, and so has diet, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's nutritionally balanced and comprehensive. Whether one is deficient in nutrients is a question many people care about deeply, yet find difficult to judge. In fact, the body sends out various signals, consciously or unconsciously, indicating nutritional deficiencies: for example, dry, thin, brittle hair, and hair loss may indicate a deficiency in protein, energy, essential fatty acids, and the trace element zinc.
Solution: Ensure daily intake of staple foods to provide the body with sufficient energy in the most economical way. Ensure 3 liang (150g) of lean meat, 1 egg, and 250ml of milk daily to supplement high-quality protein, while also increasing the intake of essential fatty acids. Consume 2-3 servings of sea fish per week and eat more oysters to increase the trace element zinc. Tip: Eating fish can protect the heart; steaming and stewing are best for preserving fatty acids.
Editor's Tip: Everyone knows that fruits are rich in nutrients, but do you know how to choose different fruits based on your physical condition? 1 Signal: Glossitis, fissured tongue, or tongue swelling may indicate a deficiency in B vitamins.
Nutritional Strategy: Washing rice and steaming rice can lead to a significant loss of B vitamins. Long-term consumption of refined grains and a long-term vegetarian diet, without other supplements, can easily lead to a deficiency in B vitamins. Therefore, you should combine coarse and fine grains in your staple foods and mix meat and vegetables in your diet. If you have a vegetarian habit, you should supplement with a certain amount of compound vitamin B preparations daily. 2 Signal: Reduced night vision may indicate a deficiency in Vitamin A—if not corrected in time, it can further develop into night blindness and lead to corneal dryness, ulcers, etc.
Nutritional Strategy: Increase the intake of foods like carrots and pork liver. They provide Vitamin A in plant and animal forms respectively, with the latter having a higher absorption rate. It should be noted that Vitamin A is a fat-soluble, not water-soluble, vitamin. Therefore, stir-frying carrots with vegetable oil can greatly improve the absorption of Vitamin A compared to eating them raw. Main food sources of Vitamin A: Vitamin A in the diet comes from two parts: one part is directly from retinol provided by animal foods, such as animal liver, egg yolk, cream, and other animal内脏; the other part comes from carotene-rich yellow-green vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, rape, peppers, tomatoes, and oranges. 3 Signal: Dry, cracked corners of the mouth may indicate a deficiency in riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and niacin.
Nutritional Strategy: The content of riboflavin (Vitamin B2) varies greatly in different foods. Animal liver, egg yolk, and dairy products are relatively rich in it. Therefore, you should supplement with 2-3 liang (100-150g) of pork liver once a week, 250ml of milk, and one egg daily. It should be noted that processing cereal foods can cause a significant loss of Vitamin B1; for example, the retention rate of Vitamin B1 in refined white rice is only 11%, and in standard wheat flour, it's only 35%. Therefore, staple foods should be a mix of coarse and fine grains. Niacin mainly comes from animal foods, especially pork liver and chicken liver. 4 Signal: Diminished sense of taste may indicate a deficiency in zinc.
Nutritional Strategy: Moderately increasing the intake of shellfish, such as oysters and scallops, is an effective way to supplement the trace element zinc. Additionally, ensuring one egg, 3 liang (150g) of red meat, and 1 liang (50g) of legumes daily is also essential for supplementing the trace element zinc. 5 Signal: Bleeding gums may indicate a deficiency in Vitamin C.
Nutritional Strategy: Vitamin C is the most easily deficient vitamin because it has stringent survival requirements. Light, temperature, storage, and cooking methods can all cause its destruction or loss. Therefore, you should consume large amounts of fresh vegetables and fruits daily, ideally about 500g of vegetables and 2-3 fruits. Among these, a combination of stir-frying and cold-dressing is a good way to cook vegetables. Food sources of Vitamin C: Mainly from fresh vegetables and fruits, such as chili peppers, spinach, tomatoes, oranges, tangerines, sour jujubes, etc.; animal foods contain only small amounts of Vitamin C, mainly in the liver and kidneys.