In many places in China, such as Hunan, Guangdong, and Sichuan, it is a custom to make cured meats, salted fish, sausages, and smoked meats once the Winter Solstice arrives. This not only enriches the feast for the Spring Festival table but, if stored well, can even be eaten until the following summer. Some very distinctive "cured meat restaurants" specialize in dishes made from cured meats, salted chicken, and pickled fish.
Smoked and cured meats are not only delicious but also have a long shelf life, making them a major meat prepared by many families during the Spring Festival. However, because these cured meats are made from fresh meat, a certain amount of sodium nitrite is added as a preservative during the processing and curing process to extend their storage time and maintain freshness. Sodium nitrite, both in and out of the body, can combine with amines in the meat to form dimethylnitrosamine, which is a highly carcinogenic substance.
Nutritionists suggest that it is best to eat such foods in moderation. However, when you find it hard to resist the temptation, you can take some protective measures. Boiling the cured meat thoroughly will cause some of the nitrosamines to volatilize with the steam. When boiling cured meat, it is best to add a little vinegar, which can decompose nitrosamines and also make the meat more delicious. Taking vitamin C can also block the combination of nitrite and amines, thus preventing the harm of nitrosamines to the human body. (Xu Hui, Professor, Department of Nutrition, the Sixth People's Hospital of Shanghai) High-Oil Diet: The Root Cause of "Diseases of Affluence"
Adding an appropriate amount of oil when cooking can not only enhance the color, aroma, and taste of the dishes but also increase the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. However, fat is a "concentrated source of heat," and the energy it produces is more than twice that of protein and carbohydrates. Excessive intake may lead to "diseases of affluence" such as obesity, arteriosclerosis, and diabetes.
During holidays and festivals, food tends to be greasier. Although eating this way can greatly satisfy one's palate, it can harm the intestines and stomach. Fat is basically not digested in the mouth and stomach; it only begins to be digested after reaching the duodenum under the action of pancreatic juice, intestinal juice, and bile. The amount of digestive secretions a normal person secretes each day is limited. Eating too many greasy foods that exceed the digestive capacity will be directly excreted with feces, which can easily lead to indigestion and diarrhea. Furthermore, undigested large-molecule proteins can produce toxic substances that can irritate the intestinal wall blood vessels, causing habitual dilation of intestinal blood vessels and premature aging. Much evidence shows that a high-fat diet is closely related to the incidence of colon cancer. Therefore, greasy foods should not be eaten in excess, and the cooking oil per person per day should be controlled within 25 grams and should not exceed 30 grams. (Ge Dehong, Professor, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine) High-Sugar Pastries: Can Assist in Metabolizing High-Fats
Sugar or sweets are acidic substances. After being metabolized in the body, they form a large amount of acid. The internal environment of the human body is weakly alkaline. Eating a lot of sugar can make the body fluids neutral or weakly acidic, accelerating the aging process of cells. The view that eating too much sugar directly causes diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was once controversial but is still debated. China's sugar consumption is just a fraction compared to some developed countries. The consensus among nutritionists is that moderate sugar consumption is definitely beneficial to health. Recent research has found that moderate sugar intake is beneficial for calcium absorption. Therefore, eating some sweets during a meal can not only add variety to the taste but also play a role in balancing nutrition. During the New Year, when a large amount of high-protein and high-fat foods are consumed, the metabolism of proteins and fats requires the participation of carbohydrates, and grains and sugars both belong to carbohydrates.