Men need to consume a large amount of high-nutrition foods: protein, fat, and carbohydrates, while also maintaining the proportion of these nutrients: 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 30% fat.
Whether you are a sprightly 20-year-old, a self-satisfied 30-year-old, or in need of sustainable development at 40, men are naturally meant to nourish themselves and inherently have a higher energy requirement than women. However, simply focusing on reducing fat, controlling cholesterol intake, and increasing protein intake is not the best approach. Nutrition experts from the first Beijing International Food Festival will reveal the true nutritional path for men of all ages.
20s: Energy Supplementation in Progress
Physical Characteristics: In the golden stage of physical development, bones are fully formed and becoming increasingly strong.
During this period, men are in their prime with excellent physical qualities, especially being very active. At the same time, heavy mental labor leads to significant consumption of energy substances in the body.
Nutrition Supply Recommendations: The primary function of nutrition is to strengthen the physique, requiring both "quality" and "quantity". It is necessary to consume sufficient staple foods, a variety of non-staple foods, and supplement with multiple minerals and vitamins. Nutritional Supplementation Proposal:
Chromium: This essential mineral for life can lower cholesterol levels, increase men's endurance, and help bodybuilding enthusiasts gain muscle and reduce fat. Required Intake: An ordinary man needs at least 50 mg of chromium daily, while active men need 100-200 mg. Supplementation Methods: Take a multivitamin-mineral complex containing chromium, chromium-enhanced tablets, or brewer's yeast.
Vitamin A: Vitamin A strengthens the body and bones, improves immune function, has anti-cancer effects, and is highly beneficial for protecting vision. Required Intake: The daily recommended intake of Vitamin A for a man is 1000 mg. Supplementation Methods: Half a bowl of steamed carrots can provide 4000 mg of Vitamin A. Other foods rich in Vitamin A include liver, dairy products, fish, tomatoes, apricots, and melons.
Recommended Dish: Braised Pig's Trotters: The main characteristic of pig's trotters is their content of animal gelatin protein, which can supplement a significant amount of energy. It is considered cooling in nature with a sweet, salty taste, making it nourishing without being greasy. The trotters are red, soft, and tender; after being thickened with starch, they present a bright and appealing color that is enough to whet the appetite.
30s: Addressing Sub-health
Physical Characteristics: Physical condition is basically set, and whether one has passed the peak of health varies from person to person. Men in their 30s are at an age where everything tastes delicious. Today it's "Chongqing Hot Pot," tomorrow "Boiled Fish," and the day after "Spicy Crab." They often stay up drinking draft beer until midnight. In short, regardless of whether it's spicy, sour, or numbing, and regardless of whether it suits them, they just put it all in their stomach. As the saying goes, "When you're young, you seek out illness; when you're old, illness seeks you out."
Nutrition Supply Recommendations: Health should be maintained through good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle. According to China's dietary structure standards for residents, men in their 30s should strive for a diverse diet; a combination of coarse and fine grains; reasonable meals; appropriate hunger and fullness; moderate oil; moderate salt; limited sweets; and moderate alcohol consumption. Nutritional Supplementation Proposal:
Vitamin B6: This indispensable nutrient has a good effect on enhancing immunity. It can also prevent skin cancer and bladder cancer. Vitamin B6 protects the kidneys from developing stones and has a therapeutic effect on insomnia. Required Intake: Only 2 mg of Vitamin B6 is needed daily, which is equivalent to about 2 large bananas. Active men consume more Vitamin B6 and should supplement a few more milligrams, but the daily intake should not exceed 50 mg. Supplementation Methods: Two large bananas a day are sufficient. Other foods rich in Vitamin B6 include chicken, fish, animal liver, potatoes, avocados, and sunflower seeds.
Vitamin E: The most powerful weapon for preventing disease and improving immunity. It can lower cholesterol, prevent platelets from clumping in arteries, remove impurities from the body, and prevent cataracts. Required Intake: 10 mg daily. Supplementation Methods: Foods rich in Vitamin E include almonds, peanuts, and pecans. To get enough Vitamin E, you can also take Vitamin E tablets.
Recommended Dish: Colorful Fried Shrimp: Fresh shrimp are stir-fried in hot oil, then seasoned and thickened. At this point, the shrimp are crispy and爽脆 (crisp and tender), paired with corn and carrots for a fresh and delicious flavor. Shrimp meat is warm in nature and sweet in taste. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed to have the effects of tonifying the kidneys, strengthening yang, and stimulating the appetite. It is greatly beneficial for symptoms such as poor appetite, fatigue, weak spleen and stomach, and soreness in the lower back and knees.
40s: Extinguishing the Accumulated "Volcano"
Physical Characteristics: Men around 40 are at the peak of their careers. However, it is equally noteworthy that this stage is also the formation period of diseases. As physiological functions begin to decline from their peak, some organs start to degenerate, and many diseases erupt or manifest at this time. So, rather than saying "a 40-year-old man is like a flower," it's better to say "a 40-year-old man faces a hurdle." Years of accumulated fatigue are like a "volcano" of stored heat that could erupt at any time. "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" is now plaguing men in their 40s, with a chain reaction of symptoms such as lower back pain, drowsiness, memory loss, increased nocturnal urination, loss of appetite, and decreased libido, causing psychological anxiety. If it progresses, diseases like gastritis, coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and prostate enlargement will become a problem.
Nutrition Supply Recommendations: Preventing and treating various chronic diseases becomes the top priority for nutritional supplementation at this stage. A varied diet with grains as the main staple; more vegetables, fruits, and potatoes; regular consumption of dairy, beans, and their products; regular consumption of moderate amounts of fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meat, with less fatty meat and animal fat; a light diet with less salt; and limited alcohol consumption. Nutritional Supplementation Proposal:
Fiber: A diet rich in high-fiber foods can accelerate the removal of intestinal toxins and carcinogens, reducing the incidence of colon cancer (which ranks third among cancers common in men); dietary fiber can control the glycemic index in diabetics, lower blood lipids and blood pressure; it can increase intestinal motility, stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria, treat constipation, and help improve gastrointestinal function; it can also promote bile excretion and stabilize the proportion of bile components. Dietary fiber is divided into two types: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fiber is mainly found in vegetables and its main function is to provide a feeling of fullness and delay gastric emptying time. Soluble fiber is mainly found in foods like oats, konjac, buckwheat, and fruits. It has strong water absorption capacity, can delay and reduce the speed and amount of sugar and fat absorption, and can also lower post-meal blood sugar. Required Intake: The ideal daily intake is 18-35 grams, equivalent to about 500 grams of vegetables. Supplementation Methods: Foods rich in fiber include whole wheat bread, black rice, strawberries, pears, and various edible-stem vegetables like broccoli and carrots.
Magnesium: Normal magnesium intake can reduce the incidence of heart disease and lower blood pressure. Magnesium can also enhance reproductive ability because it can increase the vitality of sperm in semen. Required Intake: A breakfast of two bowls of oatmeal with skim milk and one banana can provide two-thirds of the daily magnesium requirement. Supplementation Methods: Baked sweet potatoes, beans, nuts, oatmeal cookies, peanut butter, green leafy vegetables, and seafood are all rich in magnesium.
Recommended Dish: Western-style Black Pepper Beef Strips: Beef strips can provide a large amount of energy, rich in protein, essential amino acids, and peptides. It is warm in nature and sweet in taste, and has the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, benefiting qi and blood, and strengthening bones and muscles. It is suitable for people with coronary heart disease.