Spring Festival Healthy Eating: "Three Lesses, Two Mores"
The Spring Festival is approaching, and health experts point out that diet during this time should follow the "Three Lesses, Two Mores" principle:
"Three Lesses"
1. Eat less fat
We do not recommend completely eliminating fat, as a healthy body cannot function without it. However, the types of fat we consume must be controlled.
Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Foods like cookies, cakes, meat patties, ham, cream, cheese, and foods containing lard, coconut oil, or palm oil are all high in saturated fat.
Hydrogenated fat, also known as hydrogenated vegetable oil, is mainly used in the production of some biscuits, cakes, and margarine. Foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil (which will be listed in the ingredients list) usually contain large amounts of trans fat. Trans fats also increase blood cholesterol levels and the risk of coronary heart disease and heart disease. Some studies show that trans fats have a more adverse effect on health than saturated fats.
Therefore, we must replace foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil and saturated fat with foods containing unsaturated fat. This is because unsaturated fats help the body lower cholesterol levels. Fish, avocados, nuts, sunflower seeds, rapeseed oil, and olive oil are all rich in unsaturated fats. Of course, more unsaturated fat is not always better. We also need to reduce the total amount of fat consumed to reduce calorie intake and prevent obesity.
Health TIPS:
When buying food, pay attention to the label. Foods with 20g of fat per 100g are considered high-fat, while those with 3g or less are considered low-fat.
Foods with more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g are considered high-saturated-fat, while those with 1.5g or less are considered low-saturated-fat.
2. Eat less salt
In daily diets, it is essential to control the intake of salt. As we all know, the main component of salt is sodium chloride, which contains sodium ions. Excessive sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure. Although not actively adding salt can reduce some of the salt in your diet, 3/4 of the salt in our diet comes from the food itself. Therefore, we should also carefully read food labels when purchasing products.
Health TIPS:
Compare the salt content of various foods to buy the ones with the lowest salt content. Foods with more than 1.5g of salt per 100g are considered high-salt, while those with 0.3g or less are considered low-salt. Additionally, try to eat less of these high-salt foods: bacon, cheese, pickles, and smoked fish.
3. Eat less sugar
Reducing sugar intake is very difficult for many people. Many foods contain sugar, such as fruits and vegetables. The sugar in fruits and vegetables is naturally occurring and does not need to be deliberately avoided.
However, sugary foods and drinks, such as cookies, jam, carbonated beverages, etc., contain large amounts of added sugar. The intake of such foods must be limited. Carbonated beverages have very little nutritional value, and the added sugar can easily cause cavities, increase satiety, affect normal eating, and long-term consumption can easily lead to malnutrition.
Health TIPS:
Reducing sugar intake is simple. People who are used to adding sugar to hot drinks can gradually reduce the amount of sugar until they can do without it. People who are used to spreading jam on bread can use banana slices, peanut butter, or low-fat cheese as alternatives.
In addition, when buying food, pay attention to the label. Food ingredients are usually listed in descending order of content. So if sugar is listed near the beginning, it indicates that the food is high in sugar.
"Two Mores"
1. Eat more fish
Health experts recommend that eating fish regularly should be an important part of your daily diet. You should eat fish at least twice a week, especially oily fish, which contain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids help prevent coronary heart disease. However, shark and swordfish are not suitable for children and pregnant women, and other adults should also not eat them more than once a week.
The omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content in canned oily fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout is not significantly different from that in fresh fish. Tuna is different, however. Although tuna is a good source of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, once processed into a can, its omega-3 content is significantly reduced.
Health TIPS:
Both white fish (such as haddock, flounder, halibut) and oily fish (such as sardines, salmon, trout, and mackerel) can provide the body with high-quality protein, vitamins, and a large amount of minerals.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables
As we all know, we need to consume a large amount of fruits and vegetables every day. They provide a large number of vitamins and minerals that the body needs. Fruits and vegetables should account for more than 1/3 of our daily food intake, but most people fail to do this. Experts recommend that we should eat at least 400g of fruits and vegetables per day. You can choose any form, such as fresh, frozen, dried, fruit and vegetable juices, or canned fruits and vegetables. However, do not count potatoes as a vegetable because they are a starchy food.
At this point, many people might wonder, how do I know if I'm eating enough fruits and vegetables? One apple, banana, pear, or orange, two plums, half a grapefruit, a slice of melon or pineapple, and other fruits of similar size all weigh about 80g.
In addition, there is 150ml of juice, a handful of grapes or cherries, or a serving of salad. If you pay attention to supplementing vegetables with your main meals, you can basically ensure an intake of about 160g. If you add some fruit with your meal, you can easily reach the 400g intake of fruits and vegetables.
Health TIPS:
For breakfast, you can add a handful of dried fruit to your porridge, eat half a bunch of grapes or an apple, or drink a glass of juice;
For lunch, have a salad or a banana sandwich; For dinner, eat more vegetables, especially when eating fish, chicken, and pork, make sure to eat at least two or more types of vegetables at the same time.
Additionally, when reading, watching TV, or browsing the internet, you can also have an apple. It not only adds to the fun but also increases your nutrition.