Can you eat? This is how you should eat
Introduction: Can you eat? This question seems silly, everyone opens their mouth to eat, right? Anyone with a mouth can. But do you know how to eat healthier? This is a question not everyone can answer. Oh my, eating is a big学问 (subject of study)! Now let Xiao Meng lead everyone to explore how to eat healthily!
I. Eating and talking
Traditional customs hold that one should not chatter and laugh while eating, as it is not good for digestion and absorption. However, some health experts now believe that a lunch should take about 30 minutes. During this time, eating and talking can allow diners to communicate, bond, and relieve worries, allowing the stomach and intestines to digest food normally. The reason is that a pleasant mood not only enhances appetite but can also excite the central nervous system, thereby promoting the secretion of large amounts of digestive fluids and putting the gastrointestinal tract in an optimal state for digestion.
II. Preventing "drunkenness after a meal"
Some people, after eating too much, often enter a state of drunkenness even without alcohol, with confused thoughts and drowsiness after the meal. This is because after a person consumes too many carbohydrates, the glucose can be converted into alcohol (ethanol) in the stomach. After this alcohol is absorbed by the body, it can cause a series of symptoms. To prevent "drunkenness after a meal," the key is to avoid overeating.
II. Drinking soup before a meal
The dining habit of Chinese residents is generally to eat first and then drink some soup. Westerners, on the other hand, drink some soup first and then eat (bread, etc.). Which of these two different dining habits is more scientific and reasonable? From a scientific and hygienic point of view, it is better to drink some soup before eating. Because when a person is hungry and starts eating immediately, the stimulation to the stomach is relatively strong. Over time, this can easily lead to stomach problems or indigestion. If you drink some soup before eating, it's like doing warm-up exercises before a workout. It can activate the entire digestive system, causing the digestive glands to secrete a sufficient amount of digestive fluid, preparing for the meal. This will reduce the stimulation to an empty stomach and is beneficial for protecting the stomach.
III. Eating while standing
Medical studies on the dining postures of different peoples around the world have shown that standing is the most scientific, followed by sitting, and squatting is the least scientific. This is because when squatting, the legs and abdomen are compressed, blood flow is obstructed, and the amount of blood returning to the heart is reduced, which in turn affects the blood supply to the stomach. And when eating, the stomach needs fresh blood the most. Some stomach problems may be related to the squatting dining posture. People mostly eat while sitting mainly because of fatigue from work, and sitting is the most comfortable posture.
IV. Liking bitter foods
Bitter foods not only contain inorganic compounds, alkaloids, and terpenes, but also contain certain sugars, amino acids, etc. The amino acids in bitter foods are essential substances for human growth, development, and health and longevity. Bitter flavors can also regulate the function of the nervous system, helping people relax from a tense psychological state and alleviating the negative emotions brought on by fatigue and boredom. Bitter foods like bitter melon, coffee, bitter vegetables, arrowhead, tea, chocolate, and beer contain Vitamin B, which has a powerful ability to kill cancer cells.
V. Balanced nutrition
Don't be picky or have a partiality for certain foods. Fruits should be eaten between meals; soup should be drunk before meals; and melon and gourd vegetables should be eaten separately.
VI. Different meals for different times
Eat a good breakfast, a full lunch, and a moderate dinner. Those who have a hasty breakfast and lunch and a sumptuous dinner have a 67% chance of becoming obese. Breakfast is best with low sugar, low fat, and high protein. The same goes for lunch, because eating high-protein foods like chicken or fish for lunch can fill the blood with amino acids, including tyrosine. Tyrosine can cross the blood-brain barrier and be converted in the brain into a chemical substance that sharpens the mind. Another key nutrient that can cross the blood-brain barrier is choline, found in fish, meat, egg yolks, soy products, oatmeal, rice, peanuts, and mountain walnuts. Choline is the chemical precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a major role in memory. Dinner is best with high carbohydrates.
VII. A cheerful mood
When you are in a good mood during a meal, your appetite is enhanced, blood circulation is good, and the digestive function of the gastrointestinal tract is strong, boosting immunity. If you feel depressed and gloomy during a meal, it will affect your appetite, normal blood circulation, and reduce the function of the entire digestive system and your immunity.
VIII. Pay attention to hygiene
Wash your hands before eating, and do not eat rotten or spoiled food.
IX. Chew slowly
Chewing thoroughly can grind food into small pieces and mix it well with saliva for easy swallowing. At the same time, chewing can reflexively cause the secretion of saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice, and other digestive fluids, providing favorable conditions for the further digestion of food.
X. Regular and定量 (quantitative) meals
Eating regularly and in fixed amounts allows the gastrointestinal tract to have regular peristalsis and rest, thereby increasing the digestion and absorption rate of food, keeping the gastrointestinal tract in good condition, and reducing the occurrence of gastrointestinal diseases. Eating less leads to a low concentration of sugar in the blood, the body secretes less insulin, cholesterol levels decrease, and body fat is also reduced. However, note that no matter how many meals you eat, the total calories should not exceed the total of three meals a day.
XI. Moderation in diet
Moderation in diet not only reduces the burden on the gastrointestinal tract but also, because the body is in a semi-starved state, the autonomic nervous system, endocrine, and immune systems receive a beneficial stimulus, which in turn mobilizes the body's own regulatory functions, balances and stabilizes the internal circulation, enhances immunity, and balances the excitation and inhibition of the nervous system, which is beneficial for improving the body's ability to resist disease.
XII. Six dietary recommendations
宜早 (Early is good): After a night's sleep, the stomach and intestines are empty. Eating something in the morning can refresh the spirit, so breakfast should be early.
宜缓 (Slow is good): Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly is good for digestion. Gorging food increases the burden on the stomach.
宜少 (Less is good): Although the body's nutritional needs come from food, excessive eating can also damage digestive organs like the stomach.
宜淡 (Mild is good): The five flavors of food should not be excessive. Eating more mild flavors is very beneficial to health.
宜暖 (Warm is good): The stomach likes warmth and dislikes cold. Food should be warm, and raw or cold food should be minimized, which is conducive to the stomach's digestion and absorption of food.
宜软 (Soft is good): Hard foods are the most difficult to digest, and undercooked meat is more likely to injure the stomach, especially for those with a weak stomach or advanced age, who can easily get sick from it. Therefore, food must be well-cooked before eating.
Afterword: After reading this, I've learned so much. Who knew eating could be such a big学问 (subject of study)! Starting today, I know how to eat properly. How about you? Do you know how to eat today? Haha, eat healthily and live a happy life!!!