How to eat healthily during the New Year
Health is not difficult; the difficulty is sticking to a healthy lifestyle every day. What is a healthy lifestyle? In short, it's 10,000 steps a day, a balance between diet and exercise, and a lifetime of health, abbreviated as "Health 121". Last week, we talked about new concepts on "how to move". Today, let's talk about "how to eat"?
How to eat well during the New Year is no longer a headache, but how to eat well and healthily is a topic of frequent concern. During the Spring Festival, friends and family gather for joyous occasions with plenty of meat, fish, fine wine, and delicacies. However, such a lifestyle can pose hidden risks to your health, so you need to be mindful during this "critical time of the year".
Remember the five principles of healthy eating for the Spring Festival
▲ Vegetables are better than medicine
The festival table is laden with丰盛 dishes, with meat and fish at every meal. However, people often feel tired, lethargic, and experience bloating. At this time, eating less meat and more vegetables can resolve the physical crisis. Fresh vegetables are alkaline foods. They are not only rich in fiber, which can cut through grease, maintain normal gastrointestinal motility, and prevent constipation, but they can also neutralize excess acids in the body, meeting the needs of human metabolism.
▲ Fruit is essential
The chaotic diet during the festival can easily lead to "heatiness" and constipation. Eating more fruit can have a good effect of clearing heat, detoxifying, and moistening the intestines. It can also regulate and improve the body's metabolic functions, prevent various diseases, and enhance health. However, note that the digestion time and process for fruits and vegetables are different. They should be eaten separately; otherwise, the large amount of enzymes in fruit will cause the fiber in vegetables to spoil and become unabsorbable by the gut.
▲ Don't eat melon seeds indiscriminately
During the festival, every household prepares various snacks like candies, melon seeds, and peanuts. While watching TV, playing cards, or chatting, people unknowingly eat several or even ten times more melon seeds and candies than usual. However, the excessive sugar and spices in melon seeds and candies can easily cause a dry mouth, a bitter tongue, irritability, and even unexplainable anger. It is especially better for children to eat less sweet and fragrant melon seeds and peanuts.
▲ Don't forget staple foods
During the Spring Festival, most people are used to eating more dishes and less or no staple foods, which is not advisable. Grains are the main source of carbohydrates. They participate in the metabolic process of fats and proteins, allowing them to be fully oxidized, reducing the production of toxic substances, and providing dietary fiber for the body. Therefore, while enjoying delicious food, you should avoid eating unlimited amounts of dishes and save some appetite for staple foods.
▲ Don't drink excessively
Although "no wine, no feast" and drinking a little during the Spring Festival is understandable, excessive drinking can lead to acute alcohol poisoning. In mild cases, it can cause incoherent speech and unsteady movements; in severe cases, it can lead to coma or even death. Therefore, drink in moderation. Do not pressure others to drink or binge drink. In terms of alcohol content, the daily limit should not exceed 20ml. For 40-degree liquor, the amount should be controlled within 50ml, and for 5-degree beer, it should not exceed 400ml.
Healthy eating suggestions for the New Year
1. There is no need to prepare a grand banquet just for these few days of the New Year. Don't forget the concepts of reasonable nutrition and a balanced diet. Try not to make large dishes of food. Avoid repeating dishes. Control greasy and fried foods. Pay attention to the combination of meat and vegetables, and coarse and fine grains. Eat more vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins. It is better to make dishes with a sweet and sour flavor using aged vinegar.
2. People with various illnesses must not indulge their cravings to avoid triggering old ailments. Those without major illnesses should also avoid overeating to prevent getting sick.
Diabetics should avoid greasy and high-sugar foods;
Obese individuals should avoid greasy food and seafood, and require low-salt foods;
Patients with high blood pressure should avoid greasy food and excessive drinking, and avoid sudden movements and emotional agitation;
Patients with cholecystitis and pancreatitis should avoid greasy, spicy, and "heaty" foods; the plainer, the better;
Gout patients should eat less seafood, fatty beef, and fatty lamb, and eat more soy products and vegetables;
Those who are chronically ill or have multiple health issues should eat small meals frequently.