Zhong Nanshan on Diet: Adults Should Also Eat Until 70% Full
Core tip: In an interview, Academician Zhong Nanshan expressed his strong agreement with the saying, "If you want the body to be well, be a third hungry and a third cold." He advised not to eat too full, as being 70-80% full is the healthiest, which is very crucial. If a person feels hungry and wants to eat at every meal, it indicates a healthy digestive system, which is a good thing.
Zhong Nanshan's Health Philosophy:
1. My Dietary Habits
I don't quite agree with the idea of eating a small breakfast, as it depends on the individual. My breakfast includes a glass of milk, a few slices of bread, a bowl of congee, a plate of vegetables, a fresh orange, or a glass of fresh orange juice, plus cheese, toast, two egg whites, and one egg yolk. I usually have a heavy workload in the morning with better energy than in the afternoon, so I eat more to rely on these foods as energy.
Egg yolks contain more cholesterol, but eggs contain various essential amino acids that are easily digested and absorbed. The yolk is rich in lecithin, sterols, vitellin, and vitamins such as calcium and phosphorus. These ingredients are greatly beneficial to enhancing the function of the nervous system, so eggs are also a good brain-nourishing food. For the elderly, eggs are generally not easy to digest, but eating cooked eggs, cooked until the yolk is just solid, is easier to digest and absorb.
My dinner is generally lighter than lunch. Even when attending a banquet, I choose some light things to eat. I also eat sweet potatoes, tubers, corn, and coarse grains; I used to pay special attention to eating these things. In the past, I chose rich-flavored foods, but foods like braised pork are generally high in cholesterol. Now, I don't choose by taste, but by need. I think it is very good for a person to realize this early. Because meat is always attractive to many people, but for an individual, it is often not needed that much.
Chinese people like to satisfy their palate, and Cantonese people are especially so. The choice of food should be based on nutritional needs and consider a balanced diet. When I was young, I never considered this. I didn't think about it until middle age, and even after my 50s, I didn't pay attention to it, especially when my blood lipids were high and I didn't manage it. I only started to pay more attention when I had heart problems. So, it would be better to pay attention early. People should have this knowledge when they are young, the earlier the better.
I basically don't use health supplements, but I take multiple vitamins. Of course, it's hard to say if I feel any specific effect now. I think from a theoretical standpoint that I should add and supplement them, because the nutrition in our diet is sometimes not enough. Vitamins and trace elements should be supplemented in moderation. Not long ago, vitamins became a hot topic again on both sides of the Pacific. The Journal of the American Medical Association, an internationally authoritative medical journal published in the United States in 2007, published a study completed by researchers from multiple countries. The study showed that taking vitamin E increased mortality by 4%, taking beta-carotene increased mortality by 7%, and taking vitamin A increased mortality by 16%. Moreover, there is no evidence that vitamins can prolong life.
Subsequently, a domestic media reported on this study, causing a great uproar. For a time, various views were sharply opposed, with praise and criticism mixed, and the public was at a loss. In my personal opinion, the American study shows that excess vitamins can cause side effects, but based on the current Chinese dietary structure and regional, urban and rural differences, vitamins should still be supplemented appropriately. I have been taking multiple vitamins for 25 years. I think this is the only way to ensure adequate vitamin intake.
2. Adults Should Also Be a Third Hungry
"To keep a child well-fed, leave them a third hungry and a third cold" is a classic piece of child-rearing advice. In fact, for adults, being a third hungry is equally important. I strongly agree with the saying, "If you want the body to be well, be a third hungry and a third cold." Don't eat too full; being 70-80% full is the healthiest, which is very crucial. If a person feels hungry and wants to eat at every meal, it indicates a healthy digestive system, which is a good thing.
Interview Dialogue:
Ye Yi: "Food is the most important thing for the people. It seems that people pay more attention to 'food' than to 'health,' even though health knowledge is becoming more and more popular among the population."
Zhong Nanshan: "Yes, indeed, one cannot only care about food and not health. Often, we care about health in order to have a better life."
Ye Yi: "There is a well-known saying about the amount of food for three meals a day, and most citizens still remember it: 'Eat a good breakfast, a full lunch, and a light dinner.' What do you think is a reasonable proportion for the three meals a day?"
Zhong Nanshan: I think a scientific dietary habit should be "breakfast should be full, lunch should be good, and dinner should be light."
Ye Yi: "How do you arrange your dietary structure?"
Zhong Nanshan: "I emphasize that the dietary structure should be reasonable, and I consciously increase protective nutrients, such as vitamins, carotene, dietary fiber, etc. I do this myself." Eating is an instinct, a gift from heaven, but human wisdom should continuously give eating more meaning. Let each of us have a prayer in our hearts: to no longer get sick because of bad eating habits.