With a term like "Sudan Red I" that has rapidly become a household name, issues of dietary health have once again become a hot topic. What is safe to eat and what isn't? What should be eaten more and what less? What is beneficial and what is harmful to the human body? As spring arrives, how can we create a healthy diet plan that suits us? The close connection between diet and health makes it impossible for us not to pay attention. Let's continue to follow this special health feature in our future issues.
In spring, which has always been a prime season for people in Haikou, a city known for its love of good food, to nourish their bodies, the recent "Sudan Red I" incident has made people even more concerned about healthy eating. Can fast food meet our health needs? How should we view the prevalent fast-food culture? What kind of nutritional supplements and intake should we have in spring? To this end, a reporter visited Director Li Yi, Deputy Director of the Nutrition Department of Hainan Provincial People's Hospital, and other relevant experts.
Fast-Food Culture: Stylish but Unhealthy
Largely due to the accelerating pace of life, from the late 20th century to the present, fast-food culture has become a part of our lives, no matter when, where, or how wealthy we are. The latest internet survey by ACNielsen, a leading global market research company, shows that 97% of Chinese respondents have eaten at fast-food restaurants. "Fast food has become an important part of the Chinese diet," commented Gao En, Chairman of ACNielsen China. "The fast pace of modern life and the wide variety of fast-food restaurants available today have contributed to this situation. Fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers are also striving to meet consumer demand by offering an unprecedented number of choices and convenience." People value its speed, hygiene, and convenience, and dining at fast-food brand names has seemingly become a lifestyle trend.
However, with the recent outbreak of the "Sudan Red I" incident, people discovered that most foods containing this substance belong to the ready-to-eat or fast-food category, which has also triggered reflection on fast-food culture. Many nutrition experts believe that besides being fast and convenient, fast-food culture often suffers from the drawback of being nutritionally deficient. Moreover, scientific research has shown that acrylamide in high-temperature fried foods can be carcinogenic, and many fast-food products fall into this category.
Director Li told the reporter: "Fast food or fast-food products are not actually suitable for everyone, and even less so for regular consumption. This is because many nutrients in food are lost after being prepared quickly or at high temperatures. In addition, much of the natural flavor is lost, so manufacturers add additives to enhance taste and color, and these additives are often not good for your health. Therefore, fast food or fast-food products should not be eaten frequently or in large quantities. This is especially true for the elderly or children, who are in a period of nutritional supplementation; excessive consumption of fast food is certainly harmful to their bodies."
The "Sudan Red I" incident has made people wary of anything red. How can we avoid consuming foods with such additives? Director Li advises us to choose natural foods or ingredients as much as possible. We should eat less of processed and semi-processed foods like instant noodles and biscuits. When buying such foods, we should choose those without additives or with colors that are not too heavy or dark. Fast food should never replace a normal diet.
Perhaps we can't completely say "Bye-bye" to fast-food culture just yet, but if we think a little more about our health, it's best to eat less of it! Spring Diet: Nutrition + Health
By April, Hainan has entered the transitional season from spring to summer. Experts believe that spring is the season for the growth of Yang energy, so people should adapt to the changes of the season, nourish their Yang energy through diet to maintain health, and the general dietary principles are: 1. Choose high-calorie foods in your staple foods; 2. Ensure sufficient high-quality protein; 3. Ensure sufficient vitamins.
In late spring, the temperature is relatively warm, so it is advisable to eat light foods. The dietary principle is to choose light foods and pay attention to supplementing enough vitamins. In addition to eating appropriate amounts of high-quality protein foods, one can drink mung bean soup, red bean soup, sour plum soup, and green tea to prevent internal heat buildup. It is not advisable to eat lamb, dog meat, spicy hot pot, or strong, hot foods like chili, Sichuan pepper, and peppercorns, as these can lead to the transformation of pathogenic heat into fire, causing diseases like sores, carbuncles, and abscesses. In addition to three meals a day, one should also eat more fruits, as the vitamins and minerals they contain are beneficial for strengthening the body.
Director Li told us that traditional medicine says: "When all grasses sprout, all illnesses flare up," which means that old illnesses are prone to relapse in spring. Due to the warm and windy weather in spring, it is suitable for the breeding and spread of bacteria and viruses. Therefore, there are many external illnesses in spring. For the elderly and children with weaker bodies, this should be taken even more seriously. Spring is also a season when many illnesses are common for the elderly and children, so it is crucial to enhance the body's resistance through diet.
Modern medicine has also found that the climate change in spring can easily lead to increased blood pressure, as well as symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and insomnia. Eating bananas or oranges daily can help alleviate these symptoms. In addition, stomach and duodenal ulcers are also prone to flare up in spring. Diet should avoid rich pork soup, chicken soup, fish soup, beef soup, as well as spinach, beans, animal organs, and irritating condiments, because the above foods strongly stimulate gastric acid secretion or form gas, causing bloating and increasing the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.
Director Li believes that spring is the season when children grow the fastest. To meet the greatly increased demand for various nutrients during this period, mothers should provide their children with scientific and reasonable nutritional supplementation for spring. In spring, as the climate turns from cold to warm, a child's diet should become lighter. The intake of vitamins, such as vitamins A and C, should be increased to lay a good foundation for the child's health for the entire year.