Introduction: When people eat, their bodies are in a relaxed state, making it easy to slouch. Unknowingly, this compresses the esophagus and stomach, affecting digestion.
1. Sit up straight while eating. When people eat, their bodies are in a relaxed state, making it easy to slouch. Unknowingly, this compresses the esophagus and stomach, affecting digestion. Additionally, eating at a low table, sitting on a sofa, or squatting to eat can compress the abdomen, affecting blood circulation in the digestive tract. Over time, this can lead to stomach problems and affect cardiopulmonary function. The correct posture for eating is to sit up straight, so the stomach is not under any pressure.
2. Have some congee when you are very hungry. When people are extremely hungry, their appetite is particularly strong, and they want to eat anything they see. In fact, the digestive function of the gastrointestinal tract is already impaired at this time, and overeating can easily lead to indigestion. When very hungry, you should have a small amount of semi-liquid food, such as congee, noodles, or rice noodles, and then slowly return to a normal diet. Pay special attention not to drink milk, soy milk, yogurt, or eat sweet potatoes when you are very hungry, as this may cause digestive problems.
3. Maintain a 4-6 hour interval between meals. An interval that is too long or too short between meals will affect the body. A long interval can cause intense hunger, affecting work efficiency; an interval that is too short does not give the digestive organs adequate rest, affecting appetite and digestion. Generally, mixed food stays in the stomach for about 4-5 hours, so an interval of 4-6 hours between meals is more appropriate.
4. Eat your favorite foods first. On the table, there are definitely dishes you prefer and those you don't. Which should you eat first? Experts suggest eating your favorite foods first, as this will give you emotional satisfaction. A pleasant mood can lead to a feeling of fullness more quickly, preventing you from eating too much.
5. Don't use your brain immediately after a meal. After a meal, blood in the body flows to the digestive organs, and the brain is relatively ischemic. Using your brain at this time can cause mental tension, decreased memory, and may increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, be sure to rest for at least half an hour after a meal before returning to work. Listening to music or taking a walk are good choices.
6. Don't talk about unpleasant things while eating. As the saying goes, "Do not speak while eating." Talking while eating reduces the number of times you chew food and decreases saliva secretion, thus affecting digestion function. A new study in the United States points out that discussing complex or depressing topics during a meal can affect a person's appetite and digestion. It's better to talk about simple and pleasant topics.
7. Eat a hot breakfast. In the early morning, the body's nerves and blood vessels are still in a constricted state. Eating cold food at this time can cause the digestive system to spasm. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that breakfast should be hot food to protect the stomach's energy. It is recommended to choose hot porridge, hot oatmeal, or hot soy milk for breakfast, paired with dry staples like buns or bread.
8. Drink tea half an hour after a meal. It is not advisable to drink tea immediately after a meal, as it will dilute gastric juice and affect food digestion. At the same time, tannic acid in tea and protein in food will form indigestible coagulated substances, adding a burden to the stomach. Drinking tea half an hour after a meal can promote digestion and absorption, and has the effect of sterilization, disinfection, and protecting teeth.
9. Don't eat cold drinks at night. After 7 p.m., the body's fluid metabolism decreases. Eating cold food, especially cold drinks, at this time is not easy to relieve fatigue and can affect sleep.
10. Eat less dessert after a meal. The main course has already provided enough sugar. Eating dessert afterward will cause the body to absorb excess glucose and starch. This is especially true after eating greasy foods.
11. Eat more dark-colored vegetables. Dark-colored vegetables refer to deep green, red, and purple-red vegetables. The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends that people should eat half a jin (250g) of vegetables daily, of which dark-colored vegetables should account for more than half. Their vitamin C content is twice that of light-colored vegetables. For example, the nutritional value of dark purple eggplant is significantly higher than that of light green eggplant; purple onions are higher than white onions; purple cabbage is higher than green cabbage; and purple sweet potatoes are higher than red or white sweet potatoes.
12. Mix animal and vegetable oils. Eating only vegetable oil can promote an increase in peroxides in the body, accelerate aging, affect the body's absorption of vitamins, and increase the incidence of breast and colon cancer. Animal oil contains beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipoproteins for the cardiovascular system. Experts remind that using a mixed oil of 1 part animal oil and 2 parts vegetable oil can combine their strengths and offset their weaknesses.
13. The eating environment should be quiet. A study by the University of Manchester in the UK showed that as noise increases, the subjects' sensitivity to the sweetness and saltiness of food decreases. The study also showed that a noisy dining environment can dull a person's sense of taste. Experts suggest not choosing restaurants with noisy environments for meals; having soft music as a background can make food taste better.
14. Don't eat alone. Eating alone can easily lead to negative emotions, and a monotonous diet can cause nutritional imbalance. Eating with colleagues and family can improve your mood, and gastric juice secretion will be relatively more vigorous, allowing food to be digested and absorbed more quickly. In addition, when eating with others, there is a greater variety of food, and eating a little of each can easily achieve nutritional balance.
15. Add a little vinegar to bone broth. The body's absorption and utilization of calcium are constrained by many factors. Foods rich in calcium include milk, eggs, bone broth, fish and shrimp, and soybeans. Insufficient acidity in the gastrointestinal tract can affect calcium absorption. Therefore, adding a little vinegar when cooking can convert the calcium in food into calcium acetate, which is easily absorbed.
16. Eat a fiber-rich food once a day. When the body absorbs excess fat and protein, they can become harmful腐败物 when acted upon by E. coli. Fiber can surround them and excrete them. Therefore, it is best to eat some coarse fiber foods every day, such as oats, brown rice, Job's tears, sweet potatoes, and corn.
17. Chew hard foods more. Depending on your age, you can supplement with some hard foods, such as fruits, sugarcane, and raw cucumbers. This is because hard foods require more effort to chew. When the number or frequency of chewing increases, blood flow to the brain increases significantly, activating the cerebral cortex and preventing brain aging and Alzheimer's disease.
18. Chew slowly. Chewing slowly aids digestion. Experts suggest putting down your chopsticks after each bite, focusing on chewing, and chewing each bite more than 30 times.
19. Eat less salt. The new U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that the daily salt intake per person should be reduced to less than 2300 mg (about one teaspoon). For those over 51 years old and those with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, the daily salt intake should be reduced to less than 1500 mg.
20. Don't abuse seasonings. A study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows that natural seasonings such as cinnamon and fennel contain varying amounts of safrole, which can cause liver cancer. Eating too much of them can not only cause dry mouth, sore throat, and listlessness, but also easily lead to excessive gastric acid secretion and bloating. Therefore, do not use them excessively when cooking.