Food is the most important thing for people. Are we eating right?

Author: Wang Fang, deputy director of the China Rehabilitation Research Center

Reviewer: Zheng Xin, Chief Physician, China Rehabilitation Research Center

The ancients said, "Food is the first necessity of the people," which shows the importance of diet. The food we eat directly affects our health. A series of studies around the world have confirmed that diet has a great relationship with the occurrence, development, treatment effect and prognosis of many diseases. In order to maintain good health and prevent some chronic diseases, the 2022 "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" proposes that a balanced diet is the basis for maximizing human nutritional needs and health, and food diversity is the basic principle of a balanced diet. Diverse foods should include cereals, potatoes, vegetables and fruits, livestock, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, soybeans and nuts, etc. It is recommended to consume an average of more than 12 kinds of food per day and more than 25 kinds per week. Cooking oil and condiments are not included. At least 3 to 5 kinds of food should be consumed for breakfast, 4 to 6 kinds for lunch, 4 to 5 kinds for dinner, and 1 to 2 snacks. Daily meals should be reasonably combined and matched. In a balanced diet, carbohydrate energy accounts for 50% to 65% of the total dietary energy, protein accounts for 10% to 15%, and fat accounts for 20% to 30%. A reasonable diet is the prerequisite for ensuring health. So, how should we eat in our daily life to be considered a reasonable diet?

1. How to classify food?

Before studying how to eat, let’s first study the classification of food so that we can know ourselves and our enemies.

The first category is cereals and potatoes. Cereals and potatoes are the main source of dietary energy and a good source of a variety of micronutrients and dietary fiber. It is recommended to consume an average of 200-300g of cereals per day, including 50-100g of whole grains and beans, and 50-100g of potatoes. Cereals generally include rice, noodles and grains; beans include red beans, mung beans and kidney beans; potatoes include potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava, etc.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

The second category is vegetables and fruits. Vegetables and fruits are two types of food that the dietary guidelines encourage people to consume more. They are good sources of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and phytochemicals. It is recommended that adults consume at least 300g of vegetables per day, of which dark vegetables account for 1/2. It is recommended to consume 200-350g of fresh fruit per day. It should be noted that juice cannot replace fresh fruit.

The third category is animal food. Including lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, etc. Animal food can provide the high-quality protein, vitamin A and B vitamins needed by the human body, and some also contain high fat and cholesterol. The recommended daily intake of fish, poultry, meat, and eggs is 120~200g. Please note that the current consumption of livestock meat is high, and excessive intake is not good for the body.

The fourth category is milk and dairy products, soybeans and nuts. Milk, soybeans and nuts are good sources of protein and calcium with high nutritional density. It is recommended to consume at least 300g of milk and dairy products per day. The total daily intake of soybeans and nuts is 25-35g. Whether nuts are used as dishes or snacks, it is recommended to consume 70g per week (equivalent to about 10g per day). Soybeans include soybeans, black beans, green beans, soy products such as tofu, soy milk, dried tofu, etc., and nuts include peanuts, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts.

The fifth category is oil, salt, sugar, and alcohol. The general principle is to use less salt and oil, control sugar and limit alcohol. Oil and salt are essential as cooking seasonings, but it is recommended to use them as little as possible. It is recommended that adults cook no more than 25-30g per day on average, and the salt intake should not exceed 5g. Avoid excessive intake of animal fats and saturated fatty acids. The salt intake of Chinese residents is generally high, and salt is closely related to high blood pressure. To stay away from diseases, salt must be limited. Many people have the concept of salt restriction but ignore the fact that hidden high-salt foods are also undesirable. Foods high in sugar can increase the risk of dental caries and overweight. It is not recommended to drink sugary drinks. It is recommended that the daily sugar intake should not exceed 50g, and it is best to control it below 25g. Children, adolescents, pregnant women, and nursing mothers should not drink alcohol, and the amount of alcohol consumed by adults per day should not exceed 15g.

2. How should you eat three meals a day?

Regular meals are the prerequisite for a reasonable diet. They should be arranged reasonably, with three meals a day at regular times and quantitative amounts. Eat in moderation and avoid overeating. The energy provided by breakfast should account for 25% to 30% of the total energy for the day, lunch for 30% to 40%, and dinner for 30% to 35%. In daily diet, you should choose a variety of small portions of food, a combination of meat and vegetables, avoid monotony, and pay attention to supplementing different types of vitamins and minerals.

Water is an important substance that constitutes the human body and plays a variety of physiological roles. The balance of water intake and excretion can maintain the body's proper hydration and health. It is recommended that adults with low physical activity levels drink 7 to 8 glasses of water a day, which is equivalent to 1700 ml of water for men and 1500 ml of water for women. People should take the initiative to drink enough water every day. It is recommended to drink plain water or tea, and not drink or drink less sugary drinks.

Figure 2 Image source: Chinese Nutrition Society

3. How to balance eating and exercise?

As the saying goes, "You can't get fat with one bite", but if you eat one bite at a time, you will get fat before you know it. However, it often takes a long time for weight gain to develop into obesity. If you want to avoid getting fat, you must maintain a balance between eating and moving. Food intake and physical activity are two key factors in maintaining energy balance and a healthy weight. People of all ages should ensure adequate exercise every day to maintain energy balance and a healthy weight. Being underweight or overweight is unhealthy, prone to a variety of diseases, and shortens life expectancy.

It is recommended that adults should engage in moderate-intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking, dancing, leisure swimming, and doing housework) for at least 5 days a week, for a total of more than 150 minutes; and take 6,000 steps of active physical activity every day. It is encouraged to appropriately engage in high-intensity aerobic exercise (such as jogging, aerobics, fast cycling, competition training, weightlifting, heavy lifting, and digging), strengthen resistance exercise, and move more to gain more benefits. Pay attention to reducing sedentary time and get up and move every hour. You must eat "smartly" and move "smartly" to maintain a healthy weight.

Weight changes are the easiest indicator to judge whether energy is balanced over a period of time, and it is also an indicator to judge whether eating and exercise are balanced. You can prepare a scale at home and weigh yourself frequently in the morning when you are fasting. Pay attention to weight changes and adjust the balance between eating and exercise at any time.

In short, it is a well-known fact that a reasonable diet is good for health. With the development of social productivity and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the dietary structure of Chinese residents has also changed accordingly. Due to the lack of popularization of dietary nutrition knowledge, most people do not know how to eat well, eat scientifically, and eat in accordance with the principles of reasonable diet and reasonable nutrition while being full. Let us establish the value of reasonable diet and health first, starting from one family, one unit, and one restaurant. If we connect them together, we will promote the improvement of the entire dietary civilization. In short, according to the balanced diet guidelines, we can better choose and match food, so as to obtain a healthier lifestyle.