Autumn and winter nourishment is not the same as fish and meat medicinal diets
Autumn and winter nourishment ≠ fish and meat medicinal diets!
Chinese people have had the custom of nourishing the body in autumn and winter since ancient times. With social development and rising living standards, autumn and winter nourishment is no longer simply equated with ginseng plus astragalus, and the way of nourishing should change.
A balanced diet is the foundation
We all know that protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals are all nutrients the human body needs. However, many people's daily diets are very unbalanced, with unreasonable combinations of meat and vegetables, too little grains and coarse grains, and too much meat. Combined with a lack of exercise, this has led to steadily rising incidence rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
In order to address increasingly prominent nutritional problems, authoritative institutions at home and abroad have successively formulated dietary guidelines for residents to teach people how to arrange a scientific diet. For example, the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents formulated by the Chinese Nutrition Society has drawn an illustrative and practical "food pagoda," emphasizing that eating should be diversified, balanced and moderate, and that this should become a habit and be maintained persistently.
On the basis of adhering to a scientific and balanced diet, older adults, as a special group, also need to pay attention to the intake of multiple vitamins and minerals to enhance the body's resistance and help resist the attacks of multiple chronic diseases. This is mainly due to changes in the physiological functions of older adults themselves as well as traditional Chinese cooking methods.
Older adults do not need fewer nutrients than younger people, but the digestive function of older adults gradually degenerates, the secretion of various digestive juices decreases, the activity of digestive enzymes declines, and the absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract decreases. In addition, many older adults have gastrointestinal motility disorders, leading to poorer appetite and reduced food intake. Therefore, on the one hand, nutrient intake decreases, and on the other hand, nutrient absorption weakens. If nutrient supplementation is not given attention, a situation in which nutrient "income cannot cover expenditure" will occur, ultimately leading to deficiencies in multiple nutrients and the occurrence and development of chronic diseases. If older adults are taking some drugs that interfere with the absorption and utilization of nutrients, such as aspirin, cholestyramine and others, this makes matters worse.
At the same time, traditional Chinese cooking methods such as stir-frying, pan-frying and deep-frying also cause a large loss of vitamins and minerals in food. For example, after vegetables are stir-fried, the total amount of vitamins can be reduced by 30%-40%, and carotene loss can be as high as 25%. When washing rice, vitamin B1 in rice is reduced by 40%-60%, and vitamin B2 and niacin are reduced by 23%-25%. @#@245@#@When milled into flour, vitamin E is reduced by 90%.
Long-term insufficient intake of multiple vitamins and minerals can easily lead to the occurrence and development of multiple chronic diseases. For example, a deficiency of antioxidant vitamin E and B vitamins can easily lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Cataracts are closely related to a deficiency of antioxidant vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, E, A, beta-carotene and selenium in the body.
Appropriately supplement vitamins and minerals
Experts suggest that in order for older adults to obtain comprehensive nutrients, they should, on the basis of a reasonable diet, appropriately take multivitamin and mineral supplements to ensure comprehensive and balanced nutrient intake.
According to the latest national nutrition survey results, the usage rate of nutrient supplements among older adults aged 60 and above in China is only 8.5%, far lower than that in developed countries in Europe and America. Therefore, nutritionists call for: while advocating balanced nutrition and a reasonable diet, the reasonable intake of vitamins and minerals can improve nutritional deficiency, prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases and promote health.
When older adults choose vitamin and mineral supplements, they should pay special attention to whether the formula is specially customized for older adults and whether it strengthens some nutrients that are especially important for older adults, such as vitamin A, E, B6, B12, calcium, chromium, potassium and others. A large number of studies show that taking multivitamin and mineral supplements can effectively lower blood pressure in older patients, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, prevent the occurrence of ischemic stroke, and at the same time increase immunity and prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases. It can also effectively correct metabolic disorders, help control blood sugar, and reduce renal function damage complicated by diabetes.