There is no single food product that contains all the nutrients our body needs. Though, of course, it would be nice if it existed (and was Snickers). However, since in this matter we can probably no longer count on nature, at most Japanese scientists, it is good to find out what is necessary for our happiness and where to get it.
My brother-in-law’s cousin recommends
There is nothing we can do about the fact that our bodies are demanding both proteins and carbohydrates and (good) fats and vitamins and minerals. Between these entries there is a conjunction “and” and not a disjoint “or”. If we want to be healthy, we cannot choose what to deliver to the cells and what not. Ideas like, “Ah, I could use losing weight, so I’m going to stop eating carbs at all. Or no, I know! I’ll only eat high-protein foods, ”we shouldn’t even think of. The purpose of this text is not to contribute to the discussion of “Dukan or not Dukan” (Dukan can be replaced with any name of another top diet, after all, they change almost as regularly as the clothing collections of great fashion houses), but to show in a few soldier words, how should you eat.
Małgorzata Krukowska, medical nutritionist, says:
– Each human body needs exactly the same nutrients, while the differences in individual needs for them and the proportions in which we should consume them can differ significantly from each other. Diet, not necessarily slimming, understood simply as a diet, must be adapted to age, gender, body weight and lifestyle.
And it cannot be considered a truism that there is something else a pregnant woman needs to stay healthy and well-being, and something a beginner bodybuilder needs, because we often forget about it. We change the diet to one that serves a colleague from work. And it is to serve us. In discovering what and in what proportions we should eat, a visit to a qualified dietitian and perform at least basic tests once in a while, but let’s not delude ourselves that this will become a common procedure. Therefore, let’s take a look at the pyramids at least.
Not Egyptian at all
Polish or American, however. The Polish Pyramid of Healthy Nutrition can be found on the website of the Institute of Food and Nutrition (http://www.izz.waw.pl/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=5&lang=pl#piramida%20dzieci), and this one has been prepared by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health here: (yes, it’s THIS Harvard: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/Healthy-Eating-Pyramid-handout.pdf). The principle of reading both is the same: the products visible at the base of the pyramid are the healthiest and our diet should be based on them, they are the recommended sources of the greatest amount of energy. It is worth noting that on the lowest floor of both buildings there are pictograms symbolizing movement and physical activity!
And while some intercontinental and cultural shifts take place above, the general principles are the same: the primary source of energy should be whole grain cereal products. The less processed, the better. Highly processed grain is whiter and finer, which is why oatmeal, brown rice, buckwheat, bran and, of course, dark (but not caramel!) Bread are healthy, and white and fluffy as snow Kilimanjaro packaged toast bread has so much in common with good flour, that with any luck they grew up in the same supermarket.
The American pyramid disenchants vegetable fats and puts them on a level equal to grain products, warning at the same time that fat is not the same. Certainly, however, vegetable is healthier than animal, and it is listed in the first place olive oil. It is also necessary to realize that in the daily diet we are dealing with two types of fats, the so-called visible and invisible. There are no surprises in the visible fats section: margarine, butter, lard, oil, white coating on the ham. However, fat also lurks in sweets (especially chocolate and cookies), nuts and cheeses, not only yellow, but also moldy and melted. They are particularly dangerous (there is talk of an increase in the incidence of cancer and atherosclerosis) trans fats, formed during the hardening of margarines and vegetable butters. These are found, among others in chips, fast food and Chinese soups.
I think a fish
It is definitely promoted in the Harvard pyramid fish meat, however, and in stage directions to our dietary oracle, it is recommended to replace red meat with fish. Fish provide a decent portion of protein and also provide us with omega-3 fatty acids, irreplaceable in the prevention of heart disease. Of course, as with all dishes, the less processed the fish, the healthier it is, so long live the sushi and grilled fish, but canned or pan-fried it is not so delightful.
Besides, in protein eggs are rich (for people who do not have problems with elevated cholesterol and heart, they are not as dangerous as used to be believed) and poultry.
We should appreciate it legumes, various nuts, raw or cooked (steamed!) vegetables and fruits; the sources of calcium are equally important, i.e. dairy products, preferably with a reduced fat content. The fact remains that an adult’s digestive system is not as good at handling milk as a baby’s stomach, so it’s better to choose yogurt and kefir instead.
The pyramidal pinnacle of bad eating is relying on red meat, white bread, pasta, salt, fast food, sodas and sweets. Besides, the more effort we put into preparing food with fresh and chemically unprocessed ingredients, such as no preservatives, monosodium glutamate, flavor enhancers and a whole battery of other nasty stuff, the better. Ready mixes are passé.
Dietitian Małgorzata Krukowska gives some additional advice:
– the diet should be selected individually, not using ready-made menus,
– you should never eliminate any basic nutrients, instead modify their proportions wisely,
– you do not have to be very attached to nutritional cravings and unrestrained tastes, because the body does not send us such clear signals about the missing ingredients,
– it has been scientifically proven that macro- and micronutrients (e.g. vitamins), which it derives itself from natural food, and not from synthetic dietary supplements and vitamin mixtures, are more beneficial to the body. It is better to provide him with a little bit of everything so that he can choose what he needs than to run the risk of duplicating and accumulating certain elements. Usually it is not very dangerous, but there are exceptions: e.g. harmful excess of vitamin A for pregnant women or vitamin C overdose for patients with kidney stones.
And finally, the bad news: Snickers is unfortunately not as healthy as an orange, and drinks make you fat …
Text: Julia Wolin