10 adult tips for a healthy lifestyle
1. Eat a diverse diet.
To be healthy, we need more than 40 different nutrients, and no single food can supply them all. It’s not just one meal that will make the difference, but having a balanced diet over time!
A high-fat lunch can be followed by a low-fat dinner.
After eating a large piece of meat for dinner, why not opt for fish the next day?
Include lots of carbohydrate-rich foods in your diet.
About half of the calories in food should come from carbohydrate-rich foods, such as cereals, rice, pasta, potatoes, or bread. It is advisable to include at least one with each meal. Whole foods like whole grain pasta, cereals, and bread will help you get more fiber.
3. Substitute unsaturated fat for saturated fat.
Fats are important for health and the proper functioning of the body. However, their excessive consumption can have an adverse effect on weight and cardiovascular health. Different types of fat have different effects on health—here are some tips to help you find the right balance:
It is advisable to limit the consumption of total and saturated fats (which often come from foods of animal origin) and completely avoid trans fatty acids. Reading labels helps identify sources of fat.
Eating fish two to three times a week, with at least one serving of oily fish, will allow you to have the right intake of unsaturated fats.
To cook, it is better to favor cooking in water, steam, or the oven rather than frying. Remove the fatty parts of the meat and use vegetable oils.
4. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables are among the most important foods for getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber. You should try to eat at least five servings per day. For example, you can drink a glass of fresh fruit juice for breakfast, snack on an apple and a piece of watermelon, and eat a good portion of different vegetables at each meal.
5. Limit your intake of salt and sugar.
High salt intake can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. There are different ways to reduce the amount of salt in the diet:
In stores, you can choose products with a low sodium content.
– Spices can be used in place of salt in cooking, enriching the palate with aromas and flavors.
During meals, it is better not to put salt on the table or at least to avoid adding salt before tasting a dish.
Sugar is sweet and tastes good, but sugary foods and drinks are high in calories and are best eaten in moderation for occasional indulgences. You can replace sugar with fruit, even to sweeten foods and drinks.
6. Eat on a regular basis and limit your portion sizes.
The best recipe for healthy eating is to have a varied diet, eat regularly, and consume appropriate amounts.
When we skip a meal, especially breakfast, we can be ravenous, and we often make up for it by overeating. Snacking between meals can help control hunger pangs, but snacking shouldn’t replace a full meal. If you feel a little hungry, you can eat yogurt, a handful of fresh or dried fruits or vegetables (for example, carrot sticks), unsalted nuts, or even a piece of bread with cheese.
Paying attention to portion sizes will help keep you from consuming too many calories and allow you to eat all the foods you love without having to eliminate any.
When you prepare the right amount of food, it is easier not to overdo it.
Here are some examples of reasonably sized portions: 50 g of raw pasta; a medium-sized fruit
Using smaller plates helps reduce portion sizes.
Packages that indicate the caloric value of foods can help with portion control.
At the restaurant, you can share a portion with a friend.
7. Drink a lot of water.
Adults should drink at least a liter and a half a day. or more if it is very hot or if they are physically active. It is better to drink water naturally, whether it is tap water, mineral water, sparkling or still water, or plain or flavored. One can also drink fruit juice, tea, soft drinks, milk, or other beverages from time to time.
8. Maintain a healthy body weight.
The ideal weight depends on factors such as gender, height, age, and genes. Being overweight increases the risk of developing a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Eating more than necessary leads to excess body fat. Excess calories can come from any caloric nutrient—protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol—but fat is the most concentrated source of energy. Physical activity helps us burn energy and feel good. The message is quite simple: if you gain weight, you have to eat less and be more active!
Make a habit of moving!
Physical activity is important for everyone, regardless of weight or health. It helps us burn excess calories; it is good for the heart and the circulatory system; it maintains or increases muscle mass; it promotes concentration; and it improves our overall health and well-being. You don’t have to be a top athlete to get moving! It is recommended to do 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, which is not difficult to include in the daily routine. We can all be
-go up the stairs instead of taking the elevator;
-taking a walk at lunchtime (and stretching in the office between breaks);
Take the time to practice a family activity on weekends.
10. Start now. and keep on changing little by little.
A gradual change in lifestyle is easier to maintain than drastic changes introduced all at once. For three days, you could list all the foods and drinks you consumed during the day, noting your amount of physical activity. It will not be difficult to see the possible improvements.
Are you skipping breakfast? A small bowl of muesli, a piece of bread, or a piece of fruit can help you gradually integrate it into your routine.
Do you eat too little fruit and vegetables? You can start by consuming one more each day.
-Are your favorite foods high in fat? Eliminating them abruptly could be counterproductive and cause you to revert to your old habits. You can replace them with lower-fat options or eat them less often and in smaller amounts.
Not doing enough physical activity? Climbing the stairs every day could be a great way to start.
As the saying goes, “It is better to supplement with food than a thousand supplements!” Let’s take a look at what nutrients are in food, right?
As long as you eat every meal well, you will not lack nutrition. Did you eat well today?
The protein supplement
A lack of protein in the body can lead to decreased immunity, muscle loss, impaired digestion, and endocrine disorders.
An article published on the official website of the China Nutrition Association shares the food sources of high-quality protein.
Foods containing high-quality protein 1. Eggs Eggs are a food with high nutritional value. The protein content is about 13%. The amino acid composition is very close to the needs of the human body. It can usually be used as a reference protein for amino acid evaluation. 2 Milk The ratio of essential amino acids in milk meets the needs of the human body and is characteristic of high-quality protein. 3 The protein content of lean fish is about 15%–22%, and it contains various amino acids necessary for the human body, especially being rich in leucine and lysine, which belong to high-quality protein. 4. The protein content of shrimp is about 16%–23%, and the fat content is low and mostly unsaturated fatty acids. 5 Chicken The protein content of chicken is about 20%, and chicken breast is a favorite protein source for many people who build muscles.
Vitamin supplementation
In an article in “Health Times” in 2018, Wang Bin, a national second-level public nutritionist, shared practical information on how to supplement common vitamins.
1. A vitamin
Foods rich in vitamin A 1 foods high in vitamin A include animal liver, milk and its derivatives, and eggs. 2. substances rich in vitamin A, such as spinach, carrots, green peppers, amaranth, etc., in dark vegetables.
2. B vitamin
Foods rich in B vitamins 1 The most abundant food sources of vitamin B1 are wheat germ, sunflower seeds, and lean pork, followed by whole grains. 2
B2
Pig liver, pig kidney, milk, almonds, wheat germ, and coarse grains are the most common sources. B3 is mainly found in animal liver, yeast, fish, and other foods. B5 is found in the highest concentrations in animal liver, yeast, egg yolk, and beans. B6 is mainly found in meat, liver, egg yolks, whole grains, vegetables, and nuts. B7 is the most abundant in cheese, liver, and soybean meal, followed by eggs and whole grains. 7 B9 is widely found in various animal and plant foods, but the loss rate of folic acid is high due to heating and acid addition, and folic acid can be supplemented by dietary supplements. 8. B12 is mainly found in animal foods, especially meat, eggs, and dairy products.
3. C vitamin
Foods rich in vitamin C 1 jujube (fresh) Zhao Lichao, School of Food, South China Agricultural University, published an article in Health Times in 2019, pointing out that fresh jujubes per 100 grams are as high as 300–800 mg, known as “vitamin pills.” 2 Guava contains 228 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, which is three times that of citrus fruits. 3 Kiwifruit Kiwifruit has the title of “King of Vitamin C,” and the content of vitamin C in every 100 grams of kiwifruit is as high as 100 mg. 4 Vegetable For example, National Senior Public Nutritionist Liu Pingping pointed out in an article in Health Times in 2015 that many vegetables are rich in vitamin C. Peppers (red peppers, small peppers, green peppers, sharp peppers), kale, sweet peppers, pea shoots, cauliflower, bitter gourd, watercress, broccoli, and other vegetables, for example, contain more than 50 mg per 100 grams.
Vitamin D4.
Additional sources
The body gets vitamin D from two main sources: sunlight (ultraviolet rays) on the skin and food.
There are at least 10 known types of vitamin D, but the most important are vitamins D2 and D3. In addition to its own synthesis, vitamin D3 can also come from animal foods, such as liver, and especially cod liver oil, which is extracted from seafood.
In general, it is difficult to get enough vitamin D3 from food alone. Therefore, “sunbathing” is a very important way for the human body to synthesize vitamin D3.
5. E Vitamin
Foods rich in vitamin E 1 tbsp. black sesameBlack sesame is rich in natural vitamin E and contains linoleic acid, which has a strong antioxidant capacity. 2 sunflower seeds Sunflower kernels are high in vitamin E and dietary fiber, and can effectively digest and absorb high-quality fatty acids.3 dried walnuts
Dried walnuts are very rich in vitamin E, and the amount of walnuts taken with a “half fist” every day can meet the body’s demand for vitamin E.
4 Tempeh Tempeh is made from soybeans, which are rich in protein and vitamin E and can be used as a seasoning to add fragrance to dishes. 5 Yuba Yuba is rich in protein, vitamin E, iron, potassium, zinc, selenium, and other nutrients and is easily absorbed by the body.
6. Vitamin K
Additional sources:
Vitamin K includes K1, K2, K3, K4, etc. Among them, K1 (extracted from green plants) and K2 (synthesized by intestinal bacteria) are naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins, and K3 and K4 are artificially synthesized water-soluble vitamins.
Food contains mainly vitamin K1; green leafy vegetables are the highest, followed by milk and meat; fruits and cereals are the lowest. Beef liver, cod liver oil, egg yolk, cheese, seaweed, alfalfa, peas, soybean oil, lotus root, etc. are also contained.
3. Calcium supplement
Foods rich in calcium 1 Milk Zhou Ziqi, a clinical nutritionist at West China Hospital of Sichuan University, published an article on the official WeChat account of the hospital in 2020, saying that milk is the number one player in calcium supplementation foods, with high content and a high absorption rate, 1-2 times per day. A 250-ml box of milk can provide about 275–550 mg of calcium. 2 Eggs Dr. Zhou Ziqi said that most of the minerals in eggs are in the yolk, and every 100g of egg yolk contains 112 mg of calcium, which is comparable to the calcium content of milk, but the absorption rate is slightly worse than that of milk. 3 Soybean products Dr. Zhou Ziqi explained that the calcium content of soybean itself is not high, but coagulants such as gypsum and brine are added during the processing, thereby increasing the calcium content of soybean products. 4 Fish, shrimp Fish bones and shrimp skins are rich in calcium. Dr. Zhou Ziqi recommends that the meat, bones, and shrimp skins be fully stewed or eaten with a wallbreaker. 5. In 2014, Li Ran, a master of rapeseed food engineering and nutrition, pointed out in an article in Health Times that vegetables also have high calcium content, such as rapeseed, shallots, broccoli, cabbage, amaranth, etc., and rapeseed is the most recommended. Every 100 grams of rapeseed contains 108 mg of calcium, which is basically the same as that of milk.
4. Zinc Supplement
Foods rich in zinc 1: Shellfish and seafood. National second-level public nutritionist Jiang Ying pointed out in an article in Health Times in 2013 that the foods with the highest zinc content are shellfish and other seafood, especially oysters. Every 100 grams of oysters contains an amount of zinc as high as 71.2 mg. Red meat Wang Guizhen, president of the Weifang City Nutritionists Association, Shandong Province, pointed out in a 2018 article in Health Times that various meats are also sources of zinc, especially red meats such as beef and sheep. 3 Animal liver Animal liver is a large store of nutrients, and the content of zinc is very rich. 4 Seed Foods Seed foods, such as peanuts and melon seeds, are also high in zinc, but when eating, you need to pay attention to the intake. 5. The wheat germ in the wheat germ plant has the reputation of “planting a bird’s nest.” The content of zinc is no less than that of red meat, and it is convenient to eat. You can eat some every day to supplement zinc.
5. Iron supplementation
Foods rich in iron 1 animal liver Zhang Xiaoyan, director of the Nutrition Department of Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Jiangsu Province, pointed out in an article in Health Times in 2018 that the content of iron in animal livers is extremely high, and the order of iron content from high to low is: duck liver, pig liver, chicken liver, foie gras, and lamb liver. 2 In 2019, Kuang Pu, the attending physician of the Department of Hematology at Xuewang West China Hospital, published an article on the official WeChat account of the hospital, stating that Xuewang also has a high iron content, with 30 mg of iron per 100 grams of duck blood and 8.7 mg of iron in 100 grams of pig blood. mg. 3 Lean meat Dr. Kwong Pu pointed out that lean meat is also a food with good iron content, and 100 grams of beef contain 3.9 mg of iron.