Point-based narrative essay on diet and health

There is no perfect recipe that applies to everyone. The essence of all healthy eating methods is the combination of three principles: "Adapting to the individual's physiological state, matching daily energy needs, and not violating one's own living habits." Any discussion of "must eat/not eat" standards that are divorced from the individual is a rogue.

Let’s first talk about the “universal recipe” misunderstanding that is most likely to be biased by marketing accounts. Those unified recipes that claim to "eat to lose weight/anti-aging/nourishe the spleen and stomach" are essentially the same as one-size-fits-all T-shirts. People with a height of 150cm and 180cm will have very different effects when wearing them, and hard-wearing them will only make them uncomfortable. Don't tell me, I actually have a friend who runs a half marathon. I believed the saying on the Internet that "low-carb diet is the ceiling of health" and changed the staple food to lettuce and broccoli for three weeks. As a result, I fainted on the track just after running 10 kilometers on the day of the race due to hypoglycemia. Later, I ate the high-carbohydrate ratio given by the coach. Not only did my performance improve, but the post-running fatigue I often suffered from before disappeared. There is also a female colleague who has polycystic cysts. She strictly followed the recommendations of the Resident Dietary Guidelines to eat 300g of rice and noodles every day. As a result, her aunt postponed the meal for half a month, and acne broke out on her face. Later, she replaced half of the refined rice and noodles with mixed beans according to the doctor's instructions, and then slowly switched back. The low-carb pie and the balanced diet pie that are making a lot of noise on the Internet are actually right: clinical research on low-carb ketosis has indeed proven that it can improve insulin resistance and have an auxiliary conditioning effect on obese and polycystic people. ； The standard of 50%-65% carbohydrates advocated by a balanced diet has also been verified by large samples for decades and is suitable for the vast majority of ordinary people who do not have a lot of daily activities. There is no one right or wrong at all, only whether it is suitable for you. It's quite interesting to say that I have read the dietary guidelines of different countries before. The United States recommends a higher proportion of high-quality fats, and Japan recommends eating more deep-sea fish. Our country instead emphasizes the intake of whole grains and potatoes. They are essentially adjusted based on the general dietary structure of the country's residents. When it comes to individuals, they should be flexibly adjusted. There is no need to stick to standards.

What many people don’t know is that when and how much you eat may have a greater impact than worrying about what to eat. I once had a colleague who lost weight and ate boiled vegetables and chicken breast every meal. He kept the calories perfectly. As a result, he was so hungry that his eyes were filled with stars at four o'clock every afternoon. He couldn't help but buy fried skewers on the way to get off work. In half a month, he gained three pounds. On the other hand, my mother eats white rice and braised pork every meal, and she is eighty percent full every meal. She does not lie down after eating. She is almost 60 years old and her blood lipids and blood sugar are all normal, which is better than many young people who eat salad every day. There is also a lot of controversy about eating rhythm: the light fasting group says that 16+8 is the golden rule, which can stabilize metabolism and control blood sugar. ； Eat smaller meals more often, and say 5-6 meals a day is the ideal way to avoid overeating due to hunger. In fact, it all depends on individual circumstances. For example, my friend who works in the field cannot even predict the time to eat when he is running for clients every day. A hard card of 16+8 will only make him hungry and cause stomachache. Carrying a whole-wheat bread in his pocket and taking a few bites when he is hungry will be healthier. ； For those of you who sit in the office and can’t stop talking, use 16+8 to compress your eating time into 8 hours, which will prevent you from unintentionally eating a whole box of biscuits. Oh, by the way, here’s a little professional knowledge: The glycemic index (GI) is indeed a reference standard, but don’t take it too seriously. If you eat a mouthful of white rice with half a plate of vegetables, your blood sugar will rise much more slowly than if you eat white rice alone. There is no need to keep your favorite rice aside for the sake of low GI, and you won’t be guilty of eating half-cooked brown rice.

There is another problem that few people say openly, but many people fall into: using healthy eating as a tool for self-kidnapping. During my previous fat loss period, I strictly controlled sugar for three months. I only dared to eat small tomatoes. One day, I couldn’t help but eat a piece of cheesecake handed to me by a friend. After eating it, I felt so guilty that I went to the bathroom to throw up. Later, I went to the nutrition department. I still remember what the doctor said to me: "Eating something high in sugar and oil once in a while has basically zero impact on your health. On the contrary, the guilt and anxiety you feel after eating will continue to increase cortisol, which is more likely to make you gain weight than eating cakes, and it also hurts your stomach." 」Nowadays, the nutrition community has long stopped advocating the criminalization of single foods. Statements such as "milk tea is poison" and "cancer caused by eating fried foods" are all exaggerations. What really matters is the long-term overall eating pattern: if you drink a cup of milk tea a week and eat normally the rest of the time and eat more vegetables, that is healthy. ； If you eat salad every day but are so anxious that you have insomnia every day, that is not considered a healthy diet. There are still two factions arguing fiercely on the Internet: one faction says that one must strictly control calories and only have a caloric deficit to lose weight. ； One group says that to have a happy meal, emotional stability is the first priority. In fact, there is no conflict between the two. You don't need to scold yourself for being undisciplined for a sip of milk tea, and you don't need to eat fried chicken all the time for emotional health. The balance in the middle and your physical comfort are the only criteria.

In fact, to put it bluntly, eating healthily is a matter that serves yourself. You don’t need to think about it too complicated. If you catch the subway in the morning and don’t have time to make breakfast, buy a multigrain pancake and add an egg. It’s much healthier than being hungry until you have acid reflux at noon. ； When friends get together for hot pot on the weekend, it’s okay to have a glass of iced Coke. Don’t hide in the bathroom and induce vomiting after eating. If you are really not sure what to eat, you can spend tens of dollars to go to the hospital to get an appointment with the nutrition department, draw blood and do a basic check-up. The plan you get will be more effective than watching videos from ten health bloggers. After all, your body will always understand you better than the standard answers on the Internet.