Why Fruits Can Be Harmful and Butter Can Be Beneficial 0 11

Eat Less — Get Sick Less Often

In recent years, the idea has taken hold in public consciousness that certain super diets and superfoods can positively affect health and immunity. As a result, many specialists in nutrition, dietitians, and nutritionists have emerged. Various diets, programs, and systems are being developed. People strive to find benefits in new products. However, the main rule for chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and joint diseases is moderate eating. That is, it is necessary to eat less. This fact is confirmed by numerous studies conducted in different countries. The greater the body mass, the harder it is for a person to move, the slower the metabolism proceeds, and the renewal and regeneration of cells slow down, which ultimately leads to more frequent illnesses and a shorter lifespan. People who consume more food than necessary for sustaining life are more likely to develop metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Many still do not realize that obesity is also a disease, a key factor in the development of all metabolic and even oncological diseases.

In a healthy society, people with excess weight should feel ashamed for having brought themselves to such a state. It is necessary to promote personal responsibility for one’s own health. As we gradually move away from Western trends and imposed norms (for example, body positivity, which suggests accepting people with obesity as they are), it is important to recognize that obesity is a disease arising from a lack of physical activity and excessive food consumption. The problem of stress, which is also often “eaten away,” is well addressed through physical activity.

The coronavirus pandemic clearly demonstrated that people with excess weight, suffering from chronic diseases and leading a sedentary lifestyle, significantly more often and severely suffered from the illness, faced complications, and died. Understanding this relationship and making the right decisions is an important step for each of us.

Correcting Misconceptions

There are many misconceptions about nutrition. Let’s consider the most common ones.

Eat when you feel hungry, not on a schedule. There is an opinion that meals should occur on a schedule — at a certain time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, rather than when a true feeling of hunger arises.

Don’t obsess over food. Culinary programs that teach how to cook tastier and more are negatively influential. Nowadays, not only professional chefs but also ordinary people post recipes, dishes, and desserts online. Social networks are overflowing with this content. It has become a real obsession.

Properly satisfy your hunger. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. This contributes to quicker satiety with a smaller amount of food consumed.

Give up sweets, simple carbohydrates, and trans fats. It is recommended to limit or exclude fruits, as they contain fructose, which can be harmful to the liver. It is better to obtain vitamins and fiber from vegetables.

Reduce calorie intake. Modern humans consume more calories than their bodies need.

Minimize the thermal processing of vegetables. This fully corresponds to the principles of thermodynamic nutrition.

Drink as thirst arises. That is, when the body requires fluid — you should drink. It is preferable to use plain water. Teas and coffee do not strengthen the immune system, just like food. As an auxiliary measure, I recommend infusions of hawthorn, St. John’s wort, and rose hips, rich in vitamin C.

Keep a food diary. This is useful for both overweight individuals and those who want to control their diet. It helps to rethink one’s nutrition. By writing down in a notebook what you ate during the day and in what quantity, you can realize within a week that you are eating the wrong things and in the wrong amounts. I have had many cases where a patient who cannot fit on a chair claims that they hardly eat anything. By suggesting keeping a diary, within a few days the patient admits: “Thank you, I realized how ‘little’ I eat…”

Nutrition Recommendations for Disease Prevention

Hypertension. Strict exclusion of sweets and carbohydrates from the diet. This is extremely important for hypertensive patients, as a lot of water is required for the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, which can lead to swelling, which is extremely undesirable for hypertensive patients. I recommend an optimal balance of fats and proteins in the diet, which implies a meat-based diet.

Diabetes. The recommendations are similar to those given for hypertensive patients — avoid sweets and carbohydrates. To avoid sharp fluctuations in glucose levels, one should start not with a diet, but with physical activity to utilize glucose. For diabetic patients, I advise increasing the intake of fatty foods. Natural dairy products are beneficial: butter, sour cream, milk, etc.

Joint diseases. The main rule: the less load on the joints, the better. Therefore, it is recommended to eat less and slower, controlling weight. For people with joint problems, I advise increasing the intake of protein foods, as collagen is the protein that makes up joints and ligaments. Seafood is very beneficial.

For the immune system. To strengthen immunity, fasting days are beneficial. Once every two weeks or a month, one should eat nothing, only drink water. This is the best way to reboot the immune system.

To strengthen immunity, it is necessary to move more, walking at least 5 kilometers a day. Physical activity, such as walking, increases the functional reserve of the body. Immunity depends on how effectively the circulatory system works and how quickly immune cells are delivered to various parts of the body. Local immunity can be stimulated by periodically breathing over grated horseradish during the ARVI season. This will help prevent the penetration of infection. General immunity, I repeat, is strengthened only through movement!