A person has the right to health. Human rights are closely related to his responsibility. Unfortunately, not everyone understands their responsibility for maintaining health. More than two thirds of the country's population do not go in for sports, up to 30% of the population are overweight, about 70 million people smoke.
Nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.
Nutrition, which ensures full development, is called rational (from the Latin words "ratio" - calculation, measure and "rationalis" - reasonable, expedient, reasonable).
Human health is largely determined by the quantity and quality of food, diet.
Healthy nutrition is the most important condition for longevity.
The culture of food includes not only the attitude to food, but also its composition. In all periods of human development, the nature of nutrition was determined by economic opportunities, the availability of food resources, climate and national traditions. The biological characteristics of the human body remained the same, but the conditions of life and nutrition have changed significantly.
food culture This is the optimal amount of food for a person to eat.
Can a person determine how much he needs to eat? The main rule is to match the amount and calorie content of food with energy costs and the physiological needs of your body.
healthy eating- this is a restriction of fats and salt, a significant increase in the proportion of fruits and vegetables, cereals, wholemeal flour products in the diet. The source of protein should be legumes, low-fat dairy products, fish or vegetable oil.
For food culture, food processing matters. Vegetables should not be subjected to prolonged cooking, as this destroys the vitamins contained in the products. From oils, corn, olive or sunflower is preferable. It is also advisable to use wholemeal bread, not completely refined (unrefined) sugar.
A person's need for energy depends on individual characteristics, gender, age, height, body weight, level of metabolic processes, as well as on physical activity, the nature of mental activity, sports, climatic conditions and other factors.
For 70 years, a person drinks 50 tons of water, eats 2.5 tons of protein, 2.3 tons of fat, over 10 tons of carbohydrates, almost 300 kg of table salt.
A person should receive as much energy from food as he expends during the day. In those cases when the influx of energy exceeds the energy consumption of the body, it accumulates in the form of fat deposits.
There are a number of general rules that ensure a balanced diet with lifestyle participation:
1. rule - food should be varied: animal origin (meat, fish, eggs, milk, cottage cheese); vegetable origin (vegetables, fruits, cereals, bread).
2. rule - maintaining your weight in the norm. "I eat to live, not live to eat."
It must be remembered that it is easier to gain extra pounds and much more difficult to lose them. Excess body weight increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, etc.
No less dangerous for the body is a state when body weight is much less than normal, which may be associated with exhaustion and dystrophy.
3. the rule is to take into account the intensity of physical activity in the diet, when playing sports, nutrition should not only compensate for the expended energy and nutrients, but also the ability to increase efficiency, accelerate its recovery after intense physical exertion, for which it is necessary to include easily digestible foods in the diet, rich in vitamins.
It should be noted that heat treatment weakens the beneficial qualities of vegetable oils, so it is more advisable to use them in salads and vinaigrettes.
Proper nutrition- this is getting with food in sufficient quantity and in the right combination of substances necessary for the body: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts, vitamins, trace elements and water.
Health is an invaluable resource given to man by nature. To save it, you need to think about the right way of life, healthy and healthy habits, an active position, rational nutrition, as well as keeping your soul clean, about inner light and harmony. However, the main component of maintaining health, of course, is a properly composed diet.
Every day, without thinking, we put a lot of chemical compounds, minerals and other substances into our mouths. Some of them are undoubtedly beneficial, others, on the contrary, are harmful, and still others settle in the body like ballast, bringing nothing but temporary saturation. That's why healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle occupies a paramount position: the supply of vitality, energy, and the quality of life in general depends on how balanced the diet is. A disorderly, excessive or, conversely, insufficient menu can destroy the body in a matter of weeks, not to mention chronic malnutrition. Therefore, it is worth considering this issue in more detail.
Food culture as a component of a healthy lifestyle
Speaking of food culture, we mean not only properly selected and prepared foods, but also a healthy attitude to food, on which the state of the gastrointestinal tract and the body as a whole directly depends. If you do not turn food into the only meaning of life, do not succumb to gluttony, but treat it sensibly and with due attention, you can not only keep the body healthy, but also maintain lightness of mind, purity of soul and moral health.
So, what criteria does a food culture consist of? Let's look at each of them individually to get a clear picture.
rational mode
Food culture as a component of a healthy lifestyle impossible without a well-designed diet. Constant workload, a total lack of time and energy to cook something tasty and healthy, eat on time and then not “bite”, bring chaos and unhealthy habits to food. In most cases, everything turns out bleakly: breakfast is replaced by a rush to work, a lunch break is replaced by urgent official business, and for dinner everything that was designed for breakfast and lunch is eaten. And if you add endless snacks and fast foods to this, then a completely unflattering picture emerges. What should a complete diet for an adult who wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle look like?
First, never skip breakfast! Even if sometimes (in extreme cases) dinner or one of the afternoon snacks can be sacrificed, then the morning meal is by no means. It is he who starts the metabolism and ensures the work of internal organs during the day. Secondly, try to eat 4-5 times a day in fractional portions. Ideally, the diet should include standard breakfasts, lunches and dinners plus 2 daily snacks. And thirdly, do not try to compensate for a missed meal or, conversely, eat up for the future - overeating brings the body even more harm than a slight feeling of hunger.
Time for food
It may seem banal, but not paying due attention and time to each meal is not just disrespect for your body, but also a very bad habit. Modern nutritionists recommend chewing each piece at least 30 times (of course, perfectionists can actually count the number of chewing movements, but in most cases you can limit yourself to the “to uniformity” characteristic), and this takes time. Therefore, eating in transport, on the run or in a hurry is not welcome: for breakfast and dinner in the daily regimen, at least 20 minutes should be allotted, for lunch - half an hour, and for afternoon snacks - 10 minutes each. Only an hour and a half a day, which for some reason cannot be allocated to one's own health. If you find it difficult to sacrifice things for food, remember how much time people usually spend in the hospital trying to get rid of food-related diseases, and feel free to postpone things.
We make a healthy menu
Having planned your day taking into account the necessary meals, let's now figure out which products are best used for cooking. The main criterion for their usefulness is the composition, rich in the necessary nutrients, vitamins and mineral complexes necessary for development. It is also worth paying attention to the origin of products: it has been scientifically proven that vegetarian principles are much more useful and humane than the rules of meat-eaters. Even if killing animals for the sake of gluttony does not cause rejection in you, think about how harmful meat dishes are to the body. Vascular thrombosis and high cholesterol, problems with the heart and liver, constant stress for digestion and stress on the excretory system - this is only a small part of the harm that animal food causes. Therefore, it is worth giving up steaks, meatballs and other "indecency" - this way you will not only save the lives of our smaller brothers, but also save your own health.
Healthy eating as part of a healthy lifestyle
Let's look at a sample diet in the context of each meal:
Breakfast
This is the first and perhaps the most important meal of the day. Breakfast should energize, give vigor and allow the body to reach its full potential. True, it should be borne in mind that the gastrointestinal tract is not yet ready for heavy loads, so it is better to take easily digestible and nutritious meals - this is the only right decision that will allow you to maintain efficiency without harming with unnecessary loads.
Do not assume that proper breakfasts require long preparation - a balanced diet does not mean culinary fanaticism. However, in this case, everything is individual - some people like to eat simply and healthy, while others can create a truly unique dish from the same products. The approach is not as important as the balance of vitamins, trace elements and nutrients, as well as a sufficient number of calories (sufficient does not mean excessive - it is not at all necessary to eat “in reserve”).
The morning diet should be based primarily on fiber, "correct" carbohydrates and vegetable protein. It can be all kinds of cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat or corn are the most popular) with some protein supplement (a small bean patty, a handful of peanuts or almonds). And to get a supply of vitamins and just cheer yourself up in the morning, you can prepare a serving of fruit salad.
Despite the prevailing stereotype, using freshly squeezed citrus or apple juice for breakfast is not the best idea. It is better to please the stomach with warm herbal tea with rose hips - this plant not only improves immunity, but also tones.
If you are not used to eating in the morning and are just starting to learn proper nutrition - a component of a healthy lifestyle, you should not immediately break your habits - accustom your stomach to good food gradually, bringing the diet in order every day.
Dinner
This meal is considered the most abundant, because in the middle of the day the gastrointestinal tract is already able to properly perceive food, and the body still needs energy resources. You should not fill your stomach with a nutritious mix of fast foods and other "fast" nutrients that bring nothing but heaviness, heartburn and excess weight. It is better to think over lunch in advance and, if possible, take it from home (or find a decent cafe with home cooking in the office area) - then digestive problems will bypass you.
In no case should you underestimate the importance of first courses in the diet - for an adult they are no less important than for a child. An excellent option would be lentil, pea soups, cauliflower puree soup or vegetarian borscht. However, vegetable broth, cooked in haste, is also very useful. Sometimes you can treat yourself to mushroom soup, but you should not eat it every day - mushrooms are quite heavy food.
As a second course, you can cook almost anything (provided that it complies with the principles of a healthy diet). Porridge with pumpkin, buckwheat meatballs, pilaf with chickpeas, casserole with mushrooms, ratatouille have proven themselves well ... This list can be continued indefinitely - it all depends on your imagination and culinary talent.
At lunch, you can treat yourself to a small dessert (provided that the first and second have already been eaten). You can make a carrot or coconut cake, a peanut bar, a berry casserole, or a whipped fruit soufflé. And of course, no lunch is complete without a drink! At this time, freshly squeezed juices, tea or ordinary mineral water without gas are most relevant.
Dinner
But in the evening it is absolutely not worth overeating - the body is preparing for sleep, so you should not overload the digestive tract. Any dinner should end no later than 3 hours before going to bed - otherwise what you eat can cause insomnia, inadequate rest and, naturally, extra pounds, which also do not add health.
In the evening, vegetable dishes in any interpretation will be good: light salads or stews, cutlets and meatballs (for example, from cabbage or beets), stewed, baked or steamed assorted vegetables. Do not forget about the right choice of drinks - teas with chamomile, mint or lemon balm have a calming effect.
Proper nutrition is part of a healthy lifestyle number 1
To appreciate how important a competent and responsible approach to nutrition is, you do not need to have any special knowledge in the field of nutrition, medicine or physiology. It is enough to bring a harmonious menu into your life, try to adhere to the principles of a healthy lifestyle associated with a daily diet, and you yourself will notice how much better, fresher and more cheerful you will feel during the day. Irritability and tension from poor-quality night rest will go away, a surge of strength will appear to carry out current affairs, the body will begin to work “like clockwork”, your state of health will noticeably improve, and the number of extra pounds will get off the ground.
Healthy lifestyle without food culture impossible in principle - you can not talk about health, holding a hamburger in your hands! Therefore, without fail, review your menu - perhaps there you will find the cause of poor health, loss of strength and general apathy. Watch what you put in your mouth so you don't become a frequent visitor to the doctor's office!
Many recognize themselves in the portrait of a man trudging into the kitchen in a coat, who eats with his hands directly from the pan, standing by the open refrigerator.
Do not forget how important the process of preparing the body for eating.
While you are beautifully setting the table, sound, light, auditory and other analyzers are turned on to help the body prepare for eating, to produce gastric juice.
In the old days in the village it was customary for the younger children to carefully wipe down a large wooden table before dinner, not to mention the generally accepted prayer, which is a kind of meditation. In the concept of "culture of eating", one can probably include the term "psychology of food", meaning the human environment, the atmosphere in the dining room, its lighting, sounding music.
In pre-revolutionary times, a measured way of life contributed to the fact that in every well-to-do house the hours of eating were strictly observed and the traditions of the afternoon family council were sacredly honored.
The whole family gathered around a large dining table, covered with a starched tablecloth and napkins, served with fine china, shining crystal and cutlery polished to a shine, with each day of the week corresponding to a certain color of table linen. They dined in spacious, bright dining rooms with huge windows, and coffee with cognac and cigars were served in a dim office, where the men went for after-dinner conversations about politics.
During the meal, as a rule, there were quiet pointless conversations, allowing you to take food slowly, chewing thoroughly. When a new neighbor on the estate was invited to dinner, it was a serious sign of attention and respect.
If we remember that in one house everything seems amazingly tasty to us, and in another - not so much, although the products used are expensive, high-quality and recipes are followed exactly, the thought involuntarily arises: there is some kind of "bioenergetics" of cooking.
The quality of food largely depends on the mental attitude of the hostess who prepared it. We know that there are people who are bioenergetically "suitable" and "not suitable" for each other.
If we transfer this concept to food, which is the main source of energy for the body, then the rule described by Alexandre Dumas in the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" seems very indicative - there is nothing in the enemy's house.
The sacrament of the meal in all ages, on all continents, has been surrounded by a special atmosphere. Peace and goodwill should reign at the table. In no case should you sort things out.
An old etiquette said that when passing salt or bread at the table, it is necessary to look into each other's eyes. Many have noticed that not every person feels comfortable at the table, not everyone can sit at the table, eat and drink alcohol. It is not for nothing that among the admirers of the green serpent there is the concept of "light hand". All this applies to food.
From our grandmothers, we heard about people who were not trusted to cut bread, because it immediately became stale. In one of the religious sects of the wise East, it is forbidden to allow a woman to cook food during the period of monthly hormonal renewal. In our country, it is believed that cabbage fermented during the full moon will never turn out tasty and crispy.
These and other signs make you think about the great connection of all the phenomena of Nature - stars, plants, sounds, colors of the rainbow, the human body. As for plants, people in Ukraine have long liked to put clover, spring dandelions on the table.
And in the imperial palaces and families of major European nobles, it was customary not only to decorate tables with fresh flowers, but also to give dinners to the sounds of string orchestras. In Russia, the tsars ate to the songs and dances of buffoons. These customs were by no means dictated by the whims of monarchs, they still carry a deep meaning.
The fact is that light classical music relaxes the central nervous system, "freeing" the pancreas and the entire enzymatic system so that only the digestive organs work while eating.
Basic nutrition rules
You need to eat with pleasure, trying not to be distracted, then the food will be better absorbed.
Try not to take supplements. Be patient. The feeling of fullness will come a little later. If you have not eaten enough, it is better to have a snack after two hours. It's great if it's carrots, apples, peaches, bell peppers, oranges, oatmeal, and even wholemeal pasta.
It’s not bad if the hostess of the house plans some dishes in advance and informs all family members about it. A person must be psychologically prepared for what he will have to eat, and the enzymatic system itself will prepare the gastrointestinal tract for this.
30 minutes before eating meat or fish, it is advisable to drink a glass of fresh vegetable juice (instead of fatty broth). Then the gastric juice will stand out in the amount that is necessary for the digestion of proteins.
It is better not to drink anything before and after meals. The liquid can come no earlier than 30 minutes after the end of the meal.
And during the illness it is desirable to eat less and drink more. Try not to overfeed the sick you care for. You reduce their chances of a speedy recovery.
And most importantly, while eating, keep a good mood. "A merry heart is the best medicine," the wise Solomon said as early as the third millennium ago.
Parents should take care to instill in their children a culture of proper nutrition. But if the parents themselves do not eat properly, then it is difficult for children to give the right example. After all, few people know that even an energy drink at home can be prepared on your own, rather than buying fizzy sweet drinks in a store.
In the smallest childhood, human habits associated with eating are laid. The culture of healthy eating, like a person's good manners, is brought up primarily by parents, starting, as they say, "from a young age." Over time, traditions change significantly, what constituted the diet of Russians 30-50 years ago has changed dramatically in the 21st century. In addition, the older generation of Russian families was deprived of information on many topics and issues.
Our compatriot today has wide access to information about preservatives contained in products, dairy products that are stored for months even without a refrigerator, or food coloring. Under the culture of nutrition, modern people understand the implementation of certain rules, but its basis is knowledge of the effects of products on humans, their properties and their compatibility with each other. Having learned the minimum information, you can learn how to make the right choice in accordance with the individuality and lifestyle. In addition, a person with a certain amount of knowledge will prepare a culinary dish correctly, preserving all the useful substances in the original products.
The culture of healthy eating is based on certain principles.
It is known that the amount of energy entering the body should be equal to the amount expended over the same period of time. A person's performance decreases when switching to low-calorie food and vice versa. Body weight increases when taking high-calorie food without proper exercise and physical activity. Another principle of healthy eating culture warns that absorption will be correct when beneficial compounds are ingested in certain proportions. The diet should be strictly observed, regarding the interval between meals, as well as its quantity.
Most often, people stick to three meals a day, but it happens that they switch to eating five times a day and six. It is important not to abandon such an individual routine. The culture of nutrition is determined by self-discipline, the diet must be smart, this will only improve life.
In the concept of "culture of eating", one can probably include the term "psychology of food", meaning the human environment, the atmosphere in the dining room, its lighting, sounding music.
In pre-revolutionary times, a measured way of life contributed to the fact that in every well-to-do house the hours of eating were strictly observed and the traditions of the afternoon family council were sacredly honored. The whole family gathered around a large dining table, covered with a starched tablecloth and napkins, served with fine china, shining crystal and cutlery polished to a shine, with each day of the week corresponding to a certain color of table linen. They dined in spacious, bright dining rooms with huge windows, and coffee with cognac and cigars were served in a dim office, where the men went for after-dinner conversations about politics. During the meal, as a rule, there were quiet pointless conversations, allowing you to take food slowly, chewing thoroughly. When a new neighbor on the estate was invited to dinner, it was a serious sign of attention and respect.
If we remember that in one house everything seems amazingly tasty to us, and in another - not so much, although the products used are expensive, high-quality and recipes are followed exactly, the thought involuntarily arises: there is some kind of "bioenergetics" of cooking. The quality of food largely depends on the mental attitude of the hostess who prepared it. We know that there are people who are bioenergetically "suitable" and "not suitable" for each other. If we transfer this concept to food, which is the main source of energy for the body, then the rule described by Alexandre Dumas in the novel "The Count of Monte Cristo" seems very indicative - there is nothing in the enemy's house.
The sacrament of the meal in all ages, on all continents, has been surrounded by a special atmosphere. Peace and goodwill should reign at the table. In no case should you sort things out. An old etiquette said that when passing salt or bread at the table, it is necessary to look into each other's eyes.
Many have noticed that not every person feels comfortable at the table, not everyone can sit at the table, eat and drink alcohol. It is not for nothing that among the admirers of the green serpent there is the concept of "light hand". All this applies to food. From our grandmothers, we heard about people who were not trusted to cut bread, because it immediately became stale.
In one of the religious sects of the wise East, it is forbidden to allow a woman to cook food during the period of monthly hormonal renewal. In our country, it is believed that cabbage fermented during the full moon will never turn out tasty and crispy. These and other signs make you think about the great connection of all the phenomena of Nature - stars, plants, sounds, colors of the rainbow, the human body. As for plants, people in Ukraine have long liked to put clover, spring dandelions on the table.
And in the imperial palaces and families of major European nobles, it was customary not only to decorate tables with fresh flowers, but also to give dinners to the sounds of string orchestras. In Russia, the tsars ate to the songs and dances of buffoons. These customs were by no means dictated by the whims of monarchs, they still carry a deep meaning. The fact is that light classical music relaxes the central nervous system, "freeing" the pancreas and the entire enzymatic system so that only the digestive organs work while eating.
You need to eat with pleasure, trying not to be distracted, then the food will be better absorbed. Try not to take supplements. Be patient. The feeling of fullness will come a little later. If you have not eaten enough, it is better to have a snack after two hours. It's great if it's carrots, apples, peaches, bell peppers, oranges, oatmeal, and even wholemeal pasta.
It’s not bad if the hostess of the house plans some dishes in advance and informs all family members about it. A person must be psychologically prepared for what he will have to eat, and the enzymatic system itself will prepare the gastrointestinal tract for this. 30 minutes before eating meat or fish, it is advisable to drink a glass of fresh vegetable juice (instead of fatty broth). Then the gastric juice will stand out in the amount that is necessary for the digestion of proteins. It is better not to drink anything before and after meals.
The liquid can come no earlier than 30 minutes after the end of the meal. And during the illness it is desirable to eat less and drink more. Try not to overfeed the sick you care for. You reduce their chances of a speedy recovery. And most importantly, while eating, keep a good mood. "A merry heart is the best medicine," the wise Solomon said 3 millennia ago.