Health for a person is the most valuable thing he has. It is thanks to him that we can live, love and rejoice. In turn, the key to good health is proper nutrition. The famous actress and simply great woman Angelina Jolie even has a tattoo on her body with the inscription: “We are what we eat.” And the star did not choose this phrase by chance, since it really tells the truth that health depends on proper nutrition. That is why in this material we will try to convey to you the importance of proper nutrition in a person’s life.
Why is it important to eat right after surgery?
The success of joint replacement largely depends on the state of the immune system. She will have to protect the body from bacteria that can infect the postoperative wound. Therefore, it is very important to support immunity for 1-2 weeks before and immediately after surgery.
The immune system suffers from free radicals, so it is important to improve the intake of antioxidants into the body. Good antioxidants are vitamins A, E and C, zinc and selenium, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits (tomatoes, cranberries, broccoli, nuts and citrus fruits). All of them provide good immune support.
Broccoli and tomatoes are good immune support
Proper nutrition: medical aspects
Preventing weight loss is unthinkable without proper nutrition. The term “proper nutrition” is purely scientific and implies a type of nutrition that will ensure high performance of the body and make it resistant to diseases. There are principles proven by science - biochemistry and physiology - that can be used to guide you in knowingly reducing the risk of excess weight.
Proper nutrition is equally beneficial
Proper nutrition is the physiological nutrition of healthy people. Such nutrition takes into account individual data: gender, age, characteristics of the digestive system, psycho-emotional characteristics, genetics, environmental environment, work schedule, etc.
Therefore, proper nutrition cannot be the same for all people, since each person has inherited genetic characteristics from his parents, has a different hormonal background, contains an individual set of microorganisms that he has encountered throughout his life, etc. A medical examination allows you to determine individual characteristics, and the doctor combines the information and creates an individualized nutrition chart.
The less processed carbohydrate foods are, the more benefits they provide.
Products with different compositions, but the same calorie content, provoke metabolic processes at different speeds. For example, currants and their juice do not raise blood sugar levels equally, as they have different glycemic indexes. Juice does not contain dietary fiber, so its sugar quickly enters the bloodstream. Excess sugar that enters the body is stored in adipose tissue, contributing to an increase in “bad cholesterol.”
Frequent meals are dangerous to health, especially if there is a genetic predisposition to obesity
When you eat, insulin levels rise, so all the glucose enters the cells. If the interval between meals is short, then a situation of increased insulin concentration in the blood is artificially created. If there are predisposition genes for diabetes mellitus, in such a situation, cell insensitivity to insulin will necessarily arise - insulin resistance. This is the basis of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, if you have a predisposition to excess weight or a family history of diabetes, you should try to eat no more than 3 times a day.
A resounding “YES” to breakfast
Breakfast should not be skipped. Lack of breakfast provokes snacking, leads to overeating and weight gain. In the future, this may trigger the development of insulin resistance, which is a predictor of prediabetes and diabetes mellitus.
Breakfast should contain a protein component
For breakfast, nutritious protein foods are better because the concentration of glucose and insulin is kept at a stable level. Contrary to popular belief, porridge is not that good. Cereals are carbohydrates. Milk, which is often used to prepare porridges, contains a fast carbohydrate - lactose. Eating milk cereals leads to a surge in insulin, which quickly metabolizes glucose. As a result, very soon you will want to have a snack, rather a sweet one, and the circle of hyperinsulinemia will close.
Fats must be beneficial
The diet should contain high-quality fats of plant and animal origin. Trans fats and saturated fats increase levels of “bad” cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol. It is not recommended to use margarines and spreads in cooking, fry meat until a crust forms, or heat animal fats above 1000C. When choosing between vegetable fats, it is better to give preference to unsaturated rather than saturated ones.
Fasting is an investment in health
Intermittent fasting is one of the powerful anti-aging strategies. As a result of systematic dietary restrictions, cell renewal occurs: cells get rid of “cellular debris” that can cause DNA damage, old cells die, and are replaced by younger and healthier ones.
Enough time should be given to chewing food
Chewing food thoroughly promotes better absorption and reduces the load on other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Digestion begins in the oral cavity. Therefore, when food is in the oral cavity for a long time, all underlying sections and, in particular, the stomach have time to prepare for its reception and processing.
The Art of Focusing
Eating is a kind of meditation. When switching attention to extraneous things while eating, the body spends enormous energy processing information. Digestion becomes indirect. Food is less digestible and there is a risk of overeating.
Following simple tips will help you and your loved ones stay healthy for many years.
Foods you should not eat before endoprosthetics
Some foods enhance the inflammatory response, so it is recommended to exclude them from the diet at the preparatory stage as early as possible. These include:
- products containing refined sugar (sweets);
- fatty meats and other products containing saturated fatty acids;
- ready-made cookies and cakes (they contain dangerous trans fatty acids);
- alcohol.
If you want the artificial joint to take root, do not eat cakes and pastries.
What is the importance of proper nutrition?
Naturally, every person always wants to remain young, cheerful and active.
However, only a few people always remember that health should be maintained from a young age. And it’s completely in vain, since maintaining a healthy mind and body is easier than restoring them. It is the quality of nutrition that helps a person live a long life in good health. Every year the problem of proper nutrition becomes more acute. People have long forgotten that satisfying hunger is an ordinary need of life. On store shelves you can see a huge assortment of various foods that not only do not benefit, but also cause harm to the human body. Artificial colors, monosodium glutamate, flavorings and other “harmful” substances, of which there are many in modern food, will definitely not add to your health. Due to improper nutrition, a person can develop a variety of “sores”:
- disorders in the digestive tract;
- metabolic disorders;
- allergic reactions;
- problems with the cardiovascular system;
- deterioration of the musculoskeletal and nervous system and other ailments.
Due to poor nutrition, a person can “acquire” not only excess fat deposits, but also many diseases.
Eg:
Osteoporosis
This disease develops due to a lack of the required amount of vitamin D and calcium in the food consumed. You can replenish Ca deficiency by including nuts, legumes and dairy products in your menu. Vitamin D can be “taken” from fish, eggs, greens and various dairy products.
Atherosclerosis
This disease is a serious damage to blood vessels, in which so-called lipid (fatty) plaques form on them. This in turn can cause severe heart disease such as heart attack or stroke. In order to “not get” such a disease, it is necessary to give preference to those products that contain a minimum of cholesterol and salt.
Diabetes
Sad statistics: approximately 10% of the population of our planet have this disease. It is due to an incorrect diet, and consequently metabolic dysfunction, that diabetes mellitus develops. With this disease, a person is required to take special medications for life and adhere to a diet for diabetics.
Features of female and male metabolism
Every second, chemical processes occur in the human body that convert nutrients from food into the energy necessary for normal life. Metabolism includes all reactions. It is also called metabolism. Metabolic speed affects the absorption of nutrients - proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, microelements. And metabolism is usually reflected in appearance: the higher the metabolism, the lower the possibility of gaining excess weight.
Women's metabolism is slower than men's. Energy expenditure per kilogram of weight is lower in women.
Metabolism also depends on the developed muscle mass and its size. In men, muscles make up almost half of the total body weight, in women - about 36%. Hence the rule: metabolic processes in men proceed 10% faster. Unfortunately, it’s easier for men to lose weight and stay in shape.
Women's bodies are more inclined to store fat, while men's bodies, on the contrary, are more inclined to gain muscle mass. Since time immemorial, it has been the case that a man is a protector and breadwinner. A strong body helps with this. While the main function of the female body is motherhood. The body creates constant internal reserves for a successful pregnancy. The fat layer most often forms on the abdomen and thighs, where reserves of DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids are stored.
You can learn more about nutrition rules and the principles of forming a reasonable diet in dietetics courses.
Why is a regime necessary?
Once you understand what a diet is and why it is necessary , it will be easier for you to stick to your own routine, as you will have an incentive. After all, regularity has many advantages:
- You will always be full, you will not want to snack on the run and eat food that is harmful to your figure;
- You will stop overeating;
- The digestive system will improve, which is very important for various gastrointestinal diseases;
- You can control your weight by changing just the caloric content of food and portion sizes;
Eating a healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, just like getting regular sleep. It is enough to create a daily routine and strictly follow the meal schedule throughout the week so that the body adjusts to a new rhythm.
Different amounts of calories for women and men
The portion of food for a man is usually larger than for a woman. This is explained not only by physiological characteristics, but also by greater body weight.
To keep a man's body in excellent shape and order, more building materials and nutrients are required. Men also often move more during the day, which means they need more energy.
Experts say that men usually have a faster metabolism; the body, in a non-stressful state, does not store excess energy in reserve, but immediately spends it. While women are naturally designed to give birth and feed children, therefore, on the contrary, at the first opportunity the body tries to stock up on useful substances and energy.
And when women abuse low-calorie diets, the body is in constant stress and energy starvation. Gaining excess weight is a common side effect of many fad diets. You can find out how to properly create a diet in the article “Proper nutrition: menu and how to create it.”
Approximately how many calories are consumed per day by representatives of both sexes?
For a middle-aged man (approximately 35 years old) a day requires around 1700-2000 kilocalories. However, it is necessary to take into account that these are average figures and must be calculated individually for each person. This indicator is the minimum amount of energy consumed for the normal functioning of the body. While a woman, under equal conditions, will need 1200-1500 kilocalories per day.
Average indicators are given for clarity. Self-calculation of your diet is often erroneous and does not give the expected results. Therefore, it is best to consult a registered dietitian for such information. This specialist can provide an educated estimate of your actual nutrient intake for a healthy life.
What vitamins and minerals do women need?
There are substances that are primarily necessary for women's health:
- folic acid;
- iodine;
- selenium;
- calcium;
- magnesium.
For proper nutrition, it is important that all these substances are present in the diet in the right quantities. It is also worth noting that one of the main elements is iron. It is of equal importance to everyone, as it is necessary in the creation of blood. However, the female body at some points requires more iron.
Fundamental differences between proper nutrition for men and women
People who adhere to proper nutrition most often engage in sports or fitness. The main goal of going to the gym for many men is to gain muscle mass. The diet also adapts to it.
Women most often set themselves a different goal: they want to lose weight, get rid of fat deposits in problem areas. Therefore, they should have more fat in their diet than men: the level of fat in the body should reach 18-20%, and for men only 10-12%. This is necessary to maintain normal hormonal balance and breast elasticity. With age, due to slower metabolism, the fat content in food should decrease.
A woman's diet should contain fewer calories, but be more varied. The male body, according to experts, is less responsive to the quality of food. And women need more high-quality fiber. It can be obtained from fresh fruits and vegetables. The male body needs enough fiber from bread and bran.
Men have a higher need for energy, proteins, and microelements. They also need zinc, which stimulates the production of the male hormone testosterone. Protein dosages are designed for men. Women need 2 times less. For representatives of the stronger sex, special vitamin and mineral complexes have been created as an active food additive. Their composition is “stronger” than for women.
