Sister Zhang, this year just entered the age of fifty. In recent years, the comfort of life has quietly increased her weight, from the original 120 pounds to 150 pounds.
Every time I go out with my husband, I can always hear him half-jokingly say, "Look at your figure, you have to pay attention." This made Sister Zhang determined to lose all this excess meat.
After a year of hard work, she relied on extreme diet control and reduced her weight to 115 pounds.
But a while ago, she went to the hospital for a check-up, but the result surprised her: fatty liver. Sister Zhang couldn't believe that she was so thin, how could it be?
After careful questioning by the doctor, she learned that in order to lose weight, Sister Zhang did not eat staple foods almost every day, and only relied on some fruits and vegetables to survive.
She also said eloquently: "It's all said on the Internet that rice is all sugar and has no nutrition." ”
Xiao Liu is another example. She had just given birth to a baby and wanted to get back in shape quickly, so she ate all the food in one meal.
As a result, after half a year, not only did not lose weight, but also gained a few pounds. She was so sad that she didn't know what she had done wrong.
01
Rice, as one of the staple foods on the table of Chinese, has always been favored. However, in recent years, an article titled "White Rice is the King of Junk Food" has triggered a rethinking of the nutritional value of rice.
The article pointed out that the nutritional content of rice is relatively simple, mainly starch, and it is a high glycemic index food, like steamed bread and mashed potatoes, its value is more than 80. In addition, many Chinese people have the problem of excessive rice intake.
According to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, the daily intake of cereals should be between 300~500 grams, but some people can eat two bowls of rice in one meal.
The white rice of the past is fundamentally different from the modern refined rice, the former contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, lipids and dietary fiber, which is a type of coarse grain, while the latter loses most of its nutrients during processing.
The WHO has issued a "sugar restriction order", which some people have mistakenly interpreted as "restricting rice intake", thinking that sugar restriction is equivalent to restricting rice, but in fact this is a misunderstanding.
We should limit our intake of refined sugars, such as those found in beverages and desserts, rather than the polysaccharides (long-chain sugars) found in staple foods.
In fact, white rice contains nearly 80% carbohydrates, also about 10% water and about 7% protein, contains almost no fat, and is rich in many vitamins and minerals, including about 10% of the daily needs of adults.
Therefore, it may be incomplete to consider rice as the "worst staple." The importance of rice as a common staple food is undeniable.
The key is how to mix and control your intake. A variety of staple foods, including whole grains, beans and potatoes, can ensure that your body is getting a variety of nutrients.
In addition, it is also crucial to control the amount of staple foods, according to the recommendations of the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, the daily intake of staple foods for adults should account for 50~65% of the total energy.
Therefore, rice cannot simply be classified as "junk food", but should be taken into account in terms of intake and pairing, making it part of a healthy diet.
02
Studies have found that inadequate or excessive intake of staple foods is associated with an increased risk of death. A survey involving 15,428 volunteers showed that the risk of death was lowest when the proportion of staple food intake to energy was 50~55%, and the risk of death was significantly increased when the intake was less than 40% or higher than 70%, and the risk of death was higher when the intake was lower than 70%.
Therefore, moderate intake of staple foods is one of the important factors in maintaining health and prolonging life.
Skipping staple foods may increase a variety of health risks, including the incidence of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases, ultimately leading to shorter life spans. In addition, in addition to reducing life expectancy, skipping staple foods can also bring about the following multiple effects.
01 Cognitive decline
Research by Tufts University in the United States pointed out that not eating carbohydrates may have a negative impact on a person's memory and cognitive ability.
The brain needs glucose as its main source of energy, and a lack of carbohydrate intake can lead to a decline in brain cell function, affecting mental agility and learning ability, making people more likely to feel confused and forget things.
02 Muscle loss
Carbohydrates are one of the body's most important sources of energy. When not consuming enough carbohydrates, the body turns to consuming fat and protein for energy.
However, protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. If protein is consumed excessively, muscle loss can occur, leading to a decrease in muscle strength and an increased risk of osteoporosis.
03 Malnutrition
Skipping staple foods can lead to inadequate carbohydrate intake, which in turn can increase protein consumption.
When large amounts of protein are consumed, other organs are unable to get enough protein, which can lead to malnutrition.
This leads to a decrease in skin quality and a decrease in physical strength and immunity, which increases the risk of infection and disease.
04 Mood swings
Lack of carbohydrate intake can affect the secretion of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood and mental state.
Not consuming enough staple foods can lead to a drop in serotonin levels, making people more likely to feel anxious, depressed, and irritable. At the same time, malnutrition can also make the overall physical state poor, which can affect emotional stability.
03
01 Reasonable matching
The choice of staple food should be varied and reasonable. The daily staple food intake of adults should include whole grains/legumes and potatoes, accounting for 50~65% of the total energy intake, respectively.
Whole grains and miscellaneous legumes include rice, corn, red beans, mung beans, etc., while potatoes include potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.
By combining different types of staple foods, you can ensure that your body gets all the necessary nutrients to improve your health.
02Control the amount of staple food
The amount of staple food you consume is also crucial. According to the dietary guidelines, adults should consume 50-65% of total energy from staple foods each day, which is roughly equivalent to 1-1.5 bowls of rice per meal.
Too little or too much intake of staple foods may increase the risk of death. Studies have shown that the risk of death increases when the intake of staple foods is too low or too high.
Therefore, controlling the intake of staple foods is one of the keys to staying healthy.
03Pay attention to the way you cook
Attention should also be paid to the way the staple food is cooked. You can mix coarse and fine grains to make multigrain rice and multigrain porridge, and keep the ratio of whole grains and polished rice noodles at about 1:2.
In addition, mixed beans and potatoes can also be steamed and stir-fried as staple foods, avoid choosing fried staple foods, such as oil cakes, fried dough sticks, etc.
By choosing a healthy way of cooking, you can reduce the negative impact on your body and maintain your health.
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