"Your blood pressure is a little high," the doctor put down the blood pressure monitor, looked at Uncle Liu in front of him, and shook his head.
Uncle Liu is a retired carpenter, a native of Shandong, and his biggest hobby is to cook a pot of fragrant stick bone broth.
Three times a week, he couldn't shake it, and he firmly believed that the soup would replenish calcium and make bones stronger.
However, the results of a recent check-up left him a little confused – his blood pressure was frighteningly high.
"Doctor, why is my blood pressure so high?" Uncle Liu asked with some incomprehension.
The doctor pushed his glasses and patiently explained:
Uncle Liu, your high blood pressure is related to your usual eating habits.
Especially the bone broth you often drink, it's not a small problem.
Uncle Liu's eyes widened: "Stick bone broth? Isn't that calcium-supplementing? It can still make the bones hard, how can there be a problem? ”
The doctor nodded and continued: It is true that stick bone broth contains calcium, but the problem is that it is also high in fat and sodium.
Long-term intake of large amounts of such foods is very detrimental to the cardiovascular health of middle-aged and elderly people.
According to research, stick bone broth contains a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol.
The accumulation of these substances in the body can increase the burden on the walls of blood vessels, leading to hardening of the arteries.
At the same time, many people add a lot of salt when cooking stick bone broth, which makes the soup very high in sodium.
Daily sodium intake should be kept below 2,000 mg, but a bowl of bone broth often contains far more than that.
The doctor continued: Excessive sodium intake, which is often referred to as high in salt, can lead to water retention in the body, increase blood volume, and thus increase blood pressure.
Uncle Liu frowned, as if he understood a little. He recalls the past year, although there was no serious illness.
But I do often feel dizzy, thinking that it is because of my age, but I didn't expect it to be a sign of high blood pressure.
The doctor went on to say, "In addition to the stick bone broth, there are two other foods that you should eat less." The first is overly pickled food.
Preserved foods contain high amounts of salt and nitrite, which not only raise blood pressure but may also increase the risk of stomach cancer.
The second is animal offal, although animal offal is rich in nutrients, it has a very high cholesterol content, which is easy to cause hyperlipidemia.
The doctor mentioned an Uncle Li in his 70s who had been eating pickled vegetables and pork liver for a long time.
As a result, he developed high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, and was eventually hospitalized for heart disease.
Uncle Li, like Uncle Liu, thought that these traditional eating habits were harmless, but he did not expect that they would have a serious impact on health.
Uncle Liu thought that he was eating healthy, but he didn't expect that these favorite foods would have so many potential harms to the body.
He asked, "So what am I going to do when I go back?" You can't just eat nothing, right? ”
The doctor smiled and replied, "Uncle Liu, it's not that you don't eat, it's that you have to eat reasonably."
First of all, you can reduce the frequency of stick bone broth to once a week.
And when cooking the soup, try to put as little salt as possible, and you can add some vegetables that contain potassium.
Such as celery, carrots, etc., which can help balance the sodium level in the body.
Uncle Liu nodded, as if he had some spectrum in his heart.
In modern life, in the face of the temptation of dazzling food, how can middle-aged and elderly people maintain healthy eating habits?
To maintain healthy eating habits, middle-aged and elderly people first need to improve their nutritional awareness and understand the impact of different foods on their health.
Second, make a reasonable eating plan and make sure you eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and high-quality protein.
Check your body on time and make timely changes to your diet and lifestyle after your health check-up.
In addition, you can learn some healthy recipes appropriately, avoid a single diet, and ensure nutrition and taste through scientific cooking methods.
Hope these diets are helpful to everyone, thank you!