Can eating right change your life? Let a nutritionist tell you about diet

"Eating is the greatest virtue of the country" and "Food is the first necessity of the people" are both well-known idioms, which represent the importance of "eating" to the body. In addition to providing energy to maintain body functions, how does it affect physical health?

5914 station nutritionist Sun Yuming said that diet is closely related to the body. It not only affects the body shape, but also physical strength, mood, and health. It can be mainly divided into three situations:

1. Eating too much

When calorie intake is greater than expenditure, the excess calories will be converted into fat and stored in the body, causing weight gain. In the long run, in addition to causing obesity, it will also lead to other diseases. For example, weight increases the load on joints, leading to increased wear and tear on the joints.

2. Eating too little

Modern people often have no time or appetite to eat because of their busy and stressful lives. When the body senses that calorie intake is insufficient, it will activate protective mechanisms and even consume muscle to maintain body functions. In addition to weakening people's strength and making them feel tired, muscle depletion can even cause problems with the immune system. According to statistics, if BMI is less than 18.5, the mortality rate will increase significantly. Therefore, while pursuing a slim figure, you should also pay special attention to your health.

3. Insufficient nutrients

In addition to calculating the calories of food, you should also pay attention to whether you are getting enough nutrients. Nowadays, many people eat out and it is easy to neglect the need to evenly consume the six major food groups, causing the body to lack nutrients without realizing it. Nutrient deficiencies will usually show up in your appearance and lifestyle, so you can examine your skin by looking in the mirror. For example, dull and sagging skin is caused by a lack of iron and vitamin C. If you lack calcium, you will find yourself suffering from back pain and lack of strength. For office workers, it is easy to feel tired, have headaches and sore mouth due to lack of B complex. Because B complex can help the body metabolize energy. For office workers who are under great work pressure, the loss of B vitamins is accelerated, which can be supplemented through whole grains, milk, eggs and other foods.

In addition to the three common nutritional problems, nutritionist Sun Yuming also added dietary tips on weight loss and fitness in response to questions asked by netizens on the "5914 Call a Doctor" website.

Can I gain weight where I want by eating?

The effects of using diet to enlarge cheeks, breasts, buttocks, etc. are actually quite limited. Because the accumulation of fat is not determined by a single factor, it is impossible to specify that it accumulates in a specific area. Hormones are one of the important factors that affect fat accumulation. Female hormones can cause fat to accumulate under the skin, so women will find that the buttocks, thighs and other lower body parts are particularly prone to fat. Men lack female hormones, so fat accumulates in their internal organs, resulting in the so-called beer belly.

If you increase your diet in order to plump up one area in particular, it's easy to increase only your waistline. However, you can do muscle training and combine it with a diet necessary for muscle growth to stimulate muscle hypertrophy and achieve the effect of sculpting your body. However, you need to pay attention to your BMI value. If you are already overweight, it is not recommended to gain weight or exercise, because too many calories can easily be stored in the original place.

How should I eat to gain muscle?

After training, muscles will be in a hungry and thirsty state, and will absorb nutrients better. If you want to increase muscle effectively, in addition to replenishing protein for the body within 30 minutes after fitness, you must also replenish carbohydrates appropriately so that the body can receive insulin signals and remind muscle synthesis. For example, chicken sandwiches and lightly sweetened soy milk are good choices after working out.

Before exercising, many people worry about gastrointestinal discomfort, so they choose to exercise on an empty stomach. Nutritionist Sun Yuming reminds us that when the body lacks energy, the effectiveness of exercise will be reduced. Before exercise, you can supplement some carbohydrates, such as bananas and sweet potatoes. If you are worried about digestion problems, you can also choose liquid foods, such as coix seed milk and oatmeal drinks, to replenish some energy for your body.

What should you do when you encounter a plateau in your weight loss?

"Eat less and exercise more" is the golden rule for weight loss. Many people choose to control calories in the early stages of weight loss. But after a period of time, you will find that the weight is no longer decreasing. This is because the body senses the reduction in calorie intake and activates a protective mechanism, which, on the one hand, prevents weight loss, and on the other hand, increases appetite. Therefore, many people easily give up their weight loss plans after entering a plateau period, and then gain weight again.

In fact, the plateau period is a normal reaction of the body. It can be used as an opportunity to check whether the BMI value has reached the standard, or even if the weight is too low. If your BMI value is normal, this stagnation period is your body telling you that you don’t need to lose weight anymore. Moreover, the effect of reducing weight by controlling calories is quite limited.

If there is still room for weight loss, in addition to controlling calories, you can further examine whether you have a balanced diet and consume enough nutrients to help improve your metabolism. On the other hand, increase the intensity of exercise, such as adding 1 to 2 running sprints while brisk walking on the playground, to increase your heart rate.

Nutritionist Sun Yuming said that when weight loss reaches a plateau, it means that the weight loss plan is effective. As long as you increase the intensity of exercise and eat a balanced diet, you can break through the plateau.