Health bonus! A comprehensive nutritional package for great moms

The most important holiday in May is Mother's Day. The National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch has specially prepared packages suitable for mothers at various stages to enhance their nutritional health. Dr. Huang Jianxun from the Family Medicine Department and nutritionist Liu Yulai have jointly designed packages including slimming packages, anti-cancer vegetarian meals, menopausal vegetarian meals, etc. We hope that all mothers can have a healthy and happy Mother's Day.

Eating five kinds of fruits and vegetables every day can not only keep your body healthy, but also enhance immunity and prevent cancer.

Dr. Huang Jianxun said that modern mothers have to take care of children, do housework and work outside. They may become bloated and obese because they eat too much of the leftovers of their family members. They may ignore physical illnesses because of their busy lives. They may also let diseases creep in because they have family members who need more urgent care.

Dr. Huang Jianxun suggested that mothers who want to lose weight can start by reducing 500 calories a day, which is equivalent to reducing half a bowl of rice at each meal. According to the recommendations of the Department of Health, the ideal weight loss is to lose half a kilogram per week. During the weight loss period, you should avoid high-fat processed products such as oil-fried bean buns, fried tofu, fried gluten, salads, lasagna, puffs, biscuits and cakes. You should choose low-calorie and filling foods such as vegetables, mushrooms, algae, konjac, agar-agar.

For healthy anti-cancer meals, you can choose cruciferous vegetables that contain the anti-cancer compound - isothiocyanate, such as broccoli, cabbage, and white cabbage; other foods with antioxidant and anti-cancer effects include flavonoids in whole wheat, brown rice, and germ, soy isoflavones in soybeans, lycopene in tomatoes, carotenoids in carrots and red sweet potatoes, curcumin in curry, and citrus fruits.

Mothers who are experiencing menopause can consume more soy products, try soy isoflavones or rock sugar and white fungus soup to relieve hot flashes, consume more calcium-rich foods (black sesame, kelp, wheat flour, dried tofu, etc.), plus ingredients that help regulate hormones (soybeans and yam), get moderate sun exposure, and eat low salt, low protein, no smoking, and less coffee to prevent osteoporosis. Lotus seeds (can nourish the heart and calm the mind) or millet porridge (rich in tryptophan) can help with sleep. Avoid fried foods, hot fruits and spicy irritants.

Nutritionist Liu Yulai also reminded that it is not suitable to eat too hot foods during menopause, such as longan and red date tea, curry chicken rice, etc., so as not to affect the menopausal symptoms of irritability and hot flashes.

In addition, cancer patients often use energy soup or vegetable soup instead of staple food, but most recipes only contain high-fiber vegetables and fruits, lacking protein, which can easily lead to unbalanced nutritional intake. It is recommended to add protein-rich foods such as cooked soybeans or steamed sweet potatoes according to the recipe.