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Meet the Harvard Food Pyramid

Meet the Harvard Food Pyramid

Although the Brazilian population believes that it feeds well, our menu is very poor in vitamins and minerals. According to USP and Unifesp, Brazilians suffer from the so-called hidden hunger, which is a non-apparent nutritional deficiency of one or more nutrients in our body - that is, there are no very clear symptoms for this deficiency, but this may reflect on various diseases over time. Many know the food pyramid as inspiration to have a healthy diet. With that in mind, the Harvard School of Public Health has modernized the food pyramid, using the best and latest scientific evidence available to provide the population with a tool that facilitates food choices for health and well-being. She was baptized as Healthy Eating Pyramid and her recommendations are valuable to start a new lifestyle. Goodbye to sedentary lifestyle! Unlike the previous food pyramid, which had based on carbohydrate intake, the Harvard model presents as pillars the practice of physical exercises and weight control - recommendations that did not exist in the previous scheme. According to the Harvard team, these two elements are essential for the body to stay healthy. According to the researchers, taking a 30-minute walk five days a week is enough to keep the body active. If you are adept at a more rigorous activity, you can do 25 minutes of aerobic exercise, bodybuilding, dance or a sport three days a week - or else combine everything the way you prefer. Here, it's the rule is not to stand still. In addition to physical activity, it is important to always be within the ideal weight and avoid accumulation of abdominal fat, remembering that the ideal BMI should be between 18.5 and 25 kg / m², and the abdominal circumference should not exceed 102 cm in men and 88 cm for women.

Coloring the dish

Vegetables, fruits and good fats are prioritized in this pyramid

Sources mainly of vitamins, fruits and vegetables are the flagship of all balanced nutrition. They not only help in weight loss, they also help reduce blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and even some cancers, and help the bowel to function better. In this group it is important to maintain variety, as each type of fruit, vegetable and vegetable offers a different vitamin and mineral. In the old model, these foods occupied the entire second level of the pyramid. Some tips to include more food from this group in your diet is to always have a fruit handy for snacks and never forget to include vegetables in your large meals. Harvard researchers also point out that potatoes are not the best vegetable choice because they contain a high glycemic index. In their diet, fill half the plate with vegetables and fruits.

Not all fat is villainous

While the previous pyramid condemned all kinds of fat and put them there at the top of consumption, Harvard researchers valued fats mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids present in vegetable oils, the main one being omega 6. These fats work by controlling blood cholesterol levels and helping to protect the heart from disease, and the star of this group is olive oil. Another important nutrient present in this group is vitamin E, which is deficient in 99.7% of Brazilians, according to The Brazilian Osteoporosis Study (BRAZOS). This nutrient is abundant in vegetable oils, eggs and seeds. According to this model, the consumption of vegetable oils should be 60 g per day. One tip is to use them to season your salad or a sandwich, trying hard to consume the raw oils - this is because, when exposed to high temperatures, vegetable oils undergo a change in their composition and can turn into trans fat.

Full of energy!

This group corresponds to carbohydrates, which now do not occupy a prominent place in this pyramid. Another change that we can see in this update is the differentiation of simple carbohydrates (white flour), and complex carbohydrates (whole grains and whole grains, etc.), with only the latter occupying this place in the new model. Complex carbohydrates are sources of fiber and contain important nutrients to keep you at disposal throughout the day, improve intestinal transit, control cholesterol, strengthen immunity, benefit patients with diabetes and still protect against cardiovascular disease.

Healthy snack

Choose healthier sources of protein

Nuts, seeds and legumes are part of this team. Seeds and legumes - such as beans, soybeans and flaxseed - are good sources of vegetable protein and antioxidants, as well as boosting our consumption of fiber, calcium, iron and zinc. Oilseeds, on the other hand, have nutrients that help the brain to function properly, such as selenium, and are sources of beneficial fats, especially omega 3 and 6. In this group also come soy derivatives, such as otofu - which are sources of proteins alternative to

Reducing Red Meat

The Harvard team prioritized the leaner versions of meats, while the previous pyramid put them all on the same recommendation. Fish are high in omega 3, chicken and turkey good sources of protein with low levels of saturated fat. Although demonized, eggs are in this group because they are an important source of protein and a more nutritious snack than a fried meat or a refined flour bread - however, this food has more restricted consumption for those already suffering from cardiovascular diseases. A quarter of the plate in the large meal should contain a source from that group.

Milk and dairy products

This group contains the richest sources of calcium in our diet - dairy products. Although calcium is a nutrient with a high deficiency rate in the population, the consumption of these foods should be limited, since they can contain a large amount of saturated fat and sodium. And even with the high consumption of these foods, approximately 90% of Brazilians ingest inadequate amounts of calcium, consuming three times less than recommended, according to the BRAZOS. This can happen due to the low consumption of food sources of calcium and also because calcium is not so easily absorbed by our body and because it interacts with other substances such as caffeine, sodium and iron, which make it difficult for the body to use . If you like dairy, eat one to two servings per day and supplement your calcium and vitamin D intake with supplementation. If you do not like dairy products, multivitamins are an easy way to meet your needs for these micronutrients.

Alert for saturated fat

Dairy products should be consumed in moderation

In it are red meat, processed meat and butter - are the consumption group in moderation. This is because they contain large amounts of saturated fat and, in the case of processed meats, sodium. Eating lots of red and processed meat has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer. It is therefore best to avoid processed meats and limit the consumption of red meat to a maximum of twice a week, opting for other sources of protein. In the case of butter, it can be replaced by olive oil in the preparation of food or by the vegetable cream to accompany the brown bread for breakfast.

Red sign!

Breads, rice and white pasta, potatoes, beverages sugary and sweet - these foods divide the top of the pyramid with the fatty meats. Because? Its excess favors weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions. By being absorbed very quickly by the body, refined carbohydrates create insulin production peaks, leading the body to starve more quickly. Whenever possible we should avoid foods of this group, replacing whole versions, vegetables, fruits and vegetables. At the top of the pyramid is also the salt, which must be used with extreme moderation because of sodium, which in excess increases the risk of hypertension. As this nutrient is already present in our food in cheeses, processed meats and industrialized foods, it is important to dispense with its maximum use.Supplementing if necessary

Taking a daily multivitamin provides greater nutritional safety, especially when adding an extra dose of vitamin D - this is because the nutrient is not properly consumed by more than 99% of the population, and some are ingested six times less than recommended, as the ARMS survey states. Although a multivitamin can not substitute a healthy diet, it fills the nutrient holes that are not ingested in the daily diet. In addition, foods interact with each other and may interfere with the absorption of some nutrients, reducing their bioavailability in our body even when we believe we are ingesting the recommended amounts. In this scenario, multivitamins can fill these gaps.

Alcohol in moderation!

Dozens of studies suggest that drinking one serving of alcohol per day reduces the risk of heart disease - especially red wine. Moderation is clearly important, since too much alcohol is too damaging. For men, a good balance is one to two drinks a day. For women, the maximum is one serving per day, excluding pregnancy. However, this is an optional group, which may or may not be adopted without interfering with good nutrition. It is also important to decrease the frequency of consumption when it reaches middle age, says the Harvard researchers, since from then on the risks of alcohol consumption, even in moderation, can outweigh the benefits.


Green leaves reduce memory loss by up to 10%

Green leaves reduce memory loss by up to 10%

A new study by the University of Chicago, USA, found the relationship between green leaf consumption and brain health. Performed with 900 people, aged 55 to 99 years, over a period of 10 years, research indicates that green leaf consumption reduces the chances of memory loss by up to 10%. Participants were divided between two groups, one of whom often ate the leaves and the other did not.

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Compulsive liars: what causes a person to always make up stories?

Compulsive liars: what causes a person to always make up stories?

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