What is the correct statement about nutritional diet?

The core logic of correct nutritional diet, which is currently widely recognized by the global nutrition community and clinical nutrition practitioners, has never been a standardized template of "must eat certain types of super foods" or "strictly prohibit certain types of ingredients", but Focusing on individual tolerance and needs, retaining sufficient dietary flexibility based on the overall balance of dietary structure。

I really didn’t come up with this from a textbook. I was chatting with an old colleague who does nutrition education at the Municipal Disease Control and Prevention Center a while ago. She complained that nine out of ten people who come for consultation now ask, “Can eating broccoli help fight cancer?” ”“Am I never allowed to touch milk tea again in this life? ”, all caused by the anxiety frightened by the fragmented health posts on the Internet.

I once met a girl who was a junior in college. In order to lose weight, she followed the "fat-reduction meal template" on the Internet. She didn't touch white rice or noodles for three months, and she only had boiled vegetables and chicken breasts. In the end, her aunt postponed the meal for two months. Her hair fell so much that her hairline moved back. Even though her body fat rate had dropped below 20%, she still felt that she had "eated too much." Later, I adjusted her diet, adding a punch of multi-grain rice to each meal, and allowed her to eat her favorite hot pot or dessert twice a week. Within two months, her aunt came back, and her weight did not return. On the contrary, her overall complexion improved more than a little.

Speaking of this, some people must ask, are those claims that are very noisy on the Internet, such as "drinking milk causes cancer" and "milk is a cold food and you should not drink too much" correct? In fact, there is no standard answer to this question itself. According to the research conclusions of evidence-based nutrition, as long as you are lactose intolerant and have no milk protein allergy, drinking 300-500ml of whole milk every day is an extremely cost-effective source of high-quality protein and calcium. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" also clearly recommends this intake. But if you get bloating, diarrhea, or breakouts as soon as you drink milk, there is no need to drink it. Sugar-free soy milk, calcium-fortified oat milk, and almond milk are all good alternatives. Many of my friends who practice naturopathy do not touch milk themselves, and their physical indicators are also very good. There is no need to drink it.

And the most frequently asked question is "Can overnight vegetables be eaten?" My mother used to be very polarized. Either she thought it would be a shame to throw away the leftovers and eat them all, or she would throw away the fried vegetables that were left for two hours after reading the health posts. In fact, nutrition circles often say that "talking about toxicity regardless of dose is a joke." The nitrite of green leafy vegetables will indeed increase after overnight, and eating large amounts for a long time is indeed risky. However, tubers and high-protein ingredients such as leftover stew, steamed pumpkin, and fried potatoes can be eaten the next day as long as they are sealed and refrigerated. I stewed the braised beef the night before and sandwiched it with whole wheat bread for breakfast the next day. It was very fragrant and I didn't feel any discomfort at all. There’s really no need to worry or waste over half a plate of leftovers.

The ketogenic and carb-free diets that have become popular in recent years have also become controversial. I have a friend with type 2 diabetes who uses a low-carb diet to control blood sugar under the guidance of a doctor. The glycosylated hemoglobin has indeed dropped a lot. However, a friend who is a doctor in the neurology department told me that I have seen many young people who blindly tried ketosis and were sent to the emergency room for ketoacidosis. Long-term low-carb may also affect cognitive function and increase the burden on the liver and kidneys. After all, these extreme dietary patterns are originally clinical intervention programs for specific patients. Ordinary people should not follow them blindly without the guidance of a doctor. You are not going to compete in bodybuilding competitions, so you can't be so cruel to yourself.

In fact, we really need to provide reference standards for ordinary people to choose diets. There is no need to memorize the reference intake of dietary nutrients that are too complicated. Just follow the plate rules of the Dietary Guidelines. Half of the plate of a meal should be filled with various vegetables such as dark green and red, a quarter should be filled with staple foods such as grains, beans or sweet potatoes, and the remaining quarter should be fish, poultry, eggs, and lean meats. A cup of milk or soy products on the side is basically enough. Occasionally, it’s okay to have a cup of milk tea or eat fried chicken when you’re craving for something. Just like you can’t lose ten pounds by running three kilometers a day, it’s also impossible to get high blood fat immediately after eating junk food. Diet is a long-term habit. As long as the overall direction is correct, leaving some room for error will make it easier to stick to it.

To put it bluntly, how can there be so many black and white correct answers to nutritional diet? After eating it, your stomach feels comfortable, your bowel movements are regular, your weight is stable, and all indicators in your annual physical examination are normal, then this is the best diet for you. Don’t be bound by those “must-eat lists” and “fasting blacklists” on the Internet. Eating is a happy thing. If you look for standard answers like taking a test paper, you will deviate from the original intention of eating well.