1ST CITY CLINICAL HOSPITAL

Healthy eating is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating right is important at all periods of a person’s life. The basic principles of healthy eating should be laid down from early childhood and adhered to throughout life.

Unfortunately, in our country, as well as throughout the world, the number of people who are overweight or obese continues to grow. This sad fact is also relevant for children and adolescents. Today, almost a third of the child population under the age of 18 is overweight or obese. Most of these children will remain overweight as adults.

If you look into the reasons for the current situation, the most common nutritional disorders typical for Belarusians are overeating, excessive consumption of fats, sweets, alcohol and table salt, insufficient consumption of vegetables and fruits, which entails insufficient consumption of essential nutrients for humans: polyunsaturated fats , complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. The reason for this lies in family traditions, addiction to fast food and sweet drinks. The fast pace of life is also not conducive to proper nutrition. People snack on the go and eat irregularly. Quite often, both adults and children “eat up” the problems they encounter in life.

What happens in the body of a person who eats incorrectly? Excess saturated fat (found in fatty meat and dairy products, lard, butter, margarine and some other foods) is the main cause of increased cholesterol levels in the blood, which leads to atherosclerotic changes in the walls of blood vessels, deterioration of blood supply to organs and tissues, the development of coronary heart disease, peripheral artery disease, the risk of myocardial infarction and cerebral stroke.

Consumption of large quantities of easily digestible carbohydrates (sugars) provokes the development of not only dental caries, but also diabetes mellitus in old age.

An increase in the proportion of saturated fats and easily digestible carbohydrates in the diet, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, leads to overweight and obesity, which, in turn, contributes to the occurrence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes (its prevalence is 3 times higher in obese people compared to people with normal weight body), cholelithiasis, cancer of the gallbladder, breast and uterus; degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the musculoskeletal system (osteochondrosis, deforming osteoarthritis, etc.) and varicose veins. In addition, excess body weight causes premature aging of the body by an average of 5-6 years, reduces life expectancy by 4-11 years, increases the risk of arterial hypertension by 2-2.5 times, coronary heart disease - by 1.7-2 times .

Overweight is observed in more than 60% of Belarusians, and more than 20% of our compatriots suffer from obesity.

Currently, in our country, chronic non-infectious diseases (coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension, chronic nonspecific lung diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer) are the cause of death in 2/3 of the dead.

Low levels of vitamins and minerals in the diet lead to the development of pathological conditions such as osteoporosis and endemic goiter.

The occurrence of some types of cancer is currently associated with consumption of large amounts of red meat (beef, lamb, pork).

Excessive consumption of table salt increases the risk of malignant tumors of the stomach.

Insufficient dietary fiber increases the risk of colon cancer. At the same time, vitamins A, E, C and some minerals (selenium) have cancer-protective properties.

Nutrition that is complete in all respects helps to strengthen and improve human health, physical and spiritual strength, prevent and treat various diseases, slow down the aging process and active longevity.

The basic principles of healthy nutrition for humans are:

1. Energy compliance. This means that the amount of energy consumed through food must correspond to the energy consumed. Energy consumption in the body occurs in three ways: as a result of basal metabolism, the specific dynamic action of food and muscle activity.

On average, during the main metabolism, about 1 kcal is spent per 1 kilogram of body weight per hour. In children, the basal metabolic rate is higher than in adults.

The specific dynamic effect of food is due to its digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. The greatest energy consumption is caused by the digestion of proteins, which increases the intensity of basal metabolism usually by 30-40%. Taking fats with food increases basal metabolism by 4-14%, carbohydrates - by 4-7%. It is estimated that with a mixed diet and the optimal amount of nutrients consumed, the basal metabolism increases by 10-15%.

Physical activity has a significant impact on energy expenditure in the human body. The higher the physical activity, the more energy the human body spends.

2. Variety. The diet should be varied and contain sufficient amounts of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in each main meal. The optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (by weight) in the daily diet of children over 1 year old and adults should be 1:1:4.

The physiological norm of protein in the diet should be at least 0.85-1.0 g per 1 kg of a person’s proper (correct) weight. Of this amount, 60% should be animal proteins (lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products). Proteins should make up up to 12% of a person’s daily caloric intake.

The amount of fat that is optimal for maintaining human health should be 0.8-1.0 g per 1 kg of weight. Fats should make up up to 30% of the daily calorie intake. The share of saturated fats should be up to 10% (lard, meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, vegetable margarines, which become solid at room temperature), polyunsaturated fats - 7% (fatty fish), monounsaturated fats - 13% (liquid vegetable oils, avocado). Eating fish rich in polyunsaturated fats twice a week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Consuming monounsaturated (vegetable) fats helps process and eliminate fats from the body.

You should pay attention to trans fats, which are harmful to the human body in any quantity and act similar to saturated fats. Their amount in the diet should not exceed 1%. Industrial trans fats are contained in fast food, margarines, sauces, and flour confectionery products.

You can reduce your fat intake by:

• replace fatty meat with fish, poultry, legumes or lean meat
• meat;
• choose low-fat (but not low-fat) foods;
• Remove visible fats and skin before cooking meat or poultry;
• choose a cooking method without using oil (steaming, boiling, baking, stewing);
• Pay attention to the information on the food label. Even an apparently non-greasy product can contain a significant amount of hidden fat.

3. The amount of carbohydrates in a person’s diet should be up to 3.5 g per 1 kg of body weight, which is approximately 55 - 60% of the total calorie content of the daily diet. The amount of sugar and sweets should not exceed 10% of the total energy intake, which corresponds to approximately 50 g of sugar.

You can reduce the amount of sugar in your body by:

• by limiting the consumption of foods high in sugar and eliminating high-sugar carbonated drinks for all groups, especially children;
• eating fruits and raw vegetables as snacks instead of sugary snack foods;

It is necessary to eat at least 400 g of vegetables and fruits daily, not counting potatoes, which are a source of dietary fiber, fiber, pectin, vitamins, minerals and organic acids. It is the presence of fiber and pectin in vegetables that creates a feeling of fullness and regulates intestinal functions. It is preferable to use locally produced products.

Legumes, nuts, and whole grains are sources of protein, fiber, minerals (calcium, magnesium, potassium), vitamins (ascorbic acid, carotenoids, folic acid, vitamin B6) and, in their pure form, have low calorie content. An obligatory component of the diet should be bread, preferably whole grain.

4. Meal regimen. A split meal regimen (5 times a day) allows a person not to feel hungry because it suppresses the excitation of the food center in the human brain and reduces appetite. It is important to strive for consistency in eating times throughout the day. The development of a constant stereotype in the diet is of great importance for the conditioned reflex preparation of the human body for receiving and digesting food. It is advisable not to allow breaks of more than four hours between meals.

Equally important is the correct physiological distribution of the amount of food among its meals during the day. It is considered optimal to consume 25% of the diet for breakfast, 10% for the first snack, 35% for lunch, 10% for the second snack, 20% for dinner. The main caloric load should occur in the first half of the day. The last meal should be 2.5-3 hours before bedtime.

5. Compliance with the drinking regime. The required amount of fluid per day, in the absence of contraindications, should be 30-40 g per kilogram of human body weight. On average this is 1.5-2.5 liters. Part of this amount is spent on cooking, the other part is spent on drinking. Pure (filtered or bottled) still drinking water is considered ideal for drinking. You can also use mineral water with low mineralization, tea (green, black, hibiscus), natural coffee, chicory, freshly squeezed juices, herbal infusions.

The interval between drinking and eating should be at least 30 minutes.

6. Conditions for eating. You need to eat in a calm environment, slowly and without being distracted by watching TV, computer, newspapers, etc. Food must be chewed thoroughly. It must be borne in mind that as a result of a certain energy of excitation of the food center of the brain, appetite persists for some time even after eating, i.e. the signal of satiety comes late, so you should get up from the table feeling slightly full, but not overeating.

7. Limiting table salt in the diet to 5 g per day (level teaspoon). In endemic areas, iodized salt must be used.

On average in Belarus, men consume 12.4 g of salt per day, women 9 g per day. The mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases associated with excessive sodium intake is 21.4%.

Salt intake can be reduced by:

• eliminating salt, soy sauce or other industrially produced sauces during cooking, and using natural spices and seasonings (bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, cumin, ginger, dill, parsley, celery, garlic);
• eliminating salt when setting the table;
• limiting the consumption of salty snack foods;
• carefully study the information about the composition of the product on the label, choosing products with a lower sodium content.

8. Reducing the consumption of alcoholic beverages to 20 ml of pure alcohol equivalent.

Of course, no one can force us to eat right; each person makes his own decision. It is important to remember that the most valuable thing - health - depends on this decision. Yours and your loved ones.

Chief freelance nutritionist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, nutritionist of the Unitary Enterprise “Vitamin” Nutrition Plant E.E. Protasova