According to the different nutrients contained in food, winter meals should have the following characteristics:
Eat more staple food, and eat some mutton, quail and sea cucumber properly. Protein, fat and carbohydrates are called thermogenic nutrients. Therefore, the intake of staple food and oil should be appropriately increased in winter to ensure the supply of high-quality protein. Dog meat, mutton, beef, chicken, venison, shrimp, pigeon, quail, sea cucumber and other foods are rich in protein and fat, generating a lot of calories. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that tonifying kidney and strengthening yang, warming the middle and lower temperature, benefiting qi and generating blood, and keeping out the cold have the best effect.
Fear of cold is related to calcium deficiency and iron deficiency. People's fear of cold is related to their lack of intake of certain minerals. For example, the content of calcium in human body can directly affect the elasticity and excitability of myocardium, blood vessels and muscles; Iron deficiency in blood is an important cause of iron deficiency anemia, which is often characterized by low fever and hypothermia. Therefore, supplementing foods rich in calcium and iron can improve the body's ability to keep out the cold. Calcium-containing foods mainly include milk, bean products, kelp, seaweed, shells, oysters, sardines, shrimp and so on. Iron-containing foods are mainly animal blood, egg yolk, pig liver, soybeans, sesame seeds, black fungus and red dates.
Kelp and laver can promote the secretion of thyroxine and generate heat. There is a thyroid secretion called thyroxine, which can accelerate the oxidation of many tissues and cells in the body, increase the body's heat production capacity, enhance the basal metabolic rate, accelerate the blood circulation of the skin, and keep out the cold, while foods containing iodine can promote the secretion of thyroxine. Foods rich in iodine are: kelp, seaweed, Nostoc flagelliforme, jellyfish, spinach, Chinese cabbage, corn and so on.
Animal liver and carrots can increase cold resistance. The cold climate causes obvious changes in human vitamin metabolism. Increasing the intake of vitamin A and vitamin C can enhance the cold tolerance and adaptability to cold, which has a good protective effect on blood vessels. Vitamin A mainly comes from animal liver, carrots and dark green vegetables, while vitamin C mainly comes from fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sesame seeds and sunflower seeds can provide essential elements for cold resistance. Cold weather will increase the demand for methionine. Methionine can provide a series of methyl groups necessary to adapt to cold through transfer. So eat more food containing methionine in winter. Such as sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dairy products, yeast, leafy vegetables and so on.
Eating spicy food can drive away the cold. Pepper contains capsaicin, ginger contains aromatic volatile oil and pepper contains piperine. They are all spicy. Eating more in winter can not only increase appetite, but also promote blood circulation and improve cold resistance.
In addition, avoid eating or eat less sticky and cold food in winter, because this kind of food is yin, which is easy to damage the yang of the spleen and stomach. ▲
Editor's note: The weather is getting colder and colder, and many old people and people with weak constitution will feel a little uncomfortable. Nutritionists tell us that the main point of winter diet is to improve the ability to keep out the cold and resist diseases. So, what can we eat to achieve this goal? This edition introduces you from four aspects.