Each year, more than 400 doctors, physiologists, nutrition, medical workers and heads of enterprises producing food are going to Harvard for a conference Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives (Healthy kitchen, healthy lives).
The objective pursued by the organizers of the conference is to give health care workers greater knowledge about nutrition, physical activity and healthy lifestyles.
At the end of this year’s conference David Eisenberg (David Eisenberg), the head of the Department of nutrition Chang at Harvard University, formulated the 19 most important tips for those who aspire to a healthy lifestyle:
1. Eat more fruits, vegetables and nuts. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits is for your health a number of advantages. But in order to be healthy, any one fruit or vegetable is not enough. So every day you need to eat plenty of different fruits and vegetables.
2. Choose healthier carbohydrates. The amount of carbohydrates is less important than the type of carbohydrates that you eat. The healthiest sources of carbohydrates — whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Less healthy white bread, pastries, soda, and other processed or refined products. Such carbohydrates can lead to weight gain, diabetes of the 2nd type and heart disease.
3. Choose healthier proteins. Limit the consumption of red meat, suggest to Harvard. Fish, meat, milk, cheese and eggs are rich in proteins. Vegetable products such as grain, legumes, and nuts — are also important sources of protein, according to the health Department. In Norway it is recommended to strive to ensure that proteins were made up 10-20% of your diet.
4. Avoid eating TRANS fats. TRANS fats can be included in biscuits and cakes, French fries and breaded for deep frying. In your diet should be no more than 1% TRANS fats, says the Department of health. In 2014, Norway has forbidden to sell food, the content of TRANS fats exceeding 2 grams of TRANS fats per 100 grams of fat.
5. Avoid food and desserts, subjected to multiple processing. Such foods are often rich in calories and contains a lot of salt, sugar and unhealthy fats. But “processed food” is too vague a concept, says Eric Arnesen (Erik Arnesen), the adviser of health of the Norwegian society of persons suffering from diseases of the heart and lung (LHL). It is possible to read in more detail in his blog.
6. Use the plate model healthy eating. This model was proposed by nutritionists from Harvard: healthy eat 1/4 protein, 1/4 whole grains, 1/2 fruits and vegetables. This is similar to the Norwegian model plates, which suggested that a third of the potatoes/rice/pasta/grain, a third of fish, meat or beans and one third vegetables.
7. Change your dessert habits. Eat more fruit and reduce portions of desserts or prepare healthier desserts of dark chocolate, fruit and nuts.
8. Reduce portions of food. Smaller and more correctly composed of portions are very important in order to avoid excess weight and obesity, according to the latest research.
9. Reduce the intake of salt. 70-80% of salt in our diet we get from industrial processed products and the food we eat in public catering enterprises. Most of the salt we get from meats and bread, according to the study Norkost-3, conducted in 2012. The health authorities and the food industry work together to develop measures to combat it. Experts from Harvard also propose to reduce the consumption of salt.
10. Avoid drinks containing sugar. They contain a lot of calories, besides you don’t experience the same feelings of fullness, what happens to you if the calories come from healthy food. Studies have shown that consumption of such beverages not kompensiruet fact that you start eating less. Fruit juices are often no better. Although they are more nutritious, they are often the same amount of calories as sugar-containing beverages. Better drink water, unsweetened tea and coffee, expert advice from Harvard.
11. If you want, drink wine and other alcohol but not too much. Moderate consumption of alcohol is apparently good for the heart and circulation. It may also protect you from diabetes of the 2nd type and the formation of stones in the gallbladder. But experts disagree about how consumption what volume of alcohol should be considered a moderate. In the United States recommend a maximum of one to two drinks for men and high for women. Under the drink is usually refers to 3.5 per deciliter of beer, 1.5 DL of wine, or about 0.4 deciliter of alcohol. If you drink too much, it will affect your health negatively.
12. Be physically active. 30-60 minutes every day. Your endurance and strength. This is similar to the recommendations of the Department of health on 30 minutes of moderate activity a day (60 minutes for children).
13. What we eat affects the risk of disease, regardless of weight. If you’re eating healthy, very physically active and giving up Smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, this will have a number of beneficial effects on health — in particular, helps to avoid diseases related to lifestyle. As for food, remember to model the plates.
14. Eat slower and pay more attention to what you eat. It helps in weight reduction or treatment of digestive disorders, as evidenced by the results of many studies. Harvard offers several methods: eat Breakfast, lunch and dinner at least 20 minutes, eat with your left hand if you’re right — handed, and Vice versa, eat with chopsticks, even if you usually are not using them, eat small pieces and chew food, eat slowly for five minutes, thinking about what it took to prepare a meal, and always ask yourself before you open the freezer or fridge: are you hungry?
15. Learn to consider healthy eating as a pleasant part of your life — as a habit, not a diet. The fact that research shows that diets difficult to adhere to long.
16. Cook delicious food. If worrying too much about calories and forget that the food should be delicious, to eat new for a long time will be difficult.
17. Sometimes you can afford something harmful. But it is necessary to distinguish weekdays from holidays. Do not eat sweets, cakes, cookies or drink soda every day.
18. Set a goal that can be achieved, and acquire new habits. These new studies support this recommendation: if you want to change your lifestyle, you have to set a really achievable goal, and objectives of intermediate. If you set yourself too ambitious goals or change all too quickly, chances are to fail.
19. Be aware that what you eat affects the effect of distributed you advice. This Harvard Professor turned directly to health workers. If you, being a doctor, are overweight, eat unhealthy and not active, it is difficult to advise the patient to lose weight, eat healthy foods and to spend more time on physical activity.
