Healthy Nutrition Should Be Sensible

 

The effect of healthy nutrition on human health is discussed a lot. However, most people still don’t attach importance to it. We prefer quick meals in fast food restaurants to healthy homemade food, overeat quite often and don’t pay attention to ingredients.

Associate professor of the SUSU School of Medical Biology, Candidate of Sciences (Engineering) Irina Kalinina tells how often we should eat and what food items are vital.

“There is a document, which sets for humans a recommended standard rate of consumption throughout the year. For example, the potato consumption rate per year for one person makes up 90 kg, whereas the rate of vegetables should be 140 kg. People should consume almost 325 l of fermented milk products,” says Irina Valerievna.   

The main reason of such recommendations is stipulated by the fact that due to the placed sanctions on Russia there is an acute need to take into consideration the self-sufficiency rate, form sensible standard rates of consumption. It’s done so that consumers are absolutely protected in terms of food security.

All that is needed for normal functioning of human bodies should be produced in our country in full and should not depend on a political situation or changes in the world market. 

“Every year there are rumors that some products can be in scarce supply. For example, it often applies to buckwheat and in that case people buy it in quantities. That is why the recommended consumption rates are important and their availability serves as a guide for keeping in stock and maybe protect Russian people from food shortage,” says Irina Kalinina.

Annually the Ministry of Agriculture publishes lists indicating how well we are provided with main products. This number corresponds to consumption rates of such physiological substances as proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

“In this case some important questions arise: is this rate sufficient for a person to be full? Does our real diet correspond to what is prescribed and recommended by standards? At the same time is it possible to feel full?” explains the scholar.

Unfortunately, Russians don’t stick to these norms. We eat a lot of those products, which rate should be insignificant and on the contrary, we don’t eat much that should be present in our diet in much larger quantities.

“There is an average formula of consumption of nutrients: 1:1:4 is a correct proportion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.”

Our main problem is that we consume insufficient amount of proteins, especially animal proteins. We eat little meat and fish. The fish consumption rate is only 22 kg for one person a year, but people don’t consume even this amount. Meanwhile, fish has valuable fats, minerals and vitamins, and complete proteins. In general, the Russian consumption rate of fish, which also include seafood, i.e. squids, shrimps, falls behind by 1.5-2 times from the developed countries.

The second largest problem of Russian people is vitamin deficiency. The population insufficiently eat vegetables and fruits. Of course, it’s connected with prices, but according to studies people with high and low income equally consume fruits. As a result, there is a shortage of minerals. It’s connected with low consumption of dietary fibers. Food fiber is pectin which is contained in apples, apricots, and peaches. Such fibers serve as sorbents. They are not absorbed by the organism. Therefore, they clear negative substances from the body. For our region, which is considered a region with high man-made impact, these food fibers are vital.

The third problem is oversupply of cereals and potato. However, in recent times the tendency of potato consumption is on the wane.

One more problem of Russians is insufficient consumption of eggs. A person should eat 260 eggs a year. It means that we should eat eggs almost every other day. Of course, no one does so, besides, there is an individual food tolerance.

There are also not enough fermented mill products in the human diet. We should understand that such an important element as calcium won’t be absorbed in the form of medicated vitamins as well as it’s absorbed in the process of eating a product.

So, each person should take into account the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

“Today it can be done easily. Basic consumption standards are posted on the Internet. The propaganda of healthy lifestyle and nutrition is at the peak of popularity, and it’s good! Most people know how to calculate calories, manage their weight, and download special apps in their smartphones, which help to control health,” say Irina Kalinina.

The key point is to understand that in daily eating meat and fish (at least two times a week), vegetables and fruits must be present. Then the diet will quickly return to normal. “We are what we eat,” states an old saying. Try to include wholesome food in your daily ration and it will guarantee health for years to come. 

 

Yulia Uzmova, photo by Oleg Igoshin
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