Nutritional diet tower

The Nutrient Diet Tower is never a rigid eating formula that everyone must adhere to, but a set of dietary reference frameworks designed based on the common nutritional needs of the nation and that can be flexibly adjusted according to personal circumstances. The core essence is "priority ratio" rather than "mandatory standards."

To be honest, I met a child who was new to fitness before. He clung to the diet tower of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" and worked hard. The daily grams were calculated accurately to single digits. He would not eat more than one bite of 300 grams of cereals and potatoes, and could only eat one egg for fear of exceeding the recommended amount of livestock, poultry, fish and eggs. As a result, after half a month of training, he would feel dizzy at every turn, and he would even gasp when climbing the third floor. I read the appendix of the Dietary Guidelines for him and found out that the standard recommended amounts are for healthy adults with light physical activity. He goes to the gym for two hours a day and belongs to a group of people with moderate to high-intensity activities. He should have increased the amount of cereals, potatoes and protein, so how can he just apply it mechanically.

Speaking of which, we have to mention two schools of thought that are quarreling on the Internet. On one side are the mainstream nutritionists who adhere to the logic of the traditional diet tower. They believe that a high proportion of whole grains and sufficient vegetables and fruits can cover the basic nutrient needs of most ordinary people and avoid micronutrient deficiencies. On the other side are the supporters of low-carbon and ketogenic diets. They feel that the design of the diet tower that puts carbohydrates at the bottom is inherently problematic. High carbohydrate intake will aggravate insulin fluctuations and is unfriendly to obese and insulin-resistant people. In fact, both sides are correct, but the premise is that you must first understand the applicable boundaries of this "tower" - it is originally a baseline reference for the vast majority of healthy people with no underlying diseases and average daily activities. It is not originally a treatment plan for special groups of people.

If you look through the dietary guidelines of several countries, you will find that there is no globally unified nutritional diet tower. The Mediterranean diet puts olive oil, nuts, and deep-sea fish in a very important position, and even recommends drinking a small amount of red wine every day. This is because the local dietary tradition relies on olive oil to provide fat, and deep-sea fish are easy to obtain. The core reason for the low incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is also related to this diet. The structure is related; the Japanese dietary tower is simply made in the shape of a "gyro". The top layer is that you need to exercise more and drink more water. On the contrary, the recommended amount of grains is lower than ours. This is also because the average height and weight of Japanese people are smaller, and they consume more seafood, so they do not need to rely on too many grains to replenish energy.

When I use the eating tower at home, I never count the grams. I just focus on the core logic. The bottom cereals and potatoes should be given priority to account for one-quarter to one-third of each meal. If you are going to run a long distance today, steam half an extra stalk of corn. If you are sitting in the office all day long, skip half a bowl of rice. Whole grains and mixed beans should account for at least half. If you are really hungry, it doesn’t matter if you just eat a bowl of white rice; secondly, The top layer of vegetables should be included in every meal, with dark green leafy vegetables accounting for at least half. Eating enough is more effective than any supplement; the meat, eggs, and milk on top are not limited. If you ate too much braised pork last week, you will eat two more steamed fish this week. During the fitness and muscle-building period, drink an extra carton of milk. It is very flexible. As for the oil, salt, and sugar on the top layer, it is definitely right to put less of it, but there is no need to feel guilty if you occasionally get craving for a cup of full-sugar milk tea or a piece of cream cake. A small amount of intake is allowed in the first place, and you are not guilty of living a miserable life just to meet the standards.

My mother was diagnosed with mild hypertension. When she went to the nutrition department for follow-up consultation, the adjustment plan given by the doctor did not completely copy the standard tower. He directly adjusted the recommended amount of vegetables from 300-500 grams to 600 grams per day, cut the salt intake to less than 3 grams per day, and reduced the amount of red meat by three points. Second, she switched to eating deep-sea fish three times a week, but the amount of cereals and potatoes was reduced by half. In essence, she still used the logic of "priority guarantees at the bottom and strict restrictions at the top" of the diet tower. She just made personalized adjustments based on her physical condition. The effect was better than sticking to the standard. Her blood pressure has been very stable in the past six months.

In the final analysis, the nutritional diet tower is originally a "reference answer" for ordinary people, not the "only standard answer". If your health is average, you will basically not have any problems if you follow the general direction. If you have underlying diseases, or have special needs such as muscle gain and fat loss, just adjust according to the core logic. There is no need to regard it as a shackle. After all, in addition to nutrition, eating happily is also important when it comes to eating.