Should you eat fatty foods to keep warm in winter?

Doctor Nguyen Thu Ha, Head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Saigon South International General Hospital, said that fat is a substance that generates a lot of energy in the daily diet. One should eat an amount appropriate to the needs and eating ability of each person.

Harmful effects of eating foods containing a lot of fat

Causes indigestion and bloating : Fat is a substance that generates a lot of energy and takes longer to digest. When eating foods high in fat, the food will stay in the stomach longer, causing indigestion and bloating.

Impaired gut flora : Eating a lot of fat is harmful to gut bacteria, which reduces digestive function and can lead to indigestion.

Weight gain and obesity : Eating a lot of fatty foods over a long period of time will lead to excess. This excess will accumulate to create excess fat and lead to obesity.

Increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes : Many scientific studies have shown that consuming a lot of fat will increase the risk of heart disease, vascular disease and stroke. Excess fat also causes insulin resistance (diabetes medication), making the disease worse. In addition, it also causes acne and reduces brain function.

"Eating foods high in fat does not help keep the body warm on cold days. Instead, a balanced and adequate eating habit; appropriate exercise; and a healthy lifestyle will help keep the body warm in the cold season," Dr. Ha shared.

Có nên ăn thực phẩm giàu chất béo để giữ ấm trong mùa đông - Ảnh 1. — Eating too much fat is harmful to gut bacteria.

Some ways to keep your body warm in cold weather

According to Dr. Ha, there are some healthy ways to keep the body warm in the cold season that people can refer to such as:

- Eat a full range of nutrients: Eat a balanced and adequate amount of food groups: starch, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, milk. You can add moderate hot and spicy spices to create a suitable warm feeling.
Drink warm water, limit cold foods.

"In cold weather, you should eat warm foods, this helps warm the body. Eating warm foods also limits the risk of digestive disorders and helps increase blood flow to organs in the body," Dr. Ha noted.

Có nên ăn thực phẩm giàu chất béo để giữ ấm trong mùa đông - Ảnh 2. — In cold season, you can add moderate hot and spicy spices to create a suitable warm feeling.

- Exercise and physical activity appropriately: Exercise on cold days also effectively increases body temperature.

- Get enough and reasonable sleep: You should sleep 7-8 hours/day and keep your body warm while sleeping.

- Don't bathe for too long: Exposure to water for too long, whether hot or cold, can easily cause the body to lose heat.

- Wear suitable clothes to keep warm.

- Avoid going outside too early or late at night: During this time, the temperature drops and is colder than other times of the day.

Associate Professor - Doctor - Doctor Lam Vinh Nien, Head of the Department of Nutrition - Dietetics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the cold weather in winter will increase the risk of respiratory diseases. Therefore, keeping warm and providing preventive nutrition plays an important role in disease prevention to limit the risk of flu and respiratory infections.

"For both children and adults, it is necessary to pay attention to a varied and balanced diet, with adequate nutrient groups. Prepare soft foods, combining many foods to increase delicious and pleasant flavors. Add more fruits and green vegetables to the diet to increase vitamins.

In addition, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control, to keep the body warm in winter, you need to pay attention to keeping your feet warm. Because the feet are considered the "second heart" of the body with many acupuncture points. When the feet are cold, it will affect the function of the respiratory tract, stomach and internal organs, making it easy to catch colds, stomach aches... Therefore, keeping the feet warm is very important, especially for groups with weak resistance such as women, the elderly and children. When you need to wear warm clothes, you should wear many thin layers of clothes instead of one thick layer. This is an effective principle of keeping warm, the layers of clothes will help the body retain heat inside and separate it from the cold environment outside.

Source link