Nutritional diet exam questions

There are no universal full-scoring answers to the "Nutrition and Diet Exam Questions". All the so-called "iron rules of healthy eating suitable for everyone" are essentially reference answers that are only suitable for specific groups of people. The highest score you can get will always be the personalized choice that best suits your physical condition, living habits and even genetic characteristics.

A while ago, I helped a friend who had practiced CrossFit for three years adjust his diet. He had been practicing low-carb ketosis for almost a year and had lost 2 points of body fat. However, he felt weak at every turn, suffered from severe training condition, and lost a lot of hair. I asked him to do a metabolism-related genetic test, and the result showed that he is APOE ε4 type. His ability to metabolize saturated fat is more than 30% worse than ordinary people. In order to meet the low-carbohydrate calorie requirements, he eats fat beef and butter every day. Is there something wrong? Later, I adjusted his diet to a medium-carbon diet and replaced most of the animal fats with olive oil and avocado. Within two months, his condition returned.

It’s interesting to say that there are several factions in the nutrition circle that have been arguing for decades, and they still haven’t come to a clear distinction. The ketogenic group claims that low-carb can reverse diabetes and lower blood lipids with a large number of cases, while the low-fat vegan group can also produce a bunch of papers with the same data support saying that vegetarianism can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Both sides insist on their own opinions, and no one can convince the other. In fact, to put it bluntly, the effective cases presented by both sides are originally people who adapt to their own eating patterns - for people with severe insulin resistance and poor carbohydrate metabolism, low-carb is just a matter of points. ； For people with high blood lipids and weak saturated fat metabolism, eating more high-quality grains and less animal fat will of course lead to higher scores. Taking the answer that suits some people as the standard answer for everyone is a wrong question in itself.

Last week, my mother shared an article in the family group called "Eating porridge to nourish the stomach, a must-read for middle-aged and elderly people." My cousin, who has reflux esophagitis, followed suit and drank it for a week. She had acid reflux and sat up crying in the middle of the night. Think about it, porridge is liquid, raises blood sugar quickly, and can easily stimulate gastric acid secretion. For people with relaxed lower esophageal sphincter, drinking it is equivalent to causing acid reflux, which is completely a deductible option. ； But for people who have just undergone gastric surgery and have weak digestive function, drinking warm and soft porridge is the best choice, which can reduce a lot of burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Is there any "stomach nourishing recipe" that is universally applicable?

There is also the ridiculous question "You must drink 8 glasses of water every day". I want to laugh every time I hear it. For workers who work outdoors in the summer, drinking 3 liters a day may not be enough. ； For patients with renal insufficiency, the doctor may require them to drink less than 1 liter of water per day. ； If you have a fast metabolism and love to run to the toilet, just to make up for 8 cups of hard drinks is just to make yourself unhappy, why bother?

Another example is "Eat fruit on an empty stomach or after a meal." For young people with normal blood sugar, if you nibble on a peach on the way to get off work or show off half a piece of watermelon after dinner, as long as you don't overeat, it won't be a dime problem.； But if a diabetic patient with abnormal glucose tolerance eats even half a mango on an empty stomach, his blood sugar may soar directly to the warning line. If you tell him that "eating fruit on an empty stomach is more nutritious," isn't that harmful?

In the five years I have been doing nutrition consulting, the first assignment I most often give to my clients is not to make a list of taboos, but to keep a complete food diary for three days. Not only do I record what I ate and how much I ate, but I also write down how I felt after eating: whether I felt flatulent, whether I felt sleepy, whether I had acid reflux and heartburn, and even whether my bowel movements were normal or not. Many people can figure out the pattern after memorizing it by themselves: Oh, it turns out that I have diarrhea when I drink ice milk, so there is no need to join in the excitement of "a cup of milk every day". Wouldn't it be delicious to switch to Shuhua milk or sugar-free yogurt? Oh, it turns out that I get bloating after eating whole wheat bread, so why not replace it with corn and yams? Whole grains are not considered whole grains only.

Nowadays, many people have turned nutritious diets into a rice circle. Those who believe in ketosis will say "You are raising cancer cells" when people eat rice. Those who believe in vegetarianism will say "You are accumulating toxins" when people eat red meat. They always use black and white methods. In fact, it is quite unnecessary. If you feel comfortable eating, your physical examination indicators are normal, and you have enough energy at ordinary times, then that is a good diet that suits you, and it has nothing to do with other people's standards.

To put it bluntly, when it comes to nutrition and diet, the examiner is never a nutrition blogger or health expert, but your own body. Whether you feel comfortable answering the questions or not, your body will give you feedback as soon as possible. There is no need to stick to the standard answers found online, and there is no need to feel that you "failed the exam" just because you ate an extra piece of cake or half a cup of milk tea. Eating is inherently a happy thing. The best answer is to make it comfortable within the framework of health.