According to a saying, "Eat well for breakfast, eat enough for lunch, and eat lightly for dinner." This is not without reason. Many people who want to lose weight often skip dinner, thinking it will help them slim down. However, not only do they not lose weight, but they also end up with various health problems. This clearly shows how important dinner is for our bodies. So, what are some misconceptions about dinner?
Misconception 1: Only eat vegetables and fruits
Fruits contain rich vitamins and carbohydrates, but their nutritional content is relatively simple, especially lacking necessary unsaturated fatty acids and proteins. If protein is insufficient for a long time, it can lead to low protein edema. Women who do not eat staple foods will also fail to obtain enough glycogen for energy, which can increase the burden on the kidneys.
Misconception 2: Dinner is too meaty
In reality, because most families have ample time to prepare dinner, they eat a lot, which is not good for their health. According to scientific research reports, eating large amounts of meat, eggs, and dairy products during dinner can increase the amount of calcium in urine. On the one hand, this reduces the body's calcium storage, leading to rickets in children, myopia in adolescents, and osteoporosis in the elderly. On the other hand, high calcium concentration in urine greatly increases the risk of urinary tract stones. In addition, excessive protein intake that the body cannot absorb will stagnate in the intestines, turn rancid, and produce toxins such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which can stimulate the intestinal wall and induce cancer.
Misconception 3: Eating dessert after dinner
Many women like to have dessert after dinner. However, overly sweet and greasy foods can burden the digestive system. Moreover, with little activity after dinner, the sugar in desserts is difficult to break down and can be converted into fat, leading to obesity. Over time, this can potentially cause cardiovascular diseases.
Misconception 4: Avoid eating after 6 PM
Our stomach generally takes 4-6 hours to fully absorb and empty food. If we don't eat in a timely manner, we are more likely to develop stomach problems. Therefore, it is important to distribute the nutritional structure of our food throughout the day, with light, vitamin-rich, and fiber-rich foods being the focus for dinner. This not only protects the stomach but also prevents obesity.
Misconception 5: Chewing too quickly
Chewing slowly is not only beneficial for food digestion and nutrient absorption but also stabilizes blood sugar, controls food intake, and protects teeth. Therefore, it is advisable to chew slowly during dinner. Try to chew each mouthful of food about 20 times. For dinner, it is best to control eating time within 20-30 minutes.
Misconception 6: Eating until full
Eating too much for dinner increases blood sugar, amino acid, and fatty acid concentrations, which stimulates a large secretion of insulin. Since people usually have low physical activity at night, energy consumption is low, and the excess calories, under the effect of insulin, are converted into a large amount of fat, leading to gradual weight gain. Therefore, dinner should be light, and the calorie intake should not exceed 30% of the total daily calorie intake. This helps to avoid and control weight gain.
