Proper nutrition can be represented as a pyramid. Nutrition pyramid: a guide to use. Types of food pyramids

10.07.2023

Absolutely everyone knows that a person's health, his activity largely depend on what he eats. Currently, many scientists in highly developed countries are seriously concerned about the problem of overweight. After all, it often causes diabetes, stroke and heart attack. As a result of the research conducted by specialists, a pyramid of healthy eating was developed. Further in the article we will understand what it is.

General information

The food pyramid is visually a schematic representation of dietary norms developed by nutritionists. The products placed at the base of the structure constitute the main link of a full-fledged human menu. But the elements at its top are recommended to be consumed in limited quantities or excluded from the diet altogether. nutrition has been recognized by nutritionists around the world and to this day is considered one of the most effective recommendations for normalizing weight.

Development of Harvard scientists

This food pyramid is of particular interest. The very first published version was in the form of a tiered structure. It was based on daily physical activity, fluid intake (from 2 liters for men and 1.5 liters for women), as well as weight control. In each next tier, a corresponding group of products was placed.

Structural image

The nutrition pyramid, the pictures of which are presented below, has the following visual distribution of sectors:

Additionally, the scheme emphasized the need for restrained alcohol consumption, while preference should be given to red wine. Also, according to the doctor's prescription, it was allowed to take vitamin-mineral complexes. The main principle of the Harvard food pyramid is to communicate the need for frequent consumption of the food group located at its base. The higher the level to which the elements belong, the less benefit they represent for the human body. The nutritional pyramid, developed by Harvard experts, has become widespread in the world. Moreover, for a long period of time it has been used as a foundational system for weight loss.

MyPyramid Food Pyramid. Advanced development of American nutritionists

The Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid has changed a lot. The final version of MyPyramid, published in 2007, was developed by the USDA and subsequently received the status of a government program. The American Food Pyramid is based on the latest research in the field of nutrition. Unlike its predecessors, its principle of dividing the elements of the diet is not based on belittling the role of simple carbohydrates and animal fats, but puts them on the same level as vegetable fats and complex carbohydrates. This food pyramid is based on 5 basic principles:

Diversity.
Proportionality.
Moderation.
Individuality.
Physical activity.

Diversity

This principle states that absolutely all products are equally important for the human body. Visually, the scheme is a complex of multi-colored sectors. Moreover, each of them corresponds to a certain group of elements of the diet:

Proportionality, moderation, individuality

The width of each sector of the pyramid displays the daily intake of products and visually demonstrates their overall ratio. Just look at the diagram to understand: vegetables, grains, fruits and dairy products are given the highest priority; meat, fish, eggs and nuts - secondary; fats are given the smallest percentage of consumption. The use of the pyramid implies the observance of moderate food intake. Since even low-calorie foods eaten in large quantities will lead to the opposite effect in weight loss. The principle of individual nutrition encourages a person to abandon standardization and make a diet taking into account their age, gender and other personal characteristics.

The principle of physical activity

The symbol of the MyPyramid pyramid is a man climbing up the stairs. This is by no means an accident. This image serves as a reminder of the serious importance of exercise, which is recommended for at least 1 hour every day.

Using the Food Pyramid for Children

The diet of the child should contain all the nutrients necessary for its full growth and development. This can fully provide a healthy diet. The food pyramid makes it very easy to create a children's menu. To do this, you need to focus on the elements placed in wide sectors. At the same time, you should not completely exclude the remaining products, in a small amount they should also be present in the child's menu.

Diet for pregnant women

In the prenatal period, a woman's body needs an increased intake of minerals, protein and vitamins. You can also make a complete diet for a pregnant woman on the basis of the American MyPyramid pyramid, taking into account all the recommendations of the observing specialist.

Differences pyramid MyPyramid

Other types of food pyramids

For the most part, people strive to get the maximum pleasure and benefit from food. Some go the route of counting calories. For others, this task seems too difficult. However, I really want a normal good example of proper nutrition for weight loss. You can choose another option to control food consumption in accordance with the food pyramid. There are several varieties of it, which will be discussed further.

Harvard Nutrition Pyramid

The very first pyramid of the School of Public Health (Harvard, the project was led by nutritionist Walter Willett) was developed in 1992. Over time, it has been refined and altered a little, and today it is still popular.

Harvard School of Public Health Pyramid

A few words about the components of this pyramid. Base - physical activity and fluid, the required amount of which should be determined in accordance with age and weight. Whole grains (cereals, wholemeal products, brown rice), vegetables, fruits and vegetable oils (sunflower, olive), located in the lower sections, are needed by our body at almost every meal. In the "Fruits" cell, 2-3 servings are indicated, which is about 300 g, the amount of vegetables can reach up to 400 - 450 g per day.

Nuts, legumes, as well as protein foods, should be included up to 2 times in the daily diet (some days you can completely exclude them). As for dairy products, it is important to exclude them for people with lactose intolerance, replacing them with calcium plus vitamin D3. The last rung contains, among others, potatoes, which used to coexist with whole grains at the bottom rung of the pyramid. However, nutritionists have recently moved this vegetable because it holds the record for starch content.

The figure of the Harvard pyramid also contains vitamins and alcohol. The need to take the former is shown, since the current nutrition hardly meets the needs of modern man. Alcohol is recommended to be consumed rarely and in moderation.

Differences pyramid MyPyramid

Introduced in 2005 in the USA, the MyPyramid pyramid provides a modern person with a fairly wide field for compiling a menu of proper nutrition for weight loss. The difference with the previous version is that now you can independently select products from the colored zones in the required quantity. By the way, about her interesting and at first glance incomprehensible device.

The pyramid is a series of vertical segments expanding towards the bottom. The right amount of products can be determined based on the width of the segment (the wider it is, the more needed). On the left side is a man running up the stairs - a symbol of the importance of physical activity.

Although both pyramids offer recommendations for the nutrition of American citizens, this information will also be relevant for our compatriots. Russian nutritionists face by and large the same tasks as their foreign counterparts. The problem of excess weight and low physical activity is now relevant even for children. Therefore, a variant of such a table for the younger generation is proposed. As you can see, it is actually no different from the "adult" version and demonstrates the need for a variety of products.

This new pyramid gives a general idea of proper nutrition and the fact that each person is individual, so your diet must be tailored individually. Everyone, guided by MyPyramid data, can write their own healthy food menu for a month.

Other types of food pyramids

In addition to these most common food pyramids, there are also options for vegetarians, as well as those that are calculated taking into account cultural characteristics (Asian, Mediterranean cuisine). The main difference between the vegetarian pyramid is the absence of meat, dairy products, eggs, fish (certain types of vegetarianism are less strict and involve the inclusion of some of the listed products in the diet).

You can get the necessary substances by eating legumes, nuts, as well as adding complex preparations that compensate for the need for vitamins, calcium, and iron.
The Asian Food Pyramid will help you create the right diet for a week for residents from this part of the world. It includes a lot of vegetables, rice, a variety of soy products. In some regions, a large number of people suffer from lactose intolerance, so dairy products are completely excluded. But green tea for Asians is a very important and healthy drink that is included in their food pyramid.

Another option is Mediterranean. This pyramid is different in that it regulates the intake of red meat once a month. The basis of the diet there is cereals, vegetables, fruits and, of course, olive oil. The following figure will help compare these types of food pyramids.

The food pyramid is an excellent tool for creating a menu and understanding the principles of proper nutrition. According to the idea of its creators, each person can adjust their diet, changing it gradually.

TvoyStartup Comments 0 Share:

Hello dear readers of my blog! I, like you, try to monitor my diet and make it right. An excellent tool and helper in this case can be a healthy person's nutrition pyramid.

One of the most popular food pyramids is developed by the Harvard School of Public Health. Its ideologist is Walter Willet. He has done research on healthy eating. Conclusions and results became the basis for creating a pyramid. Her first version was made public in 1992.

It represents "floors", each level of which corresponds to a certain type of product.

1st floor- the basis of such a pyramid is physical activity, weight control, daily water intake.

2nd floor- whole grains + vegetable oils + vegetables and fruits.

The first are sources of "long carbohydrates". This includes cereals, brown rice, wholemeal bread, and whole grain flour products.

In today's issue, we will talk about the healthy eating pyramid (food pyramid).

I will tell you:

what is a food pyramid
what is it for and is it needed
where did it even come from (history of its creation/emergence)
what is its essence
what are its types
how to eat right
what can/cannot be eaten
how to lead a healthy lifestyle
well, etc.

Along the way, I will try to raise a lot of interesting and relevant questions, giving you full answers, without lies and falsehood, which, perhaps (it will already depend on you), will change your life for the better.

Most likely, you still do not understand what we are going to talk about, but I assure you that this topic is very relevant, if only because proper nutrition is one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle.

And for those who are not in the know, as Socrates said: “Health is not everything, but everything without health is nothing.”

P.s. think about these words before it's too late.

PPs. This I mean, I assure you that the general condition of your body (your health, appearance, etc.) largely depends on what you eat.

"We are what we eat" (literal translation "You are what you eat")

Hippocrates.

The food pyramid is a schematic representation of the principles of a healthy human diet.

As you may know, every pyramid has its base and top.

So, those foods that are at the bottom of the pyramid should be eaten as often as possible, while those at the top of the pyramid should be (ideally avoided) well, or at least consumed in limited quantities.

This is what the pyramid itself looks like:

This pyramid was developed by American nutritionists at the Harvard School of Public Health. Its first version was published in 1992, and was a pyramid divided into tiers (well, it is higher).

As you can see, the basic principle behind the pyramid is the daily:

physical activity (including exercise)
body weight control
and drinking enough fluids (water).

And after this, the food pyramid begins, which, in fact, can be divided into:

Squirrels
Carbohydrates

By the way, these food nutrients must be contained in a certain percentage, which looks like this:

Protein (25-30%)
Fats (10-15%)
Carbohydrates (50-60%)

It is this proportion of B+F+U that is optimal for both health and muscle growth.

And that's why, in all issues about nutrition, there are lines about it .. and where do you think it came from? =)

It is from here, from this food pyramid, which was developed by nutritionists.

Well, now it's time to talk in detail about its content.

base of the pyramid

Vegetables and fruits (cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, beets, onions, garlic, parsley, broccoli, persimmons, apples, pears, bananas, kiwi, oranges, grapes, watermelon, melon, etc.)
Healthy fats / vegetable oil (fats of vegetable origin containing polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3, omega 6 (sunflower, corn, rapeseed, linseed oils)).
Whole grains (durum wheat pasta, unpolished rice (wild, brown, golden), buckwheat, barley porridge, oatmeal, wholemeal bread).

These are the foods that you will need to consume daily in your diet as often as possible (as recommended by nutritionists), now I will talk in detail about these components.

Vegetables and fruits (in fact, they are technically sources of carbohydrates) contain a lot of fiber, and it is very useful for our body, because it slows down the absorption of food.

P.s. Vegetables should definitely be paired with almost every protein meal because they aid in the digestion and absorption of animal protein.)

In addition, they contain many vitamins and minerals, which are no less important for humans (very important), in other words, there are no problems with vegetables.

In any amount of day and night, eat as much as you want, no harm from them, one benefit.

But with fruit, the situation (in my opinion) is completely different. The fact is that fruits contain sugar (fruits are sweet), therefore, their use should be limited, and it is desirable (ideally) to be consumed in the first half of the day (until 15.00), otherwise excess fat on your body may increase (which is not so hot how good).

As far as fat is concerned, in short, there is bad fat (saturated) and good fat (unsaturated).

Bad fat: It's all very tasty (fried chicken, mayonnaise, butter, etc.) = we don't need this fat, ie. we don't use it!
Good fat: Everything that is not so delicious (vegetable oils, fish oil, omega-3, omega-6) = all of these are healthy (unsaturated fats) and we need them!

So, you should consume naturally healthy fats (these are fats of vegetable origin containing polyunsaturated fatty acids Omega 3, omega 6 (which are found in sunflower, corn, rapeseed, linseed oils)).

Also, many people are afraid of carbohydrates, they say, they “get fat (gain weight)”, in fact, if you buy exactly the types of products that I indicated above, i.e. complex carbohydrates (they are also slow: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, durum pasta) and minimize the addition of various “sweets”, in other words, exclude “simple carbohydrates (they are empty)” such as sugar, chocolate, cookies, cakes, etc. .d. then there is nothing to fear...

Do you understand? =) Get fat not from complex carbohydrates, but from simple ones.

Well, for example, you ate something sweet (for example, a piece of cake). What's happening?

Your blood sugar level immediately increased (because simple carbohydrates raise sugar very sharply), therefore, in the body, as it were, a “red light” immediately “lights up” in the form of excessive blood sugar.

And the excess is not safe (harms the body), therefore, it is not beneficial for the body (it harms it) and it urgently gives a command to the pancreas and it produces, which removes sugar from the blood and turns it into fat.

That is, there is a sharp rise and fall in blood sugar, as a result, the body is protected, and you can be congratulated on new additional fat gains, as a result you “get fat”.

And complex carbohydrates, unlike simple ones, are absorbed much more slowly and do not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar (and because of this, fat accumulation does not occur, that is, you do not get fat like from simple ones).

Complex, on the contrary, provide our body with nutrients with a minimum sugar content, providing a stable blood sugar level throughout the day, respectively, its content is optimal and safe both for health and for your figure, therefore, I assure you, there is no need to worry, therefore about.

In general, there is a good rule: the more fiber in a carbohydrate, the better this carbohydrate. Those. if you find a carbohydrate that has a lot of nutritional fiber (fiber), then this is also a good product that you can definitely eat!

Also note that any carbohydrate can be consumed either raw or cooked, because it is in this form that they are most familiar to our body. You can’t eat fried food (fried food is bad).

The second step of the pyramid (protein-containing products)

Plant proteins (nuts, grains, legumes, etc.)
Animal proteins (meat, fish, eggs, chicken, seafood).

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Meat (chicken breast, veal, turkey) as a source of protein
Fish and seafood as a source of protein
Eggs and dairy products as a source of protein

Grains as a source of protein
Legumes as a source of protein
Nuts as a source of protein

In my opinion, you need to focus on the protein of animal origin!

Bodybuilders generally (when calculating protein) do not consider vegetable, they take into account only animal origin. And this, in my opinion, is correct, because animal proteins are much better (many times better) than vegetable ones, due to a better / quality amino acid profile.

If in a nutshell about nutrition, then stop your choice on:

Low-fat meats: beef - sirloin, tenderloin, minced meat; veal - chops, escalope; lamb - legs, pieces of shoulder blade;
Poultry: chicken, turkey, goose;
Legumes: beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas;
Seafood: shrimp, squid.
Low-fat varieties of fish: pollock, salmon, tuna, cod, sockeye salmon.
boiled eggs

In more detail, then:

Meat (beef, lamb, pork) is not a very good product, because it is produced on a farm for profit, it is chipped with various hormones so that more weight is obtained at the weighing (due to fat).

These cuts of meat are often very fatty, therefore, as I said earlier, you need to choose dietary cuts very carefully, and not everything just to buy.

Chicken (chicken breasts) is already better than regular meat (pork, beef, lamb) because it has a good amino acid composition, and it is not fatty!

Eggs are generally the most awesome product. Please note, only boiled eggs. No fried ones.

This is the best source of protein, the number 1 reference has 100% quality. And the price is good too! They can be eaten in large quantities (and not be afraid for cholesterol), I personally eat 6-10 whole eggs daily.

Fish is also a very good source of both protein and fat. Yes, fish contains healthy omega-3 fats and they normalize healthy blood cholesterol levels.

That's all. It is these protein foods that you need to eat.

The third step of the pyramid (dairy food)

Milk, kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese.

Dairy products are sources of complete animal proteins, vitamins A, E, D, B2, B6, B12, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iodine. Calcium-rich foods are essential for bone growth and development. Dairy products contain bifido- and lactobacilli, which ensure the normal functioning of the intestines.

In case you are lactose intolerant, try to replace milk with other products that are rich in protein and calcium, but do not contain lactose - these are yogurt, kefir, cheese, cottage cheese.

There is also soy, almond, lactose-free cow's milk.

It is better to buy such milk in paper packaging, on which there is a special inscription "lactose-free". The specified shelf life should be no more than 2 months.

Store the opened package in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.

P.s. Personally, I use cottage cheese with kefir every day before bed (because I work out, it is vital for me, because I will be without food for 8 or 10 hours (I will sleep), therefore I need to take care of nutrition that will nourish me ( my body) energy during sleep.

The so-called casein, which is contained in the same cottage cheese and kefir, helps me in this (well, in sports supplements, the so-called long or night or casein proteins, they are called differently, but I prefer ordinary cottage cheese).

The fourth step of the pyramid (top)

And finally, the very top of the pyramid is represented by products, the use of which should ideally be completely excluded or limited.

These include (I already listed them above, so just headings):

any simple carbohydrates
animal fats (found in red meats, butter, margarine, etc.)
any alcoholic drinks (an exception is when you never drink dry red wine, it is even healthy
as well as potatoes due to the high content of starch in it.

So, we have discussed all the foods contained in the food pyramid, and now, let's summarize the recommended approximate value of servings of a particular nutrient per day, for each brick of the pyramid (as recommended by nutritionists), see the photo below:

In principle, everything is correct (in my opinion), but you must understand that these portions are just a guideline for you.

Those. Do not take these portions as a rigid, categorical guide to nutrition.

For example, I eat protein foods (of animal origin) with each carbohydrate meal (that is, not 2-3, but all 6), because I am bodybuilding, I need building material (in other words, I need a lot of protein, I talk more about this in the article: Do you understand? =)

For an ordinary person (not involved in sports, 3 meals of animal protein will be enough ...), in general, by this I want to say that you can adjust for yourself, and not blindly repeat as it is said (although for most people, everything is fine "thought out ”(i.e. suitable), however, I give you that same exception).

Types of food pyramids

P.s. In general, the food pyramid has undergone many changes (in fact, in my opinion, insignificant), i.e. this I mean that it was revised from time to time, rebuilt, supplemented, in general, you can observe how it has evolved over the years (see photo below):

However, already in 2007, the latest version of the food pyramid, MyPyramid, was published, which was developed by the US Department of Agriculture and received the status of a state program (it is higher on the right, where the little man is walking up the stairs).

P.s. as I already said, I didn’t feel much difference (in my opinion) from 1992 to 2005 that they changed the hell knows (most likely just a picture, they changed the shape of the picture, hehe).

But I still decided to show you its evolution (whatever you know), but don’t worry, all of the above information is valid and will be valid (most likely an eternity, although again some minor adjustments are possible, which are not particularly felt and changes in the pyramid pictures).

In addition to all this, there is a food pyramid for vegetarians .. everything is the same there, the only thing that changes is that in most cases their diet does not include meat, fish, poultry, milk and dairy products - sources of animal proteins.

Instead, they use vegetable proteins such as legumes, nuts, and tofu (“bean curd”). And the lack of calcium, iron, vitamins D and group B is replenished with vitamin-mineral complexes.

In general, today I told you about the healthy eating pyramid, which is recognized by nutritionists around the world as one of the most effective recommendations in the field of rational healthy eating.

So use it when compiling your daily diet and be healthy!

For dessert - a video about how ordinary guys launched a ball with a video camera that flew right up to the stratosphere:

1.1. What should be the difference between the diet of people engaged in mental work and people engaged in heavy physical labor?

It's no secret that the proper functioning of the body depends entirely on good nutrition. If a person refuses food for a long time, then he loses strength, stops thinking, and eventually dies. How to organize nutrition during mental and physical stress. The fact is that when doing hard work, our body needs additional nourishment. If you saturate it with the necessary elements in time, you can significantly increase your efficiency, feel a surge of energy, improve memory, concentration.
Nutrition for mental work. Often the cause of mental overwork is the performance of difficult work without proper rest. Almost all workaholics suffer from increased nervousness, depression and have a number of chronic diseases caused by frequent stress. Knowledge workers often complain of memory impairment, absent-mindedness, sleep disturbance and loss of appetite. But you can get rid of all these unpleasant symptoms with the help of proper nutrition. The inclusion of fatty fish and nuts in your diet will help improve brain performance. Marine life, like walnuts. Scientists claim that regular consumption of these products improves brain activity. The energy value of the diet for mental workers should correspond to 2000-2400 kcal. The optimal ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates in terms of daily energy value is: protein - 58-72 g, fat - 60-81 g, carbohydrates - 257-358 g. The amount of animal protein is at least 55% of the total daily diet.
Nutrition during physical labor People involved in heavy physical exertion need to follow a special diet. To add strength and energy, three hours before physical work, heavy carbohydrates should be eaten, which will be processed by the body for a long time. These include bread, potatoes, pasta. In order not to lose muscle mass, proteins must be present in the athlete’s diet: meat, eggs, fish. Vegetables will also have a positive effect on stamina and performance. But it is better to refuse sweets during heavy physical exertion. If you play sports, then 1 hour before and 1 hour after training, you should not eat any food. You can only drink water. If you want to lose weight through physical activity, then after training, lean on proteins and complex carbohydrates. These can be fresh vegetable salads with egg or cheese; cereals with fruits; boiled meat or fish. The most rational diet for manual workers is five meals a day. At the same time, the energy value of a daily meal should be distributed as follows: breakfast - 25%, lunch - 35%, afternoon tea - 15% and dinner - 25%. In conditions of increased physical activity, the need for protein reaches 150-170 g per day, of which 50% should be animal proteins. The need for fat during intense physical activity reaches 150 g for men and 130 g for women. The diet should contain about 610 g of carbohydrates for men and 470 g for women.
1.2. During the test, the student lost 600 kJ of energy, 30% of which was released into the environment through sweat. Determine the amount of sweat released by the student's body (2.4 kJ of energy is spent on the release of 1 g of sweat). Why did the student's sweating increase during the test?

Solution.

1) Find out how many kJ is 30% of 600 kJ (total energy)

600 kJ*30%:100%=180kJ

2) Find out the amount of sweat released during the test

180kJ:2.kJ=75g

Answer: 75 For the body, control work causes a stressful situation, which activates the work of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system, which leads to an increase in the secretion of sweat by the sweat glands.

1.3 Smoking negatively affects metabolism. Determine how many mg of vitamin C the body loses when smoking a pack of cigarettes (20 pieces), if one smoked cigarette destroys 25 mg of this vitamin. How many daily intakes of a vitamin does this equal if the average daily requirement for a person in this vitamin is 50 mg? What are the consequences in this connection can cause regular smoking?

1) How many mg of vitamin C does a pack of cigarettes smoke destroy?

2) How many daily norms does this equal?

500:50=10(normal)

Answer: 500 mg, 10 norms. With a lack of vitamin C, scurvy develops. The main symptoms in this case are pain during movement, poor appetite, irritability. In some cases, bleeding from the gums and swelling of the joints are possible. The most common diseases with a lack of vitamin C are anemia and rickets.

1.4. The figure shows a food pyramid - a schematic representation of the structure of proper nutrition, developed by nutritionists. Using the pyramid, formulate the basic rules of rational nutrition.
At its base - bread, cereals and pasta.

Bread and grains have always been one of the staple foods of man. Preference is given to varieties of bread made from wholemeal flour ("Borodinsky", "doctor's" and others). They have a lot of vegetable protein, vitamins and fiber, which helps to remove cholesterol, "cleanse" the intestines and has a choleretic effect. Dark bread will provide you with a good complexion and solve problems with extra pounds.

In the daily diet of both an adult and a child, at least once a day, there should be porridge: oatmeal, buckwheat, millet or corn. Much depends on the method of preparation. It is known that buckwheat it is better not to fry, because almost all B vitamins will “leave” it. Before cooking, it is better to soak the cereal for 6 hours, then the cooking time will decrease, and everything useful in the cereal will remain. Macaroni and vermicelli it is better to buy from flour of the first grade, your body will benefit from them more. Rice rightfully occupies an important place in the cuisine of many peoples of the world. It can be found in soup, pilaf, pies, desserts and many other dishes famous all over the world. Its most important qualities are high nutritional value and compatibility with other dishes - meat, poultry, fish, seafood and vegetables. Rice is very useful for the human body.

The second step of the pyramid are fruits and vegetables. On average, an adult should eat 180 kg of vegetables and fruits per year, then he is not afraid of spring beriberi. At least 600 grams of live plant food should be on our table per day. Let these be gifts from your garden or cottage.

Berries- a real storehouse of vitamins. Raspberries can be used as natural aspirin, blueberries, lingonberries and cranberries - as antibiotics. Gooseberries and blueberries contain succinic acid, which is necessary to maintain immunity. No less useful substances in sea buckthorn, chokeberry and red mountain ash.

Make it a rule, at least in the summer-autumn period, to drink vegetable and fruit juices. It can be a combination of two or more vegetables or fruits. Fresh cabbage juice is necessary for people with overweight and a problem stomach. Vegetable and fruit juices are good for everyone if they are drunk 30 minutes before a meal or 1.5-2 hours after a meal.

In the next step of the pyramid - meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. We are accustomed to consider this set as the main and main one. But meat is animal protein. It takes 6-8 hours to digest it, that is, 7-9 times more energy than carbohydrates. Meat does not contain vitamins, so our body sends enzymes and vitamins from its reserves to break it down, practically weakening itself. This explains the feeling of drowsiness after the abundant use of meat dishes. The kidneys, liver, heart and lungs work with great effort to digest what they eat. Before a meat dish, you need to chew a salad or vinaigrette from raw vegetables and herbs. Regular consumption of meat strains metabolic processes in the body, which leads to premature aging. It is rational to eat meat 2-3 times a week in the amount of 100-150 grams per day.

Wieners, sausages, sausages and other meat "delicacy""include various artificial food additives, preservatives, fillers and therefore are unlikely to be of benefit.

Another thing - fish . It also contains protein, but, unlike meat, fish has almost five times less connective tissue, which ensures its rapid digestion. It contains fatty acids and various minerals - iodine, fluorine, copper and zinc - make fish necessary for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension. The body's resistance to infections increases, vision improves, the exchange of phosphorus and calcium is regulated (therefore, fish is necessary for children and the elderly!). Useful and seafood - squid, mussels, sea kale.

Milk many love. And about whether to drink it or not to drink, there are a lot of opinions and disputes in the scientific world. One thing is certain: milk is ideal for a growing organism. It provides the body of the child with everything necessary. In adulthood, when the construction and growth of organs and systems is completed, it is preferable dairy products- yogurts, kefir, cottage cheese, which are designed to maintain and provide intestinal microflora, acid-base balance and affect fat and carbohydrate metabolism. A glass of kefir at night is very beneficial for health, and low-fat yogurt for breakfast.

At the top of the healthy eating pyramid - salt, sugar and sweets. How little space they have! Just a little of them should be in our diet. Indeed, excessive salt intake leads to hypertension, obesity. Sugar lovers get metabolic disorders, diabetes, obesity, caries. You need to teach yourself and your loved ones to consume these products to a minimum: salt - up to 6 grams per day (we also use 15 grams), instead of sugar, cakes - jams and fruits.

1.5. The picture shows the products. The sources of which vitamins can serve as the above products. Specify the importance of these vitamins for the body.

What vitamins are in food?

There are a large number of useful substances that are necessary for life, but among them are:

1. Vitamin A. Most important for visual acuity. It is found in large quantities in citrus fruits, carrots, green vegetables, eggs and liver.

2. B vitamins. Favorably affect the activity of the nervous system. You need to look for these beneficial substances in meat, milk, fish, legumes, cereals, mushrooms, etc.

3. Vitamin D. It is needed for normal growth and development of the skeleton, as well as to prevent osteoporosis in adulthood. Most vitamin D in dairy products, as well as fatty fish and other seafood.

4. Vitamin E. It is the basis of youth and fertility of the body. This substance should be looked for in products with a high content of vegetable fats, for example, in nuts and oils.

5. Vitamin C. Strengthens the body's immunity and increases protective functions against the action of viruses and infections. Most of all it is found in vegetables, citrus fruits, rose hips, berries and fruits.