At present, it is the alternation of winter and spring, which is still a period of frequent respiratory infections, and through nutritional management, you can enhance your own immunity and prevent illness. We have prepared a New Year's food gift to help everyone improve their immunity, and wish you great health, health and happiness every day in the new year!
1. Diversify your food All of these nutrients are needed.
Pay attention to a variety of foods in your daily diet, do not be picky eaters, and ensure that you get enough nutrients from three meals a day.
1. High-quality protein
High-quality protein is the basis of immune substances in the body, and it is also the key to maintaining the body's immunity and strong body.
2. Water. Water is the source of life." The water content of the adult body is about 65%, and the body water content of the child is about 75%. It is recommended to drink plain water or tea, preferably plain water, and adults should drink 1500-1700 ml of water per day.
Children in a mild climate with a light level of physical activity: 800ml of water per day for 6-year-old children and 1000ml per day for 7-10-year-old children; 11-13 years old boys drink 1300ml of water per day, and girls drink 1100ml of water per day; Boys aged 14-17 should drink 1400ml of water per day, and girls should drink 1200ml of water per day.
It is important to note that drinking drinks and juices is not a substitute for drinking water!
3. A variety of vitamins and trace elements
Vitamins and trace elements are also closely related to immune function, which is the "iron wall" of the immune system, although the demand is small, but the deficiency will lead to a decrease in the body's immunity. These nutrients are needed from the diet:
1) Vitamin A Supplementation with adequate vitamin A can help protect the respiratory system from viruses, improve lung function, and maintain the integrity of the immune barrier. Vitamin A mainly comes from animal foods, such as animal liver, dairy products, cod liver oil, etc. Yellow fruits and vegetables such as pumpkin and potatoes, as well as leafy greens, are rich in carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in the body as needed.
2) Vitamin D studies have found that vitamin D reduces the risk of acute respiratory infections. It is mainly found in yeast and mushrooms, animal liver, egg yolks, cottage cheese, etc.
3) Vitamin C Vitamin C deficiency can impair immune function and increase the probability of infection. It is high in vegetables and fruits, such as persimmon peppers, bell peppers, dates, kiwifruit, etc.
4) Selenium and zinc The normal functioning of the immune system also requires the addition of minerals such as selenium and zinc, which supports the immune system and reduces the risk of infection; Zinc has antiviral, anti-inflammatory effects and maintains the integrity of the tissue barrier. Their main food** is red meat, shellfish, offal, etc.
In addition, studies have found that there are some "anti-inflammatory diets" that can improve inflammation and immunity in the body, and these foods include leafy or cruciferous vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, mushrooms, and fish.
2. The core recommendations for the elderly and children's dietary combinations.
Older people and children have relatively low immunity, so there are some special dietary recommendations.
1. The elderly.
1) Meal Matching Core:
1.The food is rich in variety and reasonable combination, choose more dark leafy vegetables and a variety of fruits.
2.Eat animal foods as variously as possible, and make sure there are plenty of soy products.
3.It is recommended to drink 300-500 ml of milk per day.
2) Warm reminder:
For the elderly with decreased appetite or nutritional deficiencies, daily diet alone may not be able to meet their nutritional needs, so it is recommended to supplement appropriate medical nutritional preparations under the guidance of a doctor to provide efficient and comprehensive nutritional supplements and improve immunity.
If the intestinal flora is dysbiosis occurs in the elderly population, the digestion and absorption function will be affected, which will affect immunity to a certain extent. If there is an intestinal flora disorder, under the guidance of a doctor or clinical nutritionist, you can take some probiotics and prebiotics appropriately to improve the intestinal microecology.
2. Children and adolescents.
1) Preschool children's meal matching core:
Balanced nutrition, balanced diet, and healthy eating habits;
Drink milk every day, eat enough, and choose snacks reasonably;
When cooking, parents should pay attention to less seasoning and less frying.
2) School-age children and adolescents with the core of dietary matching:
Eat three meals a day, make the three meals regular, regular and quantitative, and pay special attention to the nutritional quality of breakfast.
Children who don't like meat or milk can increase their protein intake with other animal products, such as salmon, fish sticks, eggs, yogurt or cheese; Legumes and cereals can be added: soy products such as soy milk or tofu; Choose lentils, hummus, oatmeal, or whole-wheat pasta, among others.
3) The core of dietary collocation for children with respiratory tract infections:
Drink as much water as possible and foods rich in water, or if you have a fever.
Adequate protein is required. Children with fever, cough and other symptoms have high energy consumption, so they need to supplement high-protein foods in time, such as dairy products, lean meat, eggs, etc.
If the child's digestive function is reduced, it is recommended to adopt a light steaming and cooking method, avoid greasy, and eat small and frequent meals; Choose from easy-to-digest lean porridge, noodles, wontons, etc. At the same time, eating more vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A and vitamin C is conducive to protecting the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and preventing infection.
If there is a weight loss of 5% or more, it is necessary to go to the clinical nutrition clinic for individualized dietary intervention, and the dietitian will prescribe nutrition.
Authors: Han Ting (Chief Physician) and Chen Yiqiu (Dietitian), Science Popularization Officer of the Tenth Hospital, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital