Do you often feel tired, have little stamina and even wounds are not easy to heal? Be careful that the “hidden hunger” can come to your door! The nutritionist reminds that people who lack these two main nutrients may be in the high risk group of “hidden hunger”. Paying attention to the 3 principles will help you stay away from the threat of “hidden hunger”!
When it comes to malnutrition, I think most people think about how thin people look! Indeed, in addition to too little intake of calories and nutrients, health suffers from an unbalanced diet, which is also the so-called malnutrition. And “hidden hunger” is a situation where “the body is not hungry and seems to have enough,” but in fact it lacks some nutrients. For example, an obese person may also suffer from nutritional deficiencies, such as iron deficiency.
What is hidden hunger? Lack of two main types of nutrition can become a high risk group
Nutritionist Li Wanping said that hidden hunger, also known as micronutrient deficiency, refers to a lack of two essential nutrients for the human body: vitamins and minerals. Unlike the three macronutrients of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients because they should only be taken in in small quantities. Among the most commonly deficient nutrients are vitamin A, iron, zinc, iodine and folic acid, while others such as the B complex or B12 are also common.
For example, many starch sufferers often have symptoms of anemia due to insufficient protein and iron intake; people who are addicted to sweets and drinks are prone to seborrheic dermatitis or bad skin conditions such as mouth cracking and angular cheilitis; people who only love meat but eat less fruit will also suffer from bleeding gums due to lack of vitamin C. When the body is hidden in hunger for a long time, it will not be able to function well and resist disease, and it will also hinder growth and the development of children.
By eating kiwi, orange, banana, guava and other fruits, you can get a variety of nutrients in just one serving.
3 principles to avoid hidden hunger
Nutritionist Li Wanping said that bad eating habits are the root cause of micronutrient deficiency, so to prevent hidden hunger, you can pay attention to several directions:
1. Diet Diversification:
Maintaining a diverse diet is considered one of the most effective ways to avoid hidden hunger, which is a balanced intake of six types of foods, including whole grains and roots, beans, fish, meat and eggs, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and oils of walnuts.
2. Choose foods with a high nutrient density:
In general, foods with a low nutrient density provide body calories without other important nutrients, such as overly refined foods, snacks high in fat and sugar, etc. Therefore, it is recommended that you eat more natural, unprocessed ingredients, read the nutritional content on the label carefully when buying foods, and choose more nutritious foods with the same calories. For example, it is better to eat red bean soup and B-complex instead of just drinking drinks, because the former can only supplement sugar but cannot help metabolism; or eat fruits such as kiwi, orange, banana, guava, etc., only a portion Get a variety of nutrients.
3. Get Additional Supplements From Nutritious Foods:
For some groups such as pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly, the need for micronutrients may increase. For example, pregnant mothers need to increase their intake of iron and folic acid. When the daily diet is not enough, it can be supplemented with food supplements after discussions with a nutritionist or doctor.
