A traditional Tet meal can be very nutritious and beneficial for bones and joints with just a few small changes in food choices, such as selecting fish or olive oil.
Sticky rice cakes (Bánh chưng, Bánh tét), braised pork with eggs, pork sausage, fried spring rolls, various jams, nuts... are indispensable dishes in the Tet holiday meals of Vietnamese families. However, according to MSc. Dr. Dinh Pham Thi Thuy Van, Orthopedic Trauma Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, these foods increase the risk of musculoskeletal diseases.
The high starch content from rice and sticky rice dishes easily leads to excess energy intake, while the need and frequency of physical activity during Tet are not high. Bad fats from fatty meats and hydrogenated vegetable oils destroy vitamin K, a vitamin essential for strong bones.
Cooking habits such as deep-frying with a lot of oil increase cholesterol, making the ends of bones more susceptible to erosion, leading to arthritis. In addition, excessive salt intake increases the risk of calcium loss from bones. This is one of the root causes of decreased bone density and increased risk of osteoporosis, especially in older adults.
Doctor Van advises patients on their health condition. Photo : Provided by the hospital.
Dr. Van stated that a healthy diet helps build a strong musculoskeletal system. Therefore, it is important to focus on building a balanced diet with macronutrients including carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, and to supplement with foods rich in vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, and collagen.
Here are some simple tips to make your Tet holiday meals beneficial for your bones and joints.
Use lean meats with less fat : Fatty meats contain a lot of saturated fat – a type of bad fat that destroys vitamin K and reduces bone strength. Choosing lean meats not only helps reduce the absorption of bad fats but also increases the amount of protein in each meal. Adequate protein intake increases the effectiveness of calcium absorption, leading to stronger bones.
Choosing the right foods makes Tet meals more delicious and healthy. Photo: Freepik
Replace pork with fish in bitter melon soup with stuffed meat: Fish provides a richer source of omega-3 fatty acids than other animal meat sources. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce the risk of common bone and joint diseases such as arthritis and osteoarthritis.
Using olive oil for cooking : Studies have shown that using olive oil in moderation optimizes bone density and stimulates bone growth, effectively preventing osteoporosis.
Replace watermelon seeds and sunflower seeds with nuts that are good for bones and joints, such as walnuts, flax seeds, almonds, and cashews. These are all nuts rich in antioxidants, which help reduce bone and joint pain. Walnuts contain a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which health experts recommend consuming daily to improve overall health.
Hong Phuc
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