Recently, much attention has been paid to harmless diets for weight loss. One of these is functional nutrition. Find out the features of this technique. Due to the very fast pace of life, most people do not have the time and opportunity to eat right. Food on the go, inadequate breakfast or its complete absence and a late high-calorie dinner are becoming one of the main reasons provoking the development of a large number of various diseases and ailments. Doctors claim that such a diet can shorten life by about 8 years. To prevent negative effects on the body, as well as to strengthen their own health, it is necessary to adhere to a functional diet.
What does functional nutrition mean?
Functional food is when the body receives the required amount of minerals, amino acids, vitamins, carbohydrates and proteins. This is not just food, but the use of products that have a healing effect on all functions of the human body, it is also an excellent source of nutrition.
An urgent need to use this principle of nutrition appeared around the middle of the last century in Japan. Almost immediately, all other countries supported the idea of functional nutrition.
The main reasons that provoked the formation of functional nutrition were:
- Poor quality food. Manufacturers are increasingly adding a variety of unnatural additives, dyes, flavor substitutes and synthetic vitamins to the composition of modern food products. After consuming such products, the feeling of hunger is eliminated, but the body does not receive valuable substances and vitamins. Over time, this provokes the appearance of a lack of almost all organs in natural substances.
- Improper nutrition. Most simply do not think about the consequences of disrupting their own nutrition. As a result, fatty, spicy and fried foods are consumed in large quantities. An unbalanced diet and erratic food intake are the main reasons that provoke the onset of the development of obesity, loss of strength, depression and a large number of various diseases of almost all internal organs.
- The sharp increase in such dangerous diseaseslike diabetes mellitus, hypertension, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis, bowel and stomach cancer.
All of the above factors are the main reasons that accelerated the emergence of functional nutrition. Nowadays there is an acute question about the human need for a healthy and balanced diet. Healthy food can not only heal the human body, but also prolong life.
The main advantages of natural products are that they provide the body with all the necessary nutrients and elements. They contain a large amount of valuable amino acids, trace elements, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. There is the possibility of compiling an individual nutrition, taking into account all the requirements of your own body and general health.
For example, in Japan, you can find functional chocolates on sale, which have a positive effect on the body, since they prevent the development of a heart attack. There are also unique and incredibly healthy soups that help improve blood circulation.
Functional foods
The main difference between functional food products and simple "healthy" food is that they are all grown only in a clean environment, without the use of harmful chemical additives and fertilizers.
The composition of such products contains useful substances that are exclusively of natural origin. Functional products include only those that have received scientific evidence of the benefits rendered to the body.
Biologically active natural components can be additionally added to such products:
- trace elements;
- lactic bacteria;
- natural vitamins;
- amino acids;
- polyunsaturated fats;
- peptides;
- bioflavonoids.
Foods suitable for functional nutrition are recommended to be consumed daily. Today they are divided into several main groups:
- Fermented milk products that have been fortified with probiotics, such as yoghurts and other types of milk drinks.
- Raw vegetables and fruits grown in the region where people live.
- Muesli, cereals and porridge cooked in water.
- Seafood. These include crab, pollock, pink salmon, cod, salmon, etc.
- Vegetable oils (only of natural origin).
With the exception of completely natural products, you can add to the diet and ready-made meals for functional nutrition. For example, it can be mashed potatoes, cereals, drinks or soups that have been previously enriched with natural and healthy dietary supplements.
Thanks to the use of such a diet, the human body receives all the necessary nutrients for full functioning. Such products can still be compared with food intended for astronauts - food is easily and quickly digested, homogeneous, contains only natural and healthy elements.
Advantages and disadvantages of functional nutrition
Every day more and more people are becoming interested in functional nutrition. The advantages of this method include:
- all products and dishes are of exclusively natural origin;
- correct and balanced nutrition is the key to health and beauty;
- thanks to the quick and easy assimilation of food, the stomach and intestines are not overloaded, but at the same time the body receives all the necessary nutrients for full functioning;
- such nutrition helps to prolong a person's life and improve its quality;
- you can adhere to functional nutrition at almost any age;
- there is a pronounced rejuvenating effect;
- the natural protective functions of the body increase, and the immune system is strengthened;
- it is an excellent source of energy;
- it becomes possible to completely get rid of a fairly large number of various diseases of the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal tract, including cancers;
- from the body at an accelerated rate and naturally remove all harmful substances that have accumulated over a long time;
- weight is normalized and there is a positive effect during the treatment of obesity.
Despite the mass of positive qualities and enthusiastic reviews from those who have already experienced the effect of functional nutrition, this technique also has certain disadvantages:
- In the case of uncontrolled consumption of products for functional nutrition, which are enriched with useful substances, there is a possibility of oversaturation of the body.
- With special attention it is necessary to adhere to this method for young children and people prone to allergies, and before starting to comply with it, it is imperative to consult with a nutritionist.
- If the system of functional nutrition of Konstantin Monastyrsky is observed, cereals are completely excluded from the diet, and the use of fruits and vegetables is minimized, but many doctors disagree with this. Oatmeal for breakfast is an excellent source of energy, and fruits and vegetables provide the body with valuable trace elements with natural vitamins.
Functional nutrition of Konstantin Monastyrsky
Konstantin Monastyrsky is one of the most popular nutritional consultants. He himself actively uses functional nutrition and has published 4 books on healthy eating.
After he was faced with such an unpleasant disease as diabetes, he decided to completely change the habitual principle of nutrition and with special attention selected products, thanks to which he was able to completely get rid of the ailment, including toothache and intestinal disorders.
Konstantin Monastyrsky believes that various diseases arise as a result of:
- eating too much fiber and carbohydrates;
- due to the lack of natural vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats in the human body.
The main principles of Monastyrsky functional nutrition:
- It is necessary to completely abandon the use of grain and flour products, which contain a large amount of carbohydrates. As a result of their abuse, the level of insulin increases, and it is he who is involved in converting the carbohydrates into fat. It is recommended to remove baked goods, pasta and cereals from your diet.
- A complete exclusion of fruits and vegetables is carried out, since they contain a large amount of fiber and carbohydrates. As a result of the intake of an excess of coarse fiber, the intestinal mucosa is disturbed. This leads to the appearance of various types of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Monastyrsky advises to consume all fruits and vegetables only during their ripening season. You need to remove vegetable juices and potatoes from your diet.
- The main components of the daily diet should be fermented milk products and meat. There are no carbohydrates in any type of meat, but it contains proteins, water, and fats. Also, meat provides the body with vitamin B12, amino acids, dietary iron. It is important that the meat is thoroughly chewed and during this process the production of digestive enzymes is activated. If the meat was purchased in a store, before cooking, it must be soaked in milk, thereby eliminating traces of antibiotics and pesticides.
- Another main component of the functional nutrition of Monastyrsky is fermented milk products. This includes natural yoghurts, butter, sour cream, cheeses, and other dairy products. Milk is one of the healthiest foods.
Konstantin Monastyrsky for 6 years adhered to the vegetarian diet, which did not give the desired result. And soon he completely switched to functional nutrition, the composition of the following menu:
- fish dishes - fish fried over low heat, casserole;
- drinks - tea and coffee with 1 tsp. sugar and cream;
- dairy dishes - butter, cheese, sour cream and yogurt;
- salads - with tomatoes, meat, with avocado and cucumbers, Greek with feta cheese;
- vegetables - tomatoes, zucchini, onions, sweet bell peppers, can be eaten fresh or baked;
- meat soups - puree soup, broth, kharcho, hodgepodge, onion;
- meat dishes - chicken chops, rabbit in sour cream, roast, barbecue, schnitzel, beef stroganoff.
Functional nutrition helps not only maintain one's own health, but also beauty. The advantages of this method include the fact that it can be adhered to throughout life and not be afraid to harm the body.
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