10 embarrassing questions about nutrition: nutritionist Maria Kardakova answers

IN series articles, well-known experts answer questions that are usually awkward to ask: it seems that everyone already knows about it, and the questioner will look stupid.

This time we talked with nutritionist Maria Kardakova about whether there are good and bad foods, how much sugar you can eat, and whether gluten is so terrible.

1. Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

Research show that people who eat breakfast tend to be healthier. They are less likely to have problems with obese and chronic diseases. And among teenagers who do not refuse their morning meal, moreover, are improving cognitive functions.

However, such studies are called observational studies, meaning they cannot demonstrate cause and effect. Maybe people who eat breakfast are simply more organized or like to cook at home and eat healthier foods. And those who don’t eat in the morning eat more chaotically.

It can be said that people who eat breakfast are more likely to be healthier. But it is impossible to say that the reason for this is precisely the morning meal.

In 2021, a systematic review, which showed that people who eat breakfast have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity, and stroke. And these are the causes of mortality that occupy leading positions in Russia and in the world among non-communicable diseases. That is, in general, we can conclude that if we qualitatively having breakfast, then we reduce the risk of developing these diseases.

What does a quality breakfast mean? This is a meal that includes different food groups.

For example, cereals, eggs, vegetables, fruits. Breakfasts that lack variety will not allow us to be properly satiated. And this will lead to us eating sweets throughout the day.

If we don’t have breakfast at all, we don’t get enough of the calories we need—and this can have different consequences. For example, some will find it very difficult to control their appetite during lunch and dinner. And this can ultimately lead to overeating.

In addition, during breakfast our receptors are still calm and we consume simple food more easily. In the evening, we would rather replace such food with some less healthy products with stronger tastes. For example, something sweet.

What conclusion can be drawn from all this? You need to observe yourself and experiment. Pay attention to whether you overeat or react calmly to food if you skipped breakfast. And if everything is in order, you can refuse it.

2. Is it true that you need to eat often and in small portions, 5–6 times a day? And chew each piece as long as possible?

There are no universal indications for eating frequently and in small portions. Unless, of course, you are missing some gastroproblems, resections, diabetes. But if we talk about some average numbers, then it is usually recommended to eat five times a day. That is, we are talking about breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.

Moreover, you should eat when you feel hungry. And a snack is not a chocolate bar, but something complete. For example, scrambled eggs from one egg with tomato or a sandwich with salmon and spinach.

It’s really better to chew as long and thoroughly as possible. Because appetite is largely controlled by hormones. Suppressed after eating ghrelin, which is responsible for the feeling of hunger. Also at this moment, the satiety hormone leptin is released. This combination tells the brain that we are full and food intake is interrupted. But the process of hormone production takes about 20 minutes.

And if you eat food too quickly, your brain simply won’t have time to understand that you’re actually already full.

It was interesting study, where people at a healthy weight were asked to eat ice cream in 5 and 30 minutes. And the feeling of fullness was ultimately higher when the dessert was consumed slowly. In another study, people were asked to eat at different speeds - and those who ate slowly also consumed fewer calories. They also felt fuller longer.

Chewing thoroughly allows for better assimilate useful components from food. The level of pleasure from food increases, its movement through the gastrointestinal tract improves. But if we are in a hurry, the body can recognize this as severe stress. Therefore, do not push yourself, do not discuss topics that concern you, and do not look at your phone.

Additionally, slowing down when you eat, coupled with lifestyle and dietary modifications, can help you lose weight or reduce your risk of gaining extra pounds. This effect is due to the fact that by chewing each piece thoroughly, a person can ultimately eat less.

Yes, in one research normal weight and overweight people ate at different rates. As a result, both groups consumed less calories while eating at the slowest pace. In addition, all participants also felt fuller longer, reporting less hunger 60 minutes after eating slowly.

In fact, several studies have shown that those who are overweight tend to chew their food less thoroughly than rest.

And changes in the rate of eating can affect weight loss in obese people. Eg, study with the participation of almost 60 thousand women showed that slow chewing of food is associated with a decrease in BMI and a decrease in waist circumference.

3. Is it really better to eat carbohydrates in the first half of the day? Also, should you under no circumstances mix them with proteins?

Adherents of separate nutrition call for separating foods into carbohydrates, proteins, fats and under no circumstances mixing them during meals. However, almost everything products contain both proteins and carbohydrates. Therefore, it is impossible to separate them in this way. Yes, and it’s inappropriate. This will not bring any benefit - it will only provoke additional anxiety.

To understand whether you need to eat carbohydrates only in the morning, you should watch your own body. And only then decide if it's right for you. You can conduct an experiment: eat more carbohydrate and more protein breakfasts for a week and observe how you feel in general and after what time hunger sets in.

It is also worth paying attention to how active the day was. If you spent it in bed, that's one energy consumption. But if there was a lot to do since the morning, then it’s completely different. In addition, the individual characteristics of each organism also play a role.

For some people, oatmeal with apples is enough until lunch, while others will be hungry from it in half an hour.

There are also those who do not eat carbohydrates in the evening because they are afraid of gaining weight. However, it is worth remembering that the process of losing weight depends on the total calorie intake and energy expended. Therefore, carbohydrates in the evening will not affect your weight if the total calorie content of your meals for the day is not so high. What if you spend the whole day didn't eat and feel hungry, it is better to prepare yourself a full dinner in the evening, including proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Remember: a healthy weight is not just about calories. If we exclude carbohydrate foods, we will lose an important source of a whole range of elements: B vitamins (among which folic acid is especially necessary for all women), iron, zinc, magnesium, selenium, food fibers And their deficiency will affect the body. This can also manifest itself in the form of ordinary hunger.

Therefore, it is better to adhere to the following proportions: approximately 45–65% of our diet should be carbohydrates. Moreover, only 10% of them can be in the form of foods and drinks with added sugar. The rest is potatoes, cereals, and legumes. Squirrels should make up from 10 to 35% of our diet.

If there are distortions, breakdowns are much more likely. In addition, glucose, which we get from carbohydrates, is important for brain function. If he doesn’t get enough of it, we will begin to suffer from headaches, feel tired, dizzy, and have a low mood. It is not clear why you should lose weight at all if you feel bad at the same time.

4. Does everyone really need to drink 2 liters of water a day?

Not water, and liquids. On average we target 2 liters per day, but again there is no general formula for everyone. In addition, it is important to remember: we get water from any liquid product. The liquid in fruits and vegetables is also taken into account - although its amount is difficult to accurately determine.

You need to drink if you are thirsty. But you also need to control fluid loss. And if a lot of it goes away, then drink through force, too. And in situations of high risk of dehydration - at extremely high temperatures, super intense training, in case of diarrhea or vomiting, use rehydration solutions so that water is better absorbed.

If you feel dizzy and feel unwell, you should also pay attention to how much you drink.

In addition, sometimes we experience mixed sensations of hunger and thirst. So if you've had a good meal or have just finished eating but are still hungry, try drink.

5. Is it harmful to eat after 18:00? And before bed?

Health professionals are limited advice not to eat heavy food about 2-3 hours before bedtime. That is, if you go to bed at nine, then after six it’s really better not to eat.

But if, for example, you start a night shift or generally go to bed late, then the rule “not to eat after six” will put pressure and lead to breakdowns, you will experience hunger. Therefore, you can safely eat a full meal at 9–10 o’clock in the evening. dinner: bulgur, salad, bread with fish, even pasta with vegetables.

But under no circumstances should you snack on anything sweet. You need to satisfy your hunger with something that will benefit your body.

6. Do we need a detox to cleanse our body?

Detox - This is a way of cleansing the body of harmful substances. Many adherents of such programs talk about a special feeling of lightness throughout the body and emotional uplift. This is a fairly natural condition that can last from 1 to 5 days. Nature intended this time to allow man to find a source of food.

But the effect of lightness cannot last forever - it is replaced by weakness, because the body needs food for further functioning. And at the moment when he begins to eat, the body with triple strength begins to create reserves in case of the next hunger strike. And with every new one a bout of hunger he becomes more and more reluctant to get rid of stocks and puts aside surpluses more and more quickly.

It seems to you that you are being cleansed, but instead your body is weakening very quickly.

Detox, or cleansing of toxins, is an unscientific concept. It’s not smoothies or dietary supplements that cleanse – our body does this on its own. Therefore, people who simply change their diet to a healthier one and begin to exercise regularly feel much better than those who follow detox programs.

7. Is gluten bad for you?

Gluten is a protein that has been causing problems in people with the genetic autoimmune disease celiac disease. Clinical recommendations have begun to be issued for them, one of which is the exclusion of gluten from the diet, because it is involved in a reaction leading to damage to the intestinal walls. At the same time, products that did not contain this protein began to appear.

But, as often happens, the audience of consumers of such products had to be expanded to obtain greater benefits. Therefore, all the research on this topic was used - they just read it backwards.

Why? There is a genetic disease that causes inflammation and attack when eating gluten. intestines. And manufacturers present it this way: an attack on the intestinal walls occurs when a person eats gluten, and this causes him to develop an autoimmune disease. In fact, this is a disorder meets in about 1.4% of people.

If a person does not have any negative symptoms when consuming a product, such as shortness of breath, redness of the skin, or bloating, then it should not be excluded.

If you eat bread rolls and everything is fine with you, and then you take some genetic test and it shows gluten intolerance, you don’t need to exclude anything either.

The problem is that if we simply begin to systematically refuse a product, we increase the likelihood that over time we will actually develop intolerance to it. The body will simply forget how to absorb it. And eventually it may develop vitamin deficiency and microelements.

This problem especially concerns children. Often, if a child has problems with nutrition, parents begin to exclude more and more foods from his diet. And because of this, restrictive behavior may eventually form: fear of food or an eating disorder (ED).

8. Are there PP products?

In food marketing and influencer blogs, we often come across this term. However, the concept of “PP product” does not have a clear definition. Some classify only buckwheat, vegetables and chicken breast as PP, while others exclude dairy and gluten. Some promote juices and smoothies, while others, on the contrary, scare us with obesity from fruits...

The concept of “healthy eating” has no scientific basis. Dividing foods into good and bad, harmful and useful, clean and dirty food can lead to eating disorders, and in the long term, to eating disorder.

There are definitely foods that provide more benefits to our health: vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, fish, seafood, nuts and others. There are also those whose amount in the diet needs to be reduced - these are ultra-processed foods with a lot of salt, sugar, and fat. But there are no foods that everyone needs to exclude from their diet forever.

When a person has a clear understanding of what is useful and what is harmful, this can indicate orthorexia - fear of certain foods, obsession with healthy eating.

All of these can be patterns on the path to developing an eating disorder.

It’s bad when you deny yourself food and remain hungry if the menu contains a salad that contains bacon, or a dressing made from sunflower oil, and not ghee. Obsessing over food is unhealthy.

Such people live in thoughts where there is only black and white and the range of “healthy” products is becoming smaller and smaller. Many people even like it, because when the list of “allowed” foods is small, there is less choice of what to eat in the end.

However, when we give ourselves permission to eat what we want, we are less likely to relapse. And to get rid of the obsession with thoughts about food, you need to work with a therapist or a good food specialist.

9. Are there foods you should avoid if you want to be healthy? For example, fast food, sweet and fatty, red meat?

Fast food is highly recommended by nutrition experts limit. The fact is that most often such food contains large amounts of salt, sugar and saturated fat. In addition, low quality products are used in its preparation. As well as oils that are heated many times, which is why they form trans fats. The latter are carcinogens and, if used systematically, can become one of the factors provoking the development of certain types of cancer.

Sausages and smoked semi-finished products should also not be the basis of your diet. The fact is that substances contained in meat, added during processing or formed during its preparation, can increase risk of developing cancer.

These substances include:

• Nitrates and nitrites added during the production of meat products: sausages, frankfurters, ham and others.
• Heme is the non-protein part of hemoglobin. It is naturally found in red meat.
• Heterocyclic and polycyclic amines. These chemicals are produced when red meat is processed and cooked at high temperatures. Including on the grill or barbecue. It is for this reason that it is not recommended to eat burnt pieces of meat.

However, it is important to remember that there is no need to be afraid and exclude meat products - it is better to concentrate on a variety of protein sources, including poultry, fish, seafood, beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu. Eat red meat too Can - either three steaks per week, or 70 g per day. But consuming it for breakfast, lunch and dinner is too much.

There is no need to over-salt your food. For the prevention of cardiovascular diseases need to eat no more than 6 g of salt per day. On average, people consume about 7 g.

Sugar consumption is necessary limit up to 30 g per day. This includes baked goods, chocolate, and beverages. Moreover, the maximum amount of the latter is one glass per day.

If we systematically go beyond the 30 g limit, we increase the risk of developing diabetes. It’s not a fact that this will happen, but you shouldn’t forget about this possibility.

10. Are vegetarianism and veganism beneficial or rather harmful? Can a person live without meat?

There are different types of vegetarianism, here are the main ones:

• Lactovegetarianism. Its adherents exclude meat, fish, poultry, eggs and products containing them, but leave milk and dairy products in their diet.
• Ovo-vegetarianism. Meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products are excluded, but are allowed eggs.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarianism. Meat, fish and poultry are excluded, but dairy products and eggs are allowed.
• Pescetarianism. Meat and poultry are excluded, but fish and seafood are allowed. Dairy products and eggs may or may not be consumed.
• Veganism. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, as well as all products containing them are excluded. This type of nutrition has the most restrictions.

The most optimal type of diet is considered to be one that allows the consumption of eggs, milk, fish, and seafood. Veganism is one of the most radical trends. And the risk of nutritional deficiency is very high here.

Of course, when a person excludes meat, but replenishes the diet with a large amount of plant foods, this is good: the risks of developing diabetes, as well as some types of cancer, are reduced. Mainly due to dietary fiber contained in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes.

These ingredients help keep us fuller longer after eating, which helps us consume fewer calories overall.

Accordingly, the risk of developing obesity is lower, and it, in turn, is one of the main factors provoking the development of oncology, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Plant foods also contain a large amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

But at the same time, people who follow the principles of a plant-based diet have higher probability development eating disorders And risks deficiency of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin B12.

In general, we do not see large differences in health between those who do not eat meat at all and those who allow themselves to eat it occasionally. But the second option helps to balance between the problems of those who refuse this product completely and those who use it in large quantities.

And of course, it’s worth remembering: if you choose vegetarianism, you need to take responsibility to your body for what you eat. you will replace beneficial substances from meat, learn to eat a varied and balanced diet so as not to harm yourself more harm.