6 principles of healthy and longevity diet for the elderly

Eat early

It’s already dinner time and I have to eat. In addition, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. is when the stomach meridian is in season, so it is best to arrange breakfast at this time. Traditional Chinese medicine also says that "if the stomach is not in harmony, you will have trouble sleeping", so try to have dinner as early as possible so as not to increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.

Eat less

The ancients often said, "If you eat eight cents full, you will have fewer illnesses and no worries." That is to say, leave one or two mouthfuls at each meal to give your stomach two cents of space. "Huangdi Neijing" also advocates "eating in moderation". Australian research found that if humans remain hungry at all times, their life span will increase by 20% to 30%.

Eat warm

According to traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired health. The stomach likes dryness and hates cold, so avoid irritating cold food and eat warm food. However, it should be noted that warm food does not mean hot food. Frequently eating hot food can damage the esophagus and is one of the causes of esophageal cancer.

Eat slowly

This slowness means chewing slowly and slowly, so as to fully absorb nutrients, protect the stomach and intestines, and promote digestion. Secondly, I want to emphasize that eating should be a pleasant thing and don’t make you feel too tired.

Eat lightly

It means less oil, less salt and less processing. The reason why this light word is particularly emphasized is because Chinese people now consume excessive amounts of salt and oil, and the resulting diseases such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension are increasing.

Eat softly

The elderly have poor teeth and weak digestion of the spleen and stomach, so they should "eat soft foods rather than hard foods." The so-called "hard foods" include in addition to hard fruit-like items, they also include fried, fried, fatty, sweet, and greasy foods that are difficult to digest.