Like every year, food is definitely set to play the major role in the traditional Chinese New Year festivities as families and friends get together to enjoy a mouthwatering year-end banquet. This will not please those trying to maintain a healthy diet over this festive season.
Recent surveys have shown that the average Chinese diet is less healthy than decades ago. With the increased variety of food now available across the country, such as fast food restaurants and abundant dairy and meat products, staying healthy and keeping the pounds off has presented many with a new challenge.
The abundance of fatty foods on the market has been coupled with more people suffering from diabetes and coronary heart disease.
Meanwhile, the public is currently being inundated with nutrition information and warnings regarding chemical contaminants or residues in certain foods. This frequently contradictory information can further boggle ones mind, making the mission to stay healthy an ever more difficult one.
By screening out falsely publicized data, leading nutrition research institutions from home and abroad have stipulated the basics for a healthy diet.
Fruits and vegetables
So far eating fruit and vegetables has been one of the few dietary guidelines both international and Chinese health experts are in total agreement on.
In the latest issue of food facts published by the Asian Food Information Centre (AFIC) last year, the institute clearly outlines the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables.
The centre recommends 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per person per day, excluding potatoes and other starchy tubers. This amount can be translated into approximately five or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day. One serving is the amount that fits into the palm of a cupped hand.
It was recommended that the ratio between vegetable and fruit servings should be kept at three to two respectively. Also health experts from the centre advise that dried, canned and in particular frozen foods can also count towards the five-a-day target, but it is advised that at least three portions should be fresh or in relatively unprocessed forms.
By comparison, the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS), an organization for nutrition research and education, recommended that the Chinese should consume even more fruit and vegetables such as 400-600 grams of vegetables and 100-200 grams of fruit per person per day.
"Traditionally, vegetables have played a major role in the diet of the Chinese," explained Ge Keyou, chairman of CNS.
However, the national nutrition survey carried out over the past two decades found that vegetable consumption rates fall short of the recommended amount, with consumption averaging around 300 grams per person per day.
Ge said that one of the most important reasons why so many are consuming less than optimal quantities was that people favor sweet and oily foods.
A poor awareness of the real health benefits of fruit and vegetables also prevents people from managing their eating habits correctly, he believed.
"The benefits of eating fruit and vegetables are already widely recognized in the nutritional world. At least, so far, no scientist has published a paper to show the adverse effects of eating them," said Ge.
After conducting extensive comparative studies on the various diets around the world, scientists found that in countries with diets consisting of higher proportions of fruit and vegetables, certain chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and some cancers appear to be less common.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that a low intake of fruit and vegetables contributes to about 19 per cent of gastrointestinal cancer, about 31 per cent of heart diseases and 11 per cent of strokes.
An expert report published by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) in 1997 estimates that between 30 and 40 percent of cancer cases throughout the world are preventable through modifying typical diets. A panel of experts from WCRF concluded that the consumption of 400 grams per day or a large variety of fruit and vegetables could, irrespective of other foods and lifestyle patterns, decrease the chances of developing cancer by at least 20 percent.
When choosing fruit and vegetables, AFIC recommended green leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, and fruits such as oranges and lemons, saying that they are the most beneficial.
Ge suggested that a good strategy for consuming the healthiest combination of fruit and vegetables is to aim for as many different colors as possible. Darker colored vegetables tend to be richer in nutrients.
Pesticide fears
Most consumers are deeply concerned about the abundance of pesticides being used to protect foods against insects and viruses that reduce yield and quality. They worry about the risks of chemical residues causing cancer.
"Pesticides can be a problem sometimes, but most of the time they are OK," said Ge.
Pesticides become a health hazard only when they are misused. However, when pesticides are used properly and strictly managed in accordance with national safety guidelines, chemical residues may have little effect on one's health.
AFIC noted that, to date, the studies that have examined possible links between approved levels of pesticide residues in food and ill health have been unable to establish any definite link.
"So the government should further set limits on the types and amounts of pesticides used," said Ge.
But Ge also suggested that people should learn about ways to avoid the risks.
Pesticide residues are mainly sprayed on the leaves, so the roots and stems are the least affected.
Soaking or rinsing vegetables with water is a good way to remove most residues. Really brightly colored vegetables are often cultivated with help of too many pesticides and should therefore be avoided.
"Generally compared with the adverse effects of pesticide toxins, the benefits people gain from the consumption of fruit and vegetables are always much greater," said Ge.
Balanced diet
The abundance of unhealthy, convenient food outlets in the country's cities has encouraged individuals to lead more unhealthy lifestyles and neglect a balanced diet.
According to nutritionists, a healthy diet does not mean total exclusion of any food group from the diet.
The Chinese Nutrition Society advises people to eat a wide variety of food to ensure they consume something from each food group, including grain products, animal foods, beans, oils, fat, vegetables and fruit.
However, in real life, health information often changes, confusing the consumer set on maintaining a healthy diet.
For example, last year the craze worldwide was to avoid foods high in carbohydrate in order to lose weight.
However, Dr Michael Dansinger, of Tufts-New England Medical Centre, Boston, published an article last January in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showing that people were able to lose weight on any diet. He found that the length of time participants stayed on a diet, and not the type of diet, determined how much weight they lost.
"Excluding certain types of food from one's daily diet to lose weight is not a wise option. The key for weight loss should be limiting calorie intake," said Ge.
Nowadays, promoting the concept of a balanced diet has been the priority for health experts. But people find it difficult to maintain this because so many people today live such hectic lifestyles causing them to be attracted to unhealthy convenience food.
"It is easier to manage the dietary consumption over a week or a longer period. When people have too much oily food one day, they can eat light food the next day," said Ge.
Nutritionists have also recommended vitamin and mineral supplements for those lacking a healthy balanced diet.
(China Daily January 12, 2006)
