Functional food

Today, when our world was massively captivated by ideas about the right way of life , organic products, dietary supplements, etc., people began to perceive food not just as a saturation of the body with energy, but as a method of treatment or prevention of diseases, that is - to derive maximum benefit from that , what we eat. This is what the concept of functional nutrition implies.

First of all, the wave of "health" began with highly developed countries. And for the first time the term "functional nutrition" was used at a specialized congress in Japan, where it received its modern definition: nutrition, which saturates the body with all necessary substances.

Five compound functional meals

So, modern doctors claim that the functional food system should consist of five elements:

1. Products that contribute to the cleansing of the body of waste and other wastes of life.
2. Products that regulate intestinal microflora.
3. Products that stimulate the growth of beneficial microflora in the intestine.
4. Seafood.
5. Monounsaturated fats.

To the first group of functional food we include cereals, bran, cereals, cooked without milk. They not only cleanse, but have anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory action, and also regulate pressure. To products that regulate the microflora, we refer to the familiar yoghurt and kefir. Who among you has not heard the advertisement about lacto- and bifidobacteria, but before buying, take a look at the composition and see if there really are bacteria. The health of the intestines is the guarantee of the health of the whole organism, because the intestine is like a multi-meter tube, which must absorb the useful and remove the harmful. If we do not help him in this, none of the vitamin supplements and dietary supplements will save us.

The third group is the fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables that are characteristic of our region, they are the storehouse of vitamins for our health. And about seafood and their benefits are heard by everyone. At least twice a week is worth doing "fish days" for the whole family. Vitamin A, D, E is what the seafood is rich in. Under the intricate word "monounsaturated" lies the usual olive and peanut butter . Doctors recommend using it on a spoonful a day. To make its reception not only useful, but also tasty, accustom yourself to dress salads with olive oil.

Functional food and sports

The concept of functional nutrition extends not only to mere mortals, but also to athletes. In professional sports, the athlete first works for health, and then shows the achievements due to their reserves. Considering the high load and exhausting training, to provide the body with an increased dose of nutrients helps special functional nutrition for athletes. A lot of pharmaceutical companies offer different options - from additives in tablets and powders, to vitamin cocktails, energy bars, etc.

What about the children?

You, probably, already had time to reflect, whether differs something from usual standards of functional baby food. In principle, all the same five elements must be observed, but with greater care. In the morning, feed your baby cereal, between meals, let's eat fruit, and do not forget to instill in him from childhood a love for kefir (then it will be more difficult), and to seafood. If you do not expand the child's gastronomic outlook, when he grows up, he will not feel the need for overseas fish, prawns, mussels, sea kale, all this will seem to him tasteless and inedible. But all seafood is rich in those microelements that make both Mediterranean residents and Japanese record holders for longevity.