Unveiling the Secrets of Smart Dietary Supplementation: Deciphering the Value of Coarse, Bitter, and Smelly Foods, the Four Principles of Diet, and the Art of Harmonizing the Five Flavors [i]

The key to dietary supplementation is to know how to eat, to eat well, to eat cleverly, to eat for nutrition, and to eat for health[i]. (1) Know how to eat coarse, bitter, bland, and pungent foods: ① Know how to eat coarse foods. Staple foods should include brown rice, coarse flour products, etc., which will prevent vitamin B deficiency and constipation[i]. ② Know how to eat bitter foods. Most amino acids taste bitter, and most substances with strong cancer cell killing ability are also bitter[i]. For example, bitter melon, shiitake mushrooms, and tea are all bitter and astringent, and these are all natural anti-cancer foods[i]. ③ Know how to eat bland foods. Long-term excessive salt intake can induce high blood pressure and even cancer[i]. ④ Know how to eat pungent foods. Such as garlic, green onions, leeks, etc., especially garlic, which has strong antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-cancer effects[i]. (2) Know how to eat black foods: Black foods have higher nutritional value than white foods[i]. Black fungus can reduce blood viscosity, thin the blood, and make it less likely to cause cerebral thrombosis or coronary heart disease [i]. You can eat 5-10 grams of black fungus a day, either in soup or in dishes [i]. (3) Amazing way to eat vegetables raw: Studies have shown that many common vegetables such as radishes and loofahs contain interferon inducers that can resist cell carcinogenesis and viral infection [i]. However, these inducers are very "delicate", especially not heat-resistant. They become unstable when the temperature is above 100℃, and can only be effectively used when eaten raw [i]. Food anti-aging method: Peanuts can enhance memory and delay brain function decline; royal jelly can promote tissue oxygen supply; sesame can counteract the accumulation of aging substances in cells; wolfberries can inhibit fat deposition in liver cells [i]. Raw vegetables must be thoroughly cleaned: For eggplant and tomato vegetables, add 2 grams of baking soda to the water to neutralize organophosphorus pesticides; for leafy vegetables, wash with rice water [i]. A scientific dietary structure can help people ingest the nutrients they need and maintain good health. Remember these four phrases: "A mix of whole grains and refined grains, not too sweet or salty, three to five meals a week, and eating until you are 70-80% full" [i]. To maintain a comprehensive and balanced diet, whole grains and refined grains should be combined. Eating whole grains three to four times a week has a significant protein complementary effect [i]. Eating too many sweets is detrimental to health [i]. "Three to five meals a week" refers to eating smaller, more frequent meals while controlling the total amount [i]. This can effectively prevent diabetes and high cholesterol [i]. For overweight individuals, breakfast should account for 40%, lunch 40%, and dinner 20% [i]. Finally, "eating until you are 70-80% full" is crucial. Overeating leads to weight gain, and overeating puts excessive strain on the digestive system, causing blood to be diverted to the digestive system, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the brain [i]. A proper dinner: Dinner should be eaten early to reduce the incidence of urinary tract stones; dinner should be eaten lightly, as long-term overeating can stimulate excessive insulin secretion, potentially leading to diabetes; dinner should be vegetarian, mainly consisting of carbohydrate-rich foods [i]. The five flavors refer to five types of food: salty, bitter, sweet, pungent, and sour[i]. Different flavors have different effects on the human body: (1) Sour: It has the effects of astringing sweat and stopping seminal emission[i]. However, "eating too much sour food will cause the flesh to wrinkle and the lips to peel", which means that eating too much sour food will inhibit the growth of blood[i]. (2) Bitter: It has the effects of clearing heat, drying dampness, and detoxifying[i]. However, "eating too much bitter food will cause the skin to become dry and the hair to fall out", which means that eating too much bitter food will prevent the skin from being moisturized and will cause it to become dry and atrophied[i]. (3) Sweet: It has the effects of tonifying and soothing[i]. However, "eating too much sweet food will cause bone pain and hair loss", which means that eating too much sweet food will cause hair loss[i]. (4) Salty: It has the effects of purging, softening hardness, and tonifying yin and blood[i]. However, "eating too much salty food will cause the pulse to stagnate and change color", which means that the blood will slowly stagnate and the face will turn black[i]. (5) Pungent flavor: It has the effects of dispersing, promoting qi circulation, and invigorating blood [i]. However, "eating too much pungent food will cause the tendons to tighten and the nails to become dry," meaning that eating too much spicy food will dry out the elasticity of the tendons [i]. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic clearly states: "Carefully harmonizing the five flavors will ensure that the bones are straight and the tendons are supple, that qi and blood flow smoothly, and that the pores are tight, thus refining the essence of the bones and qi [i]." This illustrates that proper harmony of the five flavors is an important condition for good health and longevity [i]. Food should be of appropriate strength and flavor, and the taste should not be excessive [i]. [i]