Due to the threat of the spread of coronavirus, many residents of our country are still in self-isolation. These are mainly schoolchildren, students and teachers, that is, those people who are used to active life style. South Ural State University ensures the successful implementation of the educational process without loss of the effectiveness, using the Electronic SUSU system. However, forced restrictions negatively affect the overall emotional background. Staying in a depression for a long time increases the level of stress. How to cope with it? Can we take comfort in tasty and healthy food during stressful times? Which foods should we prefer? Is it possible to make bakery products healthy? We asked our expert, Candidate of Sciences (Engineering), Associate Professor, Senior Researcher at the Department of Food Technology and Biotechnology of the SUSU School of Medical Biology Irina Kalinina to answer these and other questions.
Staff members of the SUSU School of Medical Biology are engaged in interesting developments in nutrition; so will they help make our eating habits more useful?
"Yes, absolutely! In the recent years, the staff members of the Department of Food Technology and Biotechnology under the guidance of the Head of the Department Irina Potoroko have been actively researching the field of developing products with high nutritional value. Bakery and dairy products are the products that almost every person eats every day. The Department of Food Technology and Biotechnology has developed a line of bakery and dairy products with antioxidant properties. They use unusual ingredients as a source of antioxidants, such as fucoidan (exopolysaccharide of brown algae), dihydroquercetin (a flavonoid obtained from larch extract), whole-wheat flour from wheat germ rich in valuable amino acids, flax products rich in vitamin E, extracts of honeysuckle and beets, as well as other biologically active compounds. In addition, innovative technologies have been developed and patented that allow intensifying the process of accumulation of useful nutrients using traditional methods of production. In particular, an ultrasonic treatment technology has been proposed in the production of kefir and yogurt, which makes it possible to activate the accumulation of exopolysaccharide of kefiran by the lactic microorganisms, which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other beneficial properties."
Can eating reduce stress?
"There is a well-known expression, which sounds like 'Happiness is the right dose of vitamins'. Your diet can really become a source of antioxidants that will help the body's internal antioxidant system deal with some of the negative effects of oxidative processes. There is a huge amount of Russian and foreign studies on the role of oxidative stress in the progression of human non-communicable diseases. Foods that contain enough antioxidants can be a real support for the body in fighting stress. In particular, in our developments, we strictly adhere to the existing norms of consumption of nutrients, including antioxidants."
What foods are recommended to eat in a larger volume? Why?
"The recommendations are quite traditional here. First of all, it is necessary to organize your diet rationally and consciously. Large amounts of food or some food restrictions can hardly be useful. Perhaps, the main recommendation is a moderate consumption of healthy products, which include vegetables, fruits, berries, meat, dairy products, sour-milk beverages, and bakery products made of whole wheat flour. Healthy foods can be of either plant or animal origin. The main thing is that food should be a source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals necessary for the body. In particular, vegetables and fruits are the sources of vitamins and fibre; meat, first of all, is a source of proteins of full value; sour-milk beverages are a source of probiotics. Cooking modes are also important. By choosing boiled and steamed foods, you will make your diet healthier."
What ingredients should we pay attention to when compiling a diet if we need to reduce the caloric content of the diet and the stress levels?
"It is important to understand why you are organizing a diet. Each medical diet is based on special principles and is compiled by a dietician based on the clinical picture of the patient. As a general recommendation, I can advise reducing the consumption of sugar and the products containing it in large quantities. Try to eat mostly vegetable fats, not animal ones. Include fish, meat, and dairy products as sources of protein in the diet. Eat vegetables, fruits, and berries as the sources of vitamins and antioxidants."
We remind you that due to the spread of the coronavirus infection in the Chelyabinsk Region, mask wearing is obligatory. Be sure to wear masks and gloves in public places, keep social distance, and wash your hands when you come home.