Advice of Vitaliy Andriyash, a weightlifter, international class wrestler, on healthy eating in the quarantine period

In order to achieve good results, every athlete must not only have experience in technique, skill, but also must have good and proper nutrition. Although this issue, especially in a pandemic, is not only of interest to athletes. You must have good health and immunity to counteract various viruses and diseases.

     There is a rich variety of diets in the world, but it only confuses and disorients. Because it is often the case that one diet conflicts with another. And the main thing in this matter is to know and understand the basic rules of nutrition. First of all, I would like to point out the basic law, the essence of which is that food should be divided into two main groups: useful and harmful. Useful foods cleanse the body and lead to increased performance. In contrast, the “harmful ones” are slagging, leading to obesity and reducing performance. Hazardous products include all products with a high glycemic index: white flour and confectionery; sugar; semolina; polished rice; sweet drinks; trans fats; preservatives; smoked products. For example, the most harmful product that mankind has come up with is cake (white flour, sugar, fats). Another example is the sausage, which contains about 10 different harmful substances

     In order to start giving advice on healthy nutrition, we need to understand that our body must receive all the important substances. And this requires that the food be diverse and natural. In sufficient and balanced volume of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, trace elements, mineral salts, fiber, pectin. To do this, our diet should contain fruits, vegetables, various cereals, seafood, dairy products, meat, and poultry.

     Nutrition is also important. It is necessary to eat 4 times a day at a certain time. More carbohydrate should be consumed in the morning and more protein in the afternoon. There should be a variety of foods throughout the day, not a single meal. And the last meal is two hours before bedtime. If we go to bed, our pancreas produces insulin, which converts excess calories into fat. If we follow the rules, on the contrary, the energy required for vital activity is converted from the fats of the body. The liver works in the mode of blood purification, more time goes to muscle recovery.

     In addition to these rules, you need to understand that food must not only be balanced, but also have the right amount and calories. For example, if someone thinks that eating more meat will make them stronger and healthier, it is a mistake. And in fact, the excess amount of protein will be only slagging and overloading of the liver and kidneys, because the amount of protein uptake depends on the hormonal background of each individual.

     For young people, in order to naturally stimulate muscle growth and strengthening, one must exercise extra strength exercises to raise testosterone levels.
       You should also keep track of the amount of carbohydrate in your food, since excess is stored in the body as extra fat.

     Our food depends not so much on the volume and quantity of calories, but above all on biologically active substances that play a key role in promoting health and improving the immune system.
      These guidelines are given to understand that if we consume even a small amount of harmful products, then we are leaving less space for useful products. This will depend on our level of health and well-being.

Be healthy and play sports!

Mykola Kostenko,
head of the department of physical education,
faculty for humanities and pedagogics