Top 10 Essential Nutrients for Men (Continued) and a 10-Week Meal Plan

6. Vitamin B₂

Vitamin B₂ is a water-soluble vitamin that is easily digested and absorbed. The amount excreted varies depending on the body's needs and may increase or decrease with the degree of protein loss. It does not accumulate in the body.

Benefits for intermittent fasting: Vitamin B₂ helps burn fat and is a very important nutrient for those who restrict calorie intake and exercise to lose weight.

• Food sources: Vitamin B₂ is widely found in various foods, and its content is generally higher in animal foods than in plant foods. For example, the liver, kidneys, heart, egg yolks, eels, and dairy products of various animals are all rich in vitamin B₂.

7. Vitamin D

Vitamin D, known as the "sunshine vitamin," is an essential vitamin for the human body. It helps with the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and can effectively prevent rickets (in children) and osteomalacia (in adults).

Benefits for intermittent fasting: Vitamin D is essential for the body to produce leptin.

Leptin is a hormone that controls appetite. It makes people feel full after eating, thus stopping them from eating.

In addition, increasing vitamin D absorption when controlling calorie intake can help with weight loss.

• Food sources: As long as the human body receives enough sunlight, it can synthesize enough vitamin D.

Fatty seafood, fish roe, animal liver, egg yolks, cream, and cheese are relatively high in vitamin D.

8. Calcium

Calcium is a major component of human soft tissue, accounting for about 2% of body weight, and is an essential substance for the human body.

Severe calcium deficiency can lead to rickets and osteomalacia.

Benefits for intermittent fasting: Sufficient calcium, especially ionized calcium, can bind with fatty acids and cholesterol in food in the intestines, blocking the absorption of fat and causing it to be excreted with feces, thus achieving the goal of weight loss.

• Food sources: Dairy products are the first choice for calcium supplementation, such as cow's milk, goat's milk, skim milk, and skim milk powder, which are high in calcium and have good absorption rates.

Fish and nuts also contain a significant amount of calcium, such as sardines, sesame seeds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.

9. Dietary fiber

Dietary fiber is a food nutrient that is generally not easily digested, and it plays an important role in maintaining the health of the digestive system.

Consuming enough dietary fiber can help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other health problems.

Benefits for intermittent fasting: Dietary fiber is a food nutrient that is not easily digested and plays an important role in maintaining the health of the digestive system.

Consuming enough dietary fiber can help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other health problems.

• Food sources: Whole grains, including wheat bran, oatmeal, whole wheat flour, brown rice, oats, etc.

In addition, legumes, vegetables, and fruits are also rich in dietary fiber.

10. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates play an important role in human life activities and are the main source of human heat energy. 70% of the energy required for the transport of substances in the body comes from carbohydrates.

Benefits for intermittent fasting: Sugars are absorbed more slowly, which helps control blood sugar, increases satiety, and slows down the onset of hunger.

• Food sources: Carbohydrates mainly come from plant-based foods. Foods rich in carbohydrates include starches, such as candy, lotus root starch, and water chestnut starch; and grains, such as millet and sorghum.

10-Week Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan for Men

Day 1 of Week 1: Intermittent Fasting

Dragon fruit milk is a great breakfast option for intermittent fasting, as it allows you to enjoy nutritious milk and delicious fruit at the same time!

Intermittent fasting should still provide sufficient nutrition!

Dragon fruit: Dragon fruit is rich in plant-based albumin, which is rare in other fruits and vegetables. This active albumin can automatically bind with heavy metal ions in the human body and excrete them through the excretion system, thus playing a detoxifying role.

Pumpkin: Pumpkin is rich in carotene and vitamin C, and has the effects of strengthening the spleen, preventing gastritis, preventing night blindness, protecting the liver, making the skin delicate, and neutralizing carcinogens.

Scallops: Scallops are rich in vitamin E, which can inhibit skin aging, prevent pigmentation, and effectively eliminate skin damage such as dryness and itching caused by skin allergies or infections.

Dragon fruit milk calories: 183 kcal

Ingredients: 200g dragon fruit pulp, 150ml milk

practice:

1. Cut the dragon fruit flesh into small pieces and set aside.

2. Take a juicer, select the blender blade assembly, pour in the dragon fruit pulp, add an appropriate amount of milk, close the lid, select the "juicing" function, and extract the juice.

3. After turning off the power, pour out the juice and put it into a cup.

Lily and Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients: 300g pumpkin, 30g lily bulbs

practice:

1. Wash the lilies.

2. Put the peeled and diced pumpkin into a pot, add water, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until it becomes a puree.

3. Add lily bulbs and simmer for a while longer.

Steamed Scallops with Ginger and Vermicelli

Ingredients: 2 scallops, 20g vermicelli, ginger and cooking oil (as needed)

practice:

1. Clean the scallops, remove the intestines and entrails, and scrub the shells clean with a brush; peel and chop the ginger into small pieces, add an appropriate amount of water, and put it into a juicer to crush; soak the vermicelli in hot water and cut it into 5 cm lengths.

2. Sauté minced ginger in hot oil until fragrant. Place the glass noodles and minced ginger on top of the scallop meat. Bring water to a boil in a pot, add the scallops, and steam over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Intermittent fasting on the second day of the first week.

Broccoli and beef stir-fry is a good dinner option because beef can help boost your immunity and promote protein metabolism and synthesis, thus aiding in recovery after strenuous training.

Intermittent fasting should still provide sufficient nutrition!

Red beans: The saponins contained in red beans can stimulate the intestines and have a good diuretic effect. They can also relieve hangovers and detoxify, and are beneficial to patients with heart disease, kidney disease and edema.

Mushrooms: Mushroom polysaccharides are a type of protein polysaccharide found in mushrooms. They can inhibit the growth of tumor cells, absorb carcinogens, and have strong anti-cancer activity, especially against gastric cancer and ascites cancer.

Beef: Beef contains more creatine than other foods, which is particularly effective for building muscle and increasing strength.

Red bean and purple rice porridge calories: 109 kcal

Ingredients: 30g red beans, 50g purple rice

practice:

1. Wash the red beans, put them in a pot with water and cook until the red beans are soft and tender.

2. Pour the purple rice into the pot of cooked red beans, add water, and cook for another 30 minutes.

Mushrooms in Broth

Ingredients: 200g mushrooms, appropriate amounts of minced garlic and shredded scallions, a little chicken broth and salt, and a little cooking oil.

practice:

1. Wash the mushrooms and slice them.

2. Add broth to the pot, cook the mushroom slices until done, then arrange them on a plate and set aside.

3. Heat a little cooking oil in a pan, sauté the minced garlic until golden brown, add salt and shredded green onions, stir-fry until well combined, and pour over the mushrooms.

Broccoli and Beef Stir-fry

Ingredients: 200g broccoli, 250g beef, soy sauce, cooking wine, olive oil, and salt to taste.

practice:

1. Wash the broccoli, break it into small pieces, blanch it until cooked, and set aside.

2. Cut the beef into strips and marinate with soy sauce and cooking wine for 10 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add beef and stir-fry evenly. Then add broccoli, sprinkle with salt to taste, and stir-fry until cooked and soft. Transfer to a bowl and serve.