62話 食事の仕方
「人は満腹でも空腹でも、快眠の障害になります。
満腹で眠ってしまうと、就寝後も胃が動き続けるため、脳が興奮してなかなか寝付けなかったり浅い眠りになったりするものだ。
また、夜間は胃の働きが緩やかになるため、食べたものを消化しきれずに翌朝胃もたれが残ることが多い。
逆に空腹は空腹で、脳が覚醒してしまい眠れなくなる。
「快眠してすっきりした寝起きを迎えるためには、寝る頃には胃の活動が終わっていることが大事です。
どうしても小腹がすいて眠れないときなどは、温めた牛乳もしくは豆乳、あと麦湯などがいい。
温かい飲み物で空腹感がやわらぎ、覚醒作用もないので安眠できる。
「夕食を減らせば自然と朝にお腹が空くでしょうから、朝食が入るはずです」
雨妹の意見に、しかし潘公主が困った顔をする。
「でもわたくし、朝から食べるのは苦手で......」
朝から食欲旺盛な人と小食な人とそれぞれいるため、潘公主のこの体質が悪いわけではない。
「別に朝から豪勢な食事をする必要はありません。
雨妹の勧めに、ここで初めて潘公主から前向きな発言が出た。
彼女もようやく自分にできそうな事柄が提案されて、ホッとしたような顔をしている。
胃が慣れてきたらそれに野菜の具を足してもらい、徐々に朝食を増やしていけば、自然と朝から活動するのが苦ではなくなってくるはず。
こうして体内時計を朝に巻き戻すのだ。
朝食指導について一通り話せば、次は夕食だ。
味覚以外にも、人の身体を作るために大事な栄養ですから」
「肉や魚はなんとなく太る気がして、最も避けていたものです」
潘公主がそんなことを言う。
前世でも減量とは別の話で、ベジタリアンなど己の信条から野菜のみを食べて生活をする人はいた。
「肉や魚を食べたら太る、ということはございません」
肉を食べて筋肉を増やすことで代謝を増やし、太ることを予防できる。
「ですが確かに油たっぷりの料理は過ぎると太る面があるため、控えた方がいいでしょうね。
特に今は胃が弱っているはずですから、蒸し料理などのあっさりとした調理法がよろしいでしょう。
それに佳は港のある土地ですので、食べるなら牡蠣をお勧めいたします。
しかし牡蠣と聞いて、潘公主が眉をひそめる。
「まあ、牡蠣ですか?
確かに貝類は鮮度が命なので、海辺でなければ口にできない食材だ。
潘公主が今まで見たことがないのなら、口にし辛い気持ちもわかる。
「ですが、あの見た目に慣れれば非常に美味なんですよ。
好きな食材に例えられた潘公主は、牡蠣を食べてみようという気になったようだ。
あとは料理人の腕の見せ所だろう。
ぜひ潘公主に牡蠣の魅力を伝えてほしいものである。
ちなみに雨妹は、前世で牡蠣小屋で爆食いするくらいに、牡蠣が大好物だったりする。
なのでこの佳の滞在で、牡蠣を思う存分食べて帰りたいものだ。
ともあれ、食事の内容について話した次に、食べ方も注意する。
「食事の際によく噛んでください。
特別な作法とは、もしかして潘公主が引っかかった詐欺で言われたのだろうか。
だが食事にそんなものはない。
強いて言えば、美味しく食べることが作法だろう。
「痩せるための作法などはございません。
Chapter 62
"Whether the stomach is empty or full, it would still affect the quality of sleep. Our stomach is still working even when we're asleep, after all."
If one ate a lot before sleeping, the stomach would continue its work, and the brain would also be stimulated, resulting in difficulty sleeping or shallow sleep.
Moreover, the stomach moves a lot slower in the night, so not all of the food will be digested, leading to that heavy feeling in the belly when she wakes up.
On the other hand, an empty stomach meant hunger, so the brain wouldn't be able to sleep because of that.
"In order to wake up from a good night's sleep, it's important to let the stomach finish its work first before turning in for the night. That's why, let's have a long rest-time between meals and sleeping."
In case she couldn't sleep because her tummy's hungry, then she could have some warm milk or soy milk; barley tea was also okay.
The warm drinks would soothe the hunger, and since they did not have caffeine, she could sleep easily.
"If you lessen the food you eat at dinner, then you'll get hungry enough to eat breakfast."
Princess Pan was troubled with Yui Mei's advice.
"But I don't like eating so early in the morning."
People vary, some would be full of appetite for breakfast, others ate light, so it didn't mean Princess Pan's body constitution was bad just by this.
"It doesn't mean you have to eat so extravagantly in the morning. It's okay even if you have plain warm water and fruits. The vegetable soup tang cai is a good choice."
It was the first time Princess Pan proactively responded to Yui Mei's suggestions.
It seemed like the princess finally heard a suggestion that she could do, so she was relieved.
Once her stomach has gotten used to that, then the number of vegetables can be increased until she could eat more for breakfast. She would then be able to naturally adjust to being active in the morning.
This way, her body clock would then be reset.
After coaching her on breakfast, it's time to move on to dinner.
"It's very important to eat meat and fish for dinner. Even if they are not to your taste, they are still important nutrients acting as building blocks of the body, after all."
"I really thought meat and fish would make me fat, so I avoided them."
Princess Pan confessed.
In her previous world, there were also vegetarians who ate vegetables because of personal beliefs and not for losing weight.
"Eating meat and fish will make you fat -- that is not true."
Building muscles by eating meat would help in metabolism, so it can also be a protection from getting fat.
"However, if you're going to eat too much fatty foods, then you will really gain fat. So it would be good to eat it in moderation.
Especially since your tummy is currently weak, so cuisine with steamed and lightly flavored dishes will be best for now.
And since Kei has a port, if you can, it's also good to eat oysters. They're packed with Zinc, which can help restore your taste."
Princess Pan scrunched her brows.
"Oh, oyster, is it? It looks weird, so I don't like it."
Indeed, eating shellfish depended on freshness, so only those living near the sea could eat them.
It's understandable that Princess Pan would have difficulty eating something she saw for the first time.
"However, it's very delicious once you get used to its appearance. Oysters are known in foreign countries as the 'milk of the sea', that's how very nutritious it is."
Princess Pan wanted to try the oyster after it was compared to her favorite food.
The rest would then depend on the chef's skills.
Hopefully, the princess would discover the appeal of oysters.
By the way, Yui Mei was an extreme oyster-lover, enough to binge eat them in her previous world.
That's why she wished she could eat oysters to her heart's content during their stay here in Kei before they leave.
Anyway, after counseling her on meal matters, it's time to move on to the method of eating.
"Please chew your food well during your meals. In doing that, you would feel full with just a small amount of food, so it's a prevention for overeating."
That so-called 'special method' must be what the frauds said to draw the princess in.
However, meals were different.
If anything, eating deliciously and properly was the only way.
"There's no miracle method for losing weight. And nothing is prohibited, either. In short, everything must be done in moderation, that's the key."
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ