Literature Review
This paper gives a literature review on the steps which should be taken by international students in managing their nutritional needs. There has been an influx of international students in the Australian universities (Government of South Australia, 2011). Given that most of these students come from different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds, it becomes inevitable that they have to face a lot of challenges in the course of their studies in this nation. One of the major challenges faced is diet. This means that when they come here, they find a new diet which may be unique to them. However, this leaves them with no choice rather that striving to adapt (Misner, B., 2006).
The first thing they should do is to understand the feeding habits in this country. They are obliged to carry out an extensive research to find out the types of foods popular with the Australians. This will enable them to have a deeper understanding of these meals before coming up with the right decision on exactly what to do about it (Simon, S., 2003). Making a right decision will be of a great benefit to them since it will give them an opportunity to choose what fits them. Hence, it can be possible for them to continue living a healthy life despite the change (Wojtaszek, C.A. et al., 2005).
However, before settling on such a decision, these international students should seek the support of dieticians. Since thee are universal organizations which serves the interest of international communities, it is incumbent upon them to employ full time dieticians (Woods, M. et al., 2009). They should be given the responsibility to offer advisory services to the international students on the right type of food to adopt. Their services are necessary because they can be instrumental in guiding these students on the available diets in Australia. Moreover, they can use such opportunities to sensitize them on the foods which can be appropriate for their consumption (McMahon, K & Brown, J.K., 2007).
This paper reports that the most recommended meal for these international students should be aimed at enabling them to continue leading a healthy life as they used to do before. In this consumerism society, people are fond of consuming meals which expose them to lots of health risks (Puckett, R., 2004). In this regard, this review suggests that the chosen set of diet should be based on Atkins theory. Meaning, they should be encouraged to consume foods rich in limited contents of carbohydrates. This can be instrumental in protecting them from contracting dangerous diet elated ailments such as diabetes and obesity. Moreover, a modification in the diet can be undertaken so that it can address the medical issues that presents with the intake of specific diets. There is need for international students to take artificial foods that have a high proportion of nutrients (Houtzager, L., 2009). A proper diet will protect the students from being infected with diseases such as diabetes, oncology, osteoporosis, renal disease, and micronutrients deficiency.
Works Cited
Government of South Australia, 2011, TAFE South Australia: Nutrition Assistant Dietary Aide, Accessed 2 August 2011.
Houtzager, L. 2009, Nutrition in HIV: A review, Benin J Postgrad Med, vol.11, pp.62–75.
McMahon, K & Brown, J.K. 2007 Nutritional screening and assessment, SeminOncolNurs, vol. 16, no. 2, pp.106-12.
Misner, B. 2006, "Food Alone May Not Provide Sufficient Micronutrients for Preventing Deficiency," IntSoc Sports Nutr, vol. 3, no.1, pp. 51–55.
Puckett, R. 2004 Food service manual for health care institutions, 3rd ed. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco CA.
Simon, S. 2003, A survey of the nutritional adequacy of meals served and eaten by patients, Nursing Practice 2001, vol. 4, no. 2 , pp.7-11.
Woods, M. et al. 2009, Effect of a dietary intervention and n-3 fatty acid supplementation on measures of serum lipid and insulin sensitivity in persons with HIV,American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 90, no. 6, pp.1566–78.
Wojtaszek, C.A. et al. 2005, Nutrition impact symptoms in the oncology patient, OncolIss, vol. 17, no. 1, pp.15-7.
