Lipids and protein play an important role in one’s diet. Protein is used to maintain and improve the structural integrity of the body, especially the muscles, bones, and the soft and connective tissues. The current diet plan includes eggs, tuna, bananas, and almonds as the main source. For lipid, eggs contain a healthy level of fat, specifically the egg yolks. The white part of the egg contains a healthy level of protein, making it an excellent source of protein and fat.
Carbohydrates plan an important role in energy regulation. The current diet plan’s main source of carbohydrate would include spinach, wheat bread, English muffin, apple, grapefruit, and ranch dressing. Without enough carbohydrates, the body would resort to fat and then protein storage in order to sustain the body’s normal metabolic processes—as the body gets into starvation mode. This is why a steady intake of foods with carbohydrates is necessary.
Lipid sources in the current diet are also important in that they help balance the protein, fat, and carbohydrate requirements of the body. In this case, tomato soup and orange juice would be the top choices. It is worth noting that other foods included in the list may also contain lipids but their content may be too small to be significant.
Protein intake is important in that it helps show whether an individual’s diet should be revised or retained. Protein intake levels depend on an individual’s goal. If the goal is to maintain weight, following recommended daily protein intake values would be optimum. If the goal is to gain muscle muss, the value should automatically be adjusted to higher levels. For a woman, the recommended daily protein intake is 46 grams per day; the proposed diet features a 62 gram protein intake per day.
Carbohydrate intake is important as well. The general requirement is to take in at least 310 grams of carbohydrates per day. The current diet’s provision for carbohydrates is somewhere between 280 and 404 grams. The lower the carbohydrate intake, the better the results would be for someone who is trying to lose weight. This is because when the body’s carbohydrate levels are running low, the body eventually enters into a starvation mode where it starts to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
Lipid intake at present is 27.7 grams while the recommended level is at 70 grams per day. The lower the lipid intake level is, the better because this means that the person following the diet plan is taking more protein or carbohydrate, which are healthier.
Among the three intake levels (i.e. protein, carbohydrate, and lipid), only the protein levels appear to be in an excess mode. The preferred plan of action in this case would be to reduce the level of egg consumption, if not totally remove it from and in the diet. Carbohydrate and lipid intake levels are unremarkable for the meantime.
So far, the type of protein present in most of the food sources listed was complete. Complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids as opposed to the incomplete ones. This means that the body would be able to more readily absorb the protein; plus the fact that it would be more usable in its complete form.
The lipid and carbohydrate intake levels were at optimum levels. The protein intake levels were a bit on the higher side and so some winding down may be necessary. This is where the plan to cut down egg consumption for the sake of protein would come in.
Maintaining a healthy level of macronutrient intake level is necessary because it enables the body to regulate energy and growth requirements. Carbohydrates, fats, and protein all play important roles in this aspect. Too little or too much of any of these three (or collectively) can be damaging to one’s health and a higher level of exposure to diseases.
Being able to stay within the recommended range for macronutrient intake is important because thee ranges are based on previously published studies with high levels of external validity .
Following a diet plan that falls outside the recommended macronutrient intake levels suggest that certain adjustments may be necessary. Effects of non-optimal macronutrient intake, either excessive or insufficient could only lead to poorer health and increased risk for adverse health consequences .
Too little protein can lead to protein shocks, muscle atrophy, and in severe cases, death . Too little carbohydrate intake can lead to dizziness, weight loss, and inability to function optimally . Limited lipid intake can lead to non-optimal organ brain and other body organ system functions.
For fiber, the current intake levels being provided by the proposed diet is lower based on the recommended levels from i-Profile. Additionally, the current diet does not meet the minimum number of servings of food from each fiber-containing group. In this case, the best option would be to add more fruits and vegetables to the current plan. Wheat bread current stands as the only significant source of fiber in the diet. English muffins on the other hand would prove to be the lowest source of fiber.
All in all, I was able to learn that I am consuming a higher than recommended amount of proteins and that my fiber intake is less than optimal. In order to address this, I simply have to cut down protein and eat more fiber food sources. This can be in the form of fruits and vegetables as previously stated.
References
GB Health Watch. (2016). What happens if I don't get enough carbohydrates. https://www.gbhealthwatch.com/Nutrient-Carbohydrate-Symptoms.php.
Jacobsen, M. (2014). Protein: Are you getting enough? Web MD, http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/protein.
The Weight Watchers Research Department. (2016). Macronutrient Recommendations. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=20921.
