I had good day and bad days. June 7th is the good day I opted for, because at that day, I ate meat, vegetable and wheat. It is very balanced. June 6th is the bad day I opted for, because I did not eat vegetable that day. On good day, my diet intakes were as follows; calories-37%, protein-86%, fat-38%, fiber-28%, vitamin A-15.8%, vitamin C-4% and calcium 13.2%. My intake on bad day were as follows; calories-41%, protein-92%, fat-63.8 percent, fiber-44%, Vitamin A-10.4%, Vitamin C-36% and calcium-7.8%. My fiber intake each day is 11g. I did not meet the fiber recommendation because the recommendation is 25g each day. Considering that dairy product are the main source of calcium in many diets, when my calcium intake is compared with my dairy consumption, it is evident that my calcium intake is consistent with my dairy intake because in the good day, I ate oatmeal with milk. So the percentage is match My Plate percentage (Insel, Turner, and Ross, 2007). In the bad day, I just put some cream in the coffee, it also match the percentage. If I compare my intake for protein with my consumption of beans and meat, considering that the two are the major source of protein, I realize that the percentage does not match in the bad day. This could be because there is some food that is not count to protein.
There are various tips and information that I learnt throughout the term. For instance, Dietary fiber, especially found in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, helps maintain bowel regularity. Eating unrefined carbohydrates assist in meeting your daily needs nutrients to maintain your overall health. These complex carbohydrates provide more essential dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals than refined carbohydrates. If you eat or drink too much sugar, it can cause health problems including tooth decay, obesity, uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, high triglyceride levels, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and heart disease. I also learnt that chicken, fish and eggs are good sources of vitamin B12 (Babu and Sanyal, 2009). In addition to that, it is worth noting that Most seed oils very good source of vitamin E as well. Vitamin E oil is the best wheat germ oil.
Sources of my calories.
I obtained majority of my calories from carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Basically, carbohydrates are the major energy source for the body of any human being, and they form glucose when broken down. The resultant glucose is very important as an energy source and is also crucial for the tissue protein maintenance. The central nervous system as well as the brain rely on the glucose for their need for energy. I obtained my carbohydrates from foods such as pasta, corn, peas, beans, fruits as well as milk products, all of which constituted more than fifty percent of the body’s calorie requirement (Insel, Turner, and Ross, 2007). Carbohydrates contributed 60% to 70% of the day’s diet.
Proteins also provided me with calories. These type of foods are mainly composed of amino acids, majority of which the body does not synthesize but are gotten from foods such as milk, egg, meat among others. Even though plants do not provide the all the important amino acids by themselves, It is worth noting that they may also do so when combined with other vegetarian food sources. For instance, a combination of pulses with cereals ensures the provision of majority of the amino acids that are essential. The daily requirement of proteins by the body is between 10-15 percent of the need for calorie daily. I took more proteins for provision of calories considering that lack of protein intake can deter the growth and development of someone and prevent the ability of the body to fight and prevent infections.
Intake of saturated fat.
I stayed within the recommended percentage of saturated fat intake. My intake for the saturated fat was below seven percent as recommended. Generally, these kinds of foods raises the cholesterol levels of blood, which can result to stroke and heart disease.
Omega 3 and monounsaturated fat intake.
I am consuming the monounsaturated and Omega 3 fats. The consumption of these foods is very beneficial to one’s health. For instance, the Omega 3 fats are considered as good fats and are beneficial because the regulating clotting of blood, ensure normal beating of the heart, decreases blood pressure, reduces triglycerides and improves the function of blood vessel. On the other hand, the monounsaturated fats have amazing benefits which include but not limited to reducing the risk for cancer of breast, reduced levels of cholesterol, reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease as well as decreasing belly fat (Insel, Turner, and Ross, 2007). Examples of these kind of foods include; the macadamia nuts, avocadoes, olive oil, tea seed oil as well as the Almonds, pecans and cashew nuts.
Water consumption
My consumption of water was excellent. I drank eight glasses of water on a daily basis. This is good for my health considering that water plays a major role in our bodies. We require more water for purposes of cooling the body, blood composition as well as making of body fluids among many other benefits.
Fiber in my diet.
In my diet, I ate enough of fiber. These is because fibers are very important to human health in several ways. For instance, getting sufficient supply of fiber in my diet is one way of helping to prevent certain diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticular disease among others (Babu and Sanyal, 2009). Sufficient fiber intake also helps in keeping weight under good control. Basically, foods that contain enough amount of fibers have more bulk compared to the low fiber types of foods. Therefore, if consumed in right amount at the right duration and enough amount, the onset of hunger can be slowed down by fiber foods. My carbohydrates were basically whole grains. These included peas, beans, maize among others
Calories obtained from proteins.
I just took enough protein to provide me with the necessary amount of calories. The protein I consumed was not too much. The sources of the protein included chicken, peas, milk and beans as well as some vegetables. Eating too much protein is a concern because it may result to intestinal irritation, weight gain, dehydration, risk for the disease of the heart, kidney issues as well as increase in the enzymes of the liver.
Three diet changes that would improve my diet.
First of all, it would be important to consider taking more of vegetarian foods. Even though barbecue and hamburgers may be so sweet, aiming for at least more vegetarian foods every week is a good idea. This is simply because a vegetarian food can be filling, delicious as well as cheaper compared to meat based foods. It is worth noting that a vegetarian food which is not cheese based has low amount of calories and full with disease fighting advantages from the additional phytochemicals, fiber, minerals, vitamins as well as the antioxidant.
Secondly, it is worth considering to pack healthy snacks. These may include but not limited to; low fat cheese, vegetable juice, yogurt, seeds and nuts, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. It is also important to make snacking an activity that is regularly scheduled. Basically, taking some food on a regular intervals ensures that you maintain energy and have focus as well as losing weight.
Lastly, it is worth considering to reduce on the booze. Considering the fact that calories add up very fast when taken in form of drinks, reducing alcohol consumption can significantly assist in improving both diet and health in general (Babu and Sanyal, 2009). Even though there are few advantages associated with moderate drinking, one’s health can be adversely affected if alcohol is excessively consumed.
Works Cited
Babu, Suresh C, and Prabuddha Sanyal. Food Security, Poverty, and Nutrition Policy Analysis: Statistical Methods and Policy Applications. Amsterdam: Academic Press, 2009. Print.
Insel, Paul M, R E. Turner, and Don Ross. Nutrition. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2007. Print.
