Description/Instructions: Dietary standards influence our nutritional status in both obvious and subtle ways. The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) include new approaches and new terminology for using nutrients to achieve optimum health. Understanding terms like DRI, RDA, and UL can help improve our everyday nutrient and food choices.
Link Name: Interactive DRI for Healthcare Professionals
URL: http://Fnic.nal.usda.gov/fnic/interactiveDRI/
This government site begins with some very basic questions from which your needs for macro- and micro-nutrients will be calculated. Complete this section for all available information and select “Submit” to access your personalized results. To print, right click to save your report to a designated location on your computer and open as a word doc.
Questions/Activity:
- What anthropometric measurements were required? Height and weight
- Were there any additional personal characteristics requested? Their sex, if the person was lactating or pregnant, their age, and their activity level
- Use the Interactive DRI glossary (click at bottom of DRI report) to define the following terms: a) AMDR – Ranges of macronutrient intakes that are associated with reduced risk of chronic disease, while providing recommended intakes of other essential nutrients.
- AI – The recommended average daily intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of apparently healthy people that are assumed to be adequate-used when an RDA cannot be determined (FNIC)
- DRI – Set of four reference values: Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), Adequate Intakes (AI) and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL). (FNIC)
- EAR – The average daily nutrient intake level estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. (FNIC)
- EER – The average dietary energy intake that is predicted to maintain energy balance in a healthy adult of a defined age, gender, weight, height, and level of physical activity consistent with good health. (FNIC)
- RDA – The average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group(FNIC)
- UL – The highest average daily nutrient intake level that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population. As intake increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse effects may increase. (FNIC)
- How can you use this information to improve your nutritional status? This information can assist in making sure a person has the correct calorie intake for their specific information. By searching one’s body mass index, one can gain a better understand to if they are low, average, or over weight. They might wish to adjust their diet as a result of these results. The plan also helps suggests what nutrients a person might need. (FNIC)
- What government agency has oversight for establishing DRIs, DVs, and ULs? The USDA
Description/Instructions: ChooseMyPlate is the USDA application and toolbox for making healthy choices when it comes to your diet. Students on college campuses often have specific challenges in their quest to eat an affordable, accessible, balanced diet.
Link Name: Choose My Plate
URL: www.choosemyplate.gov
The home page for ChooseMyPlate, has a special section called “For Consumers”. This section addresses needs that might be somewhat unique for different age groups, including college students. Click on the new link, “College Students” to have a look at some student-friendly recipes.
Questions/Activities
For this assignment I chose the recipe “tuna apple salad sandwich” I would recommend it to other college students because it is very simple to make and does not require expensive ingredients or advanced techniques, all of which are important to the average college student.
- Look at the “Resources” section next. Select and read “10 tips for healthy eating in the dining hall”. 1. Know what your eating. 2. Enjoy your food but eat less 3. Make half your grains whole grains 4. Rethink your drink 5. Make half your plate fruits and veggies 6. Make it your own 7. Slow down on sauces 8. Be on guard at the salad bar 9. Make dessert special 10. Don’t linger
- Which tip applies to you the most? The least? Why?
I think that the tip that I should work on the most is to make half my plate fruits and vegetables. This would greatly help me get the nutrients I need without the excess fats and carbs. The one I think least applies to me is the do not linger suggestion. I usually complete my meal and then leave, I do not graze throughout the day in a dining hall.
- What change are you willing to make today to avoid the no-so-inevitable weight gain associated with campus life?
I would be willing to try and choose more healthy options when they are available of me. I also want to keep a better track on my calorie and nutritional intake, this should help avoid weight gain.
The Southeastern Michigan Dietetic Association is an advocacy group for nutrition and life-long good health. Their site has been designed to help nutrition practitioners and the public learn more about careers in dietetics and also provides resources for those already in practice.
Link Name: Southeastern Michigan Dietetic Association
URL: www.semda.org
Follow the link to “Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know”. After reading this section, answer the questions below.
Questions/Activities
- Do most people in the United States take supplements?
Most people take one or more supplement per day.
- What are the four specific supplements listed by the NIH – Office of Dietary Supplements that have scientific evidence supporting overall health?
Calcium, Vitamin D, folic acid, omega 3 fatty acids
- What risk might St. John’s wort pose for people taking anti-depressants?
Can reduce the effectiveness
- What are the organizations listed that offer quality testing for dietary supplements? What do the tests measure?
U.S. Pharmacopeia, ConsumerLab.com,NSF International, they measure identity, purity, strength, and composition.
- How are supplements regulated?
The FDA
Description/Instructions: As more and more products, both fresh and processed, include “certified organic” ingredients, we might want to find out more about exactly what the new terms mean.
Link Name: The National Organic Program, USDA
URL: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/nop
This link will take you to the USDA National Organic Program information site. From here, you can browse by subjects ranging from commodities and Farmers’ Markets to Grant Programs and
International Marketing. You can also look for information about nearly all areas of organic agriculture. Begin with “What is Organic?” and click on Consumer Information to find answers to the next few questions.
Questions/Activity:
- Define what is meant by “organic” for agricultural products. Organic is a labeling term that indicates that the food or other agricultural product has been produced through approved methods (AMS)
- What protection do you have that your organic products were produced with organic practices? The National Organic Program regulates all organic crops, livestock, and agricultural products certified to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards (AMS)
- What are some differences between “Free-range” and “Cage-free”?
Free range means a chicken has constant access to the outdoors, cage free means they are not kept in laying cages.
- What three groups of animals have never been allowed by Federal regulations to be raised with hormones or steroids? Poultry, pork, or goats
Click on the link to the Organic 101 articles at the bottom of the page.
Scroll down to the map of certified operations. In the text immediately below the map, click on the “2012 list of certified organic operations”. There are over 25,000 certified operations around the world. Use the drop down menu for the Country column and if you choose the United States or Canada, type in the name of a State or Province to see where the organic operations are located.
- What Country/State/Province did you select? The United States, Kentucky
- How many organic operations were listed? 120
- What were some of the products being produced by organic methods?
(FYI – Pomegranate juice and Rose Oil are organically produced in Azerbaijan!) Yes
- How could you use this database for research in your major? This research would very helpful in determining where one can get organic products and how they are raised
