Choosing Food and Eating Healthy

Having a nutritious diet can be difficult. It’s not enough to eat some fruits and vegetables with some meat and call it a day. Instead, there has to be a focus on what fruit and vegetables are being eaten, how much meat, are there enough carbohydrates being consumed? Actually eating a proper, nutritious diet takes a little work to figure out what needs to be eaten and how much.

There are five characteristics to a healthy diet. Those characteristics are adequacy, balance, calorie control, moderation and variety. In a healthy diet, adequacy is important to ensure that an individual is eating foods that provide the correct amount of essential nutrients, fiber and energy. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) Focusing on balance means that an individual will make sure the nutrients balance out each other and work together. It would do no good to drink a glass of milk while eating spinach if the goal was to get more calcium and iron since those two nutrients do not work well together. Calorie control is important because there is only so much energy a body needs a day, eating too little means a body is not being properly fueled, while eating too much can lead to weight gain. Moderation is important for a healthy diet to make sure that an individual does not over indulge, whether it be with a sweet treat, or even too much of a good thing. While iron is good for the body, too much can impair the digestion system. Lastly variety is important. Not only does variety keep the act of eating interesting, but it helps to ensure that an individual is receiving a vast array of vitamins, minerals and nutrients from different foods. Not all foods are created equal in providing calcium, not all foods will provide vitamin A.

Knowing how to create a healthy diet is not the only challenge to actually choosing those foods. In a world that feels like it never stops, it can be hard for individuals to commit the time it takes to plan, shop and cook healthy meals. For others, the costs associated with cooking from scratch can seem high when compared to dollar menu offerings at fast food restaurants. For other people, it may be as simple as not knowing how to cook delicious meals that keeps them from making the right choices. Yet, for others, deciding that all vegetables are gross can impact food choices. However, for an individual dedicated to getting the right types of food in their body, it can be relatively simple once they’ve figured out what they need, what they like and how to combine the two.

For myself, I love chocolate. It is bad. Because of this love of chocolate, I recently set out on a Whole30 experiment. While Whole30 goes against conventional nutrition advice and advises against eating whole grains and really, any grains, it has a great focus on eating real, non processed foods. So right away, if there is a great importance to eating grains, I’ve not done that. However, my diet has been high in lean meats, from chicken, to lean ground beef, to pork tenderloin, with an abundance of vegetables including peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, avocados, green beans, sweet potatoes and the list could go on. Fruits have included bananas, citrus and prunes. Additionally, most foods have been cooked in extra virgin olive oil and snacks have been composed of nuts. Now, I realize my diet is not perfect. It is definitely lacking in fruit most days, and fruit variety on top of that. However, with the great variety of vegetables presented; multiple types, multiple servings, I am getting a lot of vitamins and minerals from a variety of different colored fruits and vegetables. In addition, my foods have been minimally processed, with ingredients lists of 3 items or less, and void of any added sugar. While the Whole30 does not include grains, there is a complex reason behind it. For me, the most important reason is to remove that need for sugar from non natural sources, which I have. The Whole30 also leaves out dairy, which I will add back in once I am done because I do know that dairy provides important calcium to my diet. In the coming week, I hope to add more fruit and a greater variety of fruit to my diet, especially as snacks. However, even after doing all the reading, I’m still not sold on my need to eat grains, whole or otherwise, because I do eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables which provide carbohydrates and fiber. I also make sure to drink plenty of water (a gallon throughout the day) to provide my body with enough hydration to get through my work out and stay hydrated.  

 

References

Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. N. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

Growth Means Change

A baby does not have the same food or calorie needs as a child, nor do they have the same calorie needs as an adult. As children grow, and as women go through pregnancy and adults age, the food needs change as well. Different stages of life require different types of foods and at different amounts.

 

Pregnant women will require more calories to sustain the life they are growing starting in the second trimester with needing an additional 340 calories and then an extra 450 calories in the third trimester. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014)  Carbohydrates are important for pregnant women to help provide plenty of energy with an ideal, recommended amount of at least 175 grams per day. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) Pregnant women, typically, only need about 25 more grams of protein than non pregnant women, however women who limit their protein sources may find that a harder recommendation to meet. While pregnant, it is encouraged that women get plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to encourage appropriate brain growth for the fetus. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) Folate and Vitamin B12 are needed in large amounts as well as vitamin D and calcium. Iron is also important for pregnant woman since the body puts the fetus’s iron needs before the mothers and having low iron can lead to low birth weight.

The most important food need for infants is water, of which they receive through breast milk or formula. In general the only thing infants consume until around 4-6 months of age are breast milk or formula since that contains all the nutrients they need. Once food is introduced to babies, it is recommended that only age appropriate fruits and vegetables are fed. Foods that contain too much salt, and sweet treats should be avoided. Appropriate foods should provide iron for growth and vitamin C. Milk should not be introduced into the diet until around the 1 year mark. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014)

Once a child turns 1, they need about 800 calories a day and by age six that amount doubles to about 1600 calories a day. Children need ample protein, carbohydrates and fat to grow properly. In addition, getting the appropriate amount of vitamin D is important to ensure bone growth. Iron is important for young children who have previously received an iron rich diet from breast milk or formula. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) As with all stages, except for infancy, it is important to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.

The food needs for adolescents is a little similar to earlier years. Since adolescents go through a lot of developmental changes and growth, iron is necessary. Calorie needs are higher but can vary depending on energy output and between male and female. Calcium is important to help with growth spurts and to continue to have healthy bone growth. Vitamin D helps with calcium absorption and is imperative at this age. At this age, it is vastly important to stick to healthy eating habits so that, upon entering adulthood, the body is well prepared to thrive.

After entering adulthood, nutrition needs can vary greatly. Protein continues to be an important need but as adults age and face teeth issues, will often be eaten less. Carbohydrates and fiber are important to keep the brain functioning well and to keep the digestive system working properly. Consuming healthy fats is important since unhealthy fats will contribute to heart disease. Overall, as individuals get older, less calories are needed to energize the body. Foods right in vitamins are important, as are some processed vitamins, especially B12, which at age 51, is recommended of 2.4 micrograms. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014)

Meeting the proper needs of growing individuals is imperative to continue to encourage healthy living. While the needs can vary greatly depending on what stage a person is in, it is possible through proper diet to get in the appropriate nutrients and calories. It is important to realize that as children age, their needs become more individual to maintain proper weight and to ensure that each person is getting the proper amount of vitamins.

 

References

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

 

The Role of Diets

The food an individual eats; the type and the quantity, directly relates to their weight. It is important to take in the proper amount of calories to keep a healthy bodyweight since there are real consequences of being either under or overweight or obese.

Body Mass Index is one popular way to determine whether someone is at a healthy weight or not. Although this method is not fool proof, for most individuals it is a very accurate tool. Underweight individuals are characterized as having a BMI of 18.5 or below, while overweight individuals have a BMI of 25-29.9 and obese individuals have a BMI over 30 or over. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) It is ideal to have a BMI that is somewhere between 18.5 and 25 to keep from carrying around too much unhealthy weight, and to also provide your body with enough nutrients.

 

Diet plays a large role in body weight. While physical activity is always a great habit to have, the food that is consumed plays a bigger role in determining weight. It is important for individuals to know how many calories they need to take in a day. Age, height and lifestyle play a role in determining the amount of calories needed.

Once a person has determined how many calories they need, the focus should turn to how to consume those calories. While a person could, technically, consume all those calories by eating sweets, it is not recommended. Since, for one, the body would not be receiving the nutrients they need, but for another, it would probably lead to hunger later in the day.

For individuals who are underweight and needing to gain weight, a diet that focuses on high energy density will help. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) Choosing foods with higher, healthy fat contents helps aid in weight gain. Increasing portion sizes will also increase calorie intake and eating frequently will encourage the stomach to grow to allow more food. Making sure to eat the amount of calories a healthy body would need would help an underweight person gain the weight they need.

To prevent overweight and obesity, it is important that individuals do not consume too much food. The focus should be on taking in the appropriate amount of calories while eating the appropriate proportions of foods. The focus should be on eating fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole wheat grains. By making healthier food decisions, it can prevent an overweight person from becoming obese and can help all people with too much weight to lose some.

 

Diet is instrumental for all individuals, regardless of their weight. The website choosemyplate.gov provides visual clues on how to build a proper diet as well as additional information for how to eat properly for a healthy weight. Avoiding unnecessary calories and fats go a long way to overall weight health. Individuals should also aim to cut out unnecessary sugars like soft drinks and instead opt for healthier beverages, such as water, or milk.

Body Mass Index is a good tool to use to find out whether an individual is underweight, overweight, obese or just right. By knowing where a person is on the BMI scale, an individual can make the appropriate dietary changes to get to the proper weight, or to even stay at the same weight. Taking advantage of websites such as the Choose My Plate site, can help individuals learn what quantities of which foods they should be eating.

References

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

 

What Food Does and How it Moves Through the Body

The human body is designed to run off of the nutrients provided to it by way of food and drink. These nutrients are water, carbohydrate, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are provided to the body in different amounts depending on what is eaten and the quantity in which it is eaten. The digestive system breaks down food into the nutrients the body needs before excreting the waste.

Water is a vastly important macronutrient. Since water is constantly leaving the body, it must be replenished. The most direct way to replenish water is to drink enough water throughout the day. However, water can also be provided in smaller amounts through the food we eat. Water is a pretty important part of the digestive system as it softens food for easier consumption, lubricates the organs and helps food move easily through the digestive system all the way to the end.

One important source of energy comes from the nutrients provided by carbohydrates. Starchy foods, such as potatoes or corn, as well as fruits, vegetables, breads, and dairy products provide carbohydrates to the body to use as energy. (Chapman-Novakofski, 2014) To process carbohydrates into useable nutrients, the digestive system begins to break down starches in the mouth with saliva. In the small intestine, the digestive system breaks down starches and disaccharides into monosaccharides which can then be absorbed through the cell linings. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014)

Fat is another energy yielding nutrient. Fats, which are also called lipids, are ingested through dairy, meat, bread and oils or butter products. While fat is a necessary nutrient, too much fat, or the wrong kinds of fats can be detrimental to overall health and lead to heart disease. It is suggested that individuals focus on eating monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and avoiding trans fat and saturated fat. Fat tends to not mix well with other foods in the stomach, so it isn’t until it gets to the small intestine and bile from the gallbladder is emulsified with it, that fat begins its digestion process. Once the fat has been emulsified, it begins to be broken down into absorbable pieces. These pieces are shuttled by bile through the watery mucus layer of the digestive tract to the “absorptive surfaces on cells of the intestinal villi.” (Sizer & Whitney, 2014, p. 165)

Protein is the third energy-yielding nutrient but it also provides amino acids to the body so “that the body can synthesize new proteins such as enzymes or hormones, or structural proteins to build muscle.” (Chapman-Novakofski, 2014) The best sources of protein for individuals is through meat, however, protein can also be found in beans, nuts, dairy, and most foods with the exception of foods that are all fat, or all sugar. To digest protein, teeth crush it into pieces small enough to swallow. However, in the stomach, acid starts to break down the protein strands into smaller pieces. After the stomach, those strands are pushed into the small intestines, where the pancreas excretes alkaline juice to neutralize stomach acid so that the final strand breakdown can occur. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) Almost all of the protein will be broken down into single amino acids, or short strands of amino acids called dipeptides and tripeptides. The cells of the small intestine absorb the single amino acids while the dipeptides, and tripeptides are split by enzymes on the cell’s surface for absorption into the blood stream. Once in the bloodstream, the amino acids head to the liver to be used, or released into the blood for the use of other cells. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014)

As with water, vitamins and minerals provide no energy to the body. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) However, vitamins and minerals play important roles, acting as regulators and assist in all body functions. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) Minerals important to the body include, calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. Minerals cannot be destroyed with cooking or processing and minerals vary in foods by the soil foods are grown in and fed to animals. The mineral calcium, for instance is found in dairy products and helps promote bone growth and development. Potassium, along with sodium, works to maintain fluid balance in the body. A great, and popular source of potassium is through bananas. Vitamins can be impacted by cooking or processing foods. There are many different types of vitamins that the body uses and they perform various functions. Vitamin A can come from animal and plant sources and is required for good vision. (Chapman-Novakofski, 2014)

 

Nutrients are an essential part of life. They are provided by the food we eat and each nutrient has a purpose in the body which is expertly broken down into useable pieces by the digestive system. While only three nutrients are energy-yielding, they all work together to keep an individual properly functioning and each nutrient must be present.

References

Chapman-Novakofski, K. (2014). Nutrition. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science.

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

Let's Talk About Food

Since nutrition and illness go hand in hand, it should be obvious and easy to make proper nutritious choices at meal times. However, considering the prevalence of overweight and obese people, clearly always making proper food choices does not happen as often as it should. So, if what a person eats has so much impact on their health, why do people choose to eat unhealthy things? Unfortunately, for many people, how healthy a food is for their body is not the only determining factor they have when picking what to eat at meal times. For many people, food is not seen simply as something to fuel the body throughout the day. Rather there are many factors driving how people eat including social, psychological, philosophical and physical.

 

There are many social factors that can influence food choices. Sharing food with others, eating to celebrate special occasions or participating in cultural traditions involving food, social pressures and settings play a large role in food choices. A birthday celebration at the office brings pressure to eat cake and ice cream or else being questioned on why a person isn’t participating. For some cultural traditions, taking the last of a food item is seen as rude whereas for other cultural traditions not cleaning a plate can be seen as equally rude. The pressure to not offend someone offering food can cause someone to eat something they had not originally planned to eat. Other times simply wanting to be connected to others can cause someone to make different food choices than they normally would, whether they be healthier or unhealthier.

 

Stress, mood and food aversions are some possible psychological factors that impact food choices. Stress induced food decisions can come about because of being stressed over weight, or because stress can impair appetite. (European Food Information Council, 2005) Stress and mood can also influence a person to make choices that they find comforting instead of choices that would ultimately be healthier. Depression and PMS can also influence food cravings. Food aversions can directly influence food choices, whether because the aversion is from being force fed something specific as a child, or because the food caused one to get ill off of it in the past.

For some people, eating animals, or anything made from animals is seen as inhumane. People have personal philosophical reasons for why they choose the foods they choose. Vegetarians do not eat meat, pescetarians do not eat meat but they eat fish, and vegans abstain from all products that come from any part of an animal including items like eggs and honey. While some people choose to become a vegetarian because they believe it is a healthier diet, for most, the cruelty animals go through to become food for humans is too great for their conscience to bear. Philosophical choices drive food choices, not from a place of satisfaction but from an inherent personal belief.

A big factor that drives food choices is the physical factor. This includes accessibility to foods. Some areas, referred to as “food deserts”, there is little to no access to “affordable and nutritious foods”. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014, p. 599) Time of the year, transportation costs and location all play a role in what a person can choose to eat. The ability to get to a store providing cost effective, and nutritious food can determine what kind of food choices a person makes. The quicker and easier it is to get ahold of food, the more likely the person is going to make that choice. Personal time is an important factor here since those who live where it is difficult to get good food may also have a harder time prioritizing their time to the task of meal planning and grocery shopping.

Although the main factor driving food choices should be health, there are other, very real reasons why people choose their foods. These factors can drive a person to make both positive and negative food choices. Whether the factors be social, physical, psychological, or physiological, there are other factors besides just health that drives people to make food choices.

References

European Food Information Council. (2005). The determinants of food choice. Retrieved from http://www.eufic.org/article/en/expid/review-food-choice/

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 

Is Your Diet Killing You?

Food is a popular topic to talk about. It is delicious, it can make a bad day good, or ruin a good day with a burnt dish. But, food performs a bigger function and that is the nourishment of one’s body. What a person eats can have an impact on their health. Nutrition is a vital role in keeping a body healthy, and improper nutrition can increase the chances of getting any number of chronic diseases, or make them worse.

Heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes are all chronic diseases where nutrition plays a big part. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014) In addition malnutrition is another health risk that is influenced by diet. Malnutrition is the result of not getting enough nutrients and energy to properly fuel the body. Malnutrition impacts people who restrict food intake, regardless of if the restriction is because of an eating disorder, lack of appetite or to lose weight. Because, with malnutrition, an individual is not getting the proper amounts of nutrients or energy, disease is harder for the body to fight. The immune system is impaired when a person is malnourished and that makes it harder for an individual to get healthier so that they want to eat properly.

On the other end of the spectrum, obesity, which is caused by being overly nourished, can cause chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, some cancers and cardiovascular disease. Eating more than the body needs to use day in and day out causes the body to have to hold on to a surplus of nutrients. Suddenly the nutrients that help a body stay healthy are instead leading a body down the fast track of obesity and chronic disease.

Cardiovascular disease, which is a title that cover a broad spectrum of diseases related to “the heart and blood vessels” is a chronic disease where nutrition plays a big part. (Sizer & Whitney, 2014, p. 428) Atherosclerosis is the root of most forms of cardiovascular disease and is caused by a diet high in saturated fat. Proper nutrition which encourages good habits, healthy fats and foods to control cholesterol can help lessen the chance of cardiovascular disease, or lessen the impact of cardiovascular disease for a person already diagnosed with it.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that impacts how the body deals with insulin. For overweight and obese people, type 2 diabetes is a risk because of unhealthy diet, full of too much sugar. By continuing to eat a diet that provides a body with too much sugar, the pancreas is unable to keep up with demand of insulin production causing blood glucose levels to rise, and a person to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. (Am I at risk?) However, it is possible to delay or avoid type 2 diabetes by making appropriate dietary changes to lose weight and add in physical activity.

A third chronic disease that nutrition can play a big role in is certain types of cancers. Obesity, alcohol consumption, red meats and energy intake can all impact how likely a person is to get certain cancers. While lowing a too high calorie intake can help the chance of cancer decrease, eating a diet high in red meat or alcohol consumption can encourage specific types of cancers. As with the other chronic diseases, it is best to eat a healthy diet and be physically active to avoid certain cancers.

 

While nutrition is not always the only determinant on whether a person will get certain chronic diseases, proper nutrition gives an individual the power to know they are encouraging their body to work at its optimum level. Knowing the balance between nutrition and chronic disease is vastly important for individuals wishing to have healthy, happy bodies. The website nutrition.gov provides more information on nutrition and health issues for those wishing to further educate themselves on how nutrition can impact their body, how to reverse the chances of chronic diseases, or how to manage certain diseases.

References

Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? - National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/riskfortype2/index.aspx

Sizer, F. S., & Whitney, E. N. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts & controversies. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.