I completed a three day diet analysis by logging my food choices onto the SuperTracker site by USDA. According to the analysis generated, I am not eating the amount of calories recommended. Also, I am not eating from all of the food groups recommended per the Food Guide Pyramid. I consumed the following servings from each food group: 7 ounces of grains, 1 ¼ cups of vegetables, 0 cups of fruit, ¼ cup of dairy, 3 ounces of protein, and 6 teaspoons of oils. Up to this point, I thought I made good decisions about the foods I eat but I’ve never made a side by side comparison like the SuperTracker shows. It is clear that I am lacking in several areas. During these three days, I did not plan my meals very well. If I had planned ahead each day as I should, I could incorporate each food group that is recommended into my diet. Also, the types of each food group that I consumed were not …show more content…
I averaged 17 grams per day. According to the SuperTracker analysis, it is ok to consume more linoleic acid than the target amount. “Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid of the omega-6 family” (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Polyunsaturated fatty acids can help reduce the risk of heart disease or heart attack due to the effect on blood lipids (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Bread, chicken, potatoes and pasta are some of the foods I consumed that are excellent sources of linoleic acid (SuperTracker). I was also within the target percentage of linolenic acid at 0.7%. The target consumption of linolenic acid is 1.1 grams and I consumed 1.3 grams. According to the SuperTracker analysis, it is ok to consume more linolenic acid than the target amount. Like linoleic acids, linolenic acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids, but are a member of the Omega-3 family. Being a woman, I feel this is a very important nutrient to incorporate into my diet since heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States (Sizer & Whitney,
She consumed 18 grams during the most recent analysis and 17 grams during the first analysis. According to the SuperTracker analysis, it is ok to consume more linoleic acid than the target amount. “Linoleic acid is a polyunsaturated fatty acid of the omega-6 family” (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Polyunsaturated fatty acids can help reduce the risk of heart disease or heart attack due to the effect on blood lipids (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Whole wheat bread, chicken and whole wheat pasta are some of the foods Susanne consumed that are excellent sources of linoleic acid
For years, I have been eating what I want. Food choices are a significant factor that affects our health. What we like or crave, often, is the determining variable in what we eat. Finding the right balance of food choices is the key factor in improving our health benefits. Choosing nutrient-dense foods will provide more nutritional value than foods that are found to be low in nutrient density. Making the right choices in foods, however, is extremely difficult. Often, I find myself enthralled in the latest fad, not considering the subtext of the foods I am eating, such as nutrients, vitamins, healthy fats and unhealthy fats, cholesterol and minerals. The diet project underlined a three-day food entry intake that provided a dietary analysis report
The question comes up again; “How is your diet?” Jessica revisited her diet analysis from the first week of class. She noticed that some things have changed and some things, unfortunately, have not changed. She knew that some things would not change because of the hectic and busy semester and summer she had ahead of her but the things that did change surprised her. This class did some good for her, but she still needs some work on her diet and nutrition.
My cholesterol was 699.83 mg, and since it is hard to determine between HDL and LDL through a food tracking application there was no Daily Recommended Intake. Yet, for a 2,000-calorie diet, it suggests 653mg as a maximum. I should reduce my cholesterol levels, because high cholesterol levels can increase risk of heart disease and stroke due to the plaque that can build up in the arteries. My total fat levels were 251% above my Daily Recommended Intake, and I should reduce total fat intake. Of the fat intake, I should reduce saturated fat the most, which was 138% of my Daily Recommended Intake. Saturated fats can increase risk for heart disease by increasing blood cholesterol. To reduce my fat intake I can replace foods like hamburgers with a leaner cut of meat, or chicken. I can reduce fat levels by using less butter to cook my meals, and less cheese. A good option would be a whole grain bread with turkey deli meat, which only has 1.4g of fat per serving. My sodium levels are also abnormally high; I consumed 7,053 mg of sodium, which is 5,553 mg over my Daily Recommended Intake. High sodium diets can increase blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. To reduce sodium in my diet I can consume less packaged products, mostly meat products and choose a freshly cooked option. I should stay clear of frozen vegetables that have “fresh frozen” because they do not include added sodium. When deciding condiments, I should stay clear of high sodium products such as ketchup, soy sauce, dips and mustard. An easy away to identify food with recommended sodium levels in a grocery store is the “American Heart Association’s Heart-Check mark”. I consume a supplemental protein shake after each workout within thirty minutes to maximize my recovery and absorption of protein. I also have 25g of supplemental whey protein, and 40 grams of casein protein. Both of these products are
The bad fats are trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids are created and are saturated fats meaning they have no carbon double bonds. Diets high in saturated fats increase the risk of heart disease. Foods to avoid would are beef, butter, and lard. The good fats are unsaturated fats. These are commonly called monosaturated fats, and polysaturated fats. Diets high in unsaturated fats are, “associated with a lower risk of heart disease” (p.137) Monosaturated fats can been found in avocados, olive and canola oil. Polysaturated fats such as linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid are essential fatty acids because the body is not able to produce them, as described, “they are needed for the formation of the phosopholipid that give cell membranes their structure and functional properties.”(p.138) Cholesterol is needed to, “synthesize other sterols, including vitamin d; bile acids, which are emulsifiers in bile; cortisol, which is a hormone that regulates our physiological response to stress; and testosterone and estrogen, which are hormones necessary reproduction.” (p.140) I am pleased to mention that I met all the requirements for fatty acids and
I decided to look at my fiber intake on the third day. It was no surprise to find out that my diet lacked fiber. On the second and third day, I only obtained 14g of fiber. Essentially, I need 25 to 35g of fiber on a daily basis. I have been battling with constipation for about 11 years. To help my body with this constipation issue, I need to eat more insoluble fibers because these fibers help the food move faster through the digestive tract. Insoluble fibers consist of whole grains and vegetables, such as carrots. I need to be more aware of my fiber intake because too little fiber and constipation can lead to hemorrhoids. Also, I found out that I exceeded the amount of acceptable saturated fat by one percent. An increase in saturated fat causes a rise in the low density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly known as bad cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for the body because it has a lot of functions, such as building and maintaining the cell membranes. Nevertheless, this value needs to be controlled because too much of the low density lipoprotein cholesterol can start to accumulate and narrow the heart, brain, and/or leg arteries, and eventually causes cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, my cholesterol value was below 300 on day
Nutrition, I have learned plays a big part in our life. To be honest I was clueless about how much nutrition affected our everyday lives. I love going to the gym working out, now that I know what should go into my diet I think I will see a lot more improvement. I occasionally follow the latest diet fads because I believed it would be better for my health, but in turn it really hurt more than it helped! This Diet Analysis project has been extremely useful course because I can personally relate to it and can use much of the information learned to my daily routines. The Diet Analysis project was a real eye opener because it let me see what exactly I was putting into my diet.
My DRI of cholesterol was maxed at 300mg and my intake was 267mg. Still relatively high so could start consuming Oatmeal for breakfast in which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Also, I...
Proper nutrition is important in maintaining a long and healthy life. Most Americans are rushed due to their busy work schedules, and do not take the time to plan their diets properly. Like me, most Americans are unaware of the importance of eating a healthy diet and consume too many foods without the proper nutrients. Throughout my life I have been fortunate. I have not had any major health problems, and have been able to consume most foods without having to worry about gaining weight. These last two years, however, I started to gain weight and have become concerned with my diet. Changing my poor eating habits has been difficult for me, however, having this assignment has taught me that it is not as difficult as I previously imagined.
The best way to raise these numbers is to modify what I give my body each day. Almonds and coconut oil added to my daily routine would enhance the linoleic acid while also being healthy choices. Eating an orange for a snack and adding more vegetables such as peppers, brussel sprouts, or kale to my diet will help me achieve a higher vitamin C count. I love cheese and milk but they have high saturated fat amounts and by limiting them, it also limits my calcium. Green vegetables and salmon are healthy alternatives to calcium intake.
The 3-day diet analysis was an opportunity to better understand my eating habits and track my daily dietary reference intakes in Kilocalories, Carbohydrate, Fat, Cholesterol, Dietary Fiber, etc. My goal was to include meals that are part of my regular diet and determine how healthy my diet actually is based on the type and quantity of food I eat. This process can help me understand how my diet choices can affect my health and increase the risk of certain diseases, and consequently improve my diet to eat healthier food. My personal DRI report shows a BMI of 22.3 based on my height and weight, which is within the healthy BMI range of 18.5-24.9 for an adult. This fact shows that I’m not overweight; however, my overall report indicates that
There should always be a balance between the good macronutrients. Even though you might want to eliminate fats from your daily intake, the USDA concludes that all of the macronutrients are vital in combination with the others. They advocate that daily calories from fats should account for 20-40% of the person's daily calories.
...t when I calculated them into servings, it didn’t seem as much. The main reasons for my serving amount is that I thoroughly enjoy ‘junk food’ but I still realise that I have to eat it in moderations. The ‘good fats’ can lower cholesterol as they carry cholesterol to the liver were it is then broken down reducing the chance of cardiovascular disease. Some of the consequences of eating the bad fats include higher blood cholesterol, increased risk of heart disease and creates a high risk of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This is why it is important to make sure you are informed of what type of fats are in the food before eating it. As I met the recommendations every day, I am not going to try and change the amount I eat but instead start reading the label before I eat it so that I know if I should being eating it or if I should be substituting it with something else.
The 3-day food record allowed me to take a closer look at what I was putting in my body. Since the project, I have been more vigilant in what I ultimately feed myself and the baby. I have taken to drinking more water and started juicing in addition to a more natural diet and no fast-food. I am not aware of any limitations in my findings of my diet analysis. I am aware that as far as micronutrients are concerned, it is very important to keep a keen eye on your intake. More is not always better, and supplements can cause harm if not careful. With that being said, supplements do not always supply the necessary minerals in one’s diet either. Ultimately, actual food sources are a better way to regulate proper micronutrient intake.
After looking at my food diary and seeing how I did, I think I could probably use more calories than I am getting. It is not that I am getting way too little calories, but I could probably use another thousand calories everyday to maintain my weight. If I were trying to lose weight I would need to eat the amount of calories I am currently eating, but since that is not the case I need to be eating more calories. I should be consuming about 2,500 calories a day. The total average of my calories eaten during out three day food diary was 1,468 calories, which is almost a thousand calories less than what I should be consuming. I do eat very healthy, I had a good balance of nutrients most days. Overall, I ate healthily, but I could most certainly use some more calories.