What do I eat?

The sum of five characteristics is what comprises a healthy diet.  The first is adequacy which is when the foods provide enough of each of the necessary nutrients.  Then there is balance where a person ensures that they are not choosing a surplus of one particular food and or nutrient over another ensuring that there is equilibrium amongst food choices.  Following balance is calorie control which is where the foods that one consumes is equal to the amount of energy needed to maintain the appropriate weight.  After that there is moderation where the foods chosen do not have excessive ingredients such as sugar, salt, fats or other unnecessary elements.   The fifth characteristic of a healthy diet is variety.  It is necessary to make sure that the foods chosen are not the same everyday; therefore, a mixture and assortment of nutrients and food choices is key.  The simple way to remember what a nutritious diet consists of is by remembering the letters A, B, C, M, V and making it a habit to follow the philosophies of each letter; whereby this practice becomes as habitual as brushing one’s teeth in the morning.

There are six classes of nutrients that the body needs and those are water, carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins and minerals.  Water is one of the most important nutrients as our body as water is amongst the major nutrients found in foods and is also one of the nutrients that is lost easily; therefore must be replaced.
“Fat is the body’s chief storage form for the energy from food eaten in excess of need.”(Sizer & Whitney, 2012). 

We also need to focus on a balanced diet which is composed fresh fruits and vegetables.As adults it is recommended that we eat 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 cups of vegetables every day.  These fruits and vegetables provide the body with vitamins and minerals to help the body function. Dark, leafy greens, potatoes and berries provide vitamins, folate, potassium and phytochemicals.

We need to eat more whole grains and stay away from white processed flours which are typically used in packaged baked goods.  Whole grains assist with lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Examples of whole grains are:whole grain bread, wheat berries, oats, buckwheat and quinoa. It is recommended adults eat 6 to 8 oz. of grains each day.

Nutrient-dense protein is important for muscle growth. Adults should consume 5 to 6 oz. of protein a day.  We need to eat lean forms of protein such as pultry, legumes, salmon, and eggs.

Finally, we need to stay away from processed foods that are most commonly found in convenience stores and supermarket shelves at shelve levels that are easy to access.  These packaged foods are high in sodium, additives, persevatives, excesss sugar and unhealthy fat.

The challenges we have with choosing the right foods are there are way too many choices out there.  This makes it difficult for a person to decide what to eat and how much to eat. The labels on the ingredients have small print and can make it very difficult for a person to understand what is healthy and what is not.  How can a person calculate the grams, oz. and lbs. that are necessary for a healthy diet?  Also, there are infomercials and marketing campaigns that do not provide accurate information or provide misleading information.  Some people may actually believe that if they eat the same food as a well known actor,that this actor has the same knowledge as a doctor with an actual PHD.

Sizer, F.S. & Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition concepts and controversies. (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Digestion and Absorption

Digestion and Absorption

Eating is a function that people do multiple times a day without thinking; however, it is just as important to not only understand what we eat, but how our body reacts to the food that enters our body.  Incidentally, this automated process of how our body physiologically reacts to food is called digestion and absorption.   Although this process of eating food and absorbing it into our bodies is a natural body function that can be taken for granted, there are several parts that make up the digestive system and in this paper, I will explain the purpose and function of the human digestive system which will include the digestive tract, the mechanical aspect of digestion, the chemical aspect of digestion, and how the foods we choose can cause digestive disorders.

To begin with, the purpose of the of the digestive system is to “digest and absorb the complex mixture of chewed and swallowed food.”(Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  The digestive tract is a flexible, muscular tube which is about 26 ft in length and begins at the mouth and continues through the throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and ultimately the anus.  Interestingly enough when a person swallows something it does not automatically enter into the body, but actually sits inside the inner portion of the tube until a nutrient or other type of substance  passes through the wall of the digestive tract.  Simply stated, the digestive tract is the highway from the mouth to the anus that allows the body to take in nutrients and expel non-nutrients also known as waste through mechanical and chemical processes.

If a person were to eat a hamburger there is a mechanical process that will take place in order for full digestion to occur.  Once the hamburger is bitten, the process of chewing the food into smaller parts occurs.  It is the chewing that not only breaks the food down, but causes saliva to occur which creates water that softens the hamburger to prevent any type of cutting of the esophagus and also moistens the food, thus allowing for easier passage down the esophagus to prevent possible choking.  The tongue then pushes the food down the pharynx, where the food goes down the esophagus and enters the stomach through peristalsis also known as involuntary contractions.  Once the food reaches the stomach and the intestines it is their job to hold the bitten hamburger until it is liquefied through mashing and squeezing actions and then move the food through the digestive tract which is done through a series of wave like motions called peristalsis.  Once the food leaves the stomach and enters the small intestine, nutrients that the body needs are absorbed and what is left is mostly water and indigestible waste products.  These leftover items then enter the colon whose main job is to remove water from the waste products, recycle the water back into our body; thus preparing for the waste to expel through the anus.  

 Incidentally, the difference between the mechanical digestion and chemical digestion is mechanical digestion is the physical process of breaking down food and chemical digestion is the process of breaking down foods by substance, compound or elemental enzymes. For example, many organs that make up the digestive system secrete certain special fluids that allow for the complex chemical processing of digesting the food that we eat.  Using the hamburger as an example, once it is in the digestive tract, there are enzymes in the digestive fluids that break down nutrients into their component parts.  Once the food passes through the mouth, the pharynx, and esophagus and reaches the stomach, the process of mixing and grinding begins.  Here is where the digestive chemicals after mixing and grinding create a substance called chyme.  Once the foods are broken down into proteins, which is the main function of the stomach, the process in the small intestine begins.  The small intestine acts as a message center to the other organs such as the pancreas and the gallbladder.  The small intestine needs bile, and pancreatic juices to neutralize the stomach acids so that the large nutrients can be held together while the smaller pieces are released into the intestinal fluids ultimately becoming so small that the nutrients can be absorbed into our body’s cells for use via our bloodstream, while the remainder of makes its way to the colon.  The colon is the last stop in our food’s journey and this is where the liquid is removed from the non nutritive food waste causing it to become solid and ready for excretion.

The role of the organs associated with the digestive tract is to analyze the nutrients that are consumed and then create and deliver digestive juices and enzymes appropriate for digesting.  These organs and their enzymes ensure that foods of all types are used fully by the body.  “Enzymes are important in food processing for a variety of reasons but particularly because of their high substrate specificity, rapid reaction rates and ability to work effectively at relatively low temperatures and under mild conditions.”(Tucker, G., 1996).  So if we eat foods high in sugars and carbohydrates, these organs are smart enough to create sugar and carbohydrate digesting enzymes.  Simply stated, this means that we are what we eat.  If we eat sugar, our body breaks it down and puts it back into our cells as nutrients so it comes as no surprise that there is a strong correlation between food choices and digestive disorders. 

Mechanically if we eat too fast, then we get the hiccups, chemically if we eat and or drink foods that are high in chemicals such as chili peppers, alcohol, coffee and or chocolate we then have to deal with heartburn, ulcers and reflux disease. “Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is disruptive and places a great clinical and economic burden on patients and society as a whole.”(Moosavi, Teimoori, & Ghourchian, 2012).  The key to avoiding disorders is listening to one’s body; not taking it for granted; and avoids self diagnosing problems by going to the doctor.

          

            In summary, digestion and absorption is a vital biological part of the body function because without the ability to process foods, extract nutrients, and eliminate waste every part of our body would cease to function.  Furthermore, most individuals do not understand what comprises the digestive tract, the mechanical and chemical processes because if they did understand a person would be more careful not to choose foods that cause discomfort when eaten.  Indeed, even the smallest problems that occur within our digestive system can result in harmful and unwanted situations such as nutrient deficiencies, fatigue, and significant discomfort such as indigestion and acid reflux; hence the importance for an individual to not take for granted this most important process.

What are good fats?

First of all, I wanted to gain a better understanding of what the purpose of fat was for our body since I really never knew what it was for.  I thought it was used to keep us warm.  However, when I read a text pertaining to health, it stated, “Fat is the body’s chief storage form for the energy from food eaten in excess of need.”(Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  In addition to storing energy, fat also provides the much needed energy to perform the body’s work, especially muscular work as well as providing padding around our body’s organs.   Now it is up to us to understand which fats are good for us and which ones are not.

The various types of fats are good fats and bad fats.  The good fats increase the good cholesterol and decrease the bad cholesterol.  The bad fats decrease the good cholesterol and increase the bad cholesterol.  The good fats are the unsaturated fats also known as monosaturated or polyunsaturated fats and examples of foods with good fat are avocados, nuts and salmon; while the bad fats are Trans or saturated fats and examples of these foods are red meat, butter, and cakes.

Trans fat is believed to be harmful as these fats are believed to cause harmful diseases such as cancer or heart attacks along with the harmful side effects of becoming obese.  Saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids worsen the blood lipid profile and these blood lipids play key roles in our body functionality that involve cell membranes, the bile process, and inhibiting cholesterol absorption.  In addition, saturated fatty acids also contribute to blood clotting which are associated with heart attacks.  I learned that a person can generally judge a good fat based on its hardness and this can be determined by how liquid the fat is at room temperature.  Here is where I envision liquid fat going through my body or a lard like tough substance clogging my arteries and quite frankly, I would rather picture liquid fat flowing through my body.

The connection between dietary fat, cholesterol and fat is that when a person consumes too much dietary fat there is a high association with cardio vascular diseases which is the number one killer of adults in the United States and Canada.  Elevated blood cholesterol is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and one of the main reasons for the increase in blood cholesterol is due to the consistent consumption of foods that have saturated and trans fat.

The importance of protein in maintaining a healthy diet is first of all protein is quite the important nutrient as the body needs substantial amounts of it to function properly. Protein is our body’s chemist which allows the body to create hormones, enzymes, and other chemicals required by the body.  “Amino acids must be continuously available to build the proteins of new tissue.  The new tissue may be in an embryo; in the muscles of an athlete in training; in a growing child; in new blood cells needed to replace blood lost in menstruation, hemorrhage, or surgery; in the scar tissue that heals wounds; or in new hair and nails.”(Sizer & Whitney, 2012). .   Although our bodies produce amino acids, protein also provides the body with vital amino acids which come from the protein found in the foods that we eat.

The protein recommendations for healthy adults according to the DRI are 0.8 gram protein per kilogram of body weight per day.  The female intake is 46 grams per day and the male intake is 56 grams per day and the about 10-30 percent of calories should come from protein.  It is important to consider other factors such as the body and food sources when determining an individual’s protein need.  Perhaps a marathon runner needs more protein, or a person who is a vegetarian may need more protein as well and these things need to be considered.

I would like to believe that I meet the above requirements and the best way I feel that I am meeting these requirements is not by determining and calculating what specific proteins I eat as that is just too hard for me.  The way I can determine the requirements is by the fact that my hair and nails grow very quickly; when I have a cut or a minor injury it heals very quickly and my body mass index (BMI) results were right in line with where they needed to be. 

Moosavi A., Raji, H., Teimoori, M., & Ghourchian, S. (2012). Air column in esophagus

and symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease.  BMC Medical Imaging, 12(1),

Sizer, F.S. & Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition concepts and controversies. (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Tucker, G. (1996). Biotechnology and enzymes in the food industry.  British Food Journal, 98(4), 14-19. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/225150914?accountid=32521

Underweight, Overweight, Obesity and Diet

The following terms are defined as:

Underweight:  body weight below a healthy weight; BMI below (Body Mass Index) 18.5.  Body Mass Index is an indicator of obesity or underweight, calculated by dividing the weight of a person by the square of the person’s height.

Overweight:  body weight above a healthy weight; BMI 25 to 29.9. 

Obese:  overfatness with adverse health effects, as determined by reliable measures and interpreted with good medical judgment.  Obesity is officially defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher. “Obesity has become quite common among children aged 6-11 years.  In fact, obesity increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008.”(Blackwell, W., 2010).

The health implications that each of these conditions have for our population are more people are experiencing chronic diseases.  Furthermore, these chronic diseases are happening at a much younger age and to more people.  According toour text, “In 1960, about 13 percent of U.S. adults were obese.  Today, 66 percent are overweight while about a third of the population is obese.” (Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  A few examples of these chronic diseases due to having too much body weight are: diabetes; heart disease; sleep apnea; arthritis and some known cancers.  This does not even include the increase in the costs of healthcare that is impacted by providing care for these diseases that can potentially be prevented.

Interestingly enough the United States does not have a very large problem with individuals being underweight.  This problem only affects fewer than 2 percent of the U.S. population.  However, the health risks of having too little body weight are real and dangerous and when an individual is too thin they put themselves in further jeopardy by not being able to combat any long term illnesses due to being too weak.  If they are in a hospital and need to fast for a few tests, they put their health at risk as their poor condition can quickly continue to deteriorate since they have a less than nutrient status.  Although seldom, underweight people can also be at risk for heart disease.

The way mortality is impacted by underweight and overweight status is quite simple and that is if a person is either underweight or overweight there is a risk of premature death.  The preventative measures that our society can take to prevent underweight and overweight issues are first we need to stop putting so much emphasis on unrealistic body images.  We all tend to look at beautiful models, television actors, and movie stars and then think we need to look like them.  We put unrealistic demands on ourselves based on how society views a healthy person.  We need to focus on realistic goals of what is healthy and this should be discussed with our doctors, but more importantly we need to want to be true to ourselves.  As a 5’ 1” individual with dark hair, I know that I will never look like a Charlize Theron.  But I do know that I need to have a BMI of around 21.  We also need to not make excuses for being overweight or underweight and just focus on setting the right expectations and goals while taking baby steps.  There is no quick fix to a healthy body such as surgeries, pills or fad diets.  The key is knowledge and changing behavior to promote a healthy lifestyle.   

Black-Wiley (2010, February).  Most parents don’t realize their 4 or 5 year olds are

 overweight or obese.  NewsRX Health 134.  Retrieved February 8, 2013, from

Proquest Health and Medical Complete.

Sizer, F.S. & Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition concepts and controversies. (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Nutritional Impacts - Pregnancy to Adulthood

People do not realize the impacts that food and nutrition have from the time we are in the womb all the way until we reach adulthood.  Below are the nutrition recommendations that begin with pregnancy and goes through a person's entire lifecycle up until late adulthood.  Every time we eat food, there is an impact to our life, but more importantly our length and quality of life.  It is important that we follow the recommendations below.

The nutrition recommendations and dietary guidelines for each of the following developmental stages are as follows:

Pregnancy:  No additional energy during a woman’s first trimester, 340 additional daily calories for the second trimester and an extra 430 calories a day for the third trimester.  The suggested way for a pregnant woman to earn those additional calories is by selecting more nutrient-dense foods from the five food groups.  It is important to choose foods with additional carbohydrates to feed the fetal brain and spare the protein needed for the fetus to grow.  Examples of other foods are whole-grain breads and cereals, dark green and other vegetables, legumes, and fruits that have phytochemicals and fiber.  In addition, the DRI recommends that a pregnant women intakes an additional 25% more in protein.  During the pregnancy phase both fetus and mother need a tremendous amount of nutrient yielding energy; therefore, there is little to no room for foods that are high in sugars and solid fats.

Infancy:  Since babies grow at an alarming rate during their first year of life and their metabolism rate is extremely high, it is important for their bodies to receive a plentiful amount of nutrients as well as vitamins and minerals to assist with the growth process.  Although infants have body sizes that are much smaller than adults, their bodies use a large amount of energy to accommodate their body’s changing processes; therefore, nutrients are measured by a percentage of their body weight.  Hence, infants require about 100 calories per kilogram of body weight per day.  The infants first year of life also requires stages of certain forms of nutrients such liquid nutrients to solid foods.

Childhood:  On average a 1 year old child needs about 800 calories a day, at age 6, the child needs an additional 800 calories per day and then by age 10 a child will need about 1800 calories per day to support normal growth.  These calorie needs can change if the child is sedentary and or active.  If active, the child will need more calories.

Adolescence:   The energy needs of adolescents vary tremendously due to the fact that it depends on the person’s gender, rate of growth, body composition and physical activity.  Today, many adolescents are very sedentary which has added to the number of obese individuals.  “U.S. children and adolescents 6 to 19 are overweight.”(Sizer & Whitney, 2012).  However, if active, a growing boy of adolescent age would require 3500 calories or more and an inactive adolescent girl would require 1800 calories.  It is the adolescent years where eating unhealthy foods can occur the most and we as parents need to guide and assist with the types of foods our young adults are consuming.

 Adults:  Here again the energy needs change and can vary based on physical activity, genetic history and genetics.  In some cases energy needs decrease with age as the body’s organs and cells change along with the physical activity.  We know on average the daily amount of energy consumption for middle age adults is 3067 calories for males and 2400 calories for females, but when a person reaches the age of 50 the intake recommendation is that energy consumption should be reduced by 5% every 10 years.  We see nutrition fast becoming a societal concern as many individuals are recognizing the effects both good and bad between our food choices and are wellbeing.    Awareness and understanding nutrition empowers individuals to conquer and solve the puzzle of the fight between man and diet.  This thought is supported by a health and wellness article where it was stated that “it has never been more important for higher education to engage employees and students in creating a culture that promotes health, wellness, and personal accountability.  (Shalala, D. 2010).  The way we can develop healthy eating habits is by understanding the impacts that foods have on our bodies from the pregnancy all the way until we reach our 50 plus years.  Once we know that, we then can focus on eating the right foods, doing the right things such as exercising and eating together as a family.  As parents both my husband and I realize that our children model our behavior so it is up to us to set the examples and habits that they will take on for the rest of their lives.  The consequences for not eating healthy are that we will see more chronic diseases, an unhappier life, and more importantly a shorter one.

 Shalala, D.. (2010, October). Prescription for Change: Health, Wellness, and Higher

            Education. The Presidency, 13(3), 18-23.  Retrieved February 10, 2013, from

            ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 2181002061).

Sizer, F.S. & Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition concepts and controversies. (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Nutrition's Impact on Disease

The connection between diet and health is quite powerful. Diabetes can be caused by eating foods rich in sugar and red meat accelerates the effects of heart disease. Sadly, many of these debilitating conditions can be prevented with education and application of basic nutrition principles known today. Smoking could also be considered part of one's "diet" as it is ingested and processed by the body similar to some foods that are eaten. Smoking causes cancer and certain respiratory diseases and periodontitis, while stress can impact or trigger autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.  In an article I read, “Periodontitis is generally a chronic disorder characterized by the breakdown of tooth-supporting tissues, producing a loss of dentition.  It is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory human disease, affects 30% to 40% of the population over the 35 years of age and is considered a major global burden of oral diseases.”(Bullon, P., Cordero, M. D., Quiles, J. L., Ramirez-Tortosa, M., Gonzalez-Alonso, A., Alfonsi, S. Battino, M., 2012).

Bullon, P., Cordero, M. D., Quiles, J. L., Ramirez-Tortosa, M., Gonzalez-Alonso, A., Alfonsi, S. Battino, M. (2012). Autophagy in periodontitis patients and gingival fibroblasts: Unraveling the link between chronic diseases and inflammation. BMC Medicine, 10(1), 122. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-10-122

2010 Dietary Guidelines

After reviewing the 2005 and 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, I found that there are four key recommendations to these guidelines and they are as follows:

-          Balancing calories to manage weight.  This is where a person needs to improve their eating habits as well as focus more on exercising.  The amount of food we eat needs to equal the amount of energy our body needs and uses, so  if we are not exercising and eating wrong we will see an imbalance of weight and calories.  

 -          Reduce certain foods and food components.   Here is where we first need to recognize the foods that have little to no nutritional value and can potentially have harmful effects on our health.  Once we have a handle on those foods, we then need to reduce the amount of consumption.  A few examples of these foods are sodium, saturated and transfatty acids, cholesterol, added sugar, solid fats and alcoholic beverages.

 -          Foods and nutrients that need to be increased.   Here again, we as society need to understand which foods are healthy for us to consume.  Once we know what those are, we need to concentrate and put our efforts into eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products and protein foods.  It is also important to include variety and eat foods such as seafood and legumes in lieu of proteins such as poultry.

 -          Building healthy eating habits.  This is where one makes lifestyle changes and creates healthy eating patterns that allow one to get the right amount of energy and nutrients for their body without causing any risk to their health, illness or chronic disease.

The way that these recommendations compare to the realities of the U.S. diet is through the Healthy Eating Index.  According to our text, “The HEI allows comparison between the recommendations and various aspects of a diet and yields a score.”(Sizer & Whitney, 2012).   Candidly speaking not very many people are following these guidelines.   I say this because we are seeing many older people with chronic disease caused by eating the wrong foods and worse our children are now suffering obesity at an alarming rate.   “Obesity has become quite common among children aged 6-11 years.  In fact, obesity increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008.”(Blackwell, W., 2010).  Also, there are points given for the food category that we should be eating and sadly the current American score is 58 out of 100.  This means that we are not eating enough of the healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products, but are eating the unhealthy ones that contain ingredients such as high sodium, cholesterol and solid fat foods.  After understanding and examining the components of the food label and learning about the nutrition and ingredients I can honestly say that I put items back now that I know a little more about the ingredients and what it means.  If something has an item that begins with sugar or has a high percentage of sodium, I put it back.  I still feel a little overwhelmed by all of the small print, the percentages, and the weird names for the ingredient, so I am not so sure that this information will be helpful to all Americans.  We need something a little simpler to read and review and unfortunately there are just too many items to choose from along with many advertising and marketing gimmicks that can lure a person to make an unhealthy choice.  We need to be realistic and provide information that does not require a person to take a health class to understand. 

By the way, I have a question for the class. 

Black-Wiley (2010, February).  Most parents don’t realize their 4 or 5 year olds are

      overweight or obese.  NewsRX Health 134.  Retrieved February 8, 2013, from

      Proquest Health and Medical Complete.

Sizer, F.S. & Whitney, E. (2012). Nutrition concepts and controversies. (12th ed.). Belmont,

     CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Factors and Food Choices

Please click on link below which shares the factors that drive our food choices.  It is believed that the factors are social, psychologicial, philosophical, and physical.

http://lwrw45.edu.glogster.com/choose-your-foods