nutrition

Nutrition Essay
Edwind Medina
Nutrition is the key for a healthy life. According to Center of Disease Control and Prevention, Heart disease is the most leading cause of death; follow by Cancer (Prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer), chronic diseases, and strokes. So why is so important to eat right? Many foods that we eat help lower the risk of these diseases. Everyone needs to know what to eat, but there are so many types of food. So what should we eat? Choosing the right type of food is very important, based on your own lifestyle. Having a diversity of food, it will help you to meet the different kind of nutrients, minerals and vitamins that the body needs. Recently, I have been trying to watch out for what I eat, but even thought I try to eat a balance meal, sometime I miss a group. I see Nutrition as an endless process in life.
The first part of the project was to record the food that I was eating for a period of time, its amount and description. Then, I recorded the amount of carbohydrates, fats and proteins of every meal. Next, I calculated my BMI (Body Mass Index), EER (Estimate Energy Requirement) according to my daily activities, and the total kilocalories consumed every day. Eventually, I went to a nutrition website call myplate.gov where I transcribed all my data. Now I can see what my needs and excess are, based in the average of food groups and calories report.
My estimate energy requirement was around 3000 calories, and I am eating an average of 2271 calories per day, my status is under. I have been losing weight for the last three months, and this is the reason why. I increased my physical activities, but at the same time I need to increase my calorie intake, in order to keep a balance weight. The amount of carbohydrates that I consume is stable, my target has to be between 45 – 65% of my calories, and I am consuming 52% of my calories on carbohydrates. I also have a good balance on dietary fiber; I eat beans and peas, other vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and other foods with naturally occurring fiber. My total fat average is 17% calories, my target is 20 -25% calories, I will need to increase my fat intake, choosing foods that are rich in polyunsaturated fat to replace foods with saturated fats. Examples of food sources include walnuts, flaxseed and fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and Atlantic and Pacific mackerel, also soybean, corn, and cottonseed oils.
There are some side effects of my love for protein. I have an active life and I enjoy working out. I use protein supplements in order to regenerate my muscle tissue, but I may not need it. The average person needs about 0.4- 0.6 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Active individuals may require .8 grams. People that exercise frequently and at a high intensity, they require about a gram per pound of body weight. Bodybuilders and athletes may require even more. I consume over 100g of protein per day plus supplement, over a 35% of my calories intake. But some of the risk will be kidney problems, when done for a long term. Intestinal irritation, too much protein has been linked to constipation, diarrhea or excessive gas, and when insufficient amounts of water are consumed, it may cause dehydration and seizures. I will need to include both plant and animal protein foods in my healthy eating pattern. Eat seafood in place of meat or poultry twice a week. Also, I need to select low-fat or lean meat or poultry as my protein choices in place of those high in saturated fat or supplement, and choose low fat methods of cooking for protein foods such as roasting, baking, or grilling.
I have a good variety of food in my diet. I meet most of the minerals and vitamins need in a day. According to myplate.gov my sodium and vitamin A intake are over the daily requirement. Healthy adults should limit sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day. Too much sodium in the diet may lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis, kidney stones, dehydration, breathing problems, gastric ulcers and cancers. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) levels for vitamin A in men (14 years and older) is 900 mcg/day. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body make and maintain healthy skin and hair and see in dim light. But a long-term use of large amounts of vitamin A might cause serious side effects as: fatigue, irritability, mental changes, anorexia, stomach discomfort, nausea, vomiting, mild fever, excessive sweating, and many other side effects.
In conclusion I have a good diet, but there are some nutrients, vitamins and minerals that I need to keep an eye on. I need to low my protein, sodium and vitamin A intake, and at the same time I need to add more good fats in my diet. I need to be alert of chronic diseases and other diseases, so learning about what types of food I eat and need is very important. Having a healthy lifestyle will help me to prevent future issues and a healthy body. I know I eat a variety of food, but sometime I eat too much or too little of the food I need, but I’m hoping I am not in a high risk for anything. I think of myself as being healthy, but I need to improve my diet by the day. I will try to eat food that is beneficial to me, so I could live a healthy life and be stronger for the coming years.