Nutrition and Your Body

A Diet For All

It is important to maintain a healthy body weight throughout life. Since no one is exactly the same a diet must be able to let the person acquire adequate amounts of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, while also limiting being underweight, overweight, or obese. The body mass index (BMI) can be used to measure which category a person falls into (CDC, 2014).

(The Fashionable Housewife, n.d.)

Underweight

Underweight people have trouble recovering from operations, fighting illness, increased risk of bone fractures, and do not have adequate storage's of essential nutrients (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Consuming enough calories and choosing whole foods is important to a healthy body (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Additionally, exercising may increase your appetite (Mayo Clinic, 2014).

Overweight and Obese

There are numerous health issues that are correlated with a person being overweight and obese (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). These include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, and cancer to name a few (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

(Texasmama12, 2012)

Preventative Measures for a Successful and Healthy Body Weight

There are three aspects to consider for a health body, consuming food must be measured to ensure proper caloric intake, everything in moderation, and plenty of exercise (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Little changes in habits such as simply taking the stairs when available will make a tremendous difference in the long term. A diet means just that. It is the meaning of the food that is consumed. It does not need to be a trendy diet plan and no gym membership is needed (although some instances may require a gym membership for access to a pool for low impact exercise). The pyramid below is also a great tool to begin and maintain a healthy diet.

(Lempert, 2005)

References:

CDC (2014). Adult bmi calculator: english. Retrieved on September 21, 2014 from

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/english_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.html

Lempert, P, (2005). The new food pyramid: what the stripes mean. Retrieved on September 21,

2014 from http://www.today.com/id/7562220/ns/today-today_food/t/new-food-pyramid-

what-stripes-mean/#.VB9jqhYfJSk

Mayo Clinic (2014). What's a good way to gain weight if you're underweight? Retrieved on

September 21, 2014 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/underweight/faq-20058429

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.). Mason, OH:

Cengage Learning.

Texasmama 12 (2012). Prevention of underweight, overweight, and obesity. Retrieved on

September 21, 2014 from http://healthylifestyle-2012.blogspot.com/2012/08/prevention-of-underweight-overweight.html

The Fashionable House Wife (n.d.). Is bmi really that important? Retrieved on September 21,

2014 from http://www.thefashionablehousewife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/obesity-table.gif

Essential Macro and Micro-nutrients and You

Macro-nutrients

Macro-nutrients include carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, and water (CDC, 2014). Foods that include these ingredients provide energy for the body (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are a good source of glucose which is needed for body functions and physical activity (Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, 2014a). However, not all carbohydrates are created equal. According to the Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source (2014a), carbohydrates can be separated into two fields, good and bad,

Good

whole grains
fruits
beans
vegetables

Bad

processed foods and breads
soda

The figure below demonstrates how carbohydrates are digested and absorbed into the body.

(Ball, Hill, & Scott, 2011)

Protein

Much of our body is made of protein so it is no surprise that consuming enough of it is essential to a healthy body (Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, 2014b). The recommended daily allowance is 46 grams for adult women and 56 grams for adult men (Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, 2014b). Choosing lean meats provides adequate nutrition without increased levels of saturated fat and sodium (Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source, 2014b).

The figure below demonstrates how proteins are digested and absorbed into the body.

(Ball, Hill, & Scott, 2011)

Fat

Fat contains twice the amount of calories than carbohydrates and protein and helps the body absorb vitamins (NIH, 2014).

The figure below demonstrates how fat is digested and absorbed by the body.

(Ball, Hill, & Scott, 2011)

Micro-nutrients

Unlike macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients are only needed in small amounts but are vital to a healthy body (WHO, 2014). These include iron, iodine, and vitamin A (WHO, 2014).

References:

Ball, D.W., Hill, J.W., and Scott, R.J. (2011). Introduction to chemistry: general, organic, and

biological. v. 1.0. Retrieved on September 21, 2014 from http://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/introduction-to-chemistry-general-organic-and-biological/s23-02-stage-i-of-catabolism.html

CDC (2014). Macronutrients. Retrieved on September 21, 2014 from

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/food-composition/macronutrients

Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source (2014a). Carbohydrates. Retrieved on

September 21, 2014 from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/

Harvard School of Public Health Nutrition Source (2014b). Protein. Retrieved on September

21, 2014 from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/

NIH (2014). Dietary fats. Retrieved on September 21, 2014 from

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietaryfats.html

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.). Mason, OH:

Cengage Learning.

WHO (2014). Micronutrients. Retrieved on September 21, 2014 from

http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/micronutrients/en/

The Difficulty of Eating a Healthy Diet in the Modern World

Like many Americans, our lives are often over scheduled with work and other life to do's. If eating healthy was a player on a football team it would be sitting on the bench often. Why? Good question! There are many factors that can lead to unhealthy eating such as convenience, traveling, tastes, habits and cost (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). According to Sizer & Whitney (2013), there are six aspects to eating healthy,

certain foods are eaten regularly
they provide adequate nutrition
are balanced
are within calorie requirements
are consumed in moderation
offer variety

As Sizer and Whitney (2013) suggest, eating healthy can be obtained by eating the following natural foods,

whole grains
vegetables
fruits
nuts
unsaturated fats
lean meats
low fat dairy
soy
legumes

The most important aspect of eating healthy is having the mindset to want to eat healthy on a regular basis (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Make time each week to plan and make all three meals and healthy snack options. Using prepackaged whole foods such as frozen vegetables and natural lean meats can be very beneficial to preparing a healthy meal quickly. Products such as the Purdue Short Cuts are all natural and provide people with an easy way to make a meal (Purdue, 2014).

Football Season and the Holidays

It is easy to see how we can get caught up in life's day to day activities and sometimes feel obligated to indulge and even overindulge in food. Social events often further encourage over eating. While in the vicinity of junk foods such as chips, dips, and anything that ends in o's, serve yourself on a small plate if possible and limit to one serving size, or handful (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Moderating alcohol, sugary, and salty foods is beneficial to your health as well (Sizer & Whitney, 2013). Just remember, it is OK to have a piece of grandma's cheese cake at Thanksgiving. Moderation is key!

(Skin Sheen, 2014)

Keys for Success

According to Sizer and Whitney (2013) and the CDC (2011),

Do's

always bring snacks
drink plenty of water
preplan meals
make meals ahead of time
substitute bad foods for good foods (carrots instead of chips)
treat yourself in moderation
measure portions
use smaller plates and glasses
eat slower

Don't

overeat
eat from container or bag
eat while doing sedentary activities
make radical and sudden diet changes
eat when not hungry

Become aware of the triggers that result in the behaviors that cause eating bad foods and work towards changing these to habits of eating good foods (CDC, 2011). The choice is yours!