Self-Dietary Analysis - Essay Example

SELF-DIETARY ANALYSIS I. DIETARY ASSESSMENT My complete daily food intake for three days was recorded, and is presented in Table The table also presented the major nutrient composition based on the Food Composition Table devised by Wageningen University (Wageningen University, 2009). The average daily energy obtained from my three-day diet was approximately 2200 Cal day-1. This was lower than the energy requirement set by the FAO 2001 Report on Human Energy Requirements (FAO, 2001), which was 2400 kcal day-1 for a 23-year old male with a sedentary lifestyle (like mine). The energy requirement calculated from a basic metabolic rate (BMR) 1.45 for my weight of 65 kg and height of 185 cm. A closer look at my daily diet showed that I was not consistent in meeting the food requirements that are set in the basic food pyramid guide (health.stateuniversity.com, 2009). My diet varied highly from day to day, with very high-energy intake on day 2, followed by day 1. On day 3, there was a very drastic reduction in my food and energy intake to less than half of what I normally take. This was due to my busy school workload, which made me neglect the preparation of food for that day. The third-day food intake was sufficient to lower my daily average to 2200 cal day-1. However, my food intake was much higher than what I really needed considering my very low level of physical activity. Being relatively young, I still do not have a medical condition that will require an immediate change in diet, however there is a major discrepancy in my diet compared to the set guidelines. Deviations from the food pyramid dietary guidelines The food pyramid sets the minimum and maximum levels of food servings that are required from each of the different food groups namely cereals, vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy and sweets and oils. Servings were calculated based on standard recommendation (Healthy Eating Guide, 2001). The average number of servings was calculated from my diet and is presented in Appendix Table 2, Table 1, and Figure 1. Table 1. Average servings per day of the different food groups and the minimum and maximum requirements set by the Food Pyramid Guidelines.  SERVINGS CEREALS VEGETABLES FRUITS MEAT MILK Average per day 4.56 1.14 3.90 6.23 3.13 Food Pyramid Guidelines Minimum 6.00 3.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 Maximum 11.00 5.00 4.00 3.00 3.00 Figure 1. Average servings of the different food groups compared to the minimum and maximum daily requirements. On a weight basis, the meat group contributed the most to the daily energy intake, followed by the cereals group. The least contribution came from the vegetables (Figure 2). This was in agreement with the very large number of servings obtained from meat. Figure 2. Percent contribution of the different food groups to the energy intake from diet. Nutritional Content of Diet Figure 3 presents the percentage of contribution of the different major nutrients to my diet. Carbohydrates make up more than half of my nutrients, while proteins and fats have almost equal contribution to the other half. Figure 3. The percent distribution of different nutrients to daily requirements. II. IMPORTANT POINTS Analysis of foods and how they affect our metabolism and health should be done by taking an overall picture of the whole. However, when some nutrients are disproportionately high or low compared to standards, then efforts must be exerted to conform. A close study of my diet and their contribution to my energy and nutritional intake showed that I did not conform to the requirements. The intake of cereals like bread and rice was lower than the minimum and was 50% less than the maximum requirement. This was also the case with the vegetable intake. Consumption of meat, fish, and eggs was very high; almost double the maximum that was set under the food pyramid guidelines. However, the consumption of milk products and fruits was within the maximum limits. My diet can therefore be categorized as high-protein, high-fat, low carbohydrate, and low-fibre diet. My diet is sufficient in milk products, which is advantageous in terms of meeting my protein and calcium requirements for growth and strong bones. However, dairy products also contain a high level of fats that can contribute to higher concentration of blood triglycerides. It is also sufficient in fruits, which can meet my mineral and trace element requirements. However, very low vegetable intake means that I am not able to meet my requirement for fibre, beta carotene, carotenoids, and other minerals that can act as antioxidants and reduce the risks of getting stomach, colorectal and oesophageal cancers. High fibre also aids in sweeping or removing fats and oils from the digestive system to the excretory system. This property of fibre removes dietary lipids and cholesterol in the blood and thus, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. Another aspect of my diet which is not desirable is the high proportion of high meat products. Lean meat is a good source of iron and protein, however, meat with high fat content is dangerous. Aside from fats, meat is another main source of cholesterol, the accumulation of which is the primary cause of coronary heart disease (Akoh & Min, 2002). Blood cholesterol has the capacity to line and block the arteries. The major energy requirements must be met with carbohydrates, with priority given to complex carbohydrates like whole grain, and less of the processed carbohydrates like those from flour. I eat mostly cornflakes and white bread from this food group. Eating more of carbohydrates provides a ready source of energy that is easily available and not difficult to metabolize (Mathews & Van Holde, 1996). At my age of 23 years old, there are no observed medical conditions yet. However, the dietary pattern observed underscores the need for me to modify my diet based on the food pyramid guidelines. This means that I have to reduce my meat intake, and increase vegetables and complex carbohydrate components. Another strategy is to take meat and milk products that are superior in nutritional quality. Meat cuts selected should be lean, and these should be cooked not by frying but by grilling, boiling and steaming. Milk products and salad dressings can be low-fat like skimmed milk. Cooking with less fat will also reduce dietary fat and cholesterol. These approaches will lessen my chances of developing hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer in the future. Furthermore, good diet should be accompanied by an increased level of physical activities. My inactive lifestyle is currently being compensated by the relatively high basal metabolic rate (due to my age); however, the BMR will decrease with age, and it has to be increased by physical activity. Less BMR will result in lower metabolic rates which will mean that less energy from food will be broken down, and therefore, this excess energy will be stored as fat. With higher body fat come metabolic diseases. This can be avoided with a combination of a balanced healthy diet and exercise. III. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS 1. If you suffered from hypercholesterolemia how would you modify your diet to accommodate the problem? Hypercholesteremia is a condition where there is an abnormally high level of cholesterol in the blood. This level can be attributable to the inability of the body to metabolize cholesterol when there are metabolic and genetic defects (DeBoise-Boyd, 2008) , and to high levels of cholesterol in the diet. The metabolism of cholesterol involves its uptake by low density lipoprotein receptors in clathrin-coated pits on the cell surface. The amount of cholesterol metabolized is dependent on the number of these receptors, however, the synthesis of these are highly regulated and are depressed when dietary cholesterol is high, resulting in the increase of blood cholesterol. Therefore to reduce hypercholesterolemia, it is only necessary to reduce the dietary intake of cholesterol, which can be found in food that are derived from meat and animal, and which are high in fats. Thus, in my case, my diet should be modified to the high number of servings for meat products and to double the amount of cereals and vegetables. 2. In a similar manner, how would you modify your diet should you be diagnosed with endemic goitre? Endemic goitre is a condition brought about by low intake of iodine, a necessary element in the production of thyroid hormones (Mathews & Van Holde, 1996). If I were to be diagnosed with endemic goitre, I would work for a balanced diet, which would have the required amount of iodine. My daily requirement for iodine is 1100 mg (George Mateljan Foundation, 2009). The easiest way to increase my iodine is to add iodized salt in all my food preparations. This approach is already being used in regions of the world where there is a high level of endemic goitre, specifically in mountainous regions where fish, a major source of iodine, is scarce. My diet is also low on fish products; in three days, I only had fish once, so eating fish daily will also be another modification to my diet. Aside from iodized salt and fish products, other healthy sources of iodine would be vegetables, yoghurt, milk, strawberry, and cheese. Of these, I only need to increase my vegetable intake, since my diet is quite low on this food group. REFERENCES 1. Akoh, C., & Min, D. (2002). Food Lipids. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. 2. DeBoise-Boyd, R. (2008). Feedback regulation of cholesterol synthesis:sterol-accelerated ubiquitination and degradation of HMG CoA reductase. Cell Research , 18, 609-621. 3. FAO. (2001). Human energy requirements: Report of a joint FAO/WHO/UNU expert consultation. Food and Agriculture Organization. Rome: FAO Corporate Document Repository. 4. George Mateljan Foundation. (2009). The Worlds Healthiest Foods. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from THe George Mateljan Foundation: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=69 5. health.stateuniversity.com. (2009). Diets - Definition, Purpose, Description, Precautions, Side effects, Research and general acceptance. Retrieved September 2, 2009, from Health and Medicine Encyclopedia: http://health.stateuniversity.com/pages/479/Diets.html 6. Healthy Eating Guide. (2001). Conversions of household measures and serving sizes of various foods into grams. Retrieved September 10, 2009, from Healthy Eating Club: www.healthyeatingclub.com 7. Mathews, C. K., & Van Holde, K. (1996). Biochemistry (Second ed.). Menlo Park: The Benjamin Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.,. 8. Wageningen University. (2009, August 26). Food Composiition Table. Retrieved August 30, 2009, from Food-info.net: http://www.food-info.net/uk/foodcomp/table.htm APPENDIX Appendix Table 1. Raw data and the energy derived from the food intake from August 24-26, 2009.   Food Item Quantity (g) Energy (kcal) Proteins (g) Fats (g) Carbohydrates (g) Day 1             Breakfast banana 120.00 80.00 1.00 0.30 20.00   Corn flakes 40.00 350.00 8.00 0.50 82.00   Milk 125.00 65.00 3.30 3.80 4.70 Snacks pear 150.00 45.00 0.30 0.00 12.00 Lunch cheese on toast 160.00 736.00 41.60 64.00 0.00   lettuce 15.00 53.33 6.67 0.00 6.67   orange juice 250.00 100.00 1.50 0.00 22.50   toast 45.00 105.75 3.51 0.72 20.79 Dinner beef steak 280.00 700.00 72.50 37.50 0.00   white rice 90.00 107.10 2.34 0.09 25.20   potato 30.00 25.50 0.60 0.00 6.00   mango juice 180.00 60.00 0.50 0.00 15.00 Total     2427.68 141.82 106.91 214.86 Day 2             Breakfast fried egg 200 500 20 46 0   pancake 250 750 15 40 90   milk 200 130 6.6 7.6 9.4 Snacks mandarin 120 68.4 0.72 0 17.64 Lunch chicken on toast 200 318 44 15 0   toast 45.00 105.75 3.51 0.72 20.79   apple fruit 100 35 0.2 0 9 Dinner grilled chicken 400 636 88 30 0   white rice 80 95.2 2.08 0.08 22.4   white bread 80 188 6.24 1.28 36.96   fruit salad 100 101.2 0.3 0 25   lemon juice 200 14.4 0.6 0 3  Total     2941.95 187.25 140.68 234.19 Appendix Table 1 continued. Day 3 Food Item Quantity (g) Energy (kcal) Proteins (g) Fats (g) Carbohydrates (g) Breakfast corn flakes 40.00 140.000 3.200 0.200 32.800   milk 120.00 78.000 3.960 4.560 5.640   orange juice 180.00 72.000 1.080 0.000 16.200   apple 100.00 35.000 0.200 0.000 9.000 Snacks orange 130.00 52.000 1.300 0.000 9.000 Lunch Vegetable patty 200.00 437.500 8.750 21.250 17.500   Lettuce 20.00 1.600 0.280 0.000 0.200 dinner fried fish 140.00 182.000 17.550 16.900 22.100   potato 30.00 25.500 0.600 0.000 6.000   potato fries chips 30.00 75.000 1.200 3.300 11.100   fruit salad 80.00 80.960 0.240 0.000 20.000   strawberry juice 200.00 25.000 0.500 0.000 6.000  Total     1204.560 38.860 46.210 155.540 Average for 3 days (kcal/day     2191.40 122.64 97.93 201.53 Appendix Table 2. Daily average values for servings and energy intake from the different food groups Day Food Group Food Item Quantity servings Energy (kcal) Proteins (g) Fats (g) Carbohydrates (g)                   1 Bread, rice Corn flakes 40 1.33 350.00 8.00 0.50 82.00 1 Bread, rice toast 45 1.50 105.75 3.51 0.72 20.79 1 Bread, rice white rice 90 0.47 107.10 2.34 0.09 25.20 1 Bread, rice potato 30 0.50 25.50 0.60 0.00 6.00   Total Servings     3.81 588.35 14.45 1.31 133.99 1 Fruits banana 120 0.86 80.00 1.00 0.30 20.00 1 Fruits pear 150 0.79 45.00 0.30 0.00 12.00 1 Fruits orange juice 250 1.00 100.00 1.50 0.00 22.50 1 Fruits mango juice 180 0.72 60.00 0.50 0.00 15.00   Total Servings     3.37 285.00 3.30 0.30 69.50 1 meat, fish, eggs beef steak 280 2.33 700.00 72.50 37.50 0.00   Total Servings     2.33 700.00 72.50 37.50 0.00 1 Milk, cheese Milk 125 0.47 65.00 3.30 3.80 4.70 1 Milk, cheese cheese on toast 160 8.00 736.00 41.60 64.00 0.00   Total Servings     8.47 801.00 44.90 67.80 4.70 1 Vegetables lettuce 15 0.15 53.33 6.67 0.00 6.67   Total Servings     0.15 53.33         Total Energy       2427.68       2 bread, rice pancake 250 3.13 750.00 15.00 40.00 90.00 2 bread, rice toast 45 1.50 105.75 3.51 0.72 20.79 2 bread, rice white rice 80 0.42 95.20 2.08 0.08 22.40 2 bread, rice white bread 80 2.67 188.00 6.24 1.28 36.96 2 Total Servings     7.71 1138.95 26.83 42.08 170.15 2 fruits mandarin 120 2.00 68.40 0.72 0.00 17.64 2 fruits apple fruit 100 0.65 35.00 0.20 0.00 9.00 2 fruits fruit salad 100 0.45 101.20 0.30 0.00 25.00 2 fruits lemon juice 200 0.77 14.40 0.60 0.00 3.00 2 Total Servings     3.87 219.00 1.82 0.00 54.64 2 meat fish eggs fried egg 200 5.71 500.00 20.00 46.00 0.00 2 meat fish eggs chicken on toast 200 1.82 318.00 44.00 15.00 0.00 2 meat fish eggs grilled chicken 400 3.64 636.00 88.00 30.00 0.00 2 Total Servings     15.04 1673.00 153.82 91.00 54.64 2 milk, cheese milk 200 0.47 130.00 6.60 7.60 9.40 2 Total Servings     0.47 130.00 6.60 7.60 9.40    Calories       2941.95       3 bread rice corn flakes 40 1.33 140.00 3.20 0.20 32.80 3 bread rice potato 30 0.50 25.50 0.60 0.00 6.00 3 bread rice potato fries chips 30 0.33 75.00 1.20 3.30 11.10   Total Servings     2.17 240.50 5.00 3.50 49.90 3 fruits orange juice 180 1.00 72.00 1.08 0.00 16.20 3 fruits apple 100 0.65 35.00 0.20 0.00 9.00 3 fruits orange 130 1.08 52.00 1.30 0.00 9.00 3 fruits fruit salad 80 0.36 80.96 0.24 0.00 20.00 3 fruits strawberry juice 200 1.38 25.00 0.50 0.00 6.00   Total Servings      4.47 264.96 3.32 0.00 60.20 3 meat fish eggs fried fish 140 1.33 182.00 17.55 16.90 22.10   Total Servings     1.33 182.00 17.55 16.90 22.10 3 milk cheese milk 120 0.45 78.00 3.96 4.56 5.64   Total Servings     0.45 78.00 3.96 4.56 5.64 3 Vegetables Vegetable patty 200 2.86 437.50 8.75 21.25 17.50 3 vegetables Lettuce 20 0.40 1.60 0.28 0.00 0.20   Total Servings     3.26 439.10 9.03 21.25 17.70    Energy       1204.56 38.86 46.21 155.54 Read More