What are the nutritional requirements across the lifespan – from pregnancy to childhood, and from adolescence to adulthood? Create a personal diet modification plan by analyzing your personal diet in terms of nutritional strengths and weaknesses and discussing the changes you plan to make in your life to better meet the dietary guidelines.

Healthy nutrition begins with life, before pregnancy it is important for both parents to be on the same level. Once the gamete fertilizes the ovum, it is the mother responsibility to continue to nourish nutrients to her unborn child. During pregnancy, the mother should remain eating healthy even through the unhealthy cravings. It is also important that the unborn child receive every nutrients the fetus needs to grow and develop properly. “For the woman who is pregnant, or who soon will be, however, nutrition choices today profoundly affect the health of her future child and the adult that the child will one day become.” Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013). In the first year of an infant life, the nutrients are mainly provided from formula or breast milk. As the child get older and through the different stages, jar foods are introduced as the infant grow. Once an infant reaches the one year mark, a child is available to eat pretty much anything with the family. Adolescences is a critical stage because that is when puberty begins. Adolescences are at the age when they may face certain factors that can hinder their decision when making healthy choices. Parents and adult role models are there to guide them and practice showing them healthy habits to use. The portion sizes of children are half the amount of what adolescence and adults should consume. Knowing the proper amount are risk preventions from obesity. “Specifically, adolescence is characterized by a decrease in fruit and vegetable intake, a decrease in breakfast eating, and an increase in the consumption of high-fat, high-sugar snack foods.” Cvjetan, Branko; Utter, Jennifer; Robinson, Elizabeth; Denny, Simon (2014)  As adult, we can take what we learned as a child/adolescence and adjust our habits to what we need to live a healthy life. Our body and metabolism are constantly changing as we grow older. What may work for us ten years ago may not work for us now.

Your diet solely depends on how you want to live your life. Genetically you may be tide to health related issue and obesity problems. Just because it can  be a possibility that it is  hereditary, it does not mean you will follow in the same footsteps. When you’re at the age to take control your life, you have the power to eat foods that can strengthen your way of thinking. To every strength, you will experience something that will make you weak. Deprivation is not a good feeling to have. If you know that you ate healthily and exercised all week long. It is ok to treat yourself to your favorite dessert. Moderation is the key when eating the wrong type of food.   A healthy diet is a diet that benefit and work for your lifestyle. Adapting to a healthy diet is a way of life. Your body can for sure react if you are feeding it invaluable or valuable food.

 

In my conclusion, eating healthy takes knowledge, motivation, and control.  Without knowledge, people will not fully understand how food can work as the enemy to the body. Taking into consideration of educating your mind on the different jobs that nutrients are made for. We want to eat foods so we can use as fuel to fire up your energy instead of storing unnecessary fat. The storing of fat can lead to weight gain that turns into obesity and eventually health related disease. Self-motivation will keep you in the right mindset to continue to make every effort to do what is right. Living a healthy lifestyle implicate choices, taking control of your options can depend on how you want to feel and appear. Nutrition is important for all species of life, without the proper intake, it is extremely hard to sustain life. The power of how you treat your body is in your hand. Striving to provide the body filled with healthy nutrients will help take care you as you proceed in life.

Cvjetan, Branko; Utter, Jennifer; Robinson, Elizabeth; Denny, Simon; Journal of School Health, Oct2014; 84(10): 677-682. 6p. (Journal Article - research, tables/charts) ISSN: 0022-4391 PMID: 25154532, Database: CINAHL with Full Text;The Social Environment of Schools and Adolescent Nutrition: Associations Between the School Nutrition Climate and Adolescents' Eating Behaviors and Body Mass Index.

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

http://daychiropracticsavannah.com/tag/doctor-philip-day/

http://nutritionlaymansstyle.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-nutritional-requirements-across.html

 

Describe the role of diet in preventing underweight, overweight, and obesity.

The point of a healthy diet is to find a balance to a healthy weight. According to a person age, height and weight will and can determine your status on the BMI chart. The normal weight range on the BMI chart is 18.5-25. Anything under or over those numbers are considered under and overweight. Once the number increase to 30 and above you are label as obese. The classification of obese can range up to class lll, that is 40 and above. By eating three healthy meals and two healthy snacks a day can prevent the issues of underweight, overweight, and obesity. Skipping meals can result in improper weight loss, and a large portion of unhealthy meals can lead to excessive weight gain, which can eventually lead to obesity if not in control of your eating habits. “BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI is moderately correlated with more direct measures of body fat obtained from skinfold thickness measurements, bioelectrical impedance, densitometry (underwater weighing), dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and other methods.” (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/)

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/
http://www.ethiopianopinion.com/the-burden-of-underweight-and-overweight-among-women-in-addis-ababa-ethiopia/

What are the digestion, absorption, and metabolism of the macronutrients?

As we consumed our food, the  next process is digestion and distributing the nutrients where it is needed. Consuming carbohydrates such as complex carbs are mainly digest and the body will use it as an energy source. Carbohydrates that high in sugar and fat are considered simple carbs, generally stored as fat. The chemical reaction of enzymes “amylase” helps to digest carbs and absorb it for energy. Simple carbs such as refined sugar, are mainly stored in the fat cells, which has no value for the body. Complex carbs are useful to the metabolism and energy that the body demands. During the digestion, protein releases an amino acid that accommodate the growth and development of the muscles tissues. As the enzymes speed up the process of the digestion of protein. It is necessary to Include protein with three main meals to provide enough energy to keep your metabolism running throughout the day. “When a person eats food proteins, whether from cereals, vegetables, beef, fish, or cheese, the body must first alter them by breaking them down into amino acids; only then can it rearrange them into specific human body proteins.” Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013). We have good, and bad fat in the food that we eat. Once the fat is digested it is carried through the blood stream and is used to fuel the body. Again, too much consumption of fat will be stored in the body instead of using it for energy. All of the Macronutrients are good for our, too much of it can do just as much harm. One thing that all three of the macronutrients have in common is, it fuel the body to sustain your daily activities.

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

http://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=chapter-3-nutrition

What are the names, functions, and sources of essential macro- and micronutrients?

Protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, minerals, and water are the

 six sources of nutrients that the body need. Protein is made of amino acids that are required

 for the growth and repair of your muscle tissue. Since protein does not store

 in the body, it is essential to intake protein every day and the amount that is needed for

 your lifestyle. “Without these essential

 nutrients, the body cannot make the proteins it needs to do its work. Because

 the essential amino acids can only be

 replenished from foods, a person must frequently eat the foods that

 provide them.” Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).   There is two kinds fat;

 you have the good fat and the bad fat that

 we consume everyday. Be

 aware of saturated and Trans fat that contain

 artificial oils through the process of hydrogenation. For it can be the primary cause of rising the cholesterol that

 can lead to strokes, heart disease, and

 diabetes. Investing your food choices in unsaturated fats such as monounsaturated

 and polyunsaturated are considered positive habits to obtain on keeping a healthy

 cholesterol level. Olive oil is a good alternative to preparing food rather

 than using vegetable oil or lard. Micronutrients are also known as vitamins and minerals. Vitamins


and minerals come

 from the foods that we eat; that is why it is smart to eat foods that will

 benefit the body. Processed and fast foods do not have any valuable nutrients

 that will help promote growth. Instead,

 it will develop health related problems

 and obesity. Eating fibrous fruits and vegetables will ensure the body is

 getting the antioxidants to help build a healthy

 immune system. Each letter in the vitamins department does its unique

 job to provide a healthy development. Last but not least, water is very essential; water is what


prevent dehydration.

 Its job is to transport nutrients to the cells throughout the body and help

 digest and eliminate waste through the urine. Understanding your Macronutrients and

micronutrients are necessary to be aware of when the body lacks a particular nutrient.

 

 

 

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rklEZs0Cxa8

What are some characteristics and challenges of a healthy diet? What are factors that drive our food choices?

When following a healthy diet, that means you are learning to adapt to a healthy behavior pattern. Knowledge, planning, recognizing and controlling are some strong traits to follow when facing challenges to eating what is right. Experience provides you with the education on what to eat and what not to eat. You will be surprised to know that many people at the adult stage are unaware of the portion sizes and the food guidelines. There had been plenty of times when I thought it was ok to eat three starchy side dishes at one time. Wow! Was I wrong! We tend to get sidetrack and before you know it the weight will be packing on over the years. “Procedural nutrition knowledge is knowledge of how to eat a healthy diet. This type of experience potentially plays an important role in dietary behavior.”  Dickson-Spillmann M; Siegrist (2011). Planning will take away the feeling to eat anything whenever the hunger pain strikes up.  Planning also gives you the opportunity to properly portion sizes your meals to help the flow of your day goes by smoothly. Recognize foods that healthy and filled with vitamins and minerals.  Avoid foods high in saturated, refined sugars, and any food that does not hold any nutrients value. Gain control of how foods make you feel. Again, avoid foods that make the body feels sluggish and tired. Invest in eating foods that give you energy and one day it may help you run that marathon you always wanted. The temptation of wanting to eat your favorite fried chicken can be tempting never deprived yourself. Learning moderation and control can let you have the best of both worlds.

 

    

Many factors influence our food choices. Eating habits were taught at a young age, depending on your culture background it can have a negative or positive effect on our diet.  Without a doubt, southern food that is also known as soul food can cause diseases including strokes, heart disease, and diabetes if not monitor accurately. Socially and philosophical, interacting with others can work in our best interest of healthy eating. It is the same motivation as having a fitness partner to work out with. Sometimes our social environment can often lead to excessive eating. The majority of people seem to consume more foods when in a happy and comfortable environment. A social gathering is often leaked to when eating more than the moderation. “Social influences on food intake refer to the impact that one or more persons has on the eating behavior of others, either direct or indirect, either conscious or subconscious. Even when eating alone, food choice is influenced by social factors because attitudes and habits develop through the interaction with others.” (http://www.eufic.org/article/en/health-and-lifestyle/food-choice/artid/social-economic-determinants-food-choice/) Psychological can rely on emotional eating, stress being one of the main reason of overeating to help overcome feeling depressed. Loss of appetite falls under the psychological factor as well. Individual deals with stress differently, depending on how a particular situation affect a person can influence their food choices. Physical factors drive our food choices to watch what we eat, sometimes it takes appearances to be a factor.  Those who take more pride in their physical appearance might be more conscious of the consequences if consumed more quantity of the wrong type of foods.

Dickson-Spillmann M; Siegrist M; Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics, Feb2011; 24(1): 54-60. 7p. (Journal Article - research, tables/charts) ISSN: 0952-3871 PMID: 20880377, Database: CINAHL with Full Text Consumers' knowledge of healthy diets and its correlation with dietary behavior.

http://www.eufic.org/article/en/health-and-lifestyle/food-choice/artid/social-economic-determinants-food-choice/

http://www.doctoroz.com/article/truth-or-myth-5-dieting-tips-demystified

http://www.ehow.com/info_8141939_weightloss-contest-ideas.html

What is the connection between nutrition and disease?

The connection between nutrition and disease depends on the nutrients that we consume on a daily basis.  The only way that our bodies can properly function is to supply it with water and the nutrients from the food that eat. There are a window when the body starts to shut down with the lack of nutrients it needs to perform. The body can go at least three weeks without food and less than 10 days without water. As the body continue to go without food, you will be experience a pretty vulnerable body.   Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and malnutrition has been related to the insufficient intake of vitamins and minerals that you receives from the food we eat. Although, having too much and too little both can lead to the cause of death. Nothing will never prevent death when it is your time to go. Treating the body in the goodness of will can help prevent  high risk factors of diseases. “According to WHO (2013a), most CVD can be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, raised blood pressure, diabetes and raised lipids’.” Walker, Jaqui: (2013)

Walker, Jaqui; Nursing Standard, 9/11/2013; 28(2): 48-55. 8p. (Journal Article - case study, tables/charts) ISSN: 0029-6570 PMID: 24020577, Database: CINAHL with Full Text Reducing cardiovascular disease risk: cholesterol and diet.


http://gazettereview.com/2015/08/new-complications-found-from-excessive-vitamin-consumption/