Three Day Food Intake

Name of student

Institution

The human body needs food nutrients in order to function as required (Shepherd, Raats, 2006). It is, therefore, recommended taking in a balanced diet that has foods from all the major food groups. These major food groups are proteins, carbohydrates and fats and oils, as well as food stuff that provide the body with vitamins. The diet should include fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy, fats, proteins, oils and sweets. This paper addresses specific points about my three-day food intake as recorded in my iProfile. The information was recorded on the 3rd, 6th and 9th days of the month of January 2014.

There are different foods in my recorded daily intake that provide protein. These foods include fish, cheese, lean beef, beans, eggs, corn, yogurt, milk, peas, and nuts (Shepherd, Raats, 2006). For carbohydrate supplements, I mainly depend on sugary cereals, lentils, barley, granulated sugar, rice, potato chips, cakes and salad dressings. For the lipid part a balanced diet, I take in vegetable oil, salad, margarine-butter blend, soybean oil nuts, cream as well as chocolate milk. These varieties of food are supposed to provide the body with vital nutrients to ensure that it functions properly. When reviewed against the recommendations of the dietary reference intake (DRI), there are no major disparities that are observed. There are insignificant differences in the amounts of total fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrate, sugars (added), dietary fiber, fruits and vegetables and salt that I take in when compared to the dietary recommendations. If my recorded protein-carbohydrate-fat intake were too low, I would add poultry, sweet pickles, and butter to my diet. However, if my recorded protein-carbohydrate-fat intake was too high, then I would remove eggs, potato chips and salad from my diet. This would help me achieve my goal as well as keep the other nutrients in balance.

Most of the sources of proteins that I take in contain complete proteins. These include foods like meat, cheese, fish, milk, eggs and yogurt (Wardle, Parmenter, Waller, 2009). Proteinaceous foods which contain incomplete proteins and yet I take them in include peas, nuts, beans and corn. Two or more protein substrates from the incomplete group of proteins can combine to become complementary and create a complete protein (Wardle, Parmenter, Waller, 2009). This ensures that the amino acids that is/are missing in one protein supplement are provided by the other and thus providing the body with all the essential amino acids. On reviewing the quantities of the recommended protein, carbohydrate and lipid intake, I achieved figures that hit 0.72g/kg/d for protein, 100g/d for carbohydrates and 30g/d for the fat. These figures are within the recommended intake values and; therefore, I was not surprised by the numbers. If my macronutrient were insufficient, I would have to bring it to the recommended range. I would do these by increasing my dietary content of the protein, fat and carbohydrates. For instance, I would increase the intake of fish, potatoes and rice and butter.

Macronutrients are the main classes of chemical compounds that humans ingest in the largest quantities. They provide most energy (Rosenthal, Monte, 2002). It is, therefore, important to observe a macronutrient intake that is within the recommended range. Too much or too little of a macronutrient can cause detrimental effects to the human health. For example, lack of adequate protein in the diet will lead to marasmus, kwashiorkor, impaired mental health, edema, organ failure and weak immune system. When protein is taken in excessively large quantities, it can lead to disorders of calcium and bone homeostasis, disorders of renal function and increased risk of cancer. For carbohydrates, the effects associated with a reduced intake are increased loss in body weight and improvement of blood pressure. A high carbohydrate intake will lead to a risk of obesity, stroke and cancer. Like carbohydrates, fats when ingested in large quantities will lead to heart problems, obesity and the risk of cancer. A reduced fat intake will lead to loss in weight and a reduction in the risk of developing heart disease. However, when taken in lesser than the recommended values, there is a restriction in the absorption of vitamins, causes depression, imbalance of nutrients and leads to overeating.

Dietary fiber is important in improving the digestive health. It also helps prevent diabetes, heart disease, weight gain and some cancers (Rosenthal, Monte, 2002). Though my total fiber intake does not meet 100% of the recommendation, at 87% in the iProfile website, the intake is just right. This was not too high or too low. This is because men should get averagely 38g/d of fiber while women need 25g/d, and, therefore, at 35g/d, I am taking in fiber that is within the recommended range. The major dietary fiber containing groups are whole grains, seeds, nut, vegetables and fruits. My daily fiber intake meets the minimum number of servings of food from each of these groups, as indicated in my iProfile. None of the groups fell short of the recommended intake. Foodstuff that provide the most fiber in my days’ meals is peas, beans, lentils and barley. Importantly, I tend to have a special liking for sugary carbohydrates and fresh fruits, and I fear this might my fiber intake.

In as much as I try to observe and maintain a balanced diet, I tend to some patterns within my diet. For instance, I am used to snacking between meals. The snacks that I take are a high sugar content foodstuff stuff that might cause me health problems. I also tend to go on an empty stomach for several hours beyond meal times whenever I feel that I ate more than enough for the previous meal.

Due to the great importance of the fiber content in the diet, I would increase the amount of fruits, grains and vegetables in my diet. Equally, my meals include fiber-rich bean dishes such as beans in a salad and chili. I personally prefer to eat whole fruits, as opposed to drinking fruit juice. This is because juicing reduces the fiber content and increases the calorie content. The most intact and diverse sum of nutrients comes through the whole fruit (Rosenthal, Monte, 2002). It is important to take in whole fruits, as opposed to processed fruit juices. However, excessive intake of fiber will lead to intestinal blockage, constipation, diarrhea and cramping.

There is the need to ingest main food groups that have been discussed above in the right quantities. The negative side effects of Insufficient or excessive amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, fats or fibers are well elaborated in the preceding paragraphs. In summary, therefore, it is necessary and important to practice a healthy lifestyle by observing a balanced diet.

References

Rosenthal, J. & Monte, T. (2002). The Energy Balanced Diet. New York, NY: Alpha books.

Shepherd, R. & Raats, M. (2006). The psychology of food science. Wallingford. CABI.

Wardle, J., Parmenter, K. & Waller, J. (2000). Nutrition knowledge and food intake. ScienceDirect, 34(3), 269-275.