Introduction
These days, a balanced diet appears to be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Food is a crucial resource of energy, and for this reason, this issue should be approached correctly. Consumption of junk food seriously affects organisms and is highly likely to lead to numerous diseases, from obesity to gastritis. It has a considerable influence on the lifestyle of a person, as he or she may become less vivacious, stress-reliant, and energetic. An unconscious attitude to a diet may also result in a lack of vitamins and minerals. Considering all this information, the necessity to control eating habits becomes evident. For this reason, the following project on this topic was conducted, which implied monitoring my actual food intake and comparing it to personal recommendations in this respect. This way, the purpose of this paper is to present the comprehensive analysis of my diet, including revelation vitamin and mineral limits and consideration of energy expenditure, and propose some improvements on its base.
Vitamins and Minerals
First of all, it is essential to supply some basic information on my body. My age is 22 years old, and my height amounts to 155 lb, while the weight is 5 fits 9 inches. Consequently, my body mass index is 22.9, which is normal and depicts that there are no problems with the body built and weight. However, this index includes only height and weight measurements, and for this reason, it cannot be reliable in many cases, as there are multiple factors, which should be considered too. Nuttall states that it is “a rather poor indicator of percent of body fat”, as it “does not capture information on the mass of fat in different body sites” (2015, para. 1). In addition, this ratio may be imprecise, as it does not regard the specialties of body built. For instance, bony frame and, consequently, bone mass affects this ratio to a large extent, so the result may not match reality. Therefore, the necessity to conduct further analysis of my eating habits is apparent.
The report of my diet during three days depicted that it could be partly unbalanced in the context of vitamin and mineral consumption. The report revealed that my food lacked a sufficient amount of vitamin A. The actual intake was significantly lower than the recommended one, namely, I have eaten almost 75 micrograms, while 300 micrograms are required. This component plays a crucial role in the process of developing skin cells and the creation of bone tissue. It is also necessary to maintain sight insufficient condition, so when vitamin A is limited, people suffer from poor sight (World Health Organization, 2019; Tanumihardjo et al., 2019)‎. Moreover, it prevents collagen formation and leads to scorbutus (Blake, 2020). Apart from the lack of vitamin A, the amount of vitamins D and E is extremely low, too (Tanumihardjo et al., 2019). If it happens regularly, there is a likelihood of weakening of bones and appearing of tiredness.
The report demonstrated the overconsumption of vitamin C, which, similarly to vitamin A deficiency, can result in scorbutus. The intake of sodium is also considerably higher than recommended. This factor may appear dangerous, as it increases blood pressure and holds extra fluid in the organism. The burden on the heart is considerable, and the risk of some heart problems becomes extremely high, as well as the liability to diseases. Therefore, the underconsumption of these vitamins presents a concern, which I should address urgently.
Calorie Intake and Expenditure
It is essential to consume the norm of the function and daily needs for calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and water. All the vital processes in organisms are connected with nutrition. It is the resource for creating tissues and receiving energy, and for this reason, it is important to stick to the appropriate number of calories. Apart from it, it is worthy of paying attention to organizing the diet in accordance with the balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat. Proteins are the primary material for creating cells and transit vitamins, fat, and hormones. Fats are the major resources of energy for organisms and components of cells’ structure, namely nucleus, cytoplasm, and membrane. As for carbohydrates, they participate in metabolic processes and present a supporting function. Carbohydrates are also an important material for the formation of bioplasm and cellular constructures. As the functions of proteins, carbohydrates, and fat are crucial for organism operation, it is necessary to control its number in food. As for the report of my actual food intake, I managed to balance proteins, carbohydrates, and fat in accordance with my personal norm.
Although my eating habits are quite appropriate for my organism, there are some issues, which should be taken into consideration. For instance, my water intake does not fit the recommendation considerably, which is harmful to my health status. In case I stick to drinking my water norm daily, my skin condition will improve (World Health Organization, 2019)‎. In addition, I did not manage to fit recommendations on potassium. The consequence of such a lack may be damaging to the nervous system (World Health Organization, 2019)‎. This factor should be addressed in order to prevent constant tiredness and mood swings. Moreover, as was described above, it is worthy of paying attention to the amount of sodium.
Apart from the aforementioned balance of components of the meal, it is also essential to match the actual food intake with energy expenditures. Occasionally, people are tempted by the taste of particular dishes, especially junk ones, so they overconsume them. This appears to be damaging for the health and prevents from keeping fit (World Health Organization, 2019)‎. The report demonstrates that I managed to balance these issues, and my calorie intake, which is 3014, refers to my level of activity.
Nevertheless, it is worthy to note that it is vital to minimize the amount of junk food in a daily diet. Although there are no significant problems with a lack of vitamins and minerals, they are highly likely to appear in case I continue to stick to such food preferences (Blake, 2020). They also may result in multiple diseases, especially concerning the digestive system. For this reason, junk food should be substituted for more healthy options.
Conclusion
In present-day developments, there are multiple factors, which affect the organism, including poor ecological conditions and a great number of stresses on a regular basis. An unbalanced diet is among them, and this issue is possible to be corrected. I have completed a 3-day project in order to analyze my eating preferences and compare them to personal recommendations. In general, there are no serious problems with it, though the lack of particular vitamins should be addressed, as well as the habit of consuming junk food.
References
Blake, Joan Salge (2020). ​Nutrition & you 5th edition​. Boston: Pearson.
Nuttall, F. Q. (2015). Body mass index. Obesity, BMI, and health: A critical review. Nutr Today, 50(3), 117–128.
Tanumihardjo, S. A., Russell, R. M., Stephensen, C. B., Gannon, B. M., Craft, N. E., Haskell, M. J., Lietz, G., Schulze, K., & Raiten, D. J. (2016). Biomarkers of nutrition for development (BOND)—Vitamin A review. The Journal of Nutrition, 146 (9), 1816–1848.
World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. (‎2019)‎. Healthy diet.