For the grains in general, the status was over, whole grains demonstrated the status as under while the refined grains showed the status as over. All the vegetable sub-categories namely dark green, red & orange, beans and peas, starchy and others recorded the status as under. In the whole fruits and fruit juice sections, the statuses have no specific targets and the same occurs to the dairy products (milk, yoghurt and cheese). However, the seafood (under proteins) shows an under status while seeds & soy, nuts, poultry & eggs as well as meat (under proteins category) have no specific target. In the case of oils, the status is under while total calories show a net status of under. Besides, empty calories are over in terms of status. These were typical days.
In the category of: Nutrients—the categories that I was under or over included the following: Calcium as under, sodium as under and vitamin D was over. It is also crucial to mention that these were not typical days.
In the category of: Daily Limits – my intake in the categories of oils, saturated fat and sodium were over, over and under respectively. I happened to consume more oil-rich food substances.
The intake of whole grains should be increased by at least 3.5 ounces while refined grains should be reduced by 6.5 ounces in terms of intake because the average eaten is over the required amount. Several chronic diseases can be prevented by the intake of whole grains instead of refined grains. At least 3 servings per day of whole grains is highly recommended. Nonetheless, even a single serving is capable of significantly reducing negative health risks. Continual intake of 10.5 ounces of refined grains might lead to poor health development and rapid onset of chronic diseases such as diabetes.
There is need to take at least 2 cups of dark green vegetables every week according to the set targets. From the report, no single cup was taken for a whole week. 5.25 cups of red & orange vegetables should be added into the diet because the intake is very low at the moment. 2 more cups per week should be added for beans and peas while 6 cups per week are required for the starchy vegetables. If the intake of vegetables is not improved, a healthy blood pressure will not be realized. The blood cholesterol levels may also go up considerably owing to the absence of vegetables in the diet (Ham and Barbara 265). In addition, healthy red blood cells cannot be generated in the body if poor intakes of vegetable varieties persist. The risk of heart or cardiovascular diseases is also high among individuals who fail to consumer vegetables in their diets (Finley 2). The fruits and dairy products had no specific targets even though they are crucial in the maintenance of a healthy body. The average eaten for protein foods was 4.5 ounces. In order to reach the target, 2 more ounces are required. Tissue repair in the body cannot be possible without adequate intake of proteins. Bones are also built using proteins. Therefore, individuals who lack adequate proteins in their diet may suffer from weak bones. Besides, body chemicals, skin, cartilage and muscles cannot be regenerated among individuals who lack nutrients derived from proteins (Tikkanen 230).
Moreover, oil intake was found to below the set target. Only 361 calories of oils was consumed against the set target of 2500 calories. Nevertheless, empty calories were in excess by 342 calories. Deep-set debris in the body can only be eliminated using oils. In addition, insufficient intake of oils can lead to poor remedying of constipation (Matthews 245). Excess intake of oil products is harmful to health bearing in mind that it can lead to blockage of blood vessels and also trigger terminal diseases such as hypertension and heart failure.
The target was that whole grains were supposed to be half of refined grains. However, this was not the case on the ground. I consumed more than 10 times of refined grains compared to whole grains. Besides, I had no specific target for fruits and even the target for vegetables was not attained. The best way to incorporate “MyPlate” portions and food groups is through gradual introduction of each portion into each meal and making sure that the schedules are strictly followed (McIver et al 9).
For my weekly aerobic activity, I had targeted 150 minutes. However, I surpassed the target and utilized a total of 530 minutes. The muscle strengthening activity was supposed to be carried out in 2 days although I did it just in one day. On the first day, I burned about 193 calories after carrying out a low intensity exercise. This improved considerably for four consecutive days when I began to slow down mainly due to fatigue. I carried out muscle strengthening for one day. I would recommend at least 2 muscle strengthening exercises per week and reduction of aerobic minutes by half. The light intensity activities should be eliminated from the physical activity program because they do not add much value to the entire exercise regime (Phillips, Wójcicki and Mcauley 1647).
References
Finley, John. “Nutrition and Your Health: ARS Studies Target Nutrition’s Vital Roles.” Agricultural Research 58.6 (2010): 2. Print.
Ham, Sandra, and Ainsworth, Barbara. “Disparities in Data on Healthy People 2010 Physical Activity Objectives Collected by Accelerometry and Self-Report.” American Journal of Public Health 100 (2010): S263-268. Print.
Matthews, June. “Enhancing Food and Nutrition Curricula in Higher Education by Assigning Collaborative Food System Assessment Projects.” Journal of College Teaching & Learning10.4 (2013): 245. Print.
McIver, Kerry et al. “Assessing Children’s Physical Activity in their Homes: The Observational System For Recording Physical Activity In Children-Home.” Journal of applied behavior analysis 42.1 (2009): 1-16. Print.
Phillips, Siobhan , Thomas Wójcicki, and Edward Mcauley. “Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Older Adults: An 18-Month Panel Analysis.” Quality of Life Research 22.7 (2013): 1647-1654. Print.
Tikkanen, Irma. “Nutritionally Balanced School Meal Model for a Comprehensive School.” British Food Journal 113.2 (2011): 222-233. Print.