Nutrition Principles: Child Health Research Paper

Introduction

The principles of proper nutrition are the rules that should be laid down from the first days of a child’s life. Breastfeeding, as the first stage, is an integral part of the infant’s development and the acquisition of initial immunity. Subsequently, at each age stage, new eating patterns are acquired. However, breastfeeding is a crucial phase in the life of every child. This stage of nutrition is important because breast milk contains numerous micronutrients. Avoiding breastfeeding may be due to medication indications. Nevertheless, in case an infant is healthy, breast milk should be part of their diet during the first months of life. Some recommendations regarding proper nutrition, both at an early stage and later in life, should be taken into account.

Causes of the importance of breastfeeding:

• Most pediatricians and immunologists confirm its value.
• This nutrition forms the basic immunity in the child.
• The necessary set of nutrients and important vitamins.
• The best way to avoid childhood malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies (Scherbaum & Srour, 2016).

Consequences of ignoring breastfeeding:

• Parents leave the infant without important health support at the beginning of life.
• The infant does not get the necessary set of micronutrients.

NOTE: Breastfeeding is the initial step in shaping healthy lifestyle.

The list of recommendations about the basic principles of feeding children at each of the developmental stages (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2021):

Following food recommendations has many values:

• Timely receipt of the necessary sources of growth.
• Healthy immunity through proper nutrition.
• Healthy eating habits.
• Avoiding weight problems.

Ignoring food recommendations is fraught with:

• Incorrect eating patterns transforming into habits.
• Becoming obese due to the consumption of unhealthy food.
• Allergic reactions due to oversaturation with active additives.
• The deterioration of the body’s systems.
• Chronic diseases under the influence of disturbed work of the digestive system.

Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition requires adhering to strict rules, and food is perceived as fuel. For different types of athletic training, distinctive dietary approaches are promoted, be it fat burning or muscle building. However, there are general principles of nutrition that are essential to adhere to during physical activity, as well as before and after it. These rules allow achieving the desired results and do not harm the body but, conversely, help it restore the balance of spent forces. The balance of proteins and carbohydrates is essential for effective training. Special recommendations help describe what proper sports nutrition is and how people can avoid health problems when training for specific goals and pursuing distinctive objectives.

The pre-workout diet should include:

Pre-workout fat should be absent because:

• It slows down the digestive system.
• Fatty foods can cause colic, nausea, and belching during exercise.
• A feeling of heaviness caused by excess fat in the body.

The best pre-workout meals might include:

• Poultry (turkey, chicken breasts) with coarse bread or rice.
• Low-fat steak with potatoes.
• Egg white omelet with oatmeal.

NOTE: All of these meals are rich in protein and the right amount of carbohydrates to help the body and brain obtain the energy they need.

To achieve the desired training result, this is essential to pay attention to products not only before but also after a workout.

The list of recommendations is as follows:

• Eat immediately after training, preferably in the first 20 minutes.
  • Avoiding food for two hours after the workout makes the training useless.
  • In the first minutes after training, an anabolic window is open (Kerksick et al., 2018).
• Have post-workout carbs in liquid form from simple, high-glycemic sources.
  • Achieving a spike in insulin levels.
  • Appropriate anabolic and anti-catabolic properties are crucial (Kerksick et al., 2018).
• Eat protein foods immediately after physical training.
  • They should be non-greasy.
• Avoid any products containing caffeine.
  • They interfere with insulin.
  • They prevent reloading glycogen into the muscles and liver (Kerksick et al., 2018).

The following guidelines can help choose the right diet when engaging in various physical activities:

• Gaining muscle mass through strength training → Protein and amino acids intake as the main stimulants of muscle growth (Valenta & Dorofeeva, 2018).
• Training to burn fat → Eliminate foods rich in fat and carbohydrates and focus on fiber-rich nutrition (Valenta & Dorofeeva, 2018).
• Maintaining the general tone of the body → Pay more attention to fats and less to carbohydrates (Valenta & Dorofeeva, 2018).

General recommendations:

• Remember that sports nutrition differs from ordinary diets.
• Choose the goals of physical training and eat the necessary products.
• Follow the unique principles of protein and carbohydrate intake.
• Adhere to an optimal diet to achieve the desired results.
• Consider the characteristics of individual body systems.
• Remember about proper nutrition before, during, and after workouts.
• Follow distinctive nutrition principles for different types of training.
• Compile a carefully thought-out dietary plan.

Gout

Since each body system is responsible for individual functions, the normal functioning of all systems is one of the markers of good health. In the case of disorders, various diseases manifest themselves, and one of them is gout, which is a rheumatic disease of a systemic nature. Its main cause is an increased content of uric acid in the blood (Ragab et al., 2017). Uric acid, retained in the body, stagnates in the blood and crystallizes, which causes pain in joints. In view of these critical changes, a person experiences acute pain and stiffness in movements due to low joint mobility. The reasons for the development of this dangerous ailment, accompanied by pain, may be different.

The list is as follows:

• Nicotine and alcohol abuse.
• Excessive consumption of foods containing purines. Example: fatty, fried meat.
• Complications of:
  • Diabetes.
  • Obesity.
  • Atherosclerosis.
  • Other diseases associated with impaired metabolism.
• Hereditary predisposition.

Gout manifestations are as follows:

• Severe and sudden pain in the joints of the legs, where uric acid accumulates most often.
• Less commonly, knees, ankles, and heels are affected, and even less often, the joints of the fingers, elbows, and wrists are under threat, as well as the kidney tissue (Ragab et al., 2017).

NOTE: In addition to the excessive consumption of protein foods, stress, overwork, or minor trauma can also provoke an attack of gout.

In addition to severe pain, the symptoms are as follows:

• An increase in pain within 8-12 hours.
• Redness and swelling of the affected joint.
• Hyperthermia of the skin and increased body temperature.
• Limited joint mobility.
• Seals of subcutaneous tissue (Ragab et al., 2017).

Diet for gout:

• Diet is of great importance.
• Proper nutrition helps correct the condition and course of the disease.
  • An excess of protein food is a risk factor.
  • Lowering the uric acid level is the final goal.

There are some prohibited foods for gout that should be avoided from a regular diet (Montoya, 2019).

Here are they:

• Fatty meat and fish, as well as offal.
• Alcohol in any form and quantity.
• Canned food, bacon, meat broths.
• Legumes (beans, soybeans, and peas) and mushrooms.
• Chocolate, cocoa, strong tea, coffee.
• Sorrel, spinach, eggplant, radish, salad.
• Smoked meats and sausages.
• Raspberries and pastries with fatty creams.

Proper nutrition, at the same time, can help prevent gout or at least reduce its manifestations.

Below is a list of dietary recommendations that apply to both people with a tendency to develop this disease and those who have already encountered this ailment:

• Limit the amount of foods rich in purine bases (meat, fish).
• Introduce products poor in purine bases (milk, cereals).
• Take a sufficient amount of liquid.
• In the case of overweight, reduce it to avoid complications.
  • Limit digestible carbohydrates and table salt intake (Nickolai & Kiss, 2016).
  • Increase the percentage of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products.
  • These products lead to a shift in urine indicators towards the alkaline side.
• If gout is associated with hypertension or coronary artery disease, the following components should be avoided:
  • Cholesterol.
  • Saturated fat.
  • Sodium.

General recommendations:

• Identify gout can and prevent it timely.
• Do not ignore nutrition tips because this is fraught with the disease development.
• Be careful because gout affects both older adults and young people.
• Adhere to the necessary dietary plan.
• Avoid some products that cause complications.
• Follow individual dietary recommendations.

Men’s Health

The male body, which has a more developed muscular system than the female one, requires more calories and, consequently, energy. The consumption rates of different foods with distinctive energy values are distinctive at different stages of life. Particular attention to the health of the genitourinary system is part of most of the recommendations that professional urologists offer due to the vulnerability of this system of the male body. Everyone can enhance the general tone of the body and capacity for adulthood by following the current recommendations, including nutrition tips. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and Unbound Medicine proposes to draw attention to the list of requirements for nutrient needs in men of three age groups (“Nutritional requirements,” 2020).

This list is as follows:

Taking care of one’s health is crucial for the following reasons:

• Take care of one’s health at any age.
• Pay particular attention to one’s health in adulthood.
  • The risk of developing dangerous diseases.
  • Age-related changes in the body.
• Testosterone deficiency leads to hormonal disruptions (Anaissie et al., 2019).

The following guidelines are crucial to take into account to be aware of the list of tips on how a male can take charge of one’s health.

They are as follows:

• More movement and more frequent walking.
  • Blood in the prostate gland circulates better.
  • The gland receives a massaging effect from the contractions of the pelvic muscles.
  • A change in intra-abdominal pressure.
  • Movements have a positive effect on the genitourinary system.
• Regular visits to the urologist.
  • The causes and manifestations of male diseases are completely different.
  • Professional specialists tailor treatment regimens individually.
• Monitor testosterone levels.
  • With a lack of this hormone in men, changes in the nervous system may appear.
  • Performance and mood decrease.
  • A man loses interest in life
  • Hormone replacement therapy is an alternative to compensate for age-related testosterone deficiency.
• Limit the consumption of nicotine and alcohol.
  • Spasms of blood vessels.
  • Damage to vital organs.
  • Decreased overall tone.
  • The inability to withstand physical activity.
• Regular blood donation for oncogenic safety.
  • Prostate cancer is a frequent form of oncology in men in adulthood.
  • Periodic check-ups by a specialist are mandatory.

NOTE: Healthy habits are essential to maintaining men’s health at any age.

Some guidelines for lifestyle optimization (Flannigan et al., 2019):

• A healthy eating habit.
  • Maintaining a normal weight is crucial.
  • The key to well-being.
  • The absence of problems with different body systems.
• The habit of daily exercise.
  • A positive effect on the overall tone of the body.
• A good, high-quality sleep habit is essential.
  • Tissues are repaired.
  • Proper stress management.
• A healthy sex habit.
  • The reproductive system is protected.
• Taking care of one’s psychological well-being.
  • Avoiding stress.
  • Maintaining a good mood.
• This is desirable to change the rhythm of life not immediately but gradually.
  • Taking small steps on the path to a healthy life is important.
  • Changing life drastically is undesirable due to a stress for the body.
  • Nutrition is the easiest instrument of achieving good health indicators.
  • The gradual improvement of sleep, nutrition, and other aspects of life.
  • More comfortable adaptation is associated with promoting healthy habits.

Bariatrics

Bariatrics is a subtype of surgery that specializes in treating obesity. Bariatric manipulations help reduce the volume of the stomach and correct metabolic processes. As a result, a person is satiated with less food and receives more energy from products. Bariatrics is also called metabolic surgery because specialists interfere with the metabolism of basic substances – carbohydrates and fats, thus alleviating patient conditions, adjusting weight, and curing concomitant diseases (Dimitriadis et al., 2017). Fat produces the hormone lecithin that stimulates further adipose tissue deposition, and this hormone itself is harmful (Dimitriadis et al., 2017). A decrease in the amount of adipose tissue, respectively, leads to a decrease in this hormone. Medical indications are the objective reason why patients decide for this surgery. As a result, due to the development of medicine in this direction, bariatrics, as a procedure designed to normalize weight, has become widespread.

The types of bariatric surgeries are as follows (Campos et al., 2019):

• Open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (the least common type of bariatric surgery).
• Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
• Open surgery.
• Laparoscopic surgery (the most common type of bariatric surgery in recent years).
• Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band.
• Biliopancreatic diversion-duodenal switch.

Preparatory procedures:

• Losing 5-10% of the patient’s weight before surgery.
• The time of losing weight should be short.
• Following a low-calorie diet for 3 weeks.
• The goal of this diet is to reduce the size of the liver.
• Patient motivation and willingness to change lifestyle habits are increased (Bettini et al., 2020).

The recommended diet includes the following foods:

• Foods rich in protein and low in fat.
• Special diet drinks.
• Low-fat meat.
• Dairy products with a fat content of less than 2%.

The nutritional recommendations after bariatric surgery are as follows:

• Take meals four to six meals a day.
• Chew solid food thoroughly.
• Avoid drinking water before and during meals to prevent stimulating hunger.
• Avoid foods with excessive sugar.
• Forget about carbonated drinks.
• Consult with a dietitian regarding diet.

To normalize digestion and adjust the work of all systems immediately after such an operation, patients should adhere to a specific plan:

To return to normal weight and adjust a diet, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Do not skip main meals.
• Eat in small portions and slowly.
• Try to eat at the same time.
• Monitor the quality of food and pay more attention to natural products.
• Observe the drinking regime and drink at least two liters of water per day.
• Do not drink water before, during, and after meals.
• Pay attention to the proportion of nutrients in meals.
• Focus on natural products and avoid harmful food additives.

NOTE: By following these guidelines, a person can recover from bariatric surgery successfully and normalize their lifestyle.

General recommendations:

• Significant weight loss is a valuable factor.
• Medical indications and health problems.
• Special preparatory measures are necessary.
• Nutrition is a crucial component of the rehabilitation process.
• A proper diet.
• The normalization of body functions.
• Ignoring dietary rules is fraught with health problems.

Cancer

Cancer is usually a general term for a large group of cancers that can affect any part of the body. Other terms are also used for their designation: malignant tumors and neoplasms. In general, cancer is characterized by abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells that grow into healthy organs and spread, or metastasize, throughout the body. Cancer is a genetic disease and develops as a result of errors in cell division, which is unique to each person (“What is cancer?” 2021). Cancer treatment is accompanied by debilitating therapies that are harmful not only to malignant but also to healthy cells. Critical changes occur, which, if ignored, can quickly lead to death. Nutrition, while being an important tool in controlling body functions, should also be an important component of cancer therapies. Therefore, specific guidelines to prevent and treat tumors include dietary plans as the critical components of treatment.

There are different stages of oncological tumors, which differ in:

• The degree of entry into the bloodstream and the lymphatic system.
• Size.

General facts about cancer:

• Effective cancer prevention is complicated.
• There are no 100% accurate risk factors.
• The ailment manifests itself differently in people.
• Distinctive prerequisites may cause cancer.
• Timely cancer screening tests are crucial.

With regard to nutrition, there are certain dietary guidelines to minimize the risks of cancer:

• Change eating habits once a medical specialist diagnoses the disease.
• View diet recommendations as an alternative treatment regime.

There are two most common nutritional problems that cancer patients face (Sullivan et al., 2021):

• Weight loss → While developing, cancer affects metabolism. The body needs useful proteins and energy. Chemotherapy drugs are toxic to both atypical and healthy cells. A dislike for familiar tastes and smells can develop. Nutrition is a crucial cause of numerous changes. Strengthen the diet with vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. Natural foods – vegetables, fruits, or nuts.
• Muscle loss → Muscle proteins start to break down the fastest. Weakness that most cancer patients experience. Muscles are significantly reduced in volume. The lack of strength. Foods high in healthy proteins are essential. They support the muscular system and prevent complete atrophy.

NOTE: Nutrition plays a critical role in manager cancer and may help restore the body after long and debilitating therapies.

Nutrition during cancer:

• The nutritional factor is crucial.
• Tumors often affect gastrointestinal tract.
• The violation of the body’s natural self-regulation (Ravasco, 2019).
• Purposeful and pathogenetically grounded balanced nutrition.
• Preventing the development of complications.
• The stomach and intestines are vulnerable.
• Patients should eliminate or reduce complications.

Follow the list of recommendations below:

• Increase the intake of clean fluids.
• Use natural fiber in the diet.
• Stick to frequent, fractional meals in small portions.
• Limit milk and dairy products.
  • They contain lactose poorly tolerated by cancer patients.
• Eliminate fatty foods from the diet.
• Refuse products that irritate the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract:
  • Caffeine.
  • Pepper.
  • Alcohol and some others.
• Try to eat at the same time.
• Consult a dietitian regularly to avoid nutrition mistakes.

Facts to remember:

• Managing cancer is possible.
• Malignant tumors can develop at any age.
• Changes in the body are visually noticeable.
• Weight loss and muscle loss are common symptoms.
• Adhere to proper nutrition.
• Pay attention to products rich in natural proteins.
• Ignoring diet principles accelerates the development of the disease.
• Cancer patients can count on both general and individual guidelines.

References

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