Individual Diet Study, Essay Example

Performing an individual diet analysis can be beneficial in many aspects. Diet has been directly linked to acute and chronic diseases and health concerns. A diet study is also a guide to determining calorie intake for underweight or obese individuals. Normal weight individuals can use an individual diet analysis to monitor intake to maintain a healthy and desirable weight. Since dietary intake is not performed by ingesting specific nutrients but rather a variety of foods containing combinations of vitamins and nutrients, it is possible that the interactions of the foods are important to get a clear picture.  Journaling everything consumed for a specific period of time and looking at the specific nutrients of each food will show deficiencies or excess of nutrients, vitamins and overall caloric intake.

Profile

To being my individual diet study it is important to look at my profile.  I am a 20-year-old sedentary male, 5 foot, 10 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds with a BMI of 25.8.  I am a nonsmoker and I include meats and dairy in my diet.   To maintain my current weight I need to consume 2,600 kilocalories including 65 grams of protein per day. Interestingly my summary demonstrates that I only intake approximately 1,115, expending 2,155. This leaves an average net loss of -1,040.  Continuing my intake and expenditure as these three days have demonstrated, I should lose weight. The psychological component of journaling can also be a determinant in the outcome of weight loss or gain.  For individuals not accustomed to food journaling it is easy to overeat or under eat due to the component of being aware of the food intake and being accountable. Since I have been weight conscious previously and have gone through the dynamics of watching what I eat I feel confident my three days were accurate and demonstrate a clear picture of my normal and usual intake and expenditure habits.

Nutrients and Vitamins

The study also identifies more than just caloric breakdown; it demonstrates all of the nutrients and of the various foods consumed during the three days of journaling. The body has specific needs and maintaining an adequate balance is optimal for following a healthy lifestyle with proper intake and expenditure. For the study conducted I kept a journal for three complete days including meals and snacks. On the first day, October 24, 2010 I had total calcium of 393.28 mg which I derived from several foods with milk being the largest contributor at 305 mg. The remainder came from a variety of fruits, vegetables and beef. I did not consume the required 1,000 mg of calcium per day. My iron intake is in excess with a recommended 8 mg and I consumed only 24.6 mg on day one. This was quite a large excess according to my journal. I received the greatest portion of my iron from Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheat Cereal and beef. I got a little bit of a better balance in the zinc I consumed. The recommendations are 11 mg and I consumed 17.67 mg; again in excess. The beef I ate for dinner was the major contributor to this total zinc nutrient in my diet.

On day two, October 25, 2010, my calcium was 142.67 and on day three, October 26, 2010 it was up to 461.95. On day two it was lower since I consumed an English muffin and did not have cereal. My iron for day two was 9.09 and 26.1 on day three. The variation being on day two I did not have cereal making the iron total closer to the recommendations.  On day three I had cereal again which again caused my total to be excessive. My zinc on day two is 10.17 and on day three it is 5.2. The reason for this being a leaner cut of beef on day three.

My vitamin intake for the first day of the study demonstrates that I am lacking in these requirements for Vitamin A, E and Folate. Vitamin A is recommended at 900 µg and I came close at 817 µg due to the carrots contributing to the majority of this vitamin. Vitamin E recommendations are 15 mg and I consumed 1.88 mg; a large deficient. The beef and apple were the primary food source for this vitamin.  Folate should be at 400 µg and I came in at 227.61 µg. Kellogg’s cereal was the primary source for this vitamin. I found it very interesting that Kellogg’s cereal is a major contributor to these vitamins. While cereals advertise recommending their cereals for the vitamin benefits, it was enlightening to see it charted.

On day two my Vitamin A is 359.74 µg and on day three is 2,710.23 µg. Day three is higher due to the broccoli, asparagus and tomatoes which I had not eaten on day one and two. Also, I had salmon which is high in Vitamin A.  My Vitamin E on day two is 2.47 mg and 5.6 mg on day three. The increase from day one is due to having peanut butter on day two.  On day three the salmon, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and a Snickers bar contributed to the higher level of Vitamin E. Folate on day two was 271.32 and 418.25.  The increase in Folate was also due to the same foods as the increase in Vitamin E.

Water, Fiber and Sodium

Daily water intake is essential to proper body functioning. Based on my profile it is recommended that I take in 3.7 liters per day. This has never been easy for me.  I was surprised to see how little I actually take in a day. On the first day of my study I took in 0.85 liters, a severe deficient demonstrating a need for my attention. Day two equal 0.58 and day three is 1.35.  Journaling showed me my deficient and I did try to watch this and added water on the third day. I try to keep my sodium intake low and the recommended 2,500 mg a day is higher than I normally take in with an intake of 1,101.17 on day one.  I feel it is very important to watch my sodium and water intake on a daily basis. On day two I had an intake of 419.9 and 1,111.01 on day three.  Sodium has gotten a bad name in the health care industry when in fact the body needs a certain amount of sodium, no less than 1,500 per day. I was actually a bit low on the day I began my study and increased the intake on the next two days.  Daily dietary fiber recommendations are 38 grams per day; I only consumed 18.32 grams on day one; again lacking in this nutrient.  Day two was 13.86 and day three shows 23.9.  This is also an area I will need to increase my intake

Essential Fatty Acids

An important area of concern for my study is the small amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids which I consume. These are essential fatty acids and have demonstrated positive health benefits. Based on my profile I should consume 17 grams of omega-6 and 1.6 grams of omega-3. During the first day of my study I took in 1.32 grams of omega-6 and 0.13 grams of omega-3 which demonstrates a large deficit. The primary source of omega-6 was in the Kellogg’s cereal with the omega-3 coming from the beef I consumed. Day two my intake shows 3.47 grams of omega-6 and 0.1 of omega-3.  Day three demonstrates 0.45 grams of omega-6 and 0.41 grams of omega-3.  This is very telling in an area I am lacking the proper proportions of these nutrients.

Fat Intake

For overall fat consumption it is recommended that I take in no more than 26 grams of saturated fat and on the first day of the study I take in 17.14 grams; showing me to be well within an acceptable range.  The same is demonstrated on day two with fat intake at 18.18.   Day three is at 38.31 showing an overage in the recommendation. This is due to the salmon I had at dinner on that evening. Cholesterol should be less than 300 mg and I took in 157.35 mg, again completely within the normal range. On day three my cholesterol was 106.31 and day three is 138.78.  The beef I had at dinner contained the majority of the fat and all of the cholesterol. So according to the guidelines I am with an acceptable range for both fat and cholesterol. My saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids seem to be acceptable with zero trans fatty acids.

Carbohydrate Intake

My carbohydrate intake on the average is 155.48 grams which is 56%. This is an excellent intake as it falls in the middle of the recommendations of 45-65%.  I get a large amount of carbohydrates from cereal, fruit and vegetables.  I do indulge in a Snickers candy bar from time to time and this is also a source of carbohydrates.

Protein Intake

The recommended protein intake is 10-35% which equal 260-910 of calories. My protein intake goal is 65.32 grams. I am taking in an average amount of 74.86 per day which is 115% of my recommended daily allowance. This is coming primarily from the meats I am choosing to eat.  I am consuming some protein throughout the day in the form of milk and green vegetables; however, the meats are the primary source.  According to this guideline I am consuming adequate protein throughout each day.

Overall View

An overall look at my macronutrient ranges demonstrates that I am within the recommended ranges; hitting at approximately low to middle of the ranges for carbohydrates, proteins and fats.  I did not consume any alcohol during this analysis and fall into the zero recommendation for alcohol.   I am also well within the lower portions of the ranges for fat source. I am at 6% for saturated fat, 6% for monounsaturated fat, 3% for polyunsaturated fat, zero trans fatty acid and 5% unspecified.

Recommendations for Modifications

The area I am most deficient is in essential fatty acids; omega-6 and omega-3.  For the summary of the three days I only took in 10% of the recommended omega-6 daily amounts and only slight higher with a 13% intake of the recommended omega-3 amounts. These are the nutrients believed to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Our bodies cannot produce these and we have to include them in our diet to get the benefits. I should work more of these fatty acids into my diet with foods such as mackerel and salmon; rich in omega-3.  I can also snack on walnuts to receive these fatty acids also.  Omega-6 can be found in some vegetable oils and soy oil. There are also supplement options, although I would prefer to ingest them naturally.

I also need to increase my water consumption and watch my dietary fiber. These are also very important to a healthy body.  The proper amounts of both can guard against certain diseases, cancer and diabetes. I can get more by monitoring my water intake to make sure I consume the recommended amounts and add more fruits and vegetables to my diet. A fiber cereal and bran muffins at breakfast would help and perhaps using whole wheat instead of regular white bread would be beneficial. Ensuring the proper amounts of water and fiber is helpful in keep weight under control.

I am also deficient in adequate amounts of calcium, Vitamin E and Folate.  To increase my calcium I could add yogurt and cheeses to my foods.  To take in additional Vitamin E I will consider adding nuts to my snacks and using sunflower or safflower oils for cooking. Folate can be added in the form of fruits such as strawberries, oranges and bananas.  Peanuts are also rich in folate and Vitamin E. Finding foods that are rich in all three nutrients will be helpful in also watching my caloric intake.

Summary

Overall I feel this project helped me realize the areas I am being healthy in and the ones that I need to monitor closely and make improvements. Watching my weight previously, I was aware of the need to monitor foods and nutrients but this exercise was interesting and I plan to follow the modification changes that I discovered are needed in my diet. This exercise also demonstrates that fad diets really are harmful to the body and the key is to monitor and ensure that good nutritious foods are the mainstay of healthy living.