My Nutrition Reflection Paper
This course requires that you keep a record of what you are eating/drinking and your exercise for 1 week (7 days). Please complete 7 consecutive days, as this will give you the best estimate of what your diet actually contains. Many of us eat differently during the weekends than we do week days, so capturing this is important for accuracy in this assignment. I strongly encourage you to not change anything from your normal eating/drinking/exercise habits so that this will also be more accurate for you. You are not being graded on the types of foods entered- you will be graded on your assessment of your diet, so please be as honest as possible when doing your recording. Make a chart and record yor diet each day.
Part 1 Examine your carbohydrate intake (10 points)
1. How many grams of carbohydrate do you consume in an average day?
2. How many kcals is this? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
3. What % of your total kcals is contributed by carbohydrate as shown by your 7-day food summary? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
4. How does this compare with the AMDR for carbohydrates?
5. How much dietary fiber did you average on your 7-day analysis?
6. How does this compare with the 20-35 grams of fiber that is recommended? If you are low in fiber, what changes can you make to improve your fiber intake?
7. Are your carbohydrate food choices mostly whole foods or processed?
8. Do you eat a variety of carbohydrates? Provide at least 3 examples of foods that significantly contribute to your carbohydrate intake.
9. Discuss the major functions of carbohydrates in the human body
Part 2 Examine your fat intake (10 points)
1. How many total kcals of fat do you consume on 7-day average? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
2. What % of your total calories comes from fat? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
3. What % of your total calories comes from saturated fat, MUFA and PUFA? Be sure to show your numbers.
4. What are 3 major sources of fat from your diet?
5. Discuss your intake of the essential fatty acids? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
6. What is the co-relation of a diet high in fat and diabetes, stroke and cancer?
7. How many grams of cholesterol did you consume on average/ What are 3 foods that significantly contributed to your cholesterol intake.
8. Discuss the major functions of fat in the human body.
Part 3 Examine your protein intake (10 points)
1. How many grams of protein did you consume in a daily average? Be sure to show your calculation and discuss your numbers.
1. What % of your total calories comes from protein? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
2. How does this percentage of total daily calories compare to the AMDR fro protein?
3. Calculate your protein RDA. This should be the same as the one recommended in the computer printout. Show your math
4. List your animal protein sources and plant sources of protein. Which are considered complete and which are incomplete protein sources?
5. Discuss the major functions of protein in the human body.
Part 4 Examine your vitamin intake (10 points)
1. Look at your average daily intake of the vitamins and how they compare to your recommended intake (actual intake vs recommended intake report). Overall are you meeting most of your vitamin needs? Why or why not.
2. Discuss 3 vitamins that you are deficient in. If you are not deficient in any vitamins discuss 3 that you are meeting or exceeding for your recommendations. Be sure to include your intake, your RDA, the functions of this vitamin and 3 foods you consumed that contributed to your intake of these vitamins.
Part 5 Examine your mineral intake (10 points)
1. Look at your average daily intake of the minerals and how they compare to your recommended intake (actual intake vs recommended intake report). Overall are you meeting most of your mineral needs? Why or why not.
2. Discuss 3 minerals (excluding calcium) that you are deficient in. If you are not deficient in any minerals discuss 3 that you are meeting or exceeding for your recommendations. Be sure to include your intake, your RDA, the functions of this vitamin and 3 foods you consumed that contributed to your intake of these Minerals.
3. What was your average daily intake of calcium? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
4. What % of your recommended intake did you consume?
5. What foods contributed to calcium in your diet?
6. What was your average daily intake of sodium? Is this above or below your RDA? What foods contributed to your overall intake of sodium.
Part 6 Examine your fluid and beverage intake (10 points)
1. What is your average intake of water? Be sure to show and discuss your numbers.
2. What other beverages do you consume?
3. What is your intake of soft drinks per day?
4. What is your intake of caffeine?
5. How many calories are contributed by alcoholic beverages over your 7 days?
6. Describe the major functions of fluid in the human body.
Part 7 Examine your physical activity (10 points)
1. How many minutes of activity did you do over this week?
2. On average how many minutes per day does this equal?
3. How does this compare to the 150 minutes of exercise per week that we are recommended?
4. Would you consider your activity low or high intensity? What source of fuel (macronutrient) are you mainly using to fuel your exercise?
5. After viewing your activity over this week what changes (if any) would you make in the future?
Part 8 Examine your eating behavior (10 points)
1. How long do you eat your first meal after waking up?
2. How frequently do you eat throughout the day? Are these full meals or snacks?
3. Where do you eat (location) on the table, in front of TV, on the go etc?
4. Do you share a meal with others? Do you have company or do you eat alone?
5. Do you eat only when you are hungry or eat when you are bored or other reasons?
6. How often does nutrition influence your food choices? How often do you find yourself reading food labels and has this changed since taking this class?
7. Is there any behavior that you notice in your eating patterns in relation to your food choices?
Part 9 Examine your risks (10 points)
Fill in the table below: Many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis tend to run in the families.
Use the chart below to determine your risk based on your genetic background.Place an ‘X’ in any box that applies to your family history. If you are adopted and do not have any knowledge of your biological ancestry contact me so you can complete this part of the assignment. I will provide you with an alternate Part 9. Please make sure to include this table in your submitted essay..
Cancer
Diabetes Heart Hypertension Osteoporosis Obesity Other
Male Relatives
Father
Grandfather
Uncle
Brother
Female Relatives
Mother
Grandmoter
Aunt
Sister
Fill in the table above AND then complete the following statement. “My high risk areas are…”
Part 10 Analysis (10 points)
After carrying out the diet analysis and answering the questions above write a summary on your analysis and findings. What was your overall ‘take away message’ from this assignment now that you have taken a closer look at your own diet? Also include your plan of action for an improved healthy life style with respect to diet and exercise.
The final form (essay format) of this Assignment must have a title page, and the answers to the questions and information above. No references are requested.
