References:

 Ball, L., Johnson, C., Desbrow, B., & Leveritt, M. (2013). General practitioners can offer effective nutrition care to patients with lifestyle-related chronic disease. Journal Of Primary Health Care, 5(1), 59-69.

Crash Course. (2012, August 6). The Digestive System [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s06XzaKqELk

Fletcher, J. (2015). Managing adult malnutrition in the community. Nurse Prescribing, 13(1), 32-36.

Jung, H., & Chang, C. (2015). Is obesity related to deteriorating mental health of the U.S. working-age population?. Journal Of Behavioral Medicine, 38(1), 81-90. doi:10.1007/s10865-014-9580-7

Lindseth, G., & Murray, A. (2016). Dietary macronutrients and sleep. Western Journal Of Nursing Research, 38(8), 938-958. doi:10.1177/0193945916643712

Malta, A. L. (2015). The Optimal Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding for Physical Growth. Nutritional Perspectives: Journal Of The Council On Nutrition, 38(4), 21-33.

Mishra, A., & Mishra, H. (2010). We Are What We Consume: The Influence of Food Consumption on Impulsive Choice. Journal Of Marketing Research (JMR), 47(6), 1129-1137. doi:10.1509/jmkr.47.6.1129

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2014).  Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.  ISBN: 9781133603184

Changing my Diet

I believe my nutritional strengths are that I know how to eat healthy and how I should be eating in order to stay healthy.  I drink tons of water every day and only have coffee or tea on occasion.  I drink a protein shake for breakfast and have one after Crossfit. However, my weakness is not always wanting to eat healthy and not always making healthy food choices.  Late night snacks are usually my downfall, I can eat healthy all day and then nighttime hits and I am like a Gremlin after midnight.

The other factor of my weakness is my husband. I come home from Crossfit and he is sitting there drinking a beer and diving into a bag of chips. My husband is supportive of the healthy lifestyle changes I have made but I do not think he realizes how jealous I am of him eating and drinking what he wants. Another weakness of mine is alcohol.  I like to have wine or a beer a couple times a week, which I know is not good for my diet or health. I also do not eat enough fish and the only time I eat seafood is at a restaurant.

A little bit of a background on my personal journey to healthy… I started Crossfit about 2 1/2 months ago.  I was tired of my exercise regiment which consisted of a bit of weight lifting, Zumba, and walking up to 6 miles per day. I had already lost about 45 pounds prior to starting Crossfit so what I was doing for diet and exercise was working but it was very boring and very time consuming. After 2 months of Crossfit, I lost 10 pounds and my physique changed quite a bit. I liked what I seen and I continue to be dedicated to going 4-5 times a week.  What my exercise schedule looks like: Crossfit workouts Monday/Tuesday, Wednesday I do Yoga, Thursday/Friday Crossfit workouts and Saturday/Sunday are rest days and I sometimes go running or do other physical activities.

This was right before our 4th child was born and I was at my highest weight ever.

This is me now and 56 pounds lighter.

The Crossfit community encourages people to eat a Paleo diet. Paleo diets are healthy and Crossfitters have seen amazing results by eating Paleo. The problem is that I like alcohol, cheese, and yogurt etc and I do not like fish. So I guess the diet I try to follow is Paleo-ish and clean eating with a side of wine. Some ways I could avoid the diet mistakes I make are not eating after 7 PM, limiting alcohol, and eating more fish/seafood. 

Debunking the paleo diet

Nutritional Requirements Across the Lifespan

Pregnancy

During pregnancy a woman’s body has an increased need for nutrients.  In the second trimester a woman needs 340 extra calories daily (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). In the third trimester a woman needs 450 extra calories daily (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Extra carbohydrates are ideal, because it helps promote and support fetal growth and brain development (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Folate and vitamin B12 are crucial to pregnant women and to fetuses (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Without a sufficient enough amount of folate and B12 the fetus is at risk for neural tube defect, anencephaly, and spina bifida (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Pregnant women should have 400-600 micrograms a day of folate (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Vitamin D and calcium are important for a pregnant woman because the Vitamin D helps assist in the absorption of calcium. Iron and zinc are also very important for women and the fetus during pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins are a great supplement for pregnant women because they contain the recommended amount of calcium, iron, and folate for pregnant women (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).

Infancy

Once a mother has her baby she has to decide if she is feeding her baby formula or if she is going to breastfeed.  A breastfeeding mother requires an extra 330 calories of food per day to meet the demand of her nursing baby (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). From birth to about six months old a baby’s caloric demands are about 100 calories per each kg of body weight (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Around six months old the baby’s demands tend to increase less rapidly because growth slows down (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Water is crucial to babies and is provided through either breast milk or formula. The AAP recommends holding off solid food until a baby is at least 6 months old (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Studies show that essentially breastfeeding until 6 months has many benefits (Malta, 2015).  Even at 6 months foods are complimentary to breastfeeding, meaning breastfeeding is still the primary source of nutrients (Malta, 2015).

Childhood and Adolescence

            In the second year of life a child’s diet changes drastically due to the increase of solid foods and decrease in breast milk or formula (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). A child’s need for protein increases as they grow in a pound for pound ratio (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Children should have 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). In adolescence the demand for iron increases (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Boys need more iron to support the growth of lean muscle and girls need iron to support the growth of lean muscle but also menstruation (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). In adolescence calcium intake must be increased to support bone growth (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Adolescence needs at least 15 micrograms of Vitamin D per day (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).

Adulthood

            Nutrition becomes individualized in adulthood (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Everyone’s bodies have different demands and some have increased demands due to certain health related issues (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Elderly take in fewer calories than younger adults, but they need more protein in their meals to prevent muscle and bone tissue loss (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Adults in their 50’s and 60’s need at least 15 micrograms of vitamin D per day. Adults ages 51 years and older need 2.4 micrograms of B12 per day (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Iron, zinc and calcium are also important nutrients in adulthood (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). In adulthood people often take supplements to ensure they are getting the correct amount of vitamins and minerals (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).

Teach Every Child About Food

Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism of the Macronutrients

Humans digest the food they eat without thinking due to our autonomic nervous system (Crash Course, 2012).  In humans, digestion starts in the mouth (Crash Course, 2012). When we take a bite of food and chew it with our teeth it breaks food down into smaller pieces (Crash Course, 2012).  An enzyme in our saliva breaks down starch and another type of enzyme begins the digestion of fat (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Food then passes through the esophagus into the stomach (Crash Course, 2012).  The stomach churns food and mixes gastric juices with the food to further breakdown food, turning food into a soupy mixture called chyme (Crash Course, 2012).  The cells within the stomach release gastric juice, which is a strong acid required to stimulate a protein-digesting enzyme and to begin digestion of protein (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Only a small amount of fat is absorbed in the stomach and it’s the last to leave the stomach (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).  The liver makes bile which aids in the digestion of fats in our diets and the gallbladder stores bile until the body needs it (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).  Food then enters the small intestines where enzymes help to digest carbohydrates, protein, and fat (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Cells within the small intestines have enzymes on the surface that breaks sugars and starch remains into simple sugars and then they are absorbed (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Bile breaks down the fat and prepares it for enzyme action (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). The pancreas makes enzymes that break down fat and expels them into the small intestine where fats are split into components and they are then absorbed (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Enzymes within the small intestines and pancrease break protein into smaller pieces called free amino acids (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).  Only some proteins are absorbed in the small intestines (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). The large intestine takes the undigested proteins, fat, and carbohydrates and expels it in the form of feces through the rectum (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).

The Digestive System: CrashCourse Biology #28

Macronutrients and Micronutrients

Vitamins, minerals and water are considered micronutrients because we only need them in small amounts (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Water is one of the essential nutrients (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Vitamins and minerals are regulators.  Vitamins  and minerals assist in all of our bodies processes such as food digestion, muscles movement, waste disposal, growth of new tissues, repair wounds, attain energy from carbohydrate/fat/protein and are included in every other process that maintains life (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are considered macronutrients because they are energy-yielding and we need larger amounts in our diets (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Macronutrient intake has an effect on sleep.  High carbohydrate ingestion is linked with shorter wake times (Lindseth & Murray, 2016). High fat ingestion is associated with better quality sleep (Lindseth & Murray, 2016). Macronutrient also provides materials that shaped/forms parts of working body tissues (Sizer & Whitney, 2014).

Nutrition Basics - Micro-nutrients and Macro-nutrients