Diet Analysis Project: Tracking Nutritional Intake and Goals

Running head: diet analysis1 Diet Analysis Project National University COH 317: Nutrition

Running head: diet analysis2 Abstract Nutrition is essential to our bodies. It provides our bodies what it needs to maintain a healthy weight and prevent chronic disease. In order to assess my current nutrtion, I tracked all the food I consumed over a period of three days including one weekend. I utilized MyPlate from Livestrong.com to track my food intake. MyPlate broke all the food down to macronutrients, micronutrients, and calories. After the three days, I analyzed my food consumption by breaking down the data using tables and a graph. The analysis revealed areas of concern that recommends adjustments to my daily diet habits.

Running head: diet analysis3 Nutrition is vital in order to maintain our bodies and prevent disease. The goal of Public health nutrition is to improve a communities health by improving individuals’ relationships with food. The U.S. Department of Argiculture provides dietary guidelines throught the Dieatary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) that guides Americans on what to eat that will help them meet nutritional needs and in return assist in preventing chronic disease. The DGA is a tool that is also utilized by food assistance programs as a foundation to educate and support their communities. A great way for an individual to asses how they are doing or not doing to meet their nutritional needs is by tracking what is being consumed throughout the day. There are numerous applications that are provided to assist with tracking the amont of calories consumed and how much is burned during physical exercise. One tool I utilized is the MyPlate application to help track what I have eaten for three days, including one weekend. I have started tracking my calories because I wanted to lose weight after having my second child. It was difficult to see that I have gained almost 50LBs after my second child because I was not paying attention to what I was eating and I was not physically active. I knew the only way to lose the excess weight was through my food intake. I committed to tracking my calorite consumption and tailored MyPlate to set my calorie goal so that I am able to lose at least 1 to 0.5 lbs a week. Starting at 188 Lbs and setting my goal weight to 145 lbs, it set my calorie goal to 1740. My Daily Macronutrient goals are 58g of fats, 174g of carbohydrates, and 130g of protein. One day one I consumed a total of 1324 calories. Day two I consumed 1520 calories. Day three, the weekend, I consumed 1724 calories. My calorie intake on the weekend was 400 calories more than my day one during the weekday. I had the largest among of protein and carbohydrates intake on the weekend by 39g of protein and 107g in carbohydrates compared to day one. This is a result of going to a restaurant with friends on the weekend. I tried to still

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Running head: diet analysis4 choose healthy options at the restaurant by substituting regular fries for sweet potatoe fries. One thing that was surprising is the amount of water I consumed on the weekend was 48oz compared to day one. I consumed a lot of water at the restaurant in order to keep myself distracted from eating more food and to avoid drinking alcohol like the rest of my friends. It was my way of coping and not falling into the pressure of my environment. Day two my family ate out for dinner because I was craving Dominos pizza. I consumed a high amount of calories but my macronutrients were still 22g less in protein and 42g less in carbohydrates compared to that of day three. On this day I knew we were going to eat out so I purposely ate less during the day. I do get off early on fridays so I tend to be busier and eat less during lunch, hence why I only consumed 150 calories. The following table includes all the carbohydrates that I consumed over the three days. CHO Foods Simple CHO Complex CHO Define Source of Fiber Scrambled egg w/ sausage & cheese Yes Yes 0g Kombucha Yes No 0g Chocolate Protien Shake Yes No 0g Peanut Butter & Chocolate Protien bar Yes Yes 6g/25 x 100= 24% excellent source Turkey avocado salad Yes No unknown Romain Lettuce Yes No 1.5g/25 x 100= 6% Colby Jack Cheese Yes No 0g Sweet Potato Fries Yes Yes 3g/25 x 100= 12% Good source Onion Yes Yes 0.74g/25 x 100= 0% Jalapeno Yes No 0.5g/25 x 100= 2%

Running head: diet analysis5 Mayonnaise Yes No 0g Thin Crust Pizza w/ spinach Yes Yes unknown Oat Bar, honey apple Yes Yes 2g/25 x 100= 8% Sugar Free Low Calorie syrup Yes No 0g Banana Yes No 1.53g/25 x 100= 6% Cottage cheese Yes No 0g Whole Chia Seeds No 0.83g/25 x 100= 0% Carb balance spinach tortilla Yes Yes 15g/25 x 100= 60% excellent source Cucumber Yes Yes 0.06g/25 x 100= 0% Salmon burger (buns) Yes No 3.26g/25 x 100=13% Good source Double Chocolate Muffin, Kodiak Cakes Yes No 5g/25 x 100= 20% excellent source High Protein Coffee No No 0g Complex carbohydrates are made “up of sugar molecules that are strung together in long, complex chains” ( A.D.A.M 2020). They are necessary for the human body because they provide vitamins, minerals and fiber for the body. The simple carbohydrates tend to not have the same amount if any of the nutrients that complex carbohydrates have. Fiber plays a role in our digestive health. Fiber is indigestable carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are broken down to create energy for the body. With complex carbohydrates, the energy created is done slowly and provides energy for a longer period of time. Simple carbohydrates are broken down faster leading them to provide the body with a short burst of energy that is not sustained. Reviewing my dietary fiber intake overall it was good. I had three excellent sources of fiber and two good sources. My recommended daily fiber goal is 28g. On day one i had 10.7g, day two 2g, day three 29.7g. Out of the three days, I met my fiber goal once. The Kodiak cake’s

Running head: diet analysis6 double chocolate muffin, the sweet potato fries, and the salmon burger were the main contributors for achieving the daily fiber intake overall. According to the 2020-2025 DGA, 90 percent of women and 97 percent of men do not meet the fiber recommendation ( Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 ). There is room for improvement. I need to increase my daily fiber intake. That will benefit my gut health and help prevent choronary heart disease or other chronic diseases. In the bar graph below, I have my recommended calories of 2400 in blue. My day one calorie intake of 1324, day two of 1520, and day three of 1724. My recommended number of calories came from DGA based off of my age of 24 and my “active” physical level. Currently I am following a work out plan where I strength train for an hour 4 times a week with cardio once a week for 30 minutes. On average, including my daily steps, I burn 235 calories. I do not work out on the weekends. I do go for walks with the family from time to time but not consistently. With my low calorie intake and consistent physical

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Running head: diet analysis7 activity through out the week I do expect to lose weight. My personal calorie goal of 1740 is 660 calories below the suggested DGA’s calories needed. My personal calorie is supposed to help me lose at least one pound a week. My Body Mass Index (BMI) is 31.6, which indicates that I am in the obese category. Based off the table in Community Nutriton, I am in the obesity class 1 and because my waist is below 35in I am at a high risk of disease (Nnakwe 2017 pg 59). BMI is a useful tool that uses your height and weight to determine your bodys level of risk for chronic diseases. BMI is useful is assessing health risk, but it is not 100% accurate. BMI is not accurate when it comes to body builder or olympic weight lifter. Muscles weigh more than fat skewing the BMI results. Based on the scale that individual is over weight but their waist maybe in normal range and very healthy becuase they have a high level of physical activity and take pride of what they eat. Ensuring they meet certain macronutrient goals to maintain their physique. According Nnwake, there are other methods that can be used to provide more information such as: biochemical tests, physical examines and dietary assessments (2017 pg 65-69). Upon reviewing my caloric intake, caloric requirement, and BMI, I would not change my the number of calories I have on average a day. I am happy with my current physical activity level. I would be open to adding more cardio in my routine. My current fitness plan gives two days to do cardio, but I use those days as my rest days instead. My overall goal is to lose weight and I am on track to do that. I do think I need to consume more nutrient dense food. I On day one I consumed a total of 63g of fats which was 47% of diet for that day. Day two was 60g of fats which was 36%. Day three with 61g, which was 31%. Over the three day period, my fats consumption remained relatively the same averaging at 61.3g of fats. Percentage wise it was 38% of my diet. Saturated fats on day one was 113% totaling at 22.52g. Day two my

Running head: diet analysis8 saturated fat was 123% at 24.5g. Day three I consumed 76% at 15.18g. This exceeds the recommend 10% of saturated fats. The salmon burger and the sweet potato fries were the main culpurates to the high levels of saturated fats. It is unfortunate how one meal could have such high levels of saturated fats. My cholesterol intake for day one was 600mg. Day two I consumed 165mg and day three I consumed 223mg of cholesterol. I surpassed the recommended cholesterol from the American Heart Association of 300mg (Krauss et al., 2000) on day one. Reviewing my break down, I am concerned about my calories from fat, saturated fats intake, and cholesteral levels. I am speechless how my totals are exceeding the recommandations. This reveals how vital all meals when it comes to micronutrients. The Oscare turkey I consume almost everyday has 97.5mg of cholesterol. That is an item that I can remove from my diet or limit. I had no idea how high in cholerstorol it was especially since I consume almost everyday in order to meet my protein goal. I already knew the thin crust pizza from Dominos would be one of the main issues because it is a fast food. I did eat the entire pizza and next time I order it, if I order it, I need to limit myself and not consume the entire entree. The muffin power double chocolate cup from day three was my first time having that snack. It was 35% in saturated fats which is really high for just one snack. For this reason I will not purchase this item again. Now that I am aware of the recommendations, I need to make wiser decisions and read the nutrition labels closer in order to purchase items that are good. The main source of protein turkey breast, smoked salmon, high protein coffee, chocolate protein shake, peanut butter protein bar, and ground beef. Plant based protein is helpful because it can also help meeting other nutrient goals. Animal protein tends to be higher in saturated fats. It is important to eat “healthy protein sources like beans, nuts, fish, or poultry in place of red meat and processed meat can lower the risk of several diseases and premature death” ( Protein

Running head: diet analysis9 2021). Individuals who follow high protein plans need to ensure that they are making the right choices in protein. Protein is necessary for everyone’s diet. A complete protein has twenty-plus types of amino acids needed to make new protein. Incomplete proteins lack one or more of the nine amino acids ( Protein 2021). Animal based protein tend to be a good source of complete proteins and plant based proteins tend to be incomplete. Vitamin Mineral Rec Intake Actual Intake % of Intake Deficiency < 75 % Toxicity > 200% * WNL Toxicity Deficiency Vitamin D 600 mcg 0.01 mcg unkno wn Y N N Hypercalcemia , Weight loss, Irreg. Heart Beat Rickets, Osteomalacia Calcium 1000 mg Unkn own 32% Y N N Hypercalcemia , Nauseua, Chest Pain Muscle cramps, Numbness Iron 18mg Unkn own 59% Y N N Constipation , Nausea, Abdominal pain Iron- deficient Anemia Potassium 2600 1431. 75 Unkn own Y N Y Hyperkalemia, Weakneses, Shortness of Breath Hypokalemia , Fatigue, Muscle cramps Sodium 2300 mg 5560 mg 237% N Y N Hyperatremia Seizures, Weakeness, Kidney, Damage Hyponatremia, Lethargy, Headaches, Seizures Vitamins and minerals are important for the body to continue to function. With my current diet, I was deficient in 4 out of the 5 vitamins and minerals. I had a high level of sodium that was toxic. The high level of sodium is due to eating fried foods. The toxicity and deficiencies are a concern. I have almost no vitamin D from my diet during the three days. According to an article by Harvard T.H. Chan, a great source of vitamin D is salmon, tuna fish, and orange juice ( Vitamin D 2022) as examples. This is where I feel like just three days is not

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Running head: diet analysis10 enough to capture the full scope of my diet. I normally eat tuna for almost every day due to the high amount of protein. I also consume salmon one or twice a week. It is a common dish in the Pacific Northwest where I currently live. I believe that my vitamin D intake is more than this table shows. It is unfortunate that the days I chose, were days that I did things that are not normally part of my routine. I will evaluate those days to really know if I am lacking vitamin D. When the amount of vitamins and minerals consumed do not meet the minimum recommendation than a supplement is recommended. The supplement helps makes up of the difference that your diet is lacking. Currently I am not taking any vitamin or mineral supplement. I feel as if I am not severlying lacking in nutrients that require a supplement. I would prefer to choose foods that will help with my deficiencies. I do not like taking daily pills and my goal is to avoid having to take them. Diet and exercise are essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. How we treat our body by what we eat can help prevent chronic disease. Over the three days that I tracked my food intake I have realized that I need to increase my fiber, focus more on plant based protein, and take a closer look at the nutritional facts on labels. Following these three simple tips will be important to remember in order for them to be part of my daily routine and it will improve my nutritional habits. Immediately I will start with looking at the nutrional facts when I go grocery shopping or even when I am getting a quick snack at the convenience store. In the next six months my goal is to focus on plant based proteins. When I notice that I have not reached my protein goals for the day, I will not just reach out for deli turkey. I will swap it for a quick plant based protein like lentils. In the next six months I will also focus on increase my fiber by adding more leafy greens in my diet. Theses goals will not be too difficult for me and I believe I will be successful at following all three goals. If there is a will there is a way. Next year I do want to add

Running head: diet analysis11 more cardio in my physical activity so that it can balance out the strength training I do times a week. This goal will be more challenging and I am not too sure if I will be able to accomplish it. The only time I am able to workout is during lunch and I do not have sufficient time to do all that I would like. I need to be able to motivate myself to do cardio. The USDA provides different resources to educate the public on their diet for example the DGA. The DGA is updated every five years in order to provide Americans up to date information on nutrition. The DGA for 2020-2025 was written thoroughly for a professional audience, unfortunately when the goal is to educate all americans, not everyone understands the DGA. In order to assist the public in understanding, the DGA created MyPlate as an interactive way of supporting healthy eating habits. I believe that most Public Health educators understand how to use and navigate MyPlate. The USDA provides informational resources to guide anyone on MyPlate on their website. It has a whole site dedicated to public health and community health educators at MyPlate Tool Kits for Professionals ( Toolkits ). Public health is defined as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health and efficiency through organized community efforts (Nnakwe 2017 pg5). Public health was developed as a response to chronic disease. Chronic diseases are the leading causes of death in the United states. In order to combat this issue and prevent chronic diseases, Public Health educators have to take a look at what Americans are eating. Using MyPlate and the DGA, public health educators are able to create a plan and tailor it to the goal they want to focus on preventing. Understanding the recommended nutrients using MyPlate will assist with health promotion. Health promotion “can change lifestyles and have an impact on the social, economic, and environmental conditions that determine health” (Nnakwe 2017 pg11). It is the duty of the

Running head: diet analysis12 Public Health/Community Health educators and professionals to provide reliable and accurate information.

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Running head: diet analysis13 References A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia [Internet]. Johns Creek (GA): Ebix, Inc., A.D.A.M.; c1997-2020. Nail abnormalities; [updated 2019 Jul 31; reviewed 2020 Aug 20; cited 2022 Apr]; [about 4 p.]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003247.htm Harvard School of Public Health. (2021, November 12). Protein . The Nutrition Source. Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/#protein-bott om-line Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2022, March 2). Vitamin D . The Nutrition Source. Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/ Krauss, R. M., Eckel, R. H., Howard, B., Appel, L. J., Daniels, S. R., Deckelbaum, R. J., Erdman, J. W., Kris-Etherton, P., Goldberg, I. J., Kotchen, T. A., Lichtenstein, A. H., Mitch, W. E., Mullis, R., Robinson, K., Wylie-Rosett, J., St. Jeor, S., Suttie, J., Tribble, D. L., & Bazzarre, T. L. (2000). AHA dietary guidelines. Circulation , 102 (18), 2284–2299. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.102.18.2284 Nnakwe, N. (2017). Community Nutrition (3rd Edition). Jones & Bartlett Learning. https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781284148541 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. (n.d.). Toolkits . MyPlate. Retrieved April 2022, from https://www.myplate.gov/professionals/toolkits

Running head: diet analysis14 U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 . 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.

Running head: diet analysis15 Screen Shots: Day One

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Running head: diet analysis16 Day Two

Running head: diet analysis17 Day Three

COH317 -Diet Analysis Project

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