Term Paper on "Nutrition Plan Get Healthy Plan Combination"

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The goal of this assessment is improve my personal health habits, with the objectives being to establish eating and exercise habits in young men commensurate with the needs of their bodies and schedules. My short-term objectives on a personal level will be to lose roughly 25 lbs, to find athletic activities that fit my schedule and to learn how to eat healthy by instinct.

Nutrition:

After keeping close track of my eating habits, I was alarmed by what I found. Specifically, I had always believed that I was eating fairly healthy. I have regularly consumed fruits and vegetables, breads and grains, meat and starches and plenty of dairy products, operating under the fairly simple structure of the so-called food pyramid. Its identification of four general food groups had clearly provided for what I had perceived was a balance.

However, my 14 day log revealed a number of frightening concepts. Particularly, at roughly 190 pounds in weight, and 5ft, 8in. tall, I am about 20-25 pounds above the ideal weight for my modest body type. Where an ideally weighted individual of my shape and size should consume about 2200 calories a day, and where one such as myself who is attempting to lose some weight should consider something between 1600 and 1800 calories a day, my average intake during the course of this log would actually be about 2600 calories a day.

There were indeed positive aspects to my eating habits. Namely, I do eat a lot of nuts, such as pecans, walnuts and almonds while snacking. I would find that on a day-to-day basis, these were perhaps most often the snack of choice while working at my computer. I would often complement this snack with a plate of fruit. My favorites are pears, grapefruits and bananas, all of which are a regular part of my steady diet. I don't particularly make a habit of eating fast food or other pre-prepared meals. I do a lot of my food preparation at home, which is generally more healthful.

However, I was able to identify three problems in my diet which, when examined in light of the negative outcome of my calorie counting log, suggest that a change will be needed if I am to stave off future obesity or to enter into a steady weight-loss program. Most primarily is my sodium intake. There is a high-association between high-cholesterol foods that can inflate the daily caloric intake and obesity. Therefore, I am inclined to consider my very heavy consumption of various cheeses, my constant consumption of buttered popcorn and my general affinity for salty-bagged snacks to be one of my greatest health problems. 'Midnight snacking,' on such junk food poses a particular problem as the slowed metabolism of one's sleep state is likely to cause a less efficient digestive process.

Other shortcomings in my nutritional approach would be my heavy intake of complex carbohydrates, which nutritionists are increasingly showing will have the tendency of bogging down digestion processes and promoting fat retention. White-flour breads in particular have proven problematic. Finally, I have found that when my protein and iron come from such sources as chicken, fish and beans, as opposed to heavy meats such as pork and beef, I take in fewer calories on that day and also tend to feel more energetic.

As drinking goes, I will generally persist almost strictly on water and on one or two cups of coffee (with medium sugar and cream) daily. My drinking habits appear not to compromise my nutrition in any way.

Sample Diet:

During a projected 2-week period, the one-day diet suggest below would likely yield weight-loss in a subject such as myself when combined with healthy exercising habits:

Breakfast:

This would be the heaviest meal of the day, providing the sugars and proteins needed to begin producing energy for the day. Thus, the meal would be constituted of 2 scrambled eggs, totaling 700 calories. Providing me with 16% of the days calcium, 23% of my required Vitamin a and 6.3grams of protein. This would be coupled with one cup of orange juice, which at 112 calories, provides me with 207% of my daily required Vitamin C Typically, I would also drink a cup of coffee at this point, with cream and sugar. This amounts to 315 calories and 27.8grams of fat.

A light lunch with a few key nutrients would be ideal for my lifestyle. Therefore, my lunch would consist of a pear, which totals 96 Calories, 16.2 grams sugar and provides 25.5% of my daily needed carbs. On a day where I felt that I need something more for lunch, I might consider adding roughly one cup of cheddar cheese. Though it totals roughly 530 calories, this would nonetheless provide me with 95% of my required daily calcium and 32% of my daily required protein.

If hungry in the intervening time between lunch and dinner, I might help myself to a snack of yogurt, which by the pint is roughly 100 calories and also very high in calcium at 20% of the daily required intake.

The most healthy option for dinner would be approximately 140 grams of Roasted Chicken, amounting to 230 calories, and 43 grams of protein

Medical

Perhaps one of my biggest health issues is my sedentary lifestyle. I spend a great deal of time, due to the nature of my work and studies, sitting at the computer. Particularly during times of heavy work, I can spend significant hours of each day at a desk, often snacking on all sorts of foods. During these same periods of time, I find very little opportunity for exercise. Because obesity is a significant public health problem, I have become increasingly conscientious of the way that I treat my body. The greatest obstacle to my health is the dominance which my work and study schedules bear on the way I am able to treat my body.

Fitness:

My fitness program, due to these concerns, has centered on activities which do not too significantly occupy my time but which can nonetheless make an impact on my health. Such is to say that I have attempted to make one hour out of each day a designated exercise time. Four… READ MORE