Human Nutrition

Sample - Assignment 5C Just some ideas how to answer questions in Assignment 5C. (A note: the answers are based on Supertracker instead of our MyDietAnalysis. It is a similar program that we used before.) Suppose my BMI is 24.6. This places me in the healthy category, though I am getting close to the overweight category so I may wish to decrease my calorie intake if I am concerned with staying in the healthy category since my calorie intake is 500 calories or more beyond my recommended intake. Now for Question 1, my results from Super Tracker indicate my vitamin A intake is below the Daily Recommended Intake (DRI) of 625 micrograms for males aged 19-30 (I consumed only 570). Since I drink plenty of soymilk that is fortified with vitamin D and calcium (in the United States), these levels met the RDI requirements. I am a meat eater so I was able to obtain plenty of iron; I obtained adequate vitamin C from the consumption of fruits (i.e. bell peppers, strawberries, oranges). Since I am low in vitamin A, there are two ways I can address Questions 1 and 2. I can either take supplements for vitamin A, or I can increase my consumption of foods high in vitamin A, namely vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes (technically a starch), and dark leafy greens. Since my intake of vitamin A is not much lower than the RDI, I probably would not take supplements but would instead increase consumption of foods rich in vitamin A (mainly out of preference, supplements are fine if you are not a fan of vegetables). My average intake of dietary fiber was about 42 grams/day, slightly above the RDI of 25-40 grams/day. The foods I listed in Question 3 to have this high level fiber were Honey Nut Cheerios, black beans, and pecans. I had on average 6 cups of fruits/vegetable over the 3 days. I understand the consumption of fruits/vegetables is low in the United States, so I would recommend increasing intake through 2 ways. If you do not like the taste/texture of fruits/vegetables, drink V8; about 8 fluid ounces (237mL) of this is equivalent to 1 serving (or 1 cup) of fruits/vegetables (depending on the product; I prefer V8 V-Fusion). Another means of increasing fruits/vegetable intake would be to dice it up into tiny bits and place it in foods you do like that will overwhelm its taste/texture. According to Super Tracker, I had consumed about 303 empty calories, which was below my goal limit of 459. This is likely because I avoided energy-dense foods (i.e. McDonalds and other fast food restaurants, though they are very tempting) and consumed nutrient-dense foods such as beans, whole grains, and an adequate amount of fruits/vegetables. Likely the added sugars in the cereal I ate (Honey Nut Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal Squares) and the fat in the meat I had (lunch meets) contributed to my overall empty calorie consumption. By limiting the consumption of foods rich in added sugars (even cereal) or high in calories such as fast food one may cut out a large amount of empty calories that contribute to weight gain or other conditions. I am interested to hear what you all have learned from this assignment. You do not have to discuss your personal business, such as your BMI or calorie intake, but speak generally on what surprised you and what you feel the public should know (you already are much more informed than most of the general population) about their health. I look forward to seeing what you have to say!