HLTH 640
CREATING A HEALTHY, BALANCED DIET
Questions: Answers to interview questions:
Demographic information of your chosen
subject. Demographics include age, height,
weight, and any other variables that you
would like to add. Do not provide names or
identify the subjects.
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Height: 5’3”
Weight: 120
Ask the person to describe the food they
consume in a typical day. Have them be
specific. Identify the time of day they eat,
what they eat, how much they eat. Be
specific, get amounts as best you can. Do not
forget to list drinks and snacks throughout the
day.
Does the subject know what a serving is?
Have him/her show you. Describe.
Breakfast (7am): Oatmeal with fruit and/or
nuts (blueberries, raspberries, or almonds)
Lunch (12pm/1pm): Turkey sandwich, baby
carrots, or maybe celery sticks
Dinner (7pm/8pm): Salad (spring mix), some
type of vinegarette and usually without
protein
For the oatmeal serving, she follows the
preparation instructions for one serving (1 cup
water, 1/3 cup oats). For anything else she
eats, a serving is the amount of food she feels
hungry for.
I asked why she didn’t snack between meals.
She said she chews gum (sugar free) to
suppress her appetite until the next meal.
Also, she only drinks water.
Ask if they have any health or weight goals. Her goal is to maintain the current weight.
Are they on any special diet at this moment?
If yes, have them describe it to you.
No
Have they ever been on a weight loss diet? If
yes, have them describe it to you.
The only thing she ever tried was intermittent
fasting. Her eating window was 12:00pm-
8:00pm. She said she ate a lot of fish,
vegetables, and drank plenty of water. But I
do not think this is a weight loss diet.
Can the subject list foods that contain high
amounts of or are good sources of each of the
following: vitamin A, D, E, K, and B12?
Provide their answers clearly.
No, she could not list any.
I told her variety in a diet is important
because each type of food provides certain
macro and/or micronutrients. Those nutrients
are important for our bodies to function
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HLTH 640
AT THIS POINT EXPLAIN TO THEM THE
IMPORTANCE OF “VARIETY” IN A DIET.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES AND REASONS
“VARIETY” IS NECESSARY THE DIET.
properly.
As an example, replacing her turkey sandwich
with a salmon filet would increase her
recommend dietary allowance of vitamin
B12.
What resources does the subject use to get
most of their nutrition information?
She stated YouTube and online research using
Google.
Can the subject explain what “whole grain”
means or provide foods supplying whole
grain? Provide their response clearly.
AT THIS POINT EXPLAIN TO THEM THE
IMPORTANCE OF “COMPLEX
CARBOHYDRATES.”
EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
“SIMPLE SUGAR” AND “COMPLEX
CARBOHYDRATES.”
PROVIDE EXAMPLES FOR THEM.
She could not explain whole grains. But said
oatmeal supplies whole grains.
Complex carbohydrates are important because
it takes longer for our bodies to digest them.
So, we feel full longer.
As stated above, it takes longer to digest
complex carbohydrates. Therefore, the
glucose stays in our bodies longer and keeps
us energized for longer periods of time.
Whereas simple sugars burn away quickly.
Complex carbohydrates: oats, beans, potatoes
Simple sugar: fruit, candy, sugary drinks
Does the subject exercise regularly? Have
them describe. Why is this their exercise
habit?
Yes. She runs 2-3 miles at least 3-4 days per
week. She exercises with light weights. This
is her habit because running clears her mind
and helps with her weight management. The
weights keeps her body toned.
How many times a week does the subject eat
vegetables? How many servings per day?
How does he/she cook vegetables?
She eats at least one serving of vegetables
every day. She eats the vegetables raw or
steamed.
Does the subject take a vitamin supplement?
Why or why not? If he/she takes supplements,
how much does he/she spend a month on
vitamins?
AT THIS POINT EXPLAIN TO THEM THE
No. She said supplements make her nauseous
and upset her stomach.
1. There is more variety of nutrients in food
vs supplements.
2. Taking the incorrect dose of vitamins could
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HLTH 640
DIFFERENCE OF OBTAINING
NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD -VS- A
BOTTLE. (Review Supplement discussion in
Omega Z Diet book)
lead to adverse effects.
3. Eating food is less likely to make her feel
ill as she said supplements do.
If the subject were to learn more about
nutrition and weight loss, what specifically
would he/she like to learn about or what
would be helpful to him/her in the present
situation?
She wants to learn the balance between
maintaining her current weight, increasing her
food intake, and variety in food choices.
THIS CONCLUDES THE INTERVIEW
PORTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT. THE
STEPS BELOW ARE TO BE COMPLETED
ON YOUR OWN USING GUIDELINES
from THE OMEGA-Z DIET WORKBOOK.
THE ANSWERS YOU PUT BELOW ARE
TO DEMONSTRATE YOUR
UNDERSTANDING AND TO HELP YOU
ANSWER THE WRITTEN PORTION
/ANALYSIS BELOW. SHOW ALL MATH
WORK IN THE SPACES BELOW.
Step 1 - Determine how many calories are
needed by this person based on the
information they provided above. In your
answer show the formula you chose and the
math demonstrating how you arrived with
your answer. In other words, determine their
BMR using formulas from the Omega Z Diet
Workbook Guidelines. Show your work in the
space to the right.
Imperial Formula1
BMR = 1315
655 + (4.4 x 120 lbs.) + (4.7 x 63 inches) –
(4.7 x 35 years)
655 + 528 + 296.1 – 164.5 = 1314.6
Step 2- Determine their activity factor. Moderate: 3-5 days BMR x 1.55
Step 3- By combining the numbers from step
1 and step 2 above, how many calories should
they be eating to MAINTAIN weight?
1315 (BMR) x 1.55 = 2038 calories
Step 4- Based on your knowledge and
interactions with your subject. Do you think
the person should lose weight for health
purposes? If no explain why.
If yes, in the space to the right show your
math work (following the Omega Z formulas
and suggestions for safe weight loss.)
No. She said she’s been this weight (+/- 1 to 2
lbs.) since age 30. So, her current eating
habits and exercise regime seems to help her
maintain a healthy weight.
Step 5 – Provide the number of servings for Maintain Weight
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HLTH 640
each of the 6 main food groups identified in
the Omega Z Diet Workbook that you believe
would best fuel this person to either:
a. Lose weight
b. Maintain weight
If you stated they should lose weight in
step 4, then choose “a. Lose weight”
If you stated they should maintain weight
in step 4, then choose “b. Maintain
weight”
Low-fat dairy: 3
Low to medium fat protein: 5.5
Starches: 10
Fruit: 4
Non-starchy vegetables: 5
Fat: 4
How knowledgeable do you think your subject is about nutrition?
Based on this interview, I do not think my subject is very knowledgeable about nutrition.
The first indicator is her sources for nutritional information. While YouTube may provide helpful
information, I think most of it is grounded in the deliverers personal experience or opinion. As
for Google, it depends on the source. For example, I would be more apt to trust information from
a medical or academic website versus a blog. Next, she consumes a lot of leafy greens. But she
did not know which specific foods contain high amounts of or are good sources of vitamins A, D,
E, K, and B12.
How well was the information you shared (variety, complex
carbohydrates, supplements -vs- whole food) received by the person?
I think the information I shared was well received by my interviewee. She listened to my
explanations, took notes, shared her perceptions, and asked questions. For instance, one of the
tasks was to explain complex carbohydrates, simple sugars, and give examples of each. When I
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HLTH 640
mentioned potato as a complex carbohydrate, she said her assumption was potatoes were starchy
and not healthy. I showed her an article by Raman2 that states, potatoes are rich in vitamins,
minerals and antioxidants, which make them very healthy. After the interview, I let my
interviewee review the Omega Z food lists and recipes pertaining to her recommended caloric
intake. Subsequently, she ordered a copy for herself, which is another reason I think the
information was well received. Also, my subject agreed that whole foods would less likely make
her ill.
Based on your answers to Step 1, 2 and 3, how well do you feel this
person is fueling their body?
My subject stated the only thing she drinks is water. So, that is one good thing she is
doing for her body. Aside from that, I do not feel she is fueling her body well. First, her daily
calorie intake is below the recommended level. In previous weeks, we learned about the adverse
effects of limited carbohydrates and calories, such as muscle loss. She mentioned lifting weights
to keep her body toned. According to De Bellefonds3, eating less calories than it takes to
maintain your basal metabolism (i.e., the minimum energy your body needs at rest for things like
breathing and keeping your organs going) puts your body into starvation mode, where it burns
both fat and muscle for fuel. Therefore, I am surprised that she has decent muscle tone. Second,
she chews gum to suppress her appetite. But she could incorporate snacks between her meals like
yogurt or almonds for example. Doing so would accomplish two things that the gum does not.
One, the snacks would add to her vitamin and mineral intake. As yogurt contains vitamin D and
almonds provide calcium. Two, the snacks would help control her hunger.
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HLTH 640
References
1. Kebles C. Omega Z Diet For Weight Loss Workbook. Amazon 2021.
2. Raman, R. 7 Health and Nutrition Benefits of Potatoes. Updated March 14, 2018. Accessed
March 10, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-potatoes.
3. De Bellefonds, C. 6 Habits That Are Making You Lose Muscle, Not Fat. September 29, 2017.
Accessed March 10, 2023. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-
loss/a19939245/habits-making-you-lose-muscle/.
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