1
Creating a Healthy, Balanced Diet
Liberty University
MS: Exercise Science: Nutrition and Wellness
HLTH640
CREATING A HEALTHY, BALANCED DIET
Kennedy Mills
LUID: 27484490
April 4, 2023
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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.
My subject is a 35-year-old mom of two boys
(ages 7 and 5). She works from home part-
time as a counselor. She is 5’9” and weighs
138 pounds. She enjoys working out regularly
and switches off days for morning workouts
with her husband. They take turns watching
the kids so that the other can exercise. She
lives in Charleston, South Carolina.
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.
My subject described her eating as very
scheduled and reliable. She eats breakfast
every morning while her boys are eating their
breakfast. She takes a mid-morning snack
break and then a full lunch break. She has an
afternoon snack and then eats dinner with her
family. She typically eats eggs, sausage or
bacon, and a bagel for breakfast. Sometimes
she combines them into a breakfast sandwich.
Her two snacks consist of nuts, fruits,
vegetables and hummus, or crackers with
cheese. Her lunch is normally a sandwich
with meat, cheese, lettuce, mayo, and
tomatoes with a side of fruit and maybe chips.
The family’s dinners are dependent on the
day. She mainly drinks water, some juiced
vegetables and fruits, and coffee throughout
the day. My subject does know what a serving
size is. She pretty accurately showed me her
typically plate lay out with how much protein,
carbs, and vegetables/fruits there are on the
plate. Mostly her plates consist of protein and
carbs. The smallest section is of vegetables or
fruit.
Ask if they have any health or weight goals. My subject does have health goals for herself.
She wants to stay very active and fit,
especially since she is raising two very active
young boys. She likes to be strong and have
good cardiovascular fitness. My subject wants
to feel healthy through her eating. She does
not have any specific weight goals and is not
trying to lose or gain weight at the moment.
Are they on any special diet at this moment?
If yes, have them describe it to you.
My subject is not currently on any special
diet.
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Creating a Healthy, Balanced Diet
Have they ever been on a weight loss diet? If
yes, have them describe it to you.
Yes, my client has tried the E2M diet in the
past. This diet gives an 8-hour eating window
to promote intermittent fasting. The diet
focuses of whole foods. The diet includes
avoiding processed foods, sugary drinks, and
alcohol. The portions are controlled, and you
are allowed to eat specific amounts of each
food group at each mealtime. While doing
E2M, there is a required daily water intake
and exercise regimen.
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.
AT THIS POINT EXPLAIN TO THEM THE
IMPORTANCE OF “VARIETY” IN A DIET.
PROVIDE EXAMPLES AND REASONS
“VARIETY” IS NECESSARY THE DIET.
The subject did a fair job of listing foods high
in specific vitamins.
A. Kale, broccoli
D. Fish, milk
E. Peanut butter
K. Did not know any
B12. Meat, dairy, eggs
What resources does the subject use to get
most of their nutrition information?
The subject uses Instagram influencers,
TikTok, and other websites to gain most of
their nutrition information. She also uses
cookbooks and dieting books for information
and meal planning.
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.
The subject was able to identify the meaning
of and foods that supply whole grain to the
diet. She listed quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal,
whole grain breads and tortillas, whole-wheat
pasta, whole grain cereals, and mentioned that
there is whole wheat flour available to bake
with.
Does the subject exercise regularly? Have
them describe. Why is this their exercise
habit?
The subject does exercise very regularly. She
and her husband take turns with their
morning/evening workouts to allow each
other time for exercise. This is her habit ever
since having children. It is important for her
(and her husband) to stay active, and they
have found that if they alternate mornings,
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Creating a Healthy, Balanced Diet
they are able to have that needed alone time
to exercise. It also keeps them accountable to
one another to stay in an exercise routine
since they have specified days that are their
morning to workout or evening to workout.
They don’t want to throw off their partner’s
schedule by skipping a day or switching
workout times last minute. She played soccer
in college, so she knows how to properly lift,
good running form, and balancing muscle
groups.
How many times a week does the subject eat
vegetables? How many servings per day?
How does he/she cook vegetables?
The subject eats vegetables every single day.
She eats at least 2 servings per day. My
subject likes to eat salads containing
vegetables, roasted vegetables, air-fried
vegetables, and raw vegetables with ranch or
hummus.
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
DIFFERENCE OF OBTAINING
NUTRIENTS FROM FOOD -VS- A
BOTTLE. (Review Supplement discussion in
Omega Z Diet book)
My subject takes a multivitamin every day.
She takes it to boost her intake of nutrients
that she may not be sufficiently intaking
through her diet. She spends approximately
$20 per month on her vitamin bottle. She only
needs to repurchase it once every month and a
half.
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?
My subject would like to learn more about
probiotics and prebiotics. She would be
interested in adding this to her daily routine to
further improve her health and digestion. She
would also like to learn more about ways to
encourage her kids to enjoy healthy foods so
that she is not forcing and bribing them to eat
them every night.
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
BMR= 655+(4.4*weight)+(4.7*height)-
(4.7*age)
BMR= 655+(4.4*138)+(4.7*69)-(4.7*35)
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Creating a Healthy, Balanced Diet
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.
BMR= 655+607.2+324.3-164.5
BMR= 1422
Step 2- Determine their activity factor. Heavy exercise (6-7 days per week) has an
activity factor of 1.725
Step 3- By combining the numbers from step
1 and step 2 above, how many calories should
they be eating to MAINTAIN weight?
BMR* activity factor
1422*1.725= 2453 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, I do not think that the subject needs to
lose weight for health reasons. She stays very
active and exercises regularly. She also has a
very healthy diet. She is not presenting with
any health conditions and does not wish to
lose any weight at the present time. Therefore,
I would not suggest any ways or reasons for
her to lose weight.
Step 5 – Provide the number of servings for
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
Based on their responses, how knowledgeable do you think your subject is about nutrition?
Explain
Based on my subject’s responses, I think she is fairly knowledgeable about nutrition. She has a
very good understanding of whole foods and the importance of consuming them to help reach
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Creating a Healthy, Balanced Diet
nutrient goals. My subject also has a great perspective on processed foods and their unhealthy
contribution to the American diet. About 60% of calories consumed by the average American
come from ultra-processed foods.1 Very few of the foods in my subject’s home are processed and
their family avoids eating them regularly. A huge component of avoiding processed foods is meal
preparation and planning. My subject has to put in effort to grocery shop for specific meals and
make the meals each day. This energy pays off in the way that the family eats a balanced diet and
avoids processed foods. My subject knew several foods that fall into the different vitamin
categories and was able to correct define and list whole-grain foods.
How well was the information you shared (variety, complex carbohydrates, supplements
-vs- whole food) received by the person? Explain your answer.
My subject had a relatively good understanding of the information that I was sharing with her.
The only aspect of the information shared that my subject was not aware of was that
overconsumption of vitamins through supplementation can lead to health issues. She thought that
it was possible to overconsume vitamins through food. I reassured her that excess nutrients taken
in through food is mostly excreted by the body without any health impacts. She received this
with thanksgiving. She was slightly concerned about giving her children too many of one
nutrient on accident and causing them negative side effects. The rest of the information given
about carbohydrates and whole foods was familiar to her. She was able to follow what I was
telling her and asked good questions. She asked about additional foods that fall into each vitamin
group so that she can incorporate them into her family’s diet.
Based on your answers to Step 1, 2 and 3, how well do you feel this person is fueling their
body? Explain and be specific.
I think that this subject is adequately fueling her body. According to her account and calorie
tracking apps, she eats about 2200-2600 calories per day. The workbook formulas calculate that
my subject should be consuming 2453 calories per day to maintain her weight.2 Based on my
interview, I know that the subject has a very wide knowledge base about calorie intake compared
to exercise. She tries to be neutral in her calories and exercise intensity. My subject eats whole
foods and near the amounts recommended for weight maintenance.2 My understanding of the
subject, her goals, and her habits gives me confidence to say that her body is well fueled for her
activity level and health goals.
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Creating a Healthy, Balanced Diet
References
1. Baraldi LG, Martinez Steele E, Canella DS, Monteiro CA. Consumption of ultra-processed
foods and associated sociodemographic factors in the USA between 2007 and 2012:
Evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2018;8(3).
doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020574
2. Kebles CA, Hemric M. Omega-Z Diet for Weight Loss. United States: Omega-Z Diet Books;
2022.
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