Diet Analysis Essay

Based on a 24 Hour Recall of my diet, results using NutriCalc Plus report that my food intake lacked a healthy balance of all food groups. My Grain intake reached only 60% of the My Plate daily recommendations. My Vegetable intake was a mere 50% of the recommended servings. Additionally, I consumed 84% of the daily recommendations for the Dairy Group. Nonetheless, I did exceed the recommendations for the Fruit Group and Protein Group with intakes of 155% and 107%, respectively.

Morley M. Robbins is the founder of the Magnesium Advocacy Group and he believes that "Magnesium deficiency is the common thread for millions of Americans who are dealing with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, general fatigue, and any chronic condition borne out of inflammation."

Polyunsaturated fats are found in fish and vegetable oils and are an essential nutrient which reduces the risk for coronary heart disease (Shulman, 2010, pg. 51).  The unhealthy fats are the trans fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated, such as butter, cheese and animal fat, should be completely removed from diets.  Saturated trans fats contribute to an increased low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, increase inflammation and heart disease. Unsaturated trans fats also contribute to higher LDL cholesterol and lower the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (Shulman, 2010, pg. 52).  A fast paced society has lead to and increased consumption of prepackaged food is because it is a convenient option when people are in a time restraint and for people who are stressed (C.L. Rocks, personal communication, October 11, 2011). A way to overcome this is to spend some time planning meals for a week and by arranging healthy snacks, such as preparing raw vegetables ahead of time, to make it easier to eat healthy when in a time restraint. Trans fatty foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil, foods such as chips or cookies, typically are high calorie foods and are lacking in essential nutrients (Brandt, 2011, pg 158). Cravings increase over time because people turn to them so often it develops into a habit. These unhealthy habits could unfortunately result in a person gaining weight (C.L. Rocks, personal communication, October 11,

Having a deficiency means that you have lack of a certain something like vitamins and minerals for example scurvy is caused by the deficiency of vitamin C, night blindness is caused by deficiency of vitamin A and anaemia is caused by deficiency of iron and haemoglobin.

Being aware of your own personal mineral intake is quite an essential part of your well-being. It is often overlooked by both me and others. There are two main types of minerals: trace minerals and macro minerals. The term macro mineral refers to the group of minerals that you need to make sure you include relatively large amounts of in your diet. Macro minerals refer to minerals such as sulfur, calcium, sodium, and potassium. Trace minerals refer to the group of minerals that your body needs miniscule amounts of in order to work properly and be healthy. Trace minerals refer to minerals such as copper, zinc, selenium, and iron. Our mineral intake comes directly from plant based sources and indirectly from animal based sources. In addition,

This paper will focus on some important nutrients that are important for general health: fiber and protein. My personal daily intake will be analyzed to determine what foods are providing the right type of proteins and fiber, and how food consumption might be adjusted to provide for a healthier nutrient intake. It is important to state at the outset that the nutrient intake that is being used for this analysis is only for a one-day period. However, it will provide some insight into my eating habits and how those habits might be improved from a scientific standpoint.

The western diet exists as a way of life for most Americans. The typical western diet is full of chemicals and unknown ingredients. Today it is not viewed as the most beneficial diet for humans to consume. Those who live on the western diet are exploding with health concerns. Some major health problems range from type two diabetes, high cholesterol, to being overweight. These health concerns are growing. Today, foods have many unknown ingredients and just really are not food. Michael Pollan discusses these issues in his book titled In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Pollans’ goal from this book is to inform people, mainly the eaters of the western diet, what this diet is and what it contains. He furthers his argument on

Magnesium in normal does of ~350mg per day (MAGNESIUM.n.d.) is considered safe with only minor reported side effects such as:

There are also many signs of magnesium deficiency; nausea, confusion, delirium, muscle weakness, irritability and electrical changes in the heart muscle.

Most articles on health and fitness stress the role that balanced diet and vitamins play in maintaining good health. There's a great deal of emphasis on vitamins and minerals and we hear about the amazing properties of vitamins all the time. But what about minerals? We do not hear enough on how important it is to get enough minerals to maintain our health.

Over the past few years a lot of information has been given as to what different foods do to our bodies. Calories, sodium, and all kinds of different ingredients found in foods. There’s many things that are not good for your health like; consuming too much sugar, eating too much trans fat, and eating too little trans fat.

Research suggests that magnesium deficiency is very common in the United States and Canada. Those who do not have adequate levels of this vital mineral may experience anxiety, increased stress response, insomnia, muscle twitches, and chronic fatigue.

Hypomagnesemia is a condition in which the level of magnesium in the blood is low. Magnesium is a mineral found in many foods. It is used in many different processes in the body. Hypomagnesemia can affect every organ in the body. It can cause life-threatening problems.

The intake of nuts and legumes are good because they have fatty acids and proteins and proteins are a type of nutrient. Proteins help the body to grow and to repair tissues. They new food pyramid says that you should take in 0-2 servings of fish, poultry ,and eggs because all of these contain all the essential amino acids. Since amino acid is the monomer of proteins, this relates to protein. The body uses about 20kmds of amino acids to construct the protein it needs. Amino acids are essential for growth. Fish, poultry and eggs also contain Vitamin B so they are also essential for growth and the functioning of the eyes. The new food pyramid says that you should eat about 1-2 servings of daily products or calcium supplements. Since dairy products contain calcium and a little bit of phosphorus they are essential for the deposition in bones, the formation of ATP and nucleic acids and for the functioning of the heart muscles and nerves. You should limit your intake of red meat, butter, white rice, white bread, potatoes, pasta, and sweets to a ver low amount because if you take too much you can get diseases and disorders. But it is good to take some of these food because they also contain a little bit of Vitamin B which are essential for growth and the functioning of the nervous system. These food also can serve as fats which serve as a cushion for the food or a reserve energy supply.

Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are