Nutrition Essay, Research Paper
I believe healthy nutrition is the most important factor for maintaining and keeping good health. Healthy nutrition basically is eating healthy and balanced from all the basic food groups; which consists of the dairy group, poultry group, fruit group, vegetable group and a little from the fats, oils, and sweets groups. It is also imperative to drinl an adequate amount that corresponds with the daily guidelines of eight glasses a day which is equivalent to a one two-liter soda per day.
In order for myself to attain this status of eating healthy I kept a food log for a month that has the entries of what I ate each day. In this food log it helped me keep track of how many fat grams I was eating and if I was eating balanced. I also listed how much sleep I was getting each day, what my mood was, and how many minutes I exercised each day. All those factors combined, determine my overall state of physical and mental health.
Well, I think I’m eating pretty healthy; I’ve never tracked down what I ate before so I didn’t really think what I was eating. But when the whole project was done it didn’t look like I was a healthy eater. I was drinking too much soda with excessive sodium intake and I didn’t eat a lot of fruits or vegetables and I was drinking more soda than water. For breakfast, I was eating too many donuts which means too much sugar. On the bright side of things, I was eating a variety of foods. It may not be balanced amount from each food group but I made a conscience effort to eat at least something from all the food groups.
So even though the food project is now done, from the basis of my good log. I’m trying to make permanent adjustments in my diet to make my body healthier. No more soda, no more donuts for breakfast, and no more sweets. Instead more water, more fruits and vegetables, and increased physical activity and more sleep. I know it’s going to be hard to make these sudden adjustments but I’m going to do it gradually until I get comfortable and use to it. Hopefully from these changes I will have low blood pressure and a low cholesterol level.
In conclusion, this generation of Americans is the most overweight and obese ever. It seems that people do not care about their weight, appearance, or health. It’s sad to see people that do not have respect for themselves and have low self-esteem. People need to start eating healthy to better enjoy life and feel good about themselves.