Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Reflections
The results were rather shocking as i discovered my eating habits are quite unhealthy. Over the period of 3 days, my total fat intake, saturated fat intake, cholesterol intake and especially sodium intake were over the recommended intake. Also, my dietary fiber intake was insufficient. This may lead to many harmful consequences such as obesity and high blood pressure. Hence my diet is not healthy.
On the other hand, the accuracy of the nutritional tools are questionable. I have always taken note of my diet and tried to eat balanced meals that include meat, staple food and especially vegetables. Hence, it came as a shock when i discovered that my dietary fiber intake was insufficient. When i was analyzing my diet, i was unable to find much of the food that i eat. For example, for one meal, i ate mixed rice which mainly consisted of nutritional food such as mushrooms, leafy vegetables, tomatoes and egg. However, when keying in the data, the closest match i could find was "Rice, egg, ham, frozen vegetables, stir fried". The analyzer may have interpreted that dish to mainly consist of rice, which was not accurate.
Still, i agree that i may have taken too much sodium and calories. I will continue to watch my diet and try to make it healthier.
As a whole, i found the nutritional tools very useful. The two main tools i used were the "food intake assessment" and the "Energy and Nutrient Composition of Foods"”tools.. I found the two tools easy to use and they were very comprehensive, providing information on many aspect of my diet. Furthermore, the food intake assessment tool even provided advice on how to have a healthier diet. However, as mentioned above, the accuracy of these tools is questionable and they have limited foods for you to choose from.
My suggested one dish meal is healthy as i used ingredients that had significantly lower fat content, such as lean meat and low fat mayonnaise. Other nutritional ingredients such as whole grain buns (boosts fiber intake) and tomatoes were used.
Healthy One Dish Meal
My healthy burger consists of:
2 slices whole-grain buns
- 12 ounces lean ground turkey breast,
- 1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 slices of tomato
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- Low fat mayonnaise
Food Intake Assessment
Based on the information you have provided, your daily energy requirement is estimated to be 1,972 kcal. This energy requirement is the level of calorie intake from food that will balance the calories your body burns, thus maintaining your weight. For weight loss, you should consume fewer calories and be more active. If you need to gain weight, consume more calories than your body requires. |
Nutrition messages based on results
Energy
Your intake of energy from your diet was more than you need. Frequently eating above your energy needs can contribute to excess calories, which will be stored as body fat if it is not being used for physical activities. Excessive body fat leads to blood pressure, stroke diabetes and even certain cancers.
Energy in the foods we eat comes from three categories of nutrients - carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy. Gram for gram, fat (9 kcal/g) has more than twice the energy of carbohydrate (4 kcal/g) or protein (4 kcal/g). Hence, foods high in fat are generally high in calories. Alcohol also supplies more calories (7 kcal/g) than carbohydrate or protein.
Know your daily energy allowance, and balance the energy from the food you eat with the energy your body uses for physical activities.
Total Fat
Your total fat intake was more than the recommended amount. A diet high in fat is associated with overweight, high blood cholesterol, heart disease and other related health problems.
To reduce total fat in your diet, use less oil or fats when cooking and use fat spreads sparingly. Use lean cuts of meat and poultry, and remove visible fat and skin. When eating out, ask for less fat or oil in your food. As extras add up, make your food choices wisely. Choose reduced fat or skimmed milk and dairy products instead of full cream varieties. Choose plain rice over flavoured rice, and cut down on the use of sweetened condensed milk or creamers.
Saturated Fat
Your intake of saturated fat was higher that the recommended amount. An excess of saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol, subsequently increasing your risk of heart disease.
The main sources of fat in our diet are also the sources of saturated fat! These include coconut-milk based foods, blended oil (usually used in commercial cooking), flavoured rice (e.g. chicken rice, nasi lemak, nasi briyani) and creamer/whitener/condensed and evaporated milk in beverages. Cutting down or limiting such sources of fat will also help to reduce saturated fat intake.
Sodium
Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts. Sodium acts like a sponge, holding water in our body. Excess sodium increases the blood volume, which then raises the pressure in our blood vessels. Hypertension or high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
The main source of sodium in our diet comes from salt (sodium chloride) and sauces added during cooking or at the table. To cut down on sodium intake, gradually reduce the use of salt and sauces when preparing or cooking food so that your taste buds have the chance to adjust. Try flavouring foods with natural seasonings like lemon juice or herbs and spices. Choose fresh food over processed foods over processed foods and enjoy the natural taste of foods. When eating out, ask for less sauces or gravy in dishes.
Dietary Fibre
You were not getting enough dietary fibre in your diet. An adequate intake of dietary fibre can help to promote proper bowel functions, reduce blood cholesterol and control blood glucose levels. Dietary fibre can also help to make you feel full longer. Dietary fibre can only be obtained from plant-based foods. Remember to have your 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables everyday. Choose fresh fruit or vegetables rather than the juice, and eat the skin (if edible) of cleaned fruit or vegetables. Replace meat-based dishes with beans, peas or lentils in you diet on alternate days. Try to consume 1 serving of wholegrain products from the rice and alternatives group daily, for example unpolished rice and wholemeal bread.
Cholesterol
Your intake of cholesterol was more than the recommended amount. Excessive cholesterol intake, especially as part of a high fat diet, can increase blood cholesterol level and put you at risk of heart diseases.
To cut down the intake of cholesterol, replace meat with beans, peas, lentils or bean products 3 times a week. For healthy adults and adolescents, limit eggs to 4 per week. In recipes, try to replace part of the use of whole eggs with just the egg white. Shellfish, prawns, shrimps, crabs, cuttlefish etc as well as organ meats should be eaten no more than twice a week and in small portions.
Energy
Your intake of energy from your diet was more than you need. Frequently eating above your energy needs can contribute to excess calories, which will be stored as body fat if it is not being used for physical activities. Excessive body fat leads to blood pressure, stroke diabetes and even certain cancers.
Energy in the foods we eat comes from three categories of nutrients - carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy. Gram for gram, fat (9 kcal/g) has more than twice the energy of carbohydrate (4 kcal/g) or protein (4 kcal/g). Hence, foods high in fat are generally high in calories. Alcohol also supplies more calories (7 kcal/g) than carbohydrate or protein.
Know your daily energy allowance, and balance the energy from the food you eat with the energy your body uses for physical activities.
Total Fat
Your total fat intake was more than the recommended amount. A diet high in fat is associated with overweight, high blood cholesterol, heart disease and other related health problems.
To reduce total fat in your diet, use less oil or fats when cooking and use fat spreads sparingly. Use lean cuts of meat and poultry, and remove visible fat and skin. When eating out, ask for less fat or oil in your food. As extras add up, make your food choices wisely. Choose reduced fat or skimmed milk and dairy products instead of full cream varieties. Choose plain rice over flavoured rice, and cut down on the use of sweetened condensed milk or creamers.
Saturated Fat
Your intake of saturated fat was higher that the recommended amount. An excess of saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol, subsequently increasing your risk of heart disease.
The main sources of fat in our diet are also the sources of saturated fat! These include coconut-milk based foods, blended oil (usually used in commercial cooking), flavoured rice (e.g. chicken rice, nasi lemak, nasi briyani) and creamer/whitener/condensed and evaporated milk in beverages. Cutting down or limiting such sources of fat will also help to reduce saturated fat intake.
Sodium
Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts. Sodium acts like a sponge, holding water in our body. Excess sodium increases the blood volume, which then raises the pressure in our blood vessels. Hypertension or high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
The main source of sodium in our diet comes from salt (sodium chloride) and sauces added during cooking or at the table. To cut down on sodium intake, gradually reduce the use of salt and sauces when preparing or cooking food so that your taste buds have the chance to adjust. Try flavouring foods with natural seasonings like lemon juice or herbs and spices. Choose fresh food over processed foods over processed foods and enjoy the natural taste of foods. When eating out, ask for less sauces or gravy in dishes.
Dietary Fibre
You were not getting enough dietary fibre in your diet. An adequate intake of dietary fibre can help to promote proper bowel functions, reduce blood cholesterol and control blood glucose levels. Dietary fibre can also help to make you feel full longer. Dietary fibre can only be obtained from plant-based foods. Remember to have your 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of vegetables everyday. Choose fresh fruit or vegetables rather than the juice, and eat the skin (if edible) of cleaned fruit or vegetables. Replace meat-based dishes with beans, peas or lentils in you diet on alternate days. Try to consume 1 serving of wholegrain products from the rice and alternatives group daily, for example unpolished rice and wholemeal bread.
Cholesterol
Your intake of cholesterol was more than the recommended amount. Excessive cholesterol intake, especially as part of a high fat diet, can increase blood cholesterol level and put you at risk of heart diseases.
To cut down the intake of cholesterol, replace meat with beans, peas, lentils or bean products 3 times a week. For healthy adults and adolescents, limit eggs to 4 per week. In recipes, try to replace part of the use of whole eggs with just the egg white. Shellfish, prawns, shrimps, crabs, cuttlefish etc as well as organ meats should be eaten no more than twice a week and in small portions.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Welcome!
Hello one and all (:
Welcome to my food blog, home of my food and nutrition performance task!
Basically the task is:
- Tracing a three day diet
- Analyse the diet using tools from hpb website
- Suggest a healthy one-dish meal
- Reflect on process and learning points
- Access at least 3 blogs and provide reflection/feed back
Follow me as i discover some shocking results and start on a journey of healthier eating (:
Toodles!
<3 Judy
Welcome to my food blog, home of my food and nutrition performance task!
Basically the task is:
- Tracing a three day diet
- Analyse the diet using tools from hpb website
- Suggest a healthy one-dish meal
- Reflect on process and learning points
- Access at least 3 blogs and provide reflection/feed back
Follow me as i discover some shocking results and start on a journey of healthier eating (:
Toodles!
<3 Judy
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