Food and Nutrition: Importance of Adequate Nutrient and Fiber Consumption

This article discusses the importance of adequate nutrient and fiber consumption in food and nutrition. It provides information on how to change dietary habits and improve health. The article also includes references to scientific studies on the topic.

Running head: FOOD AND NUTRITION
FOOD AND NUTRITION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1FOOD AND NUTRITION
The dietary habit which I wish to change is my inadequate nutrient consumption and low
fiber intake as per the daily dietary values recommended of consuming a 2000 calorie diet by the
American Dietetic Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Cohen et al., 2015).
Inadequate nutrient consumption will result in poor nutritional status, nutritional deficiencies,
loss of essential muscle and weakening of the immune system (Llanaj et al., 2018). A poor fiber
intake will result in severe constipation, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, diverticulitis and
susceptibility of colon cancer acquisition (Fang et al., 2016). Hence, for these reasons I selected
to changed by existing behaviors of low food and fiber consumption.
Hence, by the end of three weeks I strive to consume the recommended 2000 kcal diet
consisting of Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) of 10-35% for protein, 45-
65% for carbohydrates and 20-35% for fat (Lee et al., 2015). I also strive to achieve the
recommended dietary fiber intake of 20-35 grams by the end of three weeks.
I will first aim to follow a fixed time to wake up so that I can consume a healthy
breakfast. Breakfast is an important meal of the day without way, one’s cognitive and
physiological functions are affected throughout the day and contribute to future development of
malnutrition and obesity (Chung et al., 2015). I will aim to consume a balanced diet containing
foods from all food groups of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, lean meats and
unsaturated fats (Simpson, Le Couteur & Raubenheimer, 2015). To ensure I eat well despite my
hectic job, I will include small, frequent meals consisting of healthy, nutrient dense snacks such
as vegetable wraps and sandwiches, overnight oat puddings, fruit and nut trail mixed, rice bowls,
whole fruits and yogurt or low fat dairy smoothies – which are easy to prepare and carry and
whose ingredients I can pre-prepare the night before. To ensure that I do not skip meals, I will
seek to follow problem focused and time management strategies maintain a food diary and set

2FOOD AND NUTRITION
reminders every day (Elger, 2017). To further enhance my fiber intake, I will replace white rice
with brown rice, consume whole fruits, nuts and salads as snacks and incorporate whole grain
bread and oats in my wraps, sandwiches and breakfast puddings due to their high fiber content
(Kranz et al., 2017).
During the three weeks, my food consumption levels gradually increased and I could feel
my energy levels improving. While I was successful in incorporating fiber rich foods in my diet,
I faced some difficulty to increase my meal consumption. This was because prolonged
inadequate food consumption had resulted in gastric discomfort when I begun to change my
behaviors (Li et al., 2015). However, I gradually succeeded with support from my family who
reminded me the importance of a healthy diet and helped me prepare my food.
At the end of three weeks, I felt energetic and my bowel movements improved. My
weight also increased by a kilo and my peers and family claimed that I looked healthier and
before. I also seemed to gain a new vitality towards to my life activities and felt that I had the
strength to perform tasks which once seemed difficult to me.
This change has made me realize the importance of a balanced diet and I wish to make
this habit permanent. I am glad to have undertaken this change since it has revived my self-
esteem and health. I wish to however, change my high sugar intake in the future considering its
harmful metabolic and cardiovascular effects (Malik & Hu, 2015).

3FOOD AND NUTRITION
References
Chung, S. J., Lee, Y., Lee, S., & Choi, K. (2015). Breakfast skipping and breakfast type are
associated with daily nutrient intakes and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults. Nutrition
research and practice, 9(3), 288-295.
Cohen, E., Cragg, M., Hite, A., Rosenberg, M., & Zhou, B. (2015). Statistical review of US
macronutrient consumption data, 1965–2011: Americans have been following dietary
guidelines, coincident with the rise in obesity. Nutrition, 31(5), 727-732.
Elger, B. S. (2017). A Balanced Diet–From Facts to Solutions. Emerging issues in prison health,
107-121.
Fang, J., Fu, H. Y., Ma, D., Wang, D., Liu, Y. P., Wang, Y. F., ... & Li, Z. S. (2016).
Constipation, fiber intake and non‐compliance contribute to inadequate colonoscopy
bowel preparation: a prospective cohort study. Journal of digestive diseases, 17(7), 458-
463.
Kranz, S., Dodd, K., Juan, W., Johnson, L., & Jahns, L. (2017). Whole grains contribute only a
small proportion of dietary fiber to the US diet. Nutrients, 9(2), 153.
Lee, E., Choi, J., Ahn, A., Oh, E., Kweon, H., & Cho, D. (2015). Acceptable macronutrient
distribution ranges and hypertension. Clinical and Experimental Hypertension, 37(6),
463-467.
Li, B., Liu, H. Y., Guo, S. H., Sun, P., Gong, F. M., & Jia, B. Q. (2015). Impact of early
postoperative enteral nutrition on clinical outcomes in patients with gastric cancer. Genet
Mol Res, 14(2), 7136-7141.

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Llanaj, E., Ádány, R., Lachat, C., & D’Haese, M. (2018). Examining food intake and eating out
of home patterns among university students. PloS one, 13(10), e0197874.
Malik, V. S., & Hu, F. B. (2015). Fructose and cardiometabolic health: what the evidence from
sugar-sweetened beverages tells us. Journal of the American College of
Cardiology, 66(14), 1615-1624.
Simpson, S. J., Le Couteur, D. G., & Raubenheimer, D. (2015). Putting the balance back in
diet. Cell, 161(1), 18-23.