Health and Nutrition: Improving Diet, Physical Activity, and Overall Wellness

In this analysis we will discuss about health & nutrition and below are the summaries point:- Recommendations from 'Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide' Food intake for Week 1: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks Analysis of inadequate servings and high consumption of processed food SMART goals for improving diet and food group consumption Food intake for Week 2: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks Goal achievement and successes/challenges in improving food intake

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

1HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Part A
As per the recommendations outlined by the ‘Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide’ for
adult females within the age group of 19 to 50 years, I need to consume 7 to 8 servings of fruits
and vegetables, 6 to 7 servings of grains products, 2 servings of milk and alternatives and 2
servings of meat and alternatives (Health Canada, 2019).
Week 1: Food intake (As designed by the Author)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Breakfast 1 glass
chocolate milk
1 slice white
bread
1 bowl of
Cheerios with
milk
Bacon and egg
sandwich
Nutella
pancakes
1 granola bar
(store bought)
Lunch Roasted
chicken and
potatoes
Spaghetti and
meat balls
Instant
Noodles (store
bought)
Macaroni and
Cheese
Beef burgers
Dinner Cream of
tomato soup, 1
slice garlic
bread
Caesar’s salad Vegetable and
chicken
noodles (Tale
away)
Grilled
chicken with
mashed
potatoes
Chicken and
rice bowl
(Take away)
Snacks 1 packet of
Doritos
1 bowl of
buttered
popcorn
Chicken
nuggets (8 to
10 pieces)
1 row of
white
chocolate
French fries (1
small bowl)
Totals Fruit and Veg =
2
Grains = 3
Milk + Alt = 2
Meat + Alt = 1
Fruit and Veg
= 2
Grains = 3
Milk + Alt =
2
Meat + Alt =
1
Fruit and Veg
= 2
Grains = 3
Milk + Alt = 0
Meat + Alt = 2
Fruit and Veg
= 1
Grains = 2
Milk + Alt =
2
Meat + Alt =
1
Fruit and Veg
= 2
Grains = 3
Milk + Alt = 0
Meat + Alt = 2
Average servings consumed per week:
Fruit and vegetables: 9/5 = 1.8 servings
Grains: 11/5 = 2.2 servings
Milk + alternatives: 6/5 = 1.2 servings
Meat + alternatives: 7/5 = 1.4 servings

2HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Hence, as per the above table I am grossly consuming inadequate servings of all the
essential food groups as per the Canadian dietary recommendations. Further, due to my high
consumption of take away and store bought meals, my diet is high in trans fats, saturated fats,
sugars and sodium. My diet also contains negligible quantities of fruits and vegetables. I must
also reduce my excess consumption of sugary breakfast cereals and high fat milk products with
whole grains and skimmed milk products (Health Canada, 2019). Hence, considering the same,
my SMART goals include:
 Reduce processed food consumption within week 2
 Replace sugary breakfast cereals with whole grains within week 2
 Replace high fat milk products with low fat dairy within week 2
 Incorporate all food groups as per the ‘Eating Well’ guidelines within week 2
 Consume adequate servings for all groups as per the ‘Eating Well’ guidelines within
week 2
Week 2: Food Intake (As designed by the Author)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Breakfast 1 glass
skimmed milk
with 2 slices of
brown bread
1 glass of
chocolate milk
with 2 slices of
brown bread
Banana and
yogurt
pancakes
1 bowl oats
porridge
with 1 apple
(skimmed
milk)
1 bowl oats
porridge with
strawberries
(skimmed
milk)
Lunch Grilled chicken
and vegetables
with brown rice
Spinach and corn
spaghetti
Vegetable
and tuna
wrap
Chickpea
and brown
rice bowl
Instant noodles
(store bought)
Dinner Chicken and
vegetable clear
soup
Salmon and
quinoa salad
Chicken
burger and
French fries
(take away)
Spinach and
corn whole
wheat pasta
Sweet corn
chicken soup
Snacks Assorted fruit
platter
Roasted almonds
and raisins trail
mix
Grilled carrot
sticks
Berry and
yogurt
smoothie
1 bowl
buttered
popcorn

3HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Totals Fruit and Veg =
4
Grains = 3
Milk + Alt = 1
Meat + Alt = 2
Fruit and Veg =
3
Grains = 4
Milk + Alt = 1
Meat + Alt = 2
Fruit and
Veg = 4
Grains = 4
Milk + Alt =
1
Meat + Alt =
2
Fruit and
Veg = 5
Grains = 4
Milk + Alt =
2
Meat + Alt
= 1
Fruit and Veg
= 3
Grains = 4
Milk + Alt = 2
Meat + Alt = 1
Average servings consumed per week:
Fruit and vegetables: 19/5 = 3.8 servings
Grains: 19/5 = 3.8 servings
Milk + alternatives: 6/5 = 1.2 servings
Meat + alternatives: 8/5 = 1.6 servings
Goal Achievement
As observed from the table, I was partially successful in achieving my goal. My average
consumption of all food groups have increased but they are still inadequate as per the
recommendations. I was successful in increasing my fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake
significantly but was still unable to consume low fat dairy and well prevent fast food
consumption (Health Canada, 2019).
Successes and Challenges
I was successful in increasing my overall servings of all food groups. I was also able to
successfully increase by intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein sources.
However, completely avoiding processed food consumption and replacing high fat and high
sugar sources of dairy was a major challenge for me.
Analysis of Factors
Considering my personal dislike towards fruits and vegetables, the major factor which
contributed to my success was carefully incorporating these ingredients in my favorite foods like
pancakes, porridges, pasta and rice preparation. My love for carbohydrates was a major success

4HEALTH AND NUTRITION
factor in my replacement of refined and sugary grains with whole ones. Consuming vegetarian
sources was challenge for me since their fibrous texture served as a discouraging factor.
Convenience and desirable tastes are major factors which served as a challenge for me to curb
processed food consumption. Further, the loss of creaminess and flavor prevalent in skimmed
milk sources were challenges for me and hence to enhance the same, I used it as an
supplementary ingredient in porridges and pancakes. My low appetites levels are a major
challenging factor interfering with my achievement of increasing my daily food servings.
Part B
Week 1: Physical Activity (As designed by the Author)
Physical
Activity
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Type Light
Walking
Light walking Biking Light
Walking
Fast Dancing
Duration 30 minutes *
2 = 60
minutes
30 minutes 20 minutes 30 minutes 25 minutes
Number of
times in one
day
Twice Once Once Once Once
Feeling Slightly
fatigued
Light and
energetic
Fatigued but
motivated
Light and
energetic
Fatigued but
motivated

5HEALTH AND NUTRITION
As per the recommendations provided by ‘Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Health
Living’, I must adhere to weekly 60 minutes of light effort activities like light walking, 30 to 60
minutes of moderate activities like biking and 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous effort activities like
fast dancing in comparison to which, I met the recommendations only on Monday and Friday.
Further as per the guidelines, I am engaging in endurance and flexibility activities of walking and
dancing (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, 2019). Considering my inadequate physical
activity, my SMART goals are:
 Include a variety of endurance, flexibility and strength activities per week within week 2
 Increase performance of light effort activities to 60 minutes, moderate effort activities to
45 minutes and vigorous effort activities to 30 minutes within week 2
Week 2: Physical Activity (As designed by the Author)
Physical
Activity
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Type Light
Walking
Light walking
and climbing
the stairs
Biking Brisk
Walking with
a Backpack
Fast Dancing
Duration 60 minutes 60 minutes 40 minutes 40 minutes 30 minutes
Number of
times in one
day
Once Once Once Once Once
Feeling Slightly
fatigued
Light and
energetic
Fatigued but
motivated
Excessively
fatigued
Fatigued but
motivated

6HEALTH AND NUTRITION
Goal Achievement
As per the table, it can be observed that I achieved my goal successfully. However, as per
the guidelines I am still required to engage in more number of flexibility and strength activities
(biking and dancing), 4 to 7 days a week, along with endurance activities (light walking)
(Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, 2019).
Successes and Challenges
One of the major challenges which I faced was fatigue which interfered in successful
completion of vigorous and moderate effort endurance, flexibility and strength activities of
biking, dancing and walking with a backpack. However I successfully incorporated
recommended levels of 60 minutes light effort, endurance activities like walking within week 2
due to my love for walking and sense of motivation to achieve improved levels of fitness and
stamina.
Analysis of Health and Wellness
Considering the seven dimensions of health, my overall health and wellness includes the
following (Fernández-Abascal & Martín-Díaz, 2015).
 Physical dimension: I am on my way to achieve a healthy diet and exercise pattern and I
engage in adequate rest and avoidance of smoking and substance abuse
 Emotional dimension: I am a generally positive and optimistic person. However, I must
learn to improve my time and stress management skills.
 Intellectual dimension: I engage in regular evidence based research and creative
activities like dancing.

7HEALTH AND NUTRITION
 Social dimension: I am a social person who loves to make friends and share close bonds
with my existing friends and family. I must however, improve my community
engagement skills.
 Spiritual dimension: I regularly engage in self-reflection and mindfulness to identify
and evaluate my strengths, weakness and scope for environment. I also respect the
choices of others.
 Environmental dimension: I need to improve this aspect since I engage in plastic usage
and lack of adherence to reducing, reusing and recycling methods.
 Occupational dimensions: I need to improve this aspect since I am yet to formulate
personal goals and career options for the future.

8HEALTH AND NUTRITION
References
Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. (2019). Canada's Handbook for Physical Activity
Guide. Retrieved from https://www.physicalactivityplan.org/resources/CPAG.pdf.
Fernández-Abascal, E. G., & Martín-Díaz, M. D. (2015). Dimensions of emotional intelligence
related to physical and mental health and to health behaviors. Frontiers in psychology, 6,
317.
Health Canada. (2019). Eating Well with Canada’s FoodGuide. Retrieved from
https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/fn-an/alt_formats/hpfb-
dgpsa/pdf/food-guide-aliment/print_eatwell_bienmang-eng.pdf.