Nutrition; Balanced Diet (ANSWERED)

QUESTION

1. Describe what it means to eat a balanced diet
2. Why is it important to eat a variety of different foods from each food group?
3. What are macro recommendations and what are the recommendations for adults for
carbohydrates, protein and fat?
4. What are the 2 different methods of determining calorie requirements?
5. What are the 4 different types of exercise and the benefits of each?
6. Describe the relationship between energy intake and energy expenditure. How is weight gain, loss
and maintenance achieved using this model?
7. Describe some of the barriers to lifestyle change and why they negatively impact ability to make
lasting changes.8. What is a fad diet and how can it be identified?
9. Describe the specifics of the ketogenic diet, how it works and the short comings
10. Describe the specifics of The South Beach Diet, how it works and the short comings
11. Describe the specifics of juice cleanse diets, how they work and the short comings
12. Describe the specifics of the paleo diet, how it works and the short comings

ANSWER

Describe What It Means To Eat A Balanced Diet

A balanced diet helps people feel at their best. According to the Mayo Clinic, a balanced diet is defined as the consumption of a wide variety of foods in the right proportions and amount of food and drink to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

Why Is It Important To Eat A Variety Of Different Foods From Each Food Group?

Different food groups have different significance to body functions. By eating a variety of different foods from each food group, they provide different types and amounts of essential nutrients to the body. Furthermore, the variety of foods is likely to make meals interesting to make continuation with the diet possible.

What Are Macro Recommendations, And What Are The Recommendations For Adults For Carbohydrates, Protein And Fat?

Macro recommendations are acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges which are between 45 to 65%, 20-35%, and 10-35% of the daily calories obtained from carbs, fats, and proteins respectively. The percentages provided above guide adults to choose a ratio of their nutrient intake to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Adults trying to lose weight must adjust to 10-30%, 40-50%, and 30-40% carbohydrates, protein, and fat respectively.

What Are The 2 Different Methods Of Determining Calorie Requirements?

The simplest types of calculation involve estimating calories using a standard number of calories per kilogram of body weight in a day. That is, kcals/kg/day. For an average person, the typical standards are between 25 to 30 kcal/kg/day.

The second method is estimating caloric needs through a mathematical formula. This formula uses gender, weight, height, and age to predict activity factor + injury factor or BEE. BEE is converted to TEE through the addition of injury and activity. To derive the total number of calories, the formula applied should be BEE+/- calories for desired loss or gain + fever factors.

What Are The 4 Different Types Of Exercise And The Benefits Of Each?

a) Endurance exercises- these are often called aerobic as they increase the breathing and heart rates. They include jogging, yard work, dancing, and swimming. Their benefits include improving fitness, the health of the heart, lungs, and circulatory system, and preventing many adult diseases.

b) Strength- exercises requiring muscular strength. These exercises include lifting weights, arm curls, lifting body weight, and using a resistance band. Their benefits include improving strength and strengthening muscles to handle tasks requiring energy.

c) Balance exercises- these are done by older adults like standing on one foot to help in preventing falls. The benefit of these exercises is improving balance and lower-body strength.

d) Flexibility exercises- they are meant to improve flexibility. They make tasks like tying shoe laces easy and improve overall flexibility.

Describe The Relationship Between Energy Intake And Energy Expenditure. How Is Weight Gain, Loss And Maintenance Achieved Using This Model?

The relationship between energy intake and energy expenditure is the resulting model of Energy Balance. Less energy expenditure than energy intake leads to a positive energy balance and storage of body fat. If the relationship between the two happens such that energy intake exceeds expenditure, body mass will increase. Therefore, there needs to be less energy expenditure than there is energy intake to create a balance and reduce body mass. Otherwise, weight gain, maintenance, and loss will depend on the nature of energy balance, i.e., negative or positive energy balance.

Describe Some Of The Barriers To Lifestyle Change And Why They Negatively Impact Ability To Make Lasting Changes.

The first barrier relates to past experiences like negative developmental experiences while growing up. These may lead to bad eating habits and unwillingness to change due to the comfort found in a particular lifestyle. At the same time, existing habits and emotions may lead to a negative outlook on change, especially on lifestyle. According to Kebbe et al., (2018), a personal environment and physical wellness may hinder lifestyle change. For instance, injuries may contribute to difficulty changing a lifestyle to an active one. Moreover, the unavailability of a support system may hinder the process of lifestyle change. Without motivation, it is difficult to make lasting changes to an existing lifestyle to a healthy one (Schmidt et al., 2020)

What Is A Fad Diet And How Can It Be Identified?

A fad diet is one that implies that food can change the body’s chemistry. It can be identified through what it promotes: a quick fix. It often severely restricts certain food groups like carbohydrates.

Describe The Specifics Of The Ketogenic Diet, How It Works And The Short Comings

This is a low-carb, high-fat diet meant for weight loss, although numerous health benefits are also attached to it. The recommended specifics include limiting carb consumption to 20-50g daily and filling up fats like meat, fish, nuts, and eggs. Proteins are recommended in moderation. The diet works by depriving the body of carbohydrates, which are reduced to 50g per day, significantly reducing insulin secretion as the body goes into a catabolic state. Henceforth, glycogen is depleted, forcing the body to various metabolic changes. The ketogenic diet is contraindicated in patients with liver failure, pancreatitis, and porphyrias. Sometimes, this diet may produce a false positive on an alcohol test due to the alcohol dehydrogenase that reduces acetone to isopropanol in ketonemia situations (cite).

Describe The Specifics Of The South Beach Diet, How It Works And The Short Comings

This is a modified low-carbohydrate diet that was created for weight loss purposes by cardiologist Arthur Agatston, M.D., in 2003 (Mayo Clinic, 2022). The name is created after a Miami glamourous area. The specifics of the diet include lower carbohydrates, high protein, and healthy fats. However, it is not a strict low-carb diet. Still, carbs need to be about 140 grams in a day. Food sources of complex carbs include; fruit, vegetables, legumes, beans, and whole grains. Simple carbs, often known as ‘bad’ carbs, include sugar, syrup, and baked goods. Sometimes, exercises are recommended to complement the South Beach diet.

The South Beach diet works in phases 1, 2, and 3. Phase 1 lasts for two weeks when all cravings need to be gotten rid of. Most carbs are cut out of the diet, including pasta and bread. Fruit juice and alcohol are all eliminated, while lean protein like seafood and soy products become the focus. High-fiber vegetables, low-fat dairy, and foods rich in unsaturated fats are also recommended.

Phase 2 is known as a long-term weight-loss phase. Some foods prohibited in Phase 1 are added back, like whole grains, fruits, and more vegetables. This phase takes longer when one wants to achieve their goal weight. In phase 3, maintenance is core, hence the name maintenance phase. An individual will follow the lifestyle principles learned in phases 1 and 2. Eating all foods is recommended but in moderation.

Although the South beach diet is beneficial, it has shortcomings like ketosis problems, i.e., severe restriction of carbohydrates leads to problems from ketosis. Therefore, you may experience mental fatigue, bad breath, nausea, and even dehydration.

Describe The Specifics Of Juice Cleanse Diets, How They Work, And The Short Comings

They are high in nutrients from fruits and vegetables to help balance the diet. Juice cleanse diets are low in calories. There are fewer proteins and fats in the diet, which leads to the risk of low blood sugar due to a lack of energy. At the same time, juice cleanses diets help remove toxins from the body while aiding weight loss. The shortcomings are the side effects of eating disorders. Moreover, insufficient calories significant in this diet lead to low blood sugar due to insufficient energy.

Describe The Specifics Of The Paleo Diet, How It Works And The Short Comings

The Paleo diet is also called a stone-age diet that includes lean meats, fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, and seeds. The proponents strongly recommend low-glycemic fruits and vegetables. In general, the diet is high in protein, moderate in fat, low-moderate in carbs, high in fiber, and low in sodium and refined sugars (Masood, Annamaraju, and Uppaluri, 2021). The diet works by allowing foods with more nutritional value and lowering those with sodium and refined oils. The major shortcoming of the diet is how expensive it can get. Still, the restriction to certain foods may lead to side effects like constipation and diarrhea.

References

Kebbe, M., Perez, A., Buchholz, A., McHugh, T. F., Scott, S. S., Richard, C., Mohipp, C., Dyson, M. P., & Ball, G. (2018). Barriers And Enablers For Adopting Lifestyle Behavior Changes In Adolescents With Obesity: A Multi-Centre, Qualitative Study. PloS one, 13(12), e0209219. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209219

Masood, W., Annamaraju, P., & Uppaluri, K. R. (2021). Ketogenic Diet. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/

Mayo Clinic. (2022). Healthy Lifestyle: Weight Loss. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/south-beach-diet/art-20048491

Schmidt, S. K., Hemmestad, L., MacDonald, C. S., Langberg, H., & Valentiner, L. S. (2020). Motivation and Barriers to Maintaining Lifestyle Changes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes after an Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (The U-TURN Trial): A Longitudinal Qualitative Study. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 17(20), 7454. Https://Doi.Org/10.3390/Ijerph17207454