Personal Diet and Activity Plan sample essay

Having reviewed the food journal analyses and evaluated personal activity balance I have reached several critical conclusions.

First important thing that I have learned about myself is the fact that I tend to consume products insufficient to number of servings. Thus, regardless of my genuine attempts to eat products of all major food pyramid categories, such as grains (food made of wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, cereal grains), vegetables (dark green, orange, starchy, dry beans and peas, other), fruits (berries, melons, bananas, apples, etc.), dairy products (milk, cheese products, yogurts, milk-based deserts) and meat and beans (meats, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds ), my daily intake usually remains inadequate. After giving it more thought I have realized that the reason for this is my tendency to divide the categories of pyramid among several intakes. For example, after having eaten something from the vegetable or fruits group I do not consider adding another serving of those to my remaining meals (Food Journal Analysis #1). Some of the product groups, such as, for example, meat, I have been purposefully limiting, aware of it being very rich in fat and hard to digest. This situation is even more complicated by the fact that my choice of products is frequently monotonous, thus, leading to the inadequate daily supply of the listed food groups. Moreover, while undersupplying myself with most categories, I simultaneously tend to have a rather high intake of protein because of my weak understanding of protein-containing foods. So, the results are unsatisfactory; while I attempt to have a balanced and rich in nutrients diet, my actual daily supply of important vitamins, minerals and proteins is not balanced enough to achieve the goal of good health.

I have become aware of the conditions to which not meeting nutrition needs could easily lead. For instance, one of the critical daily needs of every organism is to supply your body with adequate amount of proteins. Indeed, it is difficult to underestimate it importance since it consist of amino acids, serving as bricks for all live cells. Thus, every cell of one’s body must be sufficiently supplied with these ‘building bricks’ coming form the protein foods. For instance, proteins make up about fifteen percent of the mass of average person and are included in the construction of muscle, ligaments, skin, cartilage and hair. Therefore, the consequences of protein undersupply can range from decreased performance ability to the serious malfunction of our organism, since proteins are also included in hormones and hemoglobin. While I am not the one to worry about the insufficient supply of proteins, my inclination to eat too much of it typically leads to increasing the fat in one’s body, which I do not consider necessary for me.

The case with fiber consumption in my daily food intake is exactly the opposite. That is, I do not eat enough of fiber-containing products. I am aware of the fact that fiber is also a very important nutrient, because it helps food pass through one’s organism, mainly because it absorbs water. It is particularly important for people that tend to consume too much protein-containing foods, because the protein in one’s body must be dissolved with the corresponding amount of fiber. It does not mean that it is o.k. to consume too much protein as long equal supply of fiber is provided; however, it illustrates the importance of fiber as a mandatory part of one’s daily food ration. Therefore, as I have stated in one of my food journal analyses, I have decided to include more fiber-containing foods in my daily ration, such as beans, lentils, and, probably, peas.

To summarize, I have realized negative patterns in my nutritional habits and taken steps to improve them, paying closer attention as well as making a more educated choice in regard to the food products contained in my daily intake. I have learned that