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Analysis on other people

Blog 1: Jingyi

http://chickentomyheart.blogspot.com/

Jingyi's diet contains a higher total fat content than recommended. As she eats too many oily/fatty foods, she should try to reduce it as soon as possible because this can lead to a heart disease. Eating too many sweet foods will also contribute to the chances of getting a heart problem. As a result, she should try to cut down on these types of foods to help reduce her sodium and sugar intake

Blog 2: Beverly

http://food-is-the-love.blogspot.com/

Despite her usual diet with high intake of fats, Beverly makes an effort to keep to the Recommended Daily Allowances for teenagers our age. She even tries to exercise regularly which is a good practice as not only do we require a balanced diet but also with the help of regular exercise. This is something that I should learn from her as not many people have the self-control against sweet temptations. Not only does she try to avoid sweet food, she also eats her fruits and vegetables daily, keeping a high dietary fibre.

Blog 3: Jiaqi

http://acorn-alacarte.livejournal.com/

Jiaqi's diet is very unbalanced. Although her daily energy requirement is 1only 954 kcal, her average intake per day is 2934 kcal. If she continues at this rate, she would be putting on weight as the unnecessary carbohydrates would be stored as fats. As a result, she should exercise more. Also, as her intake of food is mainly made up of fats, she should quickly change her diet before it's too late.

My one-dish meal

CHICKEN PASTA SOUP

What makes it balanced:

1. Macaroni/Pasta -- Carbohydrates
2. Chicken -- Protein
3. Capsicum -- Dietary Fibre
4. Carrot -- Dietary Fibre

As this dish does not need much seasoning/salt, this makes it a very healthy choice. All in all, the chicken pasta soup is a healthy meal to consider. The soup is practically clear with the taste mainly from the vegetables within, making the dish very healthy.

Method of cooking:

• Boiling
  

Reflections

1. How do you think you can change your diet to a healthy and desirable one?

I think I would have to cut down on a lot of unhealthy food. This is because not only is my cholesterol way above the recommended intake, the amount of saturated fats I intake is also past it. Therefore, I think that I can avoid eating fatty foods and those that are high in cholesterol.

2. Has the nutritional tools helped you in finding out the truth behind what you have been eating?

Yes, in fact it has woken me up, so as to speak. I had never thought that the food I had been eating regularly were actually slowly harming me one way or another. It has broaden my knowledge on my intake of food and helped me to choose healthy foods wisely.

Overall, this has been an enriching experience for me as discovering trivial things you were oblivious to your whole life is really something I can take away from this. However, I have realised that even though I exercise daily, more than 2h each session, the choice of food consumption still plays a vital role.

Complete food analysis of all 3 days

Using the Healthy Diet Pyramid, I have been able to see where the different foods fall under which category. According to the Healthy Diet Pyramid, the largest portion of food consumed should be carbohydrates -- rice and alternatives. This food group provides us with mainly energy. We should have 5 - 7 servings of this per day. Fruits and vegetables comes next in the food pyramid with least 2 servings of this per day as it provides us with vitamins and minerals. The next food group is meat and alternatives -- we should have 2 - 3 servings of this everyday as it provides us with protein. The last food group is the group that we should have least of -- fats, oil, sugar and salt. Examples are chocolates, potato chips and etc. This food group is unhealthy for us as it is high in cholesterol and fats.

According to the results of the food intake assessment, over the past three days I have consumed :

Carbohydrates - 75%
Protein - 120%
Saturated fat - 104%
Cholestrol - 158%
Calcium - 118%
Dietary Fibre - 60%
Sodium - 328%

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.

Food analysis --> Day 3

1. Food intake assessment

• Your intake of energy from your diet was more than you need.
• Your intake of saturated fat was higher that the recommended amount.
• Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts.
• You were not getting enough dietary fibre in your diet.
• Your intake of cholesterol was more than the recommended amount.

Food analysis --> Day 2

1. Food intake assessment

• Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts
• You were not getting enough dietary fibre in your diet.
• You were not getting enough calcium in your diet.

Food analysis --> Day 1

1. Food intake assessment
   

• Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts.
• You were not getting enough calcium in your diet

Day 3 (15/05/2010)

Food consumed:

Breakfast:
2 steamed cakes
A cup of milo

Lunch:
An apple
Rice with steamed egg

After school:
Ham sandwich
A cup of milo

Dinner:
Rice with steamed fish, dou miao, bakut teh soup and omelet
A bowl of grapes

Throughout the course of the day, I had drank 2.6 litres of water.

Day 2 (14/05/2010)

Food consumed:

Breakfast:
A bowl of Kelloggs cereal with milk

Lunch:
Rice with 1 egg and 2 fish balls
2 bananas

After school:
1 cup of Milo
1 buttered milk bread
1 Char Siew Pao

Dinner:
A bowl of noodles with fish and minced meat
A bowl of grapes

Throughout the course of the day, I've drank 2.5 litres of water.

Day 1 (13/05/2010)

Food consumed:

Breakfast:
A bowl of Special K Kelloggs cereal with milk

Lunch:
2 bananas
Rice with 1 omelet and 2 fish balls

After school:
1 sausage roll

Dinner:
Rice with spinach, hardboiled eggs and pork in dark soya gravy
A bowl of grapes

Throughout the course of the day, I drank 2 litres of plain water.