Diet Project Reflection

Now that your Diet Project is complete, it’s time to think about what your results mean and how you might modify your eating to improve your health for a lifetime! For this assignment, you will write about three topics regarding your diet and health. In your responses, you will discuss what you have learned about your diet and nutritional needs over the course of the diet project. Grading criteria are listed in the rubric for this assignment shown at the bottom of the page. [Purpose]: The purpose of this assignment is to help you think about the food choices that you make on a daily basis and the impact that these choices will have on your health throughout your life. [Task]: Answer each topic thoroughly. You should write approximately one paragraph (100 words) per topic. Your response should be thoughtful and well-considered, and it should incorporate information you have learned in this class. [Topic 1]: Description of your Eating Patterns and Diet. Look at your overall diet and describe your eating patterns and the connection they may have to your health. - What types of foods do you eat routinely? (convenience foods? homemade foods? fast foods?) - What factors affected the types and amounts of food you ate (e.g., food availability, time restrictions, personal preference)? - What patterns do you see in your eating? - Did you skip meals? - Did you have any fruits or veggies? - What impact might your eating habits have on the possibility of developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity, in the future? [Topic 2]: Comparison of your Diet to RDA/DRI. Look at your intake of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) on the “Comparison Form” on page 301 of your digital diet project forms (the “Average daily intake” row). Then, look at the “Standard” row, which comes from the RDA tables (on page 292-293 in your eBook), and your “Intake as percentage of standard” row. - How did your intake compare to the Standard for most micronutrients? (Did you meet your RDA or did you fall short?) - How might your intake of specific micronutrients impact your risk for chronic disease or micronutrient deficiencies? Consider nutrition-related diseases such as osteoporosis or anemia. - Give specific recommendations to improve your intake of micronutrients. [Topic 3]: Personalized Plan to Ensure a Healthful Diet. One of the goals of this class is to help you to identify what foods play a role in chronic disease development and how choosing healthful foods may prevent chronic diseases in the years to come. - Pick ONE diet-related chronic disease (heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, osteoporosis) and discuss your potential risk factors as they relate to your diet and physical activity level. What could you change in terms of diet and/or exercise to decrease your risk for this specific chronic disease?