Unit 4: Out of Class Lab

Write a list of foods that contain iron. Identify whether they are heme or non-heme iron sources. Evaluate how often you eat the various iron sources. Do you feel you get enough iron? Why or why not?

Non-heme iron sources:

Spinach. Every month or two I get an odd craving for cooked spinach. Normally I'm lazy, grab a can of canned spinach and just eat it straight out of the can. Gross right? In the moment, delicious, but after I finish I can't look at spinach for a long time.

Lentils. I rarely eat these and only when I make lentil soup, which is usually once in a decade.

Tofu. I rarely eat this. I will occasionally have a "tofu scramble." It's supposed to be like eggs, but isn't. It's still yummy though.

Pumpkin Seeds. I do eat a lot of nuts in conjunction with trail mix and granola. I don't know specifically if I'm eating pumpkin seeds but, I know from reading up, that other nuts are also good sources of non-heme iron.

Iron Enriched breakfast cereals. I'm pretty sure that cereal is the rock star of my iron world. I eat cereal often. It is probably in the top five suppliers of iron for my body.

Garbanzo beans. I love chick peas. I eat them quite regularly, along with other beans. Beans are probably in the top five suppliers of iron for my body.

Dried Apricots. I really hate dried apricots.

Baked Potatoes. I eat these frequently. Top five.

Wheat Germ. Have I ever eaten this? I don't believe so.

Split Peas. Like lentils, I have made split pea soup, once in a decade.

Broccoli. I have some of this in my refrigerator right now. It's been in the for a week and a half. It might be bad. I should check on it. I'm not much of a cook during exam time.

Pasta. Pasta is a top-five star. I eat it a lot.

Bread. This is definitely the taker of the number one spot in my top five iron suppliers. I eat a lot of bread, probably too much bread. I love it.



Heme iron sources:

Beef Liver. I never eat this.

Clams. I never eat these.

Canned Sardines. Gross. I never eat these.

Salmon. I enjoy the occasional three our four ounces of salmon, if it's cooked right.

Turkey. Turkey tastes good in a sandwich or at Thanksgiving dinner. I don't eat a lot of it.

Ham. I never eat this.

Veal. I never eat this.


I wonder if I get enough iron. I don't really know. Although I don't eat heme sources of iron very often, I do get iron from other sources, and there are quite a number of other sources available to me. I don't deal with much issues with iron-loss (if you catch my drift), so I suspect that I am only slightly iron-deficient if I am in fact iron deficient.

Unit 4: Chapter 12 Questions

Is it possible to drink too much water?

Yes.  It is possible to drink too much water, if not enough sources of solutes are also consumed.  For example, if a person drinks nothing but water and doesn't also eat food, that person can become very ill from it.  This is called water toxicity and it can be fatal.  The person may show signs and symptoms that aren't easily recognized as water toxicity in the early stages.  These manifestations include, "confusion, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, changes in mental state and psychotic symptoms."  If water toxicity isn't detected early it can be a very bad thing for the patient.  Late symptoms include, "seizures, coma and death."

When I was a kid I read a storybook about some men who were sent to work in the camps in Siberia.  In the story the men didn't have much to eat at all so they would often gorge themselves on water to try to stave off the hunger pangs.  Some of them died because of it, and I always wondered why a person would die from drinking too much water. 

In truth, the person didn't just die from drinking too much water. Death was a result of the starvation diet that didn't provide enough minerals to sustain the body.  The excess water dangerously diluted the remaining minerals in the bodies of these men, to a point they could no longer remain alive.  Along with the dangerously diluting solutes, the extra water floods the cells of the body causing massive, widespread edema.  Edema in the brain is extremely dangerous, and it also explains the psychotic symptoms, seizures and coma. 

In the book I read as a child, the men did suffer psychotic breakdowns where they began to talk gibberish and later had seizures and lapsed into comas.  I had a lot of unanswered questions back then, but it makes sense now.

Resources:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1770067/
• https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-intoxication#1

How much water should I be drinking?

The RDA for someone who burns 2000 kcalories a day is 8-12 cups of water.  Roughly 64 to 96 ounces.  My daily caloric intake is roughly 1500 calories.  Doing the math, the person who eats 2000 calories is eating 166 calories per 1 cup of water.  If I stick to the same scale, I'd need to drink approximately 9 cups of water for my 1500 calories.  This is assuming I stay at the high end of the scale.  The low end of the scale puts me at 6 cups of water.  So I need roughly 6-9 cups of water per day.  I'm going to say, I probably need the lower end of that number because I very rarely sweat and I don't exercise vigorously.  The conversion from cups to ounces is 48-72 ounces.
I have a 34 ounce water bottle.  I should, at minimum, drink a bottle and a half to get my RDA.  To get the full 72 ounces I'd need to drink my water bottle twice.

(Reference: Understanding Nutrition, page 374)

What minerals does the human body need?

Calcium. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, followed by phosphorus.  Calcium is needed for the bones, and a tiny bit is needed for the other parts of the human body, only about 1 percent (Understanding Nutrition, page 388).  It's important to get enough Vitamin D so that one can absorb calcium properly.  A vitamin D supplement can be obtained as a prescription from a doctor.  An adult absorbs about 30% of the calcium consumed.  Calcium can be obtained through drinking milk and eating dairy products, or through consuming other calcium rich foods, such as bread, almonds, bok choy, kale and oysters.  It's important to keep an eye on calcium intake levels.

Phosphorus. Phosphorus helps calcium form the bones of the human body.  It also is in all the cells of the body in both a buffering system and in DNA and RNA.  It is very hard to become deficient in phosphorus.

Magnesium. Magnesium is another important mineral that is found mostly in the bones, but is also needed by the rest of the body for cellular functions.  It's quite common for people to become deficient of this mineral.  It can be obtained by eating nuts and leafy vegetables.

Sodium.  Salt has a lot of important roles in body function. It helps prevent edema and dehydration by keeping water in check.  It also helps maintain pH balance. It has many functions.  It is in so many foods that it is very rare for a person to become sodium-deficient.  It is more important to be aware of how much sodium is being consumed, and limit self to eating foods that contain a moderate to low amount of sodium.  Too much sodium can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Chloride.  Chloride is needed by the body for balancing the electrolyte system and making acid in the stomach.  It is easy to get enough in foods and deficiency is rare.

Potassium.  Potassium is very important in cellular function and vital to keep the heart beating properly.  Fresh food contains the highest quantities of this mineral.  Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is key to getting enough potassium.  It's important to eat lots of potassium-rich foods and less of the sodium rich foods to avoid high blood pressure and heart disease.  Too little potassium can cause kidney stones, among other undesirable problems. 

Sulfate.  Sulfate is needed by the body to make skin, hair and nails.  It is easy to get enough sulfate with just a bit of protein in the diet.

Is Osteoporosis preventable?

There is evidence that osteoporosis is preventable by taking steps early in life to increase bone density.  Some options include:

• Get 30 minutes of direct sunlight per week to enhance calcium absorption
• Do weight bearing exercise that stresses bones because that helps make them stronger
• Eat calcium rich foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt and tofu
• Don't smoke or drink
• Make sure children get lots of calcium rich foods and plenty of sunlight

Resource:

• https://abcnews.go.com/Health/WomensHealth/osteoporosis-women/story?id=12804127

Is Osteoporosis reversible?

Not according to Web MD.  There are some options that slow the process way down.  Mostly these involve getting vitamin D, adequate calcium, exercise and some drug therapies.  With consistency, these treatments can slow bone loss way down so that the danger of bone breakage is very low.  

According to University Health News, No, it isn't reversible, "osteoporosis is far easier to prevent than treat."  The ability to reverse the course of this condition is mostly contingent on how bad the bone loss is when treatment begins.

Resources:

• https://www.webmd.com/osteoporosis/features/can-you-reverse-osteoporosis#1
• https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/bones-joints/can-osteoporosis-be-reversed-without-drugs/

Extra Credit: House Party Event

The House Party

Kayla Brown

I was pleasantly surprised by the house party event.  It came together nicely for being the first event of it's kind.

When I first arrived, I enjoyed a lovely dinner provided by the staff.  I was in the first group to enter the house party, which boasted a series of several rooms.

In the first room, beer bottles were scattered everywhere.  There was a beer pong table to one side and several of the actors were behaving as if intoxicated.  A girl appeared to be passed out on the couch.  She had two "friends" who asked if they could leave her there since they were unable to wake her.  A bystander intervened and suggested calling 911.

At the end of the skit, Emily from Bronco Fit spoke a bit about the consequences of alcohol poisoning.  She explained that alcohol damages the liver.  One binge might not kill the liver, but many binges scattered out over the course of a summer could cause serious damage to it and lead to terrible medical conditions or even death.  She also talked about what it looks like when someone has reached an unsafe level of intoxication.  I have personally seen this happen to people in my past association with military life.  It is one of the scariest things I've experienced: to see someone with eyes wide open, but there isn't anyone home.  It's scary when a person is in this state and refuses to respond.  The leader of the group talked about how someone should not be left alone to "sleep it off," because people actually continue to become more drunk over time, which could lead to death.

After she finished answering everyone's questions, we went into the second room.  In this room more partying was happening.  One girl came in and started trying to get everyone to smoke weed.  The leader spoke about the rules about smoking weed in Idaho and on campus.  The health risks were discussed. A few questions were asked and answered and we moved on to the next room.

In the next room a young woman was clearly very intoxicated and a strange man was offering to share a taxi with her and see her home.  A bystander intervened, called her a taxi and encouraged the two of them to exchange numbers, that way they could see if they both still had feelings for each other at a time when neither were inebriated.  After that the leader gave a talk about consent and what that looks like.  There were quite a few questions and discussion.

We moved into another room where more partying was happening.  Some cops showed up and questioned the girls who all were under age.  There was a noise complaint.  The cops explained exactly what happens when there is a complaint, and what to expect.  He wants people at parties to understand so that people aren't afraid and are willing to be honest about age.  He explained what happens if people give alcohol to minors.  He also talked about a good samaritan law that basically says if anyone calls 911 to get help for a passed out individual (minor or otherwise), that person cannot be prosecuted, even if that person is an adult who gave alcohol to a minor.  This rule is in place to encourage people to call and save their friends who are in life threatening situations involving excessive alcohol consumption.

I enjoyed this event.  I appreciated that it was kept light-hearted and amusing.  The entertainment value did help to keep me from growing bored and it was short and sweet so I didn't get bored by the length of it.  I did feel I learned some information about the legal aspects of drinking that I didn't know before and also some good tips for safety in general.  The information was broadcast in a non-threatening way.  I appreciated that, and I'm sure others did also.

How does this event relate to nutrition?  This event is attempting to impact and inform the BSU community by informing young people about the risks involved in alcohol consumption.  Alcohol, like cigarettes, is poisonous to the human body.  This event is helping to raise awareness.  Over time, perhaps young people will attend this event and make better (possibly life-saving) choices about alcohol.  Drinking less will help preserve livers and lives everywhere.

Unit 4: Group Project Doodles

For my group's Unit Four project we are designing an advertisement that should encourage others to either drink more water, or eat more fruits and veggies.

I have been doodling in some design programs and have come up with a couple ideas to advertise drinking water.

Unit 4: Chapter 11 Questions

My mother used to eat fresh vegetables and fruit obsessively as part of her vegan diet.  The palms of her hands turned orange.  I understand this relates to her over-consumption of carrots.  How does this work?

Carrots have a lot of beta-carotene.  Beta carotene doesn't break down very well, although it does get absorbed by the body.  It travels in the blood and gets deposited in the tissues.  After a while it does break down but it takes some time.  This condition is appropriately known as carotenemia, and it can occur in children or adults.

Beta-carotene can be used by the body to make vitamin A, a micro nutrient that is needed for healthy eyes.  Although my mother ate a lot of carrots and did turn orange, she still had very bad vision and must wear thick glasses or contacts.  Her eyes may be healthy, but are still deformed.  Clearly vitamin A doesn't fix everything.

Resources:

• http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2218

I've heard that eating tomatoes can prevent sunburn.  Is this true and does it relate in any way to vitamins?

Tomatoes contain lots of an important antioxidant called lycopene.  Lycopene is the red color in the tomato and is often called the "Tomato Vitamin." It's true classification is carotene and, although it isn't a vitamin per say, it is a Vitamin A derivative.

Studies have linked it to a reduction in risk of skin cancer.  Most of the tomato's lycopene is concentrated in the peeling.  It's also worth noting that "processed tomatoes" often contain higher concentrations of lycopene than the unprocessed fruit.  It's also four times easier for the body to absorb lycopene if it is eaten with some fat.  So eat those avocados with tomatoes.  It is true that lycopene can help protect the body from sunburn.  "According to one study, there were 40% fewer sunburns after ingesting 40 grams of tomato paste (providing 16 mg of lycopene) with olive oil, every day for 10 weeks."

Our bodies utilize a lot of lycopene.  Lycopene actually helps to fortify the basal layer of the skin and that is how it protects against the harmful rays of the sun.  The bad rays actually destroy lycopene in the skin, which is one reason it is important to replenish the supply by eating plenty of tomatoes.  Evidence suggests that lycopene acts as an important army of soldiers in the war on free radicals.

Resources:

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/tomatoes#section5
• https://www.sunsaferx.com/health-and-wellness/lycopene/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583891/

We all know Vitamin K helps the body with blood clotting.  How does that work, and does Vitamin K do anything else for us?

Activated vitamin K is called hydroquinone.  The body stores hydroquinone in the liver and uses it in the process of creating clotting factors.  Clotting factors are the precursors to actual blood clots.  This isn't the only thing vitamin K does.

Vitamin K is useful for other bodily processes.  Our bodies need vitamin K to keep the heart beating regularly.  Often a lack of vitamin K can lead to dangerous heart rhythms.  It is essential to have this vitamin because becoming deficient can cause life threatening conditions.

Vitamin K also is involved in the process of mineralizing bones.  If someone doesn't get enough vitamin K, the person is at risk of having issues with low bone density.

These are just a few of the ways that vitamin K contributes to bodily functions.

Resources:

• https://www.healthline.com/health/arrhythmia/alternative-treatments#types
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128000519000237

What does "Fat-soluble" mean?

The definition provided by cancer.gov is this: "A vitamin that can dissolve in fats and oils. Fat-soluble vitamins are absorbed along with fats in the diet and can be stored in the body’s fatty tissue. They come from plant and animal foods or dietary supplements. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble."

Normally, the intestine has "watery juices" that digest water soluble vitamins.  Fat soluble vitamins won't digest in it and so need bile to make that happen.  Once the fat soluble vitamins are digested and absorbed by the body, the chylomicrons carry them around delivering them where needed.  Extra fat soluble vitamins get stored in either the liver or in adipose tissue.

So this brings another question:  Since fat-soluble vitamins dissolve in fat, and fat-soluble vitamins are digested with the help of bile, does this mean bile is fat?

Yes.  "Bile is a yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver, stored in the gallbladder and passes through the common bile duct into the duodenum where it helps digest fat. The principal components of bile are cholesterol, bile salts, and the pigment bilirubin."

Bile's main ingredient is cholesterol.  This totally explains why bile helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Sources:

• https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/fat-soluble-vitamin
• Understanding Nutrition, page 343
• https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=2459

Are there certain colors of foods associated with concentrations of certain fat-soluble vitamins?

Vitamin A is associated with orange vegetables and fruit,  and dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin D doesn't have a lot of color associated with it, as it is most often obtained from fish and other fatty foods, or through foods fortified with it.

Vitamin E is common in fatty foods, so again, not a lot of color associated with it.

Vitamin K is associated with dark green leafy vegetables and cabbage.

So, the takeaway is to get plenty of green leafy veggies and orange food, plus add in some healthy sources of fats such as fresh pressed olive oil and various kinds of fish.

Source:

Understanding Nutrition, Chapter 11

Unit 3: The Illusionist Video Questions

Is there a tie between social disconnect and body shaming?

I believe it is possible, although I believe there is a connection between social disconnect and rude conduct in general, including body shaming.

First it must be recognized that young adults are spending more and more time interacting in a virtual environment.  Email, text messaging and social media are fast becoming top choices for social interaction.  A  research article by the sociology department at TTU states, "among internet users between twelve and eighteen,  44 percent spend more than an hour per day online." Over 50 percent of teens in a survey of 6700 teens preferred communicating over the internet over talking on the phone.  About 80 percent of teens in the study reported using email and 70% reported using text messaging to communicate.  "If children and teenagers are already using computers as a significant form of education, communication, and entertainment, it may well be that less time is being spent having face-to-face interactions with peers."

Consider for a moment what it is that we are depriving ourselves of.  It is well known that sensory experiences are important to mental health and social well being. An example of this is the study done that showed that baby monkeys thrived when given a soft comforting mother-like bottle instead of a plastic bottle. Another example is how babies thrive when interacted with and neglected babies struggle to gain weight and thrive.  In a face to face encounter we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and touch if appropriate.  In more intimate situations we may even taste and smell the person.  Breastfed babies experience all of these sensory inputs.  In an online interaction we are limited in how much contact we can have with the other person.  There are certain types of online interaction (video chatting, for example) that might provide one or two of these inputs, but not all, and there is also a disturbing similarity between these forms of interaction and other kinds of virtual media such as video games and movies.  

I theorize that a lack of face to face interaction can lead to a loss of connection with other people and a resulting loss of ability to care. "The latest research says that it’s actually a lack of eye contact that allows us to be particularly rude to people," so says Mariana Plata of Psychology Today.  This article isn't specifically addressing body shaming, but I think we can all agree that body shaming falls under the broad heading of "being rude to people."  No?

Now consider how we interact with people in real life versus social media.  In real life we see the whole person in motion, in social media (including video) we see a flat representation of what the person might look like.  In many forms of social media we don't get to experience the whole person at once.  We get a written message; once in a while we get a flat pictorial representation; we interact with pieces of the person, never the whole being.  There is a disconnect between the types of sensory experiences we can have and, because we can't see the whole picture, it is easier for things to go wrong.  Pictures don't always reflect reality and written messages can be misunderstood.  Messages can be misinterpreted and in some cases people feel it is okay to say things online that cause real psychological damage.

Let's consider an example:  What might happen if someone posted an unflattering photo of themselves on social media?  First, the person may or may not already feel bad about how they look in the photo, so maybe they try to edit the photo to make themselves feel better, but maybe it still looks like they have very wide thighs or flabby arms.  The photo is seen by others and maybe the person doesn't get many likes or comments.  We know that getting likes or comments causes a dopamine rush. (I'd link a reference but this was something I learned in a lecture from my pathophysiology class here on campus.) .  It's bad to not get enough dopamine, but its also bad to continually get dopamine because the body builds up a tolerance and addiction and we need more of it to remain satisfied. How do you think it might affect how you feel if you are used to receiving likes and comments on your photos and then one photo gets very little attention?  Now imagine how you'd feel if you got a negative comment?  Examples include: someone asks if you're pregnant and you're not or says you look tired but the circles under your eyes are hereditary and you get plenty of sleep.  Now you feel like maybe you should be working out a little more or maybe you should wear a bit more makeup to cover up those circles so that you won't get those embarrassing and irritating comments.  

References:

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233324097_The_impact_of_Internet_communications_on_social_interaction
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-gen-y-psy/201802/is-social-media-making-us-ruder

Every society has its own standards and definition for what is beautiful.  Why shouldn't I have my own standard for beauty.  What do I think makes a person beautiful?

• Smiles.  I don't care what the person looks like.  I don't care if the person is missing teeth and has wrinkles.  A smile from any person will light up my heart.  To me, a happy person is a beautiful person.
• Energy.  I'm always attracted (in more ways than strictly sexual ones) to any person who demonstrates an energetic personality.  I knew one guy years ago who was like this.  He smiled a lot, he speed-walked everywhere he went, and he acted excited about everything.  His personality was electric but he had an easy-going way about him.  He had white hair but, to this day, I can't even venture to guess how old he was, because his personality and attitude belied age.  
• Confidence.  There's something extremely attractive about any person who is confident.  Fear is unattractive. 
• Ambition.  This goes hand in hand with confidence.  A person who is ambitious; who is active both mentally and physically, that's very attractive.
• Honesty.  When people think of the word honesty, it's often associated with "not being lied to" or fidelity.  To me, these things are important, but I am talking about honesty about yourself in  day to day social situations.  A person who can be completely real; be completely honest about who they are or how they feel - that is attractive.

Lately, girls are getting exposed to sexual concepts at an earlier age than ever before.  (i.e. Lipstick, bikinis, sexy dancing, etc.)  Does this correlate to an increase in pedophilia and child molestation? 

Unfortunately, there's not a lot of research out there on this.  Mostly because there's no way to accurately know statistics on child abuse.  That doesn't mean there isn't postulation on the subject.

I read a very interesting article written by Bhuvanesh Awasthi (University of Glasgow).  The article attempts to make a tenuous connection between a person's attire and the level of objectification experienced.  "Widespread beliefs that women are sex objects are shared by both men and women at a basic cognitive level. When women sexualize their appearance, they are at a far greater risk than men. A focus on appearance, instead of personality, increased the objectifying gaze toward women, as demonstrated by increased eye movements toward their chests and waists compared to their faces."  This is one argument.

I have a different perspective.  I hypothesize that victimization has little to do with the victim and everything to do with the mindset of the perpetrator.  This is obviously only a theory because I don't have studies to support my claim.  I have only my own personal experience.  I grew up in a highly conservative religious social circle.  Although my parents were very protective and I was unmolested, I had several childhood friends who endured abuse at the hands of "god-fearing" men. The perpetrators included a step-father (with early teen stepdaughter), biological grandfather (two pre-teen females) and biological father (5 pre-teen females). Most of these girls wore long skirts and revealed very little of their bodies, as it was expected in this religious group.  At most, some exposed arms, hands and feet.  Some were not even allowed to wear short-sleeved shirts.  The man who molested his five biological daughters was reported to the authorities.  When arrested he claimed that it wasn't his fault because, "they tempted to me by letting me see their feet."

I wonder if some of these religious men didn't get to enjoy seeing beautiful women, since they expected their wives to dress in flour-sacks (so to speak).  I wonder if this self-imposed "self-denial" lead to deviant behavior.  Some of them believed it was bad to have sex at any time other than for the purpose of reproduction.  I can see how abstaining from sex for long periods of time could cause a man to become sex-crazed.  I'm not certain this would lead a man to prefer children.  From this experience though, I have developed the opinion that a sexual predator doesn't have to see a person's body to choose to go there in thought.

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5344900/

Does body-shaming advertising strategies work on everyone?

I would like to point out that body-shaming advertising strategies don't work on everyone.  These shameful techniques target people who are already vulnerable.  For example, a weight loss advertisement targets the obese population and is likely to have greater impact on obese people or those who perceive themselves as obese when not, than on an audience who doesn't perceive themselves as obese.  

I have personal experience with this.  In the past I've purchased various make-up items with the hope these products would enhance my appearance.  Over the years, I've stopped using most of those products because I came to realize they do not enhance, in fact they often detract, from my looks.  I have seen some people wearing makeup who put on so much and applied it so poorly that it made them look awful.  I've also seen some who applied a bit tastefully and it didn't look bad.  I still use a bit now and then.  I'll wear a bit of cover up, or a dark black mascara because I like the way I look when I wear it.  

I don't dislike the way I look without makeup.  It feels like accessorizing.  It isn't essential but it is fun to do once in a while to feel a bit "more than."  

Obviously advertising works or people wouldn't utilize it.  I personally don't feel shame about my body or my looks so I can't say for sure that body-shaming strategies affect everyone.  That depends on how strictly one feels about it.  How much product must one buy before one has succumbed to body shaming?  Or maybe buying product is not connected to how one feels about the self.  Maybe there are many reasons for why a person might choose to buy a product.  Maybe the person does hate how they look, or maybe the person likes how they look and is bored of looking the same.  

I think it is important, when considering this topic, not to generalize or pretend we understand everyone's motives for behavior.

What was my take away from this film?

Watching the Illusionist left me feeling a bit discouraged.  I'm not sure what the answer is to the societal issue of unrealistic advertising. I can see the truth in a lot of what was shared in the film.  Most of it doesn't impact me in a negative way.  Generally speaking, I make my own way.  I'm not one to wear a lot of make up or buy into gimmicks about weight-loss, etc.  However, if I were to "buy-in" as it were, to a societally advertised standard, it would be something like leg shaving.  I don't care one way or the other, but my husband prefers when I shave.  It doesn't impact my happiness in a big way because I'm not harming my body or feeling bad about myself.

I'm more concerned when these unrealistic advertisements seriously impact a person's health or happiness.  The movie discouraged me because I can see that some of the more detrimental trends are deep rooted in our society and are standards that we learn from childhood, maybe even our parent's childhoods. For example, young boys often encounter pornography before ever encountering a real woman.  So when a woman finally comes along, there's often a warped set of expectations she's faced with.  There is a lot of pressure to perform. She's expected to be confident in bed, know what she's doing, be eager to do anything and act like she enjoys it all.  I know a gorgeous girl who got dumped after her first time because the guy was disappointed in her performance.  He'd been pressuring her to "give it up" for a couple years. 

The example of pornography is one that especially bothers me because it affects a person's chances at connecting and forming lasting relationships.  I have the power in hand to ignore the billboards that advertise make up or weight loss supplements.  I can firmly believe that I don't need those things to be a beautiful, valuable member of society.  It would be a bit harder to ignore a loved one who has unrealistic standards of beauty and sexuality.  

I'm discouraged about it because I feel it is related to what is in our minds, more than what is on our billboards.  It would be very difficult to change one without the other, and changing people's minds ( as a collective) is not easily done.

Unit 4: Chapter 10 Questions

Chapter 10

Vitamins, Water & Minerals

I spend most of my time indoors, whether at home, at work or at school.  I realize that Vitamin D comes from direct contact with sunlight.  I don't get that much direct contact, and the time that I do get under the sun usually only involves my hands or face, because it's getting cold out.  So how can I know whether I'm getting enough Vitamin D or not?

I learned a few things in my research.

• Eat Fortified Foods. A lot of foods are fortified with Vitamin D.  This is good news for the house mouse.  Vitamin D deficiency doesn't look pretty (think hair loss).  One cup of almond milk contains 25% of the RDA.  
• Examine Hair.  I have very thick hair and I don't lose much of it at a time.  This is a good sign.  Hair loss is associated with vitamin D deficiency.
• Get Blood Tests. There are blood tests that check on the levels of vitamin D in the body. "The most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body is the 25 hydroxy vitamin D blood test." (https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/vitamin-d-deficiency)
• Carefully Choose Food Sources. Cod liver oil is one of the best sources of vitamin D.  It can provide a whopping 75% of the RDI.  Other sources include salmon, tuna and oysters.
• Supplement as Needed.  It's always best to get nutrition from food, but in some cases a supplement may be necessary.  It is important to regularly check blood levels of vitamin D though to avoid vitamin D toxicity.  Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means it is often stored in the body instead of excreted.  

If I'm not getting enough Vitamin D, what are the easiest, simplest changes I can make to fix this problem?

This might gross a lot of people out, but dosing with cod liver oil may a short term fix.  Consider that milk contains added Vitamin D.  If a person consumes two cups of milk per day (at 25% RDA each), and then supplements that with cod liver oil, it wouldn't be difficult to get the recommended amount.  

A less-gross method would be just to add more seafood to the diet or lying out in the sun for 15 minutes several times a week.

A lack of B vitamins is linked to dementia.  Does this mean people aren't getting enough Vitamin B throughout life and then developing dementia, or does it mean old people don't absorb B vitamins as well as young people and that is why they develop dementia?

People over the age of 60 can develop gastrointestinal issues that prevent the proper absorption of B vitamins, especially B12.  A study was done on patients suffering dementia by treating them with Vitamin B12.  The group broke into two distinct sections.  One section improved with treatment and the other (which had a distinct set of symptoms from the other group) got worse even though they had normal levels of B12.  This shows there is evidence that certain kinds of dementia may be reversible to some extent with B12 treatment.  

Resource: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15681626

A lack of vitamin A can lead to blindness.  If I wear glasses, does this mean I'm deficient?

Not necessarily. I didn't find a link to Vitamin A, but I did find an article suggesting that low levels of Vitamin D and lack of full-spectrum light exposure may have an impact on eye-health and may be linked to nearsightedness.  This is only speculation because the benefit may come from being outdoors away from screens and bookwork, rather than the exposure to light and Vitamin D.  A study showed that children who spent more time playing outdoors, rather than doing indoor activities, had better eyesight overall.  

Sources: 

• https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/11/07/nearsightedness.aspx
• https://nei.nih.gov/health/errors/myopia

I prefer the taste of distilled water.  Will I be mineral deficient if I choose not to drink mineral-rich sources of water?

This shouldn't be a problem.  While it is true that distillation removes mineral from water, if a person eats a variety of healthy foods, deficiency shouldn't be an issue.  This is because those other food sources provide the minerals to balance the water intake and this prevents the body from becoming "washed out," so to speak.  

The source states that in some "extreme cases" a person can become acidotic if an excess of distilled water is consumed without balancing it out by eating healthy food sources.  This is partly because distilled water is slightly acidic.  

Personally, I'd be more worried about pH balances than mineral deficiencies in this particular case because a pH imbalance can be deadly if not addressed.  

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317698.php

Unit 2: Group Project

Protein - Why Do We Need It?

A Presentation Designed for 8-Year-Olds

Kayla Brown

Unit 3: Diet Review

Liquid Problem

by Kayla Brown

For a long time I’ve been troubled by one particular thing about myself. I get busy and I don’t drink very much water. I’ll describe a typical day for you. I get up in the morning and have a glass of water, maybe. After that I get ready for school and I don’t take anything to drink with me. While I’m at school I drink about five mouthfuls of water in between classes. After school, I go home and try to catch up a bit by drinking a glass or two before bed. I don’t drink too much though because I don’t want to, a) have to pee all night OR b), damage my kidneys.

Why Water

I chose this area to work on because a), it is a very specific line item that should be easy to tackle, and b), I really don’t want to pass out on campus while walking between classes. I care about my skin and drinking water is important for skin health. (I know I need to sort my priorities.) I also want to make sure my body has enough fluids so it can properly clean itself. I tend to get headaches when I am dehydrated which is both a disturbing and handy symptom because a), I’m a little worried about what might be happening in my brain when it is so dehydrated it starts to hurt, and b), it is nice to have an actual physical warning that lets me know I’m slacking on the water-intake. I probably shouldn’t go so long without drinking that my brain starts to hurt.  This is my goal for this project: increase the regular consumption of fluids throughout each day.

Plan of Attack

“Keep it simple stupid.”

I'm a student with a lot going on, and those other things can easily take priority over water drinking, so I need a SIMPLE solution that won't take up too much time or brain power.  I'm not going to try to remember to drink water by tracking it in a planner.  I already tried that.  It didn't work.  I just forgot the water and the planner.  I'm not going to set a timer and make myself go to the fountain.  I am too lazy or busy to follow through on that one.

This is my simple solution.  Always have water in hand.

I can't think of another way to make this any easier.  There are many times in the past where I've felt thirsty and didn't drink because water acquisition was inconvenient.  I'm confident if I have a suitable water flask on my person, I will drink from it periodically.

Stop Procrastinating

I’ve been planning to buy a new water bottle for months. (No joke!) The problem is that I’ve had the worst luck with water bottles. There’s nothing worse than writing a paper, bringing it to class to turn in, and realizing it’s covered in water splotches. I had another water bottle that broke because I dropped it on the lid. Before I started writing this diet review I was between bottles. Not that I couldn’t have gotten one, I’ve just been putting it off. So I decided that I’d stop doing that and added “WATER BOTTLE” to my weekly grocery list.

Carefully Choose Water Bottle

It takes me forever to pick out a water bottle. This is probably partly why I’ve put off buying one. It is hard to find anything that suits, and you’ll understand why when you read my checklist:

• Must contain 32 ounces 
• Must not be made of plastic or glass 
• Must have a non-leaking lid 
• Must have a free-pour spout 
• Must have a handle 
• Must fit in my car’s cup holder 

I visited a bunch of retail stores, gave up and went on Amazon. I finally found the One water bottle to rule them all. This one is diabolical, and it should get me all the way to Mount Doom.  (Lord of the Rings reference, sorry, couldn't help myself!)

I think it is important to like the choices you make.  I believe it is key to the success of your plans.  So, I'm going all out on this one.  I want to succeed in my endeavor.

Routine

I’m big on rules. It’s the only way to get me to do anything. Make a rule, set a deadline and always have a reward at the end.

I can see the car crash before it happens: Woman has water bottle. Woman plans to bring water bottle to school. Women does not make a rule for filling water bottle. Morning of school arrives and water bottle is empty, so woman goes to school without water bottle.

No dinner unless the water bottle is full. (That solves that.)

Assuming I follow this plan and bring my 32 ounces of water to school, I should be getting a minimum of 50% of my RDA of water for the day. I’m a little hazy (slash lazy) on the other 50%.

I’ve heard over the years that 64 ounces is how much a person’s supposed to get in a day, but there’s got to be a difference between the intake of a 250 pound man and a 125 pound woman. Just sayin’. I did one of those online calculators that is supposed to calculate how much you need for your age, size and weight, and it said I need a liter. That’s about 33 ounces, which is roughly half of what I used to think a person needed a day. My plan is to try to fall somewhere in the middle. Maybe a little bit more in the summer. I might not need the full 64 ounces but maybe a little more than the 32 ounces would be a good number to aim for.

To help me get there, I made myself one more rule. No bedtime or breakfast before water.

Honestly, this should be the easiest part of the program. I already have a habit in place of getting myself and my husband a glass of water before bed, and if I don’t do it, he does. So we keep each other on track that way. Drinking in the morning isn’t hard either because my mouth is almost always a bit dry when I wake up, so I go for the water by default. I’ll admit there are some times when I go for the water and get distracted by the food, but that doesn’t happen too often because I’m not usually starving when I first wake up.

Implementation

Day 1

Pre-breakfast drink: Fail. I got distracted by food again.

My water bottle went to school with me. I remembered because I filled it and put it directly into my backpack last night. Good thinking on that one! (Pats self on back)

I drank all the water while I was studying in between classes. I didn’t have to drink from the fountains, which is nice because I sometimes get grossed out by fountains.

I drank a glass before bed.


Day 2

Today I set an alarm to remind me to get water when I woke up. I got a glass of water first thing.

I went on a hike but forgot my water bottle on the counter at home. However my husband met me in town afterwards and I asked him to bring it to me. So I drank most of my water bottle while out shopping.

Once I got home I had a full glass of water and drank a hot chocolate. That counts right?


Day 3

This morning I had a full glass of water when I woke up and my water bottle was prepared and ready to take to school with me.

I did a good job of drinking my water at school.  I kept it out beside me while I studied and drank it without even thinking about it.  I got thirsty and went for it.

I also drank some water before bed.


Day 4

I forgot to drink water first thing in the morning, but I remembered to bring my water bottle to school and drank all that.

When I got home from school I had another glass of water before bed.


Day 5

Today I got up and had a glass of water first thing.

I stayed home from school today but I still drank my water bottle. It did feel a bit weird toting the bottle around the house, but I guess that's okay.

My husband brought me a glass of water before bed.

Review of the Intervention

How did you measure your implementation?

I know from doing calculations that I need around 33 ounces of water a day for my size and activity level. My measure is the water bottle I take to school. It contains 32 ounces. So as long as I'm consistently drinking a full water bottle of water each day, I know I'm okay.

Besides that, I try to remember to drink a glass before breakfast and a glass before bed. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but it makes sense for me because I'm usually thirsty in the morning and I usually get thirsty during the night, so it makes sense to have a glass of water on the night stand.


How successful were you at your implementation?

I think I was quite successful, considering I'm trying to form new habits, and that does take time. I drink significantly larger quantities throughout the day and feel more hydrated overall. I also like how the plan of action made it easy for me to drink over time, rather than drinking a large quantity all at one time in the hopes it would carry me through the rest of the day. I also feel safer because I'm not drinking from water fountains that could be contaminated. (I know that's unlikely, but one time I saw a man give the water spout mouth-to-mouth.  Gross!)


Did it impact the area you intended it to?

Yes, my intervening measures directly tackled the problem I had with not drinking enough water while at school. It made it easier for me to get the hydration I need, without overcomplicating life with extra steps to remember.


What effects, if any, did you notice as a result of your implementation?

I’ve noticed since I’ve been somewhat consistently drinking little bits of water throughout the day, I don’t deal with extreme thirst or excessive urination. For example, in the past I’d drink a lot of water at once because I was really thirsty or in a hurry, and I felt like I peed it all out and was quickly thirsty again. Drinking water slowly throughout the day, a swallow or two here and there, seems to actually make me feel more hydrated. I’ve also noticed my lips are less chapped.

If you didn’t notice any effects, why do you think that was?

I did notice effects.


Do you think you could sustain this change?

I think so. It will require a bit of discipline, but the rules are simple so it shouldn't be impossible. I feel like I've set myself up for success by making it easy to get water when I need it. I could track it in my planner if I wanted to, but I doubt I will. I never did before. It's unlikely that wishful thinking will make it so. It is good that I have a water bottle that contains almost all the water I need for my daily intake, because that way it is a no-brainer. I don't have to try to remember how many glasses I've drank or when was the last time I drank a glass.


Will you sustain the change?

I can't say for sure. I can certainly try, and have good intentions of sustaining the change. I'm human though, so it is likely I'll forget sometimes. I'll forget my water bottle at home; I'll forget to drink before bed or in the morning, but I hope I'll get used to the habit of having things a certain way. If I do forget, I'll feel highly inconvenienced and return to the proper habit pattern immediately.


Evaluate how this experience impacted you personally. 

I've learned more about myself through this experience and others.  I'm learning what works for me and what leads to failure.  More than anything, I'm learning to accept myself.  I've learned that it is useless to fight who I am.  It works better to build on who I am and enhance through cooperation, rather than trying to change everything about myself.  Each person is different and unique.  A solution for one person is a failure for another.

How will you use this professionally? What did you learn about making diet changes?

These are some of the things I learned about making dietary changes:

• I learned that it is much easier to maintain a simple change over time, than it is to try to change everything about yourself at once. 
•  I learned that a person is far more likely to maintain a change if the rules are simple and hard to get out of.  (i.e. It's easy to be lazy and skip the gym (no immediate consequences), but it's not so easy to be lazy and skip walking to class.)
• As a professional, I'll encourage my patients to take the easiest route possible that leads to success.  I'll be proud of them and encourage them to be proud of their accomplishments, even if those successes feel insignificant.  
• Consistency is important and making simple, easy and gradual changes over time is the best chance a person has to develop healthy new habits and maintain them in the long run.
• I'll encourage my patients by sharing my own success stories.  

One of My Success Stories that I'd Share with a Patient

Water intake isn't the first change I've made in my lifestyle. I've made one other change over the summer.

I've always struggled with exercising consistently. I HATE working out at the gym. Obviously I've never been consistent about going because who is ever consistent about doing something that they hate? I'm almost always bored while there.  It interferes with my study schedule and requires time, motivation, driving and a membership that costs money.

To combat the problem I purchased a parking pass for the commuter lot at school. It is a thirty minute walk to my first class, then I walk in between classes, and I walk another thirty minutes to get back to my car. I get over an hour of speed walking (since I'm almost always running late for class), without even having to try.  Miraculously, I'm not even slightly bored during the experience.  I've been walking to classes for five months now.

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one.  Some benefits I've experienced:

• Buying a commuter pass saves me a lot of money on parking and gym membership.
• I get consistent exercise.
• Unlike the gym, my exercise environment is rich in fresh air.
• I get direct exposure to the sun, which creates vitamin D and helps my body absorb calcium.
• I sleep better at night.
• I like the way my body looks, and I am noticing positive changes over time.
• I burn a bit more energy which means I can get away with eating a bit more, which is awesome!

Unit 3: Chapter 9 Questions

I really enjoyed the readings for Understanding Nutrition, Chapter 9.  It's sometimes hard to "get into" reading from a textbook if the subject matter isn't interesting to you.  The material this week really struck a note with me on a personal level.  I've always wanted to gain a better understanding of how to manage weight; feel confident and in control of my weight, without yo-yo dieting or being miserable in the process.

Without further ado, here are my questions after reading the course material.

1.  Why is it so hard for women to lose weight after having a baby?

First of all, it's important to remember that weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy so it will happen.  Excessive weight gain is possible if a person doesn't eat healthy while pregnant.  Pregnant women should consult with a doctor if concerned about weight gain.  Every woman's body is different and, depending on how much weight she already has, will gain weight differently during pregnancy.

If a woman already deals with weight issues, she may not need to gain as much weight during pregnancy as another woman who is a healthy weight.  It is inaccurate to think that a pregnant woman needs to "eat for two."  Pregnant women only need about 300 more calories a day than non-pregnant women.

So why is it so hard to lose weight after baby?  There are lots of possible causes.  Here are two that really stood out to me.

High Expectations

A lot of women have this idea that the weight will fall off within six months.  This idea is counterproductive.  The class recently read an article about how perceived weight status can affect weight gain.  This is a perfect example of it.  A woman wants to get her figure back, it doesn't happen as quickly or as easily as she wants it to, and then she gets depressed and binges on unhealthy foods.  It's important to understand that weight loss isn't going to happen overnight and that it isn't always going to be easy.  Sky-high expectations can lead to disappointment and hinder weight loss.

I've never been pregnant but I have fussed and gotten depressed over stubborn cellulite.  I had the most success with my weight when I simply chose healthy foods, left the top off my sandwich when the scale started creeping up, and implemented two thirty-minute speed-walks into my schedule.  A watched pot never boils!  The same goes for weight loss.  It's a much better plan to implement a lifestyle design that sets a person up for success and then just LIVE and quit focusing on the weight.

Somewhere down the road, you may glance at yourself in the mirror and realize that changes did happen, not while you were fussing about it, but while you were living life.  Maybe the body isn't what it was before baby, but maybe it is better than it was six months ago.  It's important to celebrate the small victories.

Baby-Blaming

A study showed that 85% of the 7000 moms interviewed blamed pregnancy for their weight gain.  The truth is, "it's not your metabolism that slows down in the postpartum months – it's you."  After having babies, it's hard to get out of the house.  Babies bring a whole pile of responsibilities that all compete for mom's attention, so it's no wonder post-pregnancy moms struggle to lose weight.

I believe that one of the first steps to succeeding with post-baby weight loss is to recognize that baby isn't the cause of the problem.  It's also important not to be too hard on yourself.  You just made a human!  Make small adjustments whenever possible to increase activity levels and eat healthier.


Sources:

• https://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/healthy-weight-gain#1
• https://www.babycenter.com/0_the-new-mom-body-survey-7-000-women-tell-it-like-it-is_3653252.bc

2.  Why does weight loss after childbirth vary from child to child?

"There's no biological reason it's harder to lose the weight after your third child than after your first."  So says Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's weight management program.

It's good to know the link isn't directly connected from excess weight to excess babies, since some of us want a fair few of them.

According to Fernstrom, the likely causes of post-baby weight being higher after multiple children include:

• Not losing all the excess weight between children.  Compounding weight is harder to lose.  (For example: It's harder to lose 60 lbs vs 20 lbs.)
• Natural, normal metabolic slow down associated with increased age.
• Inactivity, and excessive eating.

Source: 

• https://www.babycenter.com/0_the-new-mom-body-survey-7-000-women-tell-it-like-it-is_3653252.bc

3.  What are some ways to overcome the discouragement associated with weight loss failure?

Avoid Temptation

I have a weakness.  I love this specific recipe I make of macaroni and cheese.  It's not real cheese, it's a nut cheese, but it is delicious and I've had it ever since I was a kid.  So the recipe is PERFECT.  The problem is that whenever I cook it, I inevitably eat enough to feed a family of five.  Sadly this means I hardly ever make it because I know I can't control myself.  There is one work-around.   I can invite over a family of five and serve it to them.  I'd feel bad if I took too much for myself and saved none for everyone else, and this will prevent me from being a pig.

The same rule applies to pretty much everything else where I see I can't control myself.  I don't buy cookies because I know I'd eat them all.  I'm terrible about self-denial.  I can't just eat one cookie a week and wait to eat the rest.  So, I buy no cookies.

It's important to avoid temptation because failures bring discouragement.  Look for opportunities to take away the option to fail.

Accept the Flawed Self

Sometimes the failures that lead to discouragement don't come specifically from weight loss problems, but more from expecting magic from yourself and not understanding or accepting your personality quirks.   If there's a wall of bricks in front of you, don't bash your head against it trying to get through and then get mad at yourself for not being strong enough.   Go around!

 For example, I'd fail if I tried to implement a strict daily thirty minute run on the treadmill in the den.  Believe me, I've tried and it doesn't work for me.  I may do it a few times, but since I hate it so much, I will always stop working out at some point.  I could get discouraged about this and hate myself because "I'm so lazy," or "I need to work on being disciplined."  This would be counterproductive.  Thinking this way would only compound the problem, because now I'm not working out AND I feel like crap about myself, so I'm going to go have a cookie, because, let's face it, I'm trying to change my personality and that won't ever happen.

A better way is to recognize what methods ACTUALLY work for you and be flexible. Don't try to change your personality.  That is much harder than losing weight!  I can consistently get exercise without torturing myself.  I've discovered I just have to entrap myself in a plan where I need to get from point A to point B and have to do so by walking.  That is what works for me.  I'm never going to be a gym rat, and that's okay!

Be Happy

This is the most important tip.  Nobody likes being around a sopping raincloud of a person.  Not even you.  If you periodically take just five minutes to do something that makes you happy or helps you feel a measure of success or accomplishment, it will show in how you feel about yourself overall.  Keep a positive outlook.  Try not to dwell on the half-empty end of the cup.  Feeling good is important to weight loss success because it helps to curb stress-eating.

Sources:

• http://alighahary.ca/weight-loss-discouragement/
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/strive-thrive/201404/5-ways-overcome-discouragement-while-losing-weight

4.  Why is it harder to lose weight as a person gets older?

Scientists blame hormonal changes and metabolic slow down for the increased difficulty in weight loss associated with aging, but add, "What you eat matters a lot."  

Older people often exercise less because high intensity activities are hard on the joints.  It's important to find alternatives that help to keep that level of activity up while meeting the needs of the body.  Low intensity activities include speed walking, swimming and strength-training.  

  With age comes careers and these can lead to levels of stress that trigger late night snacking and sleep deprivation.  Not getting enough sleep can interfere with the hormones that regulate how satisfied we feel and this can lead to comfort-habits such as binge eating and choosing unhealthy foods.

It is important to recognize triggers that cause feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness that can lead to harmful behaviors.

Source:

• https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-losing-weight-is-difficult-after-40#3

5.  What are some ways that "gym haters" can get adequate exercise without being bored to tears in the process?

• Swimming at the lake, river or pool with family or friends
• Implementing small incremental changes that force us to walk more, such as parking at the end of the parking lot when picking up the groceries
• Keep a belt and a small medicine ball at the computer desk where both can be easily seen. Wrap the belt around thighs and push thighs outward to strengthen the outer thigh muscles.  Squeeze a ball between thighs to strengthen inner thigh muscles.  Great for students and those engaged in much desk work.
• Move a lot.  Try to just keep moving as much as possible.  Fidget, stand up, move from one task to another.  Switch things up.  A lot of excess energy can be burned by just moving around instead of sitting in one spot.
• Try biking, but do it with friends if you're a socialite. 
• Get a work out buddy and pretend to be personal trainers.
• Check out a climbing wall.  Maybe mountain climbing is your thing.
• Don't just exercise somewhere boring like on the treadmill, go to a park, walk the green belt or go hiking in the mountains. 
• Mix it up.  Don't always do the same things.  Routine can get boring.

Unit 3: Chapter 8 Questions

1.  Why do people crave sweets?

Studies suggest that food cravings may be linked to hormonal imbalances in the body, or nutrient deficiencies.  There may also be a link between craving sweets and having a tendency toward addictive behavior. 

• Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318441.php

2.  Is it better to eat less or work out more in regard to weight control?

According to the New York Times, "eating less if far more important than exercising more."  The article uses the example of an overweight male who must choose between working out 30 minutes per day consistently, or forgoing the consumption of two 16-ounce sodas.  The choice is easy in this case. 

Now consider the case of a 130 lb female who is at the upper end of her ideal body weight.  She is health-conscious, doesn't consume soft drinks or eat much processed foods.  For this person it might be difficult to lose weight simply by eliminating bad foods from the diet.  A less drastic approach would be a bit of exercise daily and keeping an eye on the caloric intake.  Perhaps she could adjust her caloric intake down by just a few calories.  For example, she could leave the top off a sandwich or eat a light dinner.

• Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/upshot/to-lose-weight-eating-less-is-far-more-important-than-exercising-more.html

3.  Is it wise to periodically fast?

Growing up, I heard a lot about fasting.  My parents were really interested in living a healthy lifestyle, and that interest took them in some interesting directions.  There were fad phases where they drank special drinks that were supposed to prevent grey hair, went on long walks at four in the morning and avoided everything that might contain salt.  Thankfully, these phases weren't prolonged because my parents weren't extremely dedicated when it came to unpleasant dietary plans.  I was never made to fast of course, but there were times when my parents thought a good episode of fasting was in order.  "I need to give my stomach a break," was the usual explanation. 

From my research, it would appear that letting the stomach rest for a day or two is not likely to harm a healthy person, but shouldn't be undertaken by anyone with diabetes as it could be dangerous.  It also shouldn't be done for many, many days.

Personally, I could never go a day without eating.  I don't have diabetes, that I know of, but if I go longer than 7 hours between meals I get faint feeling and would soon be prostrate on the floor unable to move and feeling very shaky and weak.  I do undertake a fast, of sorts, but it's not that long.  I will sometimes eat a very light dinner or no dinner if I'm not horribly hungry.  Then I go to bed as early as possible so that hunger pangs don't tempt me and wake to a large breakfast.

• Source: https://www.webmd.com/diet/fasting

4.  What is Estimated Energy Requirement?

The CDC provides a guide to calculating a person's Estimated Energy Requirement.  That is, the amount of calories required daily to maintain balance of weight and metabolic equilibrium.  It is "estimated" because metabolic balance is a tricky matter that is usually a bit different from individual to individual and so must be adjusted to fit each person's needs.

• Source: https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/oct/06_0034.htm

5.  Is a slower metabolism really a bad thing?

Maybe not.  A researcher, Berit Brogaard, suggests that there is evidence pointing to a link between slower metabolism and longer lifespan.  However, there is not enough evidence to warrant purposefully slowing down metabolism by eating drastically small quantities of food.  It is not advisable to reduce intake by more than 750 calories at a time.  

• Source: https://www.livestrong.com/article/397191-what-are-the-benefits-of-a-slow-metabolism/
• Understanding Nutrition, page 277

Unit 2: Chapter 6 Questions

1.  How much protein must be consumed to satisfy the needs of the human body?

"The protein RDA for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of healthy body weight per day."  So says the textbook, Understanding Nutrition, by Whitney and Rolfes.

Analyzing the data for me. 125 lbs >> 57 kg

57 kg x 0.8 g = 45.6 grams of protein per day.

2.  Can a person get enough protein without eating meat?

A breakfast of a bagel and cream cheese contains about 11 grams of protein.

A pizza covered in mexican shredded cheese offers 14 g of protein per half cup of cheese.  It wouldn't be hard for me to eat a cup of cheese.  That's 28 g of protein, not including what's in the rest of the ingredients.

A cup of cooked spaghetti for dinner contains 8 grams of protein without the help of soy protein in the spaghetti sauce.

This break down brings me to 47 grams of protein which is above the RDA for my weight.  I believe this shows that is quite easy to get the RDA value for protein without eating meat.

3.  What happens to the body if a person eats too much protein?

According to the textbook, there are inconsistent findings that suggest animal protein may be positively associated with obesity whereas plant protein may be negatively related.  "A high protein intake does not cause kidney disease, but it does increase the work of the kidneys" (Understanding Nutrition, page 188).

An article on Medical News Today suggests that humans can eat as much as 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight without experiencing any dangerous side effects.  Anything more than that can lead to a number of uncomfortable symptoms and can contribute to certain diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cancer.

• Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322825.php

4.  Do grass-eating animals, such as cows, get protein from grass or do they not need it?

I had difficulty finding any scholarly articles on this subject.  I did come to a reasonable conclusion based on the reading of multiple non-scholarly articles and verbal explanations given on various forums.  Based on what I read, the cow has multiple stomachs and, in the process of digestion, uses fermentation and bacteria to alter the proteins from grass.   This process turns the grass protein into a kind of protein the cow can use.  I believe this is an accurate explanation because the many sources I read all agreed on the subject.

5.  What happens to a body if it consumes too little protein?

Considering the protein quantities in basic foods, such as the meals I provided as examples in question 2 above, it is difficult to get too little protein, but doable.  Side effects of protein deficiency include "slowed growth, impaired brain and kidney functions, poor immunity, and inadequate nutrient absorption" (Understanding Nutrition, 186).  To be protein deficient, one would be lacking in many other nutrients, as protein deficiency and malnutrition go hand in hand.  In consequence, the body would likely experience a plethora of symptoms related to malnutrition rather than solely and specifically linked to protein deficiency.

Unit 2: Chapter 5 Questions

1.  Does dietary fat turn into body fat?

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, limiting consumption of dietary fats has not been shown to correlate strongly with weight gain or weight loss.

• Sources: https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/67/3/556S/4666072

2.  What is trans fat?

Trans fats, also known as partially hydrogenated oils, are "double trouble for your heart health", according to the Mayo Clinic. Not only do trans fat raise bad cholesterol levels, but these bad fats are also known to lower good cholesterol levels.  This is bad because it majorly increases the risk a person has of getting coronary artery disease, among other things. "In the body, trans-fatty acids behave more like saturated fats, increasing blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease" (textbook, page 139).

The FDA has made it official:  Trans fats are bad and companies aren't allowed to use them anymore.  The government has banned trans fats and has given companies from 2015 to 2018 to figure out how to get the trans fats out of their products.  That means that as of now, few companies should still be using more than trace amounts of trans fats in products.

• Sources: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114
• https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/understanding-trans-fats

3.  What are good sources of healthy fats?

According to the textbook on page 153, it's a good idea to replace bad sources of fat with good sources, including seafood, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils.  One excellent source of healthy fat is the avocado.  This fatty fruit is delicious in a sandwich.

4.  What purpose do healthy fats serve the body?

Not all fats are bad to eat.  There are some fats that actually are essential and help keep a person healthy.  "Most people are surprised to learn that fat has virtues and that a well-balanced diet needs at least a little fat" (textbook, page 133).

Fats "provide energy, insulate against temperature extremes, protect against shock, and maintain cell membranes" (textbook, page 148).

5.  What are some foods to avoid that might contain unhealthy fats?

There are some foods that contain a high amount of saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol.   The textbook lists a few on page 153.  Bacon is top of the list.  Thankfully, I'm not a huge bacon eater.  I do like butter though and that is high on the list.  I am not sure how I would feel about cutting that out of my diet entirely.  I don't know of any suitable alternatives.  All things in moderation, I guess.  I don't know what else to do about it.