References

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Digestive System. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.diabetes.co.uk/body/digestive-system.html

The Structure and Function of the Digestive System. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/ns_overview/hic-the-structure-and-function-of-the-digestive-system

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www2.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookDIGEST.html

Mechanical and Chemical Digestion. (n.d.). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from https://www.smartlivingnetwork.com/digestive/b/mechanical-and-chemical-digestion/

Personal diet plan

I had a gastric bypass on June 6 of 2013. Because of my gastric bypass, my diet has changed in the last (almost) two years tremendously.

As you can see from the diagram above, my stomach is significantly smaller now, than it was before surgery. Because of the smaller size of my stomach, I can't consume as much food as someone who has a normal sized stomach. This alone has made it easier for me to control how much I consume at one time, therefore I have much smaller portions than before surgery. 

I believe in everything in moderation, but I strongly go by MODERATION. I believe that it's okay to not eat 100% healthy, 100% of the time. But I also believe that it is very important to eat as healthy as possible, as much as possible. 

Also, because of my surgery, my body doesn't hold nutrients like a normal persons does. Therefore, I have to take vitamins daily. This helps me keep up my vitamin levels at all times. 

Just because my stomach is smaller, and I take vitamins daily, doesn't mean that I don't watch what I eat, though. I make sure to eat healthy the majority of the time, and I make sure to consume healthy foods. 

Some of my strengths would be having a small stomach, so I always eat a small portion at one time. Some weaknesses would be that because I have a small stomach, I tend to get hungrier, faster than before. This is because food passes through me a lot quicker, so I tend to want to snack a lot. I need to make wiser choices when it comes to snacking, and that is definitely my biggest weakness. It's easy for me to grab a small bag of chips, or a candy bar, etc. to snack on, when in reality I should grab something such as an apple, a bag of baby carrots, etc. 

I am very happy with losing 139.3 pounds, and I am determined to keep this weight off. My biggest change for the future would be to make smarter and healthier choices when it comes to snacking in between meals. 

Nutrition requirements across the lifespan, from pregnancy to adulthood

Nutrition is very important at each different stage of the life cycle. 

When a woman is pregnant, she doesn't only need to have the proper nutrition for herself, but for the fetus as well. When someone who is pregnant does not have the proper nutrition, the fetus can become obese or obtain a chronic illness later in life. Low birth weight is also a possibility, which can cause several problems. It’s also important for a woman whom is pregnant to have a healthy placenta, and organs as well. As a woman gets further in her pregnancy, she needs an increase in energy. This can be done by adding an additional 340 calories daily during the second trimester, and an additional 450 calories during the third trimester. Woman who are pregnant should also take a prenatal vitamin daily, to help them get the proper nutrition.

Once the baby is born, the infant will need the proper nutrients to grow. Our text says that “a baby grows faster during the first year of life than ever again”. Breastmilk is of course, the best way to get nutrients for a baby, but when breastmilk isn’t an option, there is formula out there which is the best alternative to breastfeeding for infants. As an infant gets older, they can try soft foods, such as jar baby food, and then they can eventually move onto solids.

Throughout a person’s childhood and adolescence it’s important for them to eat the correct types of foods, and to be taught how and what to eat. It’s important to teach this at a young age, so they will be able to eat correctly their entire lives. There are many ways to introduce new foods to children, and to make it fun for them to try new foods. The correct nutrients and types of foods will help an individual grow healthy and to avoid diseases and to maintain a healthy weight.

As an adult, it’s still important to remain healthy and to obtain a healthy weight. We learned earlier that 30-40% of cancers are caused due to lack of health and nutrition. This is something that can possibly be avoided if we continue to watch what we eat, and consume the correct nutrients that our body needs. Other diseases such as diabetes, and thyroid problems can also be decreased with proper nutrition and vitamins.

Underweight, overweight and obesity

Underweight means that a person is under their ideal weight for their specific gender and height. This means that this person’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is at an 18.5 or lower. Some risks associated with being underweight are having a disadvantage in the hospital, because their nutrition status can deteriorate easily if they aren’t able to eat for a few days, including if they have to stop eating for a surgery. Surgical patients who are underweight are also at risk for death. If an individual is underweight and they get diagnosed with cancer, they will most likely die from starvation before they die from the cancer itself. Even though people who are overweight and obese develop heart problems more often, someone who is underweight can still develop heart problems, and this can cause worse outcomes. Also, those who are underweight tend to have less energy than others.

Overweight means that a person is over their ideal weight for their specific gender and height. Typically this means that their BMI is at a 25 to a 29.9. There are several chronic diseases that can be caused from being overweight. Some of these are diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, gallbladder stones, nonalcoholic fatty liver which leads to fibrosis, cirrhosis, cancer, other cancers, and strokes. The risk of these is higher for individuals who are obese, but being overweight gives you a chance of these chronic diseases as well.

Obese means that a person is way over their ideal weight for their specific gender and height. This means their BMI is 30 or higher. Like being overweight, people who are obese can obtain chronic diseases. These chronic diseases are the same as above, which are diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, gallbladder stones, nonalcoholic fatty liver which leads to fibrosis, cirrhosis, cancer, other cancers, and strokes. Over 70% of people who are obese suffer from at least one of these major health problems.

There are several preventative measures that can be taken to prevent both underweight and overweight issues in our society and to maintain a healthy body weight .To lose weight, some other ideas would be to choose an appropriate calorie intake, make intakes adequate, avoid portion pitfalls, meal spacing, identify calorie excesses, choose foods low in energy density, consider non-nutritive sweeteners, and demonstration diet. To gain weight, some preventatives are choosing foods with high energy density, portion sizes and meal spacing, and physical activity to gain muscle and fat.

Names, functions, macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients, digestion, absorption, metabolism of the macro-nutrients and their body parts

We need a small amount of micro-nutrients, which are vitamins and minerals. We need a larger amount of macro-nutrients, which are water, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

The digestive tract play an important role on how our body functions. The digestive tract has one main purpose, but is made of several smaller components. Some of these components are mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, large intestine, rectum and anus.

 The function of the digestive system is digestion and absorption. Digestion is when food breaks down into small molecules, and then are absorbed into the body. The first digestive component where all foods start is the mouth. By using our teeth to chew the foods that we put into our mouth, it breaks down the food into small pieces that can be digested easier. Saliva mixes with this food and helps begin the process of breaking it down, so that our bodies can absorb and can use these foods. 

Next after the mouth, comes the esophagus. The esophagus is located in your throat, and it receives the food when it is swallowed by the mouth. After peristalsis, which is a series of muscular contractions, the esophagus then delivers the food into the stomach. The stomach is an organ that holds food while it processes. The stomach coats the food with acid and enzymes, which help break it down even more. When all of the contents of the stomach are processed, they are then released into the small intestine. 

The small intestine is made up of three parts. These three parts are the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine, followed by the jejunum, and then finally the ileum. The duodenum continually breaks down the process, and the jejunum and ileum absorb the nutrients into the bloodstream. When food enters into the duodenum, the pancreas releases enzymes to help break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and the pancreas also creates insulin. The gallbladder releases bile, produced by the liver, to break down the fats even more which can then be absorbed by the intestines. The livers main function is to process the nutrients that are being absorbed from the small intestine.

One of the final stages of digestion is the large intestine. The large intestine has a larger diameter than the small intestine, but it is much shorter. The large intestine is a muscular tube that connects the small intestines to the rectum. The large intestine is an organ that processes waste so that bowel movements can be easier. 

Finally, the waste passes through the rectum and then through the anus. The rectum’s job is to receive waste from the large intestine, and finally the anus consists of pelvic floor muscles which allows the waste to come out of the body, being the final step of the digestive tract.

There are various types of fats, which are saturated fats, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and trans-fats. Of these fats, saturated fats and trans-fats are the bad fats, and monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are the healthier fats. 

Trans-fats are believed to be so harmful because doctors believe that trans-fats are the worst type of fats that we can consume into our bodies. Trans-fats raise bad cholesterol levels and lowers good cholesterol levels. Trans-fats can also lead to heart problems and problems in your arteries.

Too much saturated and trans-fats can lead to serious diseases, such as heart and artery disease (cardiovascular disease) and this is the number one cause of death in the United States and Canada. 

The connection between dietary fat, cholesterol, and health is so important to be aware of because it is the number one adult death, so we need to be aware of what types of fats we put into our bodies and how they can affect our bodies.

Protein is what enables us to perform so many vital functions. This is why protein is such an important part of having and maintaining a healthy diet. Protein is good for your hair, skin, nails, eyes, and just for your body over all. Amino acids build protein, which is why they are so important, as well.

Characteristics of a healthy diet and factors that drive our food choices

There are several factors that are involved with our food choices. There is a very large variety of foods for us to choose from, and there are several reasons that we choose the types of foods that we choose. Some of these choices are reasons for our health, and some are simply because we like the way that they taste.

Variety, moderation, calorie control, balance and adequacy are some factors and characteristics that help us build a nutritious and healthy diet.

Taste prevails as the number one factor when it comes to food choices. If something tastes good, a person will eat it, and sometimes people will eat it no matter how good, bad, fattening, etc. it is for them, simply because they like the way that it tastes. Convenience also plays a large role in our food factors. Sometimes if we get busy, it is much more convenient to quickly stop by a fast food restaurant and order some food, rather than going home and cooking a meal.

There are many other factors which play into our food choices. Some of these factors are psychological, physical, social, and philosophical.

Besides the factors above, some other factors include:
advertising
availability
cost
emotional comfort
habit
personal preference and genetic inheritance
positive or negative associtations
region of the country
social pressure
values or beliefs
weight
nutrition and health benefits

Nutrition and Chronic Diseases

There is a connection between nutrition and chronic diseases. What we put into our bodies can either increase or decrease the chances of obtaining a chronic disease. 

It's very important to eat healthy and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I know that this is easier said than done, but it is very important to give it the best effort, possible. The choices that we make can impact our overall health both positively and negatively. 

Watching what we eat and exercising can impact us in a positive way. This can decrease our chances for diabetes, thyroid problems, etc. along with allowing us to have a higher self-esteem.

Our choices can impact us negatively, as well, and if we let our health down and consume foods that aren't good for our body, we can become obese, we can get diabetes, have a higher chance of cancers, have thyroid problems, etc. and we can have a lower self-esteem. 

Being healthy doesn't only consist of the foods that we consume, but it also has to do with smoking, drugs, and alcohol as well. These substances can have a negative impact on our overall health, as well. We also need to get a decent amount of sleep each night, and to do some type of physical activities each day. 

Malnutrition can lead to deficiencies, which can lead to greater problems. It's very important to eat the correct amounts of foods, and the correct types of foods. Malnutrition can lead to problems with ones vitamin levels, and this can lead to even great problems, depending on which vitamin level it is that is low.

Overall, the lack of proper nutrition and exercise can lead to chronic illnesses, and/or death. This is why it is so important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.