Reflection on my food intake

Why I chose this scope for analysis?:
I chose this period of time ( 4th May 2012, Friday to 6th May 2012, Sunday) is because I wanted to be able to compare my diet between a weekday and a weekend. I understand that during weekends, we have more time and are not limited to when we can eat because of school, thus we tend to eat more and eat more unhealthily. Hence, I took up the chance to see if it also applies to me and examine which lifestyle is more healthy and would enable me to meet my daily requirements ( eg. calcium, protein, carbohydrates).

Comparing my diet to the food pyramid!!!:



Vegetables
The recommended diet requirement is 7-13 servings. However for my average daily diet in the 3 days is only 3-4 servings. I know that vegetables can lower the risk of and prevent a number of serious illnesses and health problems, such as cancer, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, so after reflecting, I understand that I should eat more vegetables even though it might not be as tasty as before.

Carbohydrates
The recommended diet requirement is 7-13 servings. However for my average daily diet in the 3 days is around 6 servings. I know that carbohydrates are the main source of energy for our bodies to work well. Without enough carbohydrates, my body will be easily tired out and I would have poor concentration skills, poor stamina and poor determination. I have decided to eat slightly more rice or snacks rich with carbohydrates to keep me awake and lively throughout the day.


Fruits
The recommended diet requirement is 2-4 servings. I am proud to say that my average daily diet in the 3 days have fufilled that. I understand that fruits help us to strenghten our immune system and fight angainst the diseases as well as retain the moisture in our body due to the useful vitamins, enzymes and minerals. I love eating fruits because most of the time they are sweet and juicy (not like vegetables) and I eat them every night before I go to sleep. I should continue eating fruits to keep my body strong!

Calcium
The recommended diet requirement is 2-4 servings. I comsume approximately 2 servings of calcium rich food a day in the 3 days. I understand that calcium helps to keep our bones strong and helps us grow taller. As I am still a growing teenageer, I have to consume more milk in order to reach my potential height as well as to keep my bones strong so that when I grow older my bones will not grow brittle. After reflecting I have decided to drink a cup of milk before I sleep every night to increase my calcium intake!

Omega 3 Food
The recommended diet requirement is 0-3 servings. I consume approximately 1 serving a day in the 3 days. I have learnt that omega 3 food helps to boost heart health and reduce inflammation throughout the body. I hope that I can increase my intake so that I will have a healthier body.

Poultry
The recommeded diet requirement is 0-7 servings. I consume approximately 3 servings a day in the 3 days. I love eating meat because they are often seasoned with delicious sauces and are palatable. However I also understand the bad things about poultry. They are high in fat and cholestrol, thus play a risk in terms of heart health and the overall health of the body. I should reduce the amount of fatty and unhealthy meat I eat in a day ( or become a vegetarian!!!) and also try to consume the lean meat.

Sweets
The recommended diet requirement is 0-3 servings. I consume approximately 1 serving a day in the 3 days. I love eating sweets, just like any other human on earth because I got an extremely sweet tooth. I do know the consequences of eating too much sweets, which include diabetes and tooth decay. Thus, I will try my best to reduce my intake of sweets.

In conclusion
I have decided to increase my carbohydrate, omega 3 food intake slightly, increase my vegetable intake tremendously, eat the same amount of fruits, and decrease my poultry and sweet intake slightly. I also will try my best to have balanced and regular meals because skipping meals would result in gastric problems. I know understant the importace of breakfast and make sure that I have enough energy to fact the remaining day ahead of me. I have learnt to look out for what I am eating and make sure that I maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating healthily and exercising regularly~!!