My Dietary Analysis

I consider nutrition to be a key part of life . To say the least I am involved by nutrition. I enjoy reading Men's Health and other fitness magazine. The Diet Analysis project was perfect because it gave me a first hand look at my own diet habits and how I need to make some changes. I usually consume my diet to my workout plan or what my goals are for that week. I usually eat heavy at the beginning of the week so I started this diet analysis on Monday through Wednesday, which are usually my heavy lifting days in the gym. I utilized the my plate website which analyze my diet and compared it with my dietary reference intake recommendations.

My carbohydrates were at 210.79g, which is below the dietary reference intake (DRI) recommendations. My DRI recommendation was 544.62g. I need to take more then that especially with my workout plan. The carbs will help my energy level while in the gym. My fiber intake was pretty good. DRI recommends 38 grams and my intake was 55. Since I need to increase my consumption of carbohydrates it would be worthwhile for me to eat more fruit. Which should also help increase my carbs, which will give me more energy. It would also be worthwhile for me to replace refined grains with whole grains. I will substitute whole grain or wheat bread for white bread on sandwiches. Not only are whole grains healthier but they will also keep me satisfied for longer periods of time because they digest slower. I generally try to avoid high sugar foods but I occasionally enjoy drinking Amp energy drinks and some ice cream. These snacks can also be replacing with for orange juice and yogurt.
My consumption of fats represented 79% of my total food intake, which is marginally higher than the recommended 20 - 35% of total fat calories. 73% of the total fat I consumed was saturated fat, which is above the 10% recommendation. I tend to eat a lot of dairy products and egg yolks, both of which are high in saturated fat. Other foods that are high in saturated fat are convenience foods like hot dogs and hamburgers that I eat cause of convenience.

I will try to replace those with grilled chicken sandwiches that are much lower in fat content. Another thing that I can easily do to decrease my consumption of saturated fats is to choose dairy products with lower fat contents. I will opt for fat free or almond milk and cottage cheese but I really hate the taste of cottage cheese. I love protein from animal sources and I usually eat beef, poultry, or fish at just about every meal especially when I’m not working but currently I work nights and I don’t have enough time to cook a healthy meal. Proteins are the most that I take in. It tends to keep me feeling full for extended periods. My protein was well pas the DRI recommendation of 10 - 35%. I took in 331% The only problem is that a lot of the protein I consume is also high in fat and cholesterol which is not good. As I already mentioned I've began replacing meat with poultry and am consuming less egg yolks. I've also discovered that almonds are good snack. Not to mention they are free of cholesterol and saturated fats.
My total caloric intake was of 4774. The DRI recommendation is 3960 calories for three days. I am happy with my body weight and have maintained it for several months. I do not need to increase or decrease my calorie level. However, there are still some junk foods that I could get rid of in favor of nutrient dense and even functional foods. I need to focus most on vegetables more than anything. Spinach, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and broccoli are all vegetables that I seldom eat.
I currently get adequate physical activity, but I still would like to increase my cardio. Just to help maintain my weight. During my tenure in the military, I was extremely active. I ran about 10 miles a week and was in the best shape of my life. Constantly in the gym and play all kinds of sports especially to represent my command. Since then I have altered my activity level. I still continue to go to the gym with mostly weight lifting and strength training. I train 5 days a week with cardio only being one session for 45 minutes. So my cardio does need to increase a little.

For the most part, I am receiving adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. I was extremely surprised at how much sodium I was receiving though. My intake of 5641 mg of sodium is much higher than the DRI recommended 1500 mg. I was recently diagnosis with hypertension and I have to take meds daily so the salt is not good for me In order to reduce my sodium levels I will opt for "reduced sodium versions" and will try to avoid packaged and preserved by buying fresh/natural foods instead.
I read the nutrition facts or label on three items that I consumed this week. The first item is my protein powder from Vitasport. The brand name is Prozein. The labels showed 1 full scoop is 41 grams, 155 calories, protein is 34g and only 2 grams of carbs. Often I mixed this powder with frozen fruit, oats and pineapple or orange juice and greek yogurt. The next item is my greek yogurt in my protein shakes. The serving size is 1 cup equals 227g, 190 calories, 28g of carbs, 18g of protein. I usually consumed one shake 45 minutes after my workouts. The third thing I consumed is one Ball Park Frank hot dog. Well I didn’t have one I had three. I know it’s a guilty pleasure of mine any way the label states 540 calories, 432 calories from fat and 18g of protein from one hot dog. Not including the bread and condiments added to the hot dog and I had three of them. I know I feel ashamed.
The Diet Analysis project has taught me a lot about my own eating habits and has inspired me to modify them for a healthier lifestyle. Probably the biggest change I will make after having done this project is to increase my intake of vegetables and fruits. Fruits and vegetables will provide more fiber in my diet as well as certain other vitamins and minerals that I am deficient in. I will also try to limit my fat intake, especially saturated fats from animal sources. I may even start packing my own lunches since most of the flaws in my diet are from of convenient and fast foods. Since I do work nights.

Reference:
"MyPlate." About Us. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2015. <http://www.choosemyplate.gov/about.html>.