My Healthy Diet

During this assignment I have gained some knowledge on my food behaviors, and I have decided to make a few changes to my diet and exercise. Based on my daily food plan, I must consume a total of 3000 calories a day in order to maintain my current weight. My daily food plan consists of 10 ounces of grains, 4 cups of vegetables, 2.5 cups of fruits, 3 cups of dairy, and 7 ounces of protein foods. My daily calorie intake is about half than my daily food plan suggests. I try to add each food group in the majority of my meals, but somehow some of them still get left out.

Based on the past week, I eat more grains each day out of all of the food groups. I rarely met my daily goal of 10 ounces of grains a day, and I realized that I mostly eat refined grains. As a change I have been eating more whole grain foods like oatmeal, popcorn, and whole wheat bread instead of white bread. Protein foods are also a big part of my diet. I consume a variety of protein foods such as seafood, chicken, beef, pork, beans, and eggs. I’ve decided to start buying skinless chicken to reduce my empty calorie intake, or calories from solid fats or added sugars. I have learned that eggs are a good source of protein but are high in cholesterol and that I should limit my intake to one to two eggs per week. I have also incorporated more nuts such as cashews, pistachios, peanuts, and Brazilian nuts into my diet. Although proteins and grains are such a big part of my diet, vegetables are my favorite! There are five subgroups: dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, starchy, and other vegetables. I have a passion for dark green vegetables such as broccoli, collard greens, romaine lettuce, and spinach. Not only do they taste good, but veggies are a good source of many nutrients including potassium, dietary fiber, folic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Starchy veggies like beans, potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes will be added to my meals, because these veggies are high in potassium. After this week I have noticed that my diet lacks fruits and dairy. There are a lot of different nutrients in various fruits that is essential to your body that cannot be all taken in at once. I have started making fruit shakes to ensure that I get more of these nutrients and vitamins. Most fruits are naturally in low fat, sodium, and calories and none of them have cholesterol which makes it even better. As for my dairy intake I am lactose intolerant so I will continue to take small portions. In addition I take vitamin supplements such as one a day men, vitamin D, and calcium pills. I’ve even considered drinking Lactaid, a branded version of cow’s milk with the lactose removed. As for my physical activity I try to jog at least 20 minutes a day, Do sum Kinect training and weight lifting, according to the National Federation of personal Trainer, Mesomorph men have a medium-to-large bone structure with rectangular-shaped torso and athletic muscle definition, and they gain or lose weight relatively easily. The best exercises for mesomorphs may include both aerobics and moderate to heavy weightlifting. Aerobic exercise such as jogging helps mesomorphs control their weight. Personal Trainers recommends 20- to 30-minute aerobic training sessions that keep your pulse between 60 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, which you determine by subtracting your age from 220. Select an amount of weight that exhausts your muscles within 12 to 15 repetitions for moderately heavy exercise. Alternatively, select a weight with which you can complete only four to six repetitions for heavy weightlifting.y diet

Overall I am pretty satisfied with my eating habits. I have been eating more organic food and less processed food. More whole grains, fruits and nuts have been added to my diet. Also, I will increase my level of physical activity to maintain my weight gain and to manage my current weight.