Diet Plan

            There are many people who could benefit from a more nutritious diet. Even if someone has a balanced diet, there is always room for improvement. Personally, I feel that my diet is pretty balanced. However, I know I need to work on certain aspects.

            One strength I have is my cooking ability. We rarely eat out, and I cook 98% of my families meals and do not own a microwave. I do not cook from a package or a box, and do not use ready-made meals. Everything we eat is made from scratch. I also preserve food from local farms for the months when the growing season is over.  

            Another strength within my diet is the fact that I love vegetables. During the growing season, we have an overabundance of vegetables from our local CSA. However, while vegetables are a strength for me, when it comes to fresh fruit, while it is always on hand I have a tendency of saving it for my children. One way I can improve my intake of fruit is by adding it to my meals by way of salads.

            Another issue I have come to realize I have is with getting enough protein as I do not eat much meat. I have come to realize that I have only been eating protein at one meal per day. I am looking into ways to incorporate protein into each meal. One way I am doing this by searching the internet for websites to get ideas. One website I have found is One Green Planet which has an article called 10 Simple Ways to Eat at Least 10 Grams of Protein at Each Meal Without Meat that looks to be very helpful. 

            While I am good at making sure I have correct portions during my meals; there are many that struggle with it. Something I have found that helps with this, without going out and purchasing a food scale is this picture that shows the hand scale. 

            Another good guide for people to follow is this photo from the Portion Plate

            While I feel thankful that I have the knowledge and understanding about food that I do, I know there is always more to learn. I cannot wait to learn more and be able to help others as well. I am a firm believer in the quote "to act on knowledge, people must change their behaviors, and while this may sound simple enough, behavior change often takes substantial effort" (Sizer & Whitney, 2013. Page 18). After all, something worth having is worth working for, and living a healthy life is worth it to me.

References

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

Digesting Macronutrients

            Without the digestive tract, the human body would be unable to absorb the nutrients needed from the foods ingested. The digestive tract is made up of the mouth, stomach, small intestine, and the colon. Each of these sections has a function that allows the human body to break down and absorb the macronutrients and discard what it cannot take in. For our bodies to metabolize macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) in our food, we first need to ingest it. 

            The digestive process begins at the mouth with chewing that releases saliva and its enzymes. Each of these enzymes breaks down a different form of macronutrient. Once the food has passed through the mouth into the stomach, there are even more enzymes, with the addition of water and hydrochloric acid. These break down the food into a liquefied form. Without this stomach acid to aid in the breakdown, the food would not be able to pass through to the small intestine. Within the intestines, there are bacteria, bile from the gallbladder, and bicarbonate from the pancreas to help neutralize any of the stomach acids that had made its way into the intestinal tract with the liquefied food. While humans eat a broad “range of bacteria, yeasts, and molds in our food and water; some of these microbes can be harmful if they survive and flourish” (Martin, 2006. Page 45, para 2). 

Digesting Carbohydrates

 

            When it comes to the digestion of carbohydrates, the process starts as soon as it mixes with saliva and the enzymes it contains. After leaving the mouth, the breaking down and digestion process continues in the stomach until it is mixed with hydrochloric acid, which stops the process of digestion. Once inside of the small intestine, an enzyme from the pancreas along with enzymes from the intestinal lining break the starch fragments into sugars that can then be absorbed. Anything left over after this process goes through to the large intestine where it gets mixed with intestinal bacteria. (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).  After this final process, any indigestible fibers left over are excreted. 

Digestion of Fats

           

            Unlike the process that happens with carbohydrates, only a small amount of fat is broken down within the mouth.  Even less fat is broken down while in the stomach since it floats on top of the watery stomach fluid. Because of this, fat is the last of the contents to leave the stomach for the small intestine. Once the fat reaches the small intestine, bile, and fat digesting enzymes break down fat molecules into fatty acids. From this state, it can be absorbed. However, as with all other substances going through the intestines, some do not and are excreted.

Digestion of Protein

            While it is harder for the body to break down and absorb fats than it is carbohydrates, it is the protein that takes the longest to break down. As with all foods, the digestion and absorption of nutrients from protein starts with the mouth. After the protein is softened and mixed with saliva, it makes its way to the stomach where it is combined with stomach acid, thus breaking it down further. Once the protein makes its way to the small intestine, it is met with more enzymes as well as digestive juices from the intestines and the pancreas. These juices and enzymes break the protein into smaller pieces. (NIDDK, 2013). While some of the proteins are absorbed in the small intestine, it is in the colon with its beneficial bacteria where “almost all food protein is digested and absorbed” (Sizer and Whitney, 2013).
            As it can be seen, while the macronutrients of carbohydrates, fat, and protein go through the same systems in the process of digestion, how they are absorbed is very different. Without these processes, we would not be able to obtain the nutrients we need from the foods we eat.    

           

References

Martin, B. (2006).  How Digestion Works. Total Health, 28(3), 44-51. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

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