...Based Pregnancy Larry Rossi Drexel University Plant Based Pregnancy Planning your diet is a complex, time consuming task. It is shaped by culture, marketing, politics, economics, necessity, and desire. Diet is one of the biggest and most important factors in our overall health. Our diets are linked to an increase in obesity, diabetes, hypotension, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Obesity, which represents a caloric intake well over what is needed, is s major concern. Particularly in western culture, where a diet that emphasizes high fat, caloric dense food has been implicated as a connection to several negative health outcomes. It is accepted by heath care professionals, and pregnant women that nutritional status during pregnancy plays an important role in a healthy pregnancy. Women with poor nutrition can experience complications with labor, as well as compromised fetal growth, resulting in low birth weight. Pregnant women who gain more or less weight than the recommended amount can result in complications for both mother and baby. The incidence increases at the extremes of weight gain. What is an expected mother to be to do? An increased number are looking into dietary alternatives. One alternative, that is growing in popularity, is a vegan diet. What is a vegan diet? A vegan, or plant based, diet is a form of vegetarianism. It differs in that individuals following this diet consume zero animal products. This means that vegans do not eat any meat, diary, eggs...
Words: 2005 - Pages: 9
...Breast Cancer and Obesity Melita Dodaj Felician College Abstract Breast cancer continues to be a major cause of cancer deaths in women. Based on recent studies the prevalence of overweight and obesity in almost every country has been increased. Estrogen is manly responsible for the elevated risk for breast cancer in obese women. Also the other tow mediators that are held responsible are adipokine leptin and insulin -like growth factor-I, IGF-I. Experiments demonstrated a mitogenic role of these three mediator an cell proliferation. The data in the article shows a stimulative effect of substances produce by the adipose tissue on the breast cancer. Body weight cell specific proliferation suggests that obesity related adipokines and mediators enhance cell proliferation and increase the risk for breast cancer. A couple guidelines and recommendations that help to prevent obesity are physical activity and diets. Obesity is associated with poorer survival in women with breast cancer, regardless of menopausal status. The purpose of this study was to determine if the associations of obesity with breast-cancer specific, all cause, and non-breast cancer mortality differ from between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women with breast cancer. Also some other recent studies have shown that elevated BMI may be associated with breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema. Introduction Cancer is a disease of the cells in the body, fundamentally genetic. Cancer is defined as ...
Words: 1708 - Pages: 7
...Obesity and Cancer According to the National Institute of Health, nearly two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese (2007). Research suggests that obesity may be the most preventable risk factor of cancer for non-smokers, and many studies are testing for the effects that obesity has in all cancers and at specific cancer sites. It is known that obesity plays a significant role in cancer; however, the knowledge of the relationship to all cancers and the overall health effect of excess weight in terms of total mortality from cancer is limited (Calle, Redriguez, Walker-Thurmond, & Thun, 2003). In this paper I will examine the research available on obesity and its relationship to breast cancer (in post-menopausal women), endometrial, colon, esophagus, kidney, and pancreatic cancers, and briefly mention a few other cancers currently being studied for a possible link to obesity. The rise of obesity in the last 25 years has been most prominent in the United States. It is not, however, limited to the United States; for instance, similar trends are being seen in other developing countries. As it becomes easier to access tasty but unhealthy food options and as physical activity declines, caloric intake is now exceeding caloric expenditure. Genetic factors have been shown to predispose an individual to become obese, but environmental factors are the ultimate cause for the rise of obesity within populations. It is the metabolic consequences of obesity that are...
Words: 3427 - Pages: 14
...Concepts of nutritional health: Food: This is any substance eaten o nourish the body. Food can be solid or liquid, and can be taken by mouth, by tube or even directly into a vein, if someone cannot eat or drink normally. Health and social care level 3 book 1 Diet: This refers to the types of food eaten regularly by an individual. The word diet does not necessarily refer to a weight loss diet. An individual’s diet means all the meals and snacks they eat. Health and social care level 3 book 1 Meals and snacks: The traditional pattern of eating three meals a day still exists in some households, but a significant number of people gain a lot of their food intake from snacks. Some people have snacks between meals if they feel hungry and sometime just simply because the food is there. Snacks are not all necessarily unhealthy. Health and social care level 3 book 1 Nutrients: These are the specific chemical constituents of food that provide energy or support growth, repair or normal functioning of the body. Proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are all nutrients. Health and social care level 3 book 1 Nutritional health: Malnutrition: This is the condition in which the body does not receive enough nutrients to function properly. Malnutrition can include under nutrition or over nutrition. Under-nutrition: the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious diseases. It includes being underweight for your age, too short for your age, dangerously...
Words: 1295 - Pages: 6
...factor. A) Factors known to be related to diseases, but have not yet proven to be a cause. We say that a certain factor puts us at increased risk for a disease, but does not cause it. * How does one use risk factors? * Review the basics of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. * Be ready to identify the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (especially diet-related risk factors!) A) High LDL blood cholesterol, low HDL blood cholesterol, high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, obesity (central obesity), physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, diet: high saturated or trans fats, low veggies, low fruits, low whole grains * Describe the dietary strategies to reduce risk of CVD through diet. A) Decrease saturated and trans fat, increase soluble fiber intake, increase fruits and veggies, increase whole grains/ decrease refined grains, increase fish intake (2 servings/week) * What is the TLC diet and what does it entail? A) TLC = Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes. From the NIH, designed to help decrease cholesterol through diet and lifestyle changes: the same changes we saw in table 11.6, also recommends 2 grams per day of plant sterols * What do plant sterols have to do with high blood cholesterol? A) Plant sterols – the plant form of cholesterol. Slightly chemically different, prevent us from absorbing cholesterol in the intestines, currently only recommended for those with high cholesterol Weight Management * What is meant by the...
Words: 2589 - Pages: 11
...We all know that we need protein in our diet, but not everyone understands why. There are several ways people consume protein such as shakes, fad diets and pills, but it is not necessary if you eat the right foods. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), “You might think Americans were at risk for not eating enough. In fact, most of us eat more protein than we need.” Our bodies contain numerous key elements in every single one of our cells. Proteins are vital to the way we function. Because of this, our bodies are consistently working to utilize and replenish the proteins we consume. Protein is what builds, repairs, and maintains our body tissues (ex. hair, skin, organs, muscles, etc.) and gives us energy. It also assists with the production of certain hormones, enzymes and helps our bodies build antibodies to fight off infections and diseases. * Proteins are made up of 20 different amino acids, which is why they are so effective. When amino acids join together, different proteins can be created. Our bodies are capable of making some amino acids, but there are others that we can only get from our diet. These are referred to as essential amino acids. There are two different labels we use to categorize protein sources now. The first is a complete protein source. What makes it complete is that it provides you with all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. If the protein source lacks one or more of the essential amino acids, it is considered...
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
... 2013 How can diets work in order to obtain ultimate health? While researching books and articles about nutrition and diets, I found something very interesting that almost all the authors had in common. 95 percent of the authors of the books and articles I researched were obese at certain point of their lives and had tried many types of modern diets such as Atkins, South Beach, Ornish, Zone, the blood type diet, detoxing, the cookie diet-I and etc… without any long term good results. “Every year we are offered new diets, new books on dieting, and new weight-loss programs” (Katharine 1). So, I started researching about vary types of diets, how they function, how they are designed, and if it really fits all people. I researched about genetics, because I wanted to know if it has anything to deal with our health and if it has any influence in our gain of weight. I’ve noticed that when a mother and a father are obese usually the kids also tend to become obese. “Many Americans, including health care professionals and citizens alike, continue to gaze in the wrong direction” (Katherine 2). My goal with this paper is to find what would be the ideal diet and how we could live in a healthy lifestyle and never gain all the weight back! To reach this goal I have organized this paper in three main sections. In the first section, I provide an account of information about our genetics and how we can use that information in order to understand better human body and diets. In the second section...
Words: 3500 - Pages: 14
...of being overweight but not obese was 39.1%: 48.2% for males and 30.2% for females. The number of overweight and obese adults increased from 4.6 million in 1989–90 to 5.4 million in 1995, 6.6 million in 2001 and 7.4 million in 2004–05. Approximately 25% of children are overweight or obese, up from an estimated 5% in the 1960s. (ABS, 2007) (Allman, AI. 2008) In Sydney, 57 per cent of people are overweight or obese, compared to 67 per cent in other areas. This figure is relatively low in comparison to other major cities such as Perth (72 %), South Australia (61.5%) and Victoria (68%). (Markey, A. & Watson, C, 2011). When looking at the population and demographics of obesity it is seen In 2007-08, higher proportions of males aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese (63%) than were females (48%). (ABS, 2007) When comparing age groups in general, rates of overweight/obesity are higher in older age groups, although males and females in the oldest age group (75 years and over) had lower rates. Adult male overweight/obesity rates are higher than female rates across all age groups. (ABS, 2007) In 2004-05, 62% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and 58% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander females aged 18 years and over were overweight or obese. For both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males and females, the rates for overweight/obesity were higher in older age groups. (ABS, 2007) Younger people who were overweight or obese were more likely to report daily...
Words: 4387 - Pages: 18
...disease that affects 29.1 million people or 9.3% of the population in the United States. This disease results when there are high levels of sugar in the blood for an extended period of time. It can be controlled by diet, exercise, medication and insulin injections. There are three main types of diabetes; Type I, which affects primarily the younger population, type II, which primarily affects the population above forty years old, and gestational diabetes, which affects women during the third trimester of their pregnancy. While scientists do not know what causes diabetes, they do know that it is caused from a variety of factors that can vary from person to person, being heredity, overweight, and problems with beta cells, which are located in the pancreas. Diabetes can result in blurred vision, retinopathy, nerve problems, dry skin, and kidney issues. Diet plays a major role in the prevention of these problems. Sugar concentration in the blood is a major factor for diabetics, so understanding the sugar content of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is essential. The goal from a diet perspective is to control your sugar in your bloodstream in a way that the insulin in your bloodstream can manage it efficiently. In addition to diet, medication and exercise also plays a role in monitoring the disease. Currently, there is no known cure for diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by high levels of glucose in the blood. There are several major forms of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is often...
Words: 2081 - Pages: 9
...AHS 210 Study Guide for unit test #2 * A Glycemic Index is a method of classifying foods according to their potential for raising blood glucose. Selecting foods with a low glycemic index is a practical way to improve glucose control. So it is better to choose food with a low glycemic index. Some low glycemic foods are: Peanuts, Soybeans, Cashews, Butter beans. Some high glycemic foods are: whitebeard, baked potatoes, Cornflakes. *Added Sugars are sugars and syrups used as an ingredient in the processing and preparation of foods such as bread, cakes, beverages, jellies, and ice cream as well as sugars eaten separately or added to foods at the table. Some other names for added sugars are: sucrose, invert sugar, corn sugar, corn syrups and solids, high-fructose corn syrup, and honey. * The DRI suggests that no more than 25% of the diet should come from added sugars, while the WHO and FDA suggest that no more than 10% of the diet should come from added sugars. *High-fiber foods-especially whole grains-plays a key role in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. When soluble fibers trap nutrients and delay their transit through the GI tract, glucose absorption is slowed, which helps to prevent the glucose surge and rebound that seem to be associated with diabetes onset. *Increasing Dietary Fiber- 1. Increase fiber gradually over several weeks to gives the GI tract time to adapt. 2. Drink plenty of liquids to soften the fiber as it moves through the GI tract. 3. Select fiber-rich...
Words: 3195 - Pages: 13
...------------------------------------------------- Overview[edit] Nutritional science investigates the metabolic and physiological responses of the body to diet. With advances in the fields of molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, the study of nutrition is increasingly concerned with metabolism and metabolic pathways: the sequences of biochemical steps through which substances in living things change from one form to another. The human body contains chemical compounds, such as water, carbohydrates (sugar, starch, and fiber), amino acids (in proteins), fatty acids (in lipids), and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). These compounds in turn consist of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese, and so on. All of these chemical compounds and elements occur in various forms and combinations (e.g. hormones, vitamins, phospholipids, hydroxyapatite), both in the human body and in the plant and animal organisms that humans eat. The human body consists of elements and compounds ingested, digested, absorbed, and circulated through the bloodstream to feed the cells of the body. Except in the unborn fetus, the digestive system is the first system involved in obtaining nutrition. In a typical adult, about seven liters of digestive juices enter the digestive tract.[citation needed] These break chemical bonds in ingested molecules, and modulate their conformations and energy states. Though some molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream...
Words: 8834 - Pages: 36
...loss progams that offer extended support and dietary meal plans. Many weight loss programs provide the option of support, either through weekly excerise programs. These choices range from extreme workout methods, such as video games, such as the Nintendo WII fitness. Many people go to such extremes to lose weight that causes more damage to their bodies. However, even if you do like wht at you fine, consulting a doctor is even more important. With weight loss being in high, we forget that having a well-balanced diet, and exercise is healthier than bulimia and anorexia. People seem to not understand is that losing weight, can be a serious and obsessive problem if not done properly. Obesity and being weight are two of the problems that many people face. Excess fat can lead to differnt dieseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol which is not healthy for the body or health of an individual. Almost half of American are faced with this problem and, as a result, to lose...
Words: 1681 - Pages: 7
...inherent biological traits that differ between individuals relevant to body weight; to environmental and socioeconomic factors; to behavioral factors--which may have both molecular and environmental influences. Close to two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight or obese. Despite the attention of the health profession, the media, and the public, and mass educational campaigns about the benefits of healthier diets and increased physical activity, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has more than doubled over the past four decades. Add the relatively few Americans who practice the habit of regular physical activity to the many who practice the habit of “super-sizing,” and it is no revelation why this has occurred. We have inherited our genetic makeup from our ancestors, hunters and gatherers who ate diets rich in low-fat meats and grains, who had to stalk and capture the entrée for dinner. During times of feast, their bodies were designed to store nutrients as adipose tissue to be used for fuel to survive periods of famine. We are descended from these survivors, and we share this ability to store fat when food is in overabundance. However, famines in the United States are fewer and farther between nowadays, so this added fat is not used up and continues to accumulate through the years. We no longer have to stalk and capture our dinner; we can use the drive-through. According to US government’s Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “Obesity is defined as...
Words: 2719 - Pages: 11
...The Concepts of Nutritional Health What is a Healthy Diet? (DRV/ RNI) Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. Diet is often referred to as some dietary program for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a person needs for good health. DRV- Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) are the complete set of nutrient recommendations and reference values, given by the government. DRVs can be used for reference values in food labelling and for establishing food-based dietary guidelines. RNI- Reference Nutrient Intake is the value amount of a nutrient required for an individual to prevent deficiency within themselves. For example: Many people need less than the RNI. The difference between Meals and Snacks The difference between a meal and snack is that a meal is usually made up of a variety of different nutrients. Whereas snacks are a single type of food, which you have with a drink, it may be of low nutritional contents. Therefore it is very unhealthy. . However snacks, if wholesome and healthy substances, are a good thing if you eat them for the right reasons at the right time. Moreover meals are prepared and cooked, for example your breakfast and afternoon Lunch...
Words: 2486 - Pages: 10
...consumption of fast food has rapidly expanded her from a size 12 to a size 22? The United States has become a fast food world where everything must happen now. Americans want fast food, fast cars and fast results. With the ever increasing popularity of fast food restaurants becoming the standard for eating on the run, coupled with the increase in portion size, the fast food world is rapidly becoming the “fat” food world. Following the trend of needing to have everything happen quickly, one option that is widely debated is bariatric surgery. Although today’s population craves rapid results, risk of bariatric surgery to obese patients outweighs the benefits of diet and behavior modification in successful weight loss. Over the past decade, the trend in obesity has risen to 1/3 of the population of the United States. According to a study published by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there is no delineation between adult men and women of any age, however, those over 60 years of age were more likely to be obese than young adults. (Ogden CL, 2012) Obesity is defined by a person’s Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is an important health factor that should be monitored by everyone. The four main levels of BMI are normal (BMI of 18-25), overweight, (BMI of 25-30), obese (BMI of 30-40), and morbid obesity (BMI of 40 and above). BMI can be calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches. Obesity increases the risk of many chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease...
Words: 1552 - Pages: 7