My Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Plan
Dietrich Collins
University of Phoenix
Dr. Nicole Nearor
July 14, 2013
My Health/Nutrition Target
My nutritional health has been a very important part of my life since 2001 when I discovered I have Crohn’s disease. The food I consume affects my life in serious and immediate ways. Throughout this course I have learned various ways to help improve my dieting and better my overall health with different foods, ways of cooking foods, and supplements to help provide nutrients my body needs. Having Crohn’s disease can often make eating fruits and vegetable very painful. Although I have a chronic illness, I plan to find a pain free way to incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and exercise to provide my body with the total nutrients it needs. Changes/No Changes From My Original Healthy Eating Plan My previous eating habits consist of a lot of pasta, meats, and bread because they do well with my digestive system. I have currently added more dairy and leafy vegetables to supplement my areas of deficiency. After completing the Food Tracker a second time I was still very deficient in my amount of fruit intake. Even with my adjustments I am still under my recommended calorie intake. In fact my total average calorie intake went down from 2906 to 2738 for a three day period. My results were still over the limit in saturated fat, and under the limit in magnesium, potassium, and several vitamins. These results are the essential need to incorporate more fruits in my diet.
My Four Nutritional/Exercise Goals I would like to incorporate more fruits and vitamin D in my diet, and begin doing cardio exercise and maintain my regular workout. While using the Super Tracker I notice each day I rarely had any fruit intake. According to "Choosemyplate.gov" (2013); “Eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. Eating a diet rich in some vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may protect against certain types of cancers. Diets rich in foods containing fiber, such as some vegetables and fruits, may reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Eating vegetables and fruits rich in potassium as part of an overall healthy diet may lower blood pressure, and may also reduce the risk of developing kidney stones and help to decrease bone loss. Eating foods such as fruits that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake.” (para. 2).
My doctor informed me of a vitamin D deficiency problem, and advised me to begin taking vitamin D supplements. I have not begun the supplements but I have increase the amount of whole milk I drink and I can already feel results. I would get muscle spasms or twitching and they have decreased since increasing my vitamin D intake. For exercise goals I need to add cardiovascular exercise to my workout plans. I currently lift weights, do pushups, and do sit ups, but I have no vigorous cardio in my regular workout. I get enough physical activity because I am active on my job but I would like to keep my heart rate up longer. According to "Choosemyplate.gov" (2013), “Adults should do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes each week of aerobic physical activity at a moderate level OR 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of aerobic physical activity at a vigorous level.” (para. 1). I would also like to maintain my current workout regimen.
My Actions Towards Meeting My Goals The first two goals I have to take action toward are my vitamin D intake and my fruit intake. I have already begun drinking at least 2 large glasses of whole milk per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. According to "Fitday" (2011), “Whole milk contains 40IU of vitamin D, which is 10 percent of the recommended daily amount for adults.” (para. 2). I also will be getting vitamin D supplements from my doctor. I plan to increase my fruit intake by finding more fruits that are painless during digestion, eat one fruit yogurt cup a day, and/or drinking on V8 Fusion regularly. Fruits such as grapes, oranges, and pineapples have a pulp texture which causes extreme pain for me during digestion. Fruits such as bananas and peaches are less painful, so I plan to identify more fruits like these to incorporate in my diet. I have had pleasant experiences with fruit yogurt cups and V8 Fusion in the past, so I plan to use these to meet my appropriate fruit intake. For my exercise goals I’ll begin by bike riding two to three times a week. I’ll also play a few games of basketball once in a while to add variety to the ways I am getting a good cardiovascular exercise. On my job I am actively moving or walking for about 3 to 4 hours a day, but that doesn’t get my heart rate elevated enough to be considered a vigorous workout. Secondly, continuing my current workout plan of weight lifting, pushups, and sit ups is fundamental for muscle growth and maintaining a consistent weight. Having difficulties with digestion is difficult to maintain a consistent weight, so identifying and maintaining a workout regimen and proper dieting will help regulate my weight.
Anticipated Setbacks Towards Meeting My Goals Maintaining my weight may be offset by consuming large amounts of whole milk on a regular basis. According to "Fitday" (2011), “Whole milk contains approximately 8 grams of fat per 8 ounce glass. Five of the fat grams come from saturated fat. Saturated fat can also cause weight gain and some types of cancer.” (para. 3). Incorporating and trying new fruits can be very painful and may not end up very favorable for me. A possible outcome maybe that I simple cannot eat many fruits. The only setbacks I can foresee for exercising is executing my plans with a busy lifestyle. Keeping up a routine workout plan can be difficult with long work days, children, and school.
Evidence of My Plan’s Effectiveness and Outcomes of My Success Proper implementation of my nutrition plan will result in stronger muscles, bones, and heart, increased energy, and weight consistency. Proper vitamin D levels will help provide strong muscles and bones. According to "Fitday", “When you do not consume enough calcium, your body “takes” calcium from your bones. This is why it is important to get enough calcium. It is a lesser known fact that calcium plays a role in cardiovascular health.” (para. 4). A vigorous cardio regimen will also strengthen my heart and increase energy, leading to more stamina and longer breathe endurance. Continuing my workout will build muscle and help maintain a consistent weight. Having a strong heart and strong bones will be extremely beneficial for longevity and during old age.
Health Risks If My Plan Is Not Implemented Vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious health problems. New studies show that vitamin D deficiency maybe a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. According to "Medscape" (2009), “Although the negative effects of vitamin D deficiency on bone health are well documented, there is emerging evidence that vitamin D is important in cardiovascular health. Vitamin D may decrease renin activity as well as lower blood pressure, and there is evidence that vitamin D helps to regulate the growth and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells.” (Clinical Content). Vitamin D is necessary for bones because it helps the body properly use calcium ("Webmd", 2013). Lack of a healthy cardiovascular system affects the muscles, heart, and overall ability of mobility. According to "American Heart Association" (2002), “The capacity for performing aerobic exercise depends on the ability of the heart to augment its output to the exercising muscles and the ability of these muscles to utilize oxygen from the delivered blood.” (para. 2). Vitamin D may play a role in the prevention or treatment of type 1 and 2 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, glucose intolerance, and hypertension ("Webmd", 2013).
Conclusion Nutrition is greatly important for any person with a physical illness. The Food Tracker exercises and this course have been extremely beneficial to learning how to better take care of my body. Adding vitamin D, fruits, cardiovascular exercise, and maintaining my workout regimen will lead to long healthy life. Without serious efforts to accomplish nutritional and exercise needs, I may experience extreme cardiovascular and bone complications. With the proper trouble shooting and abiding by my nutritional plan I will be able to incorporate fruits, vegetables, and exercise to maintain a pain free healthy lifestyle.
References: Choosemyplate.gov. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/fruits-why.html
Choosemyplate.gov. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/amount.html
Fitday. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of-whole-milk.html
Medscape. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/568322
WebMD. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/vitamin-d-deficiency
