Looking back at my Computer Analysis Project about my food intake, I found two major problems in my diet. The first problem is that I have high cholesterol. My intake of cholesterol is high. The DRI is < 300 mg and my intake is 357 mg. The percentage for my cholesterol is 118. 9%. I didn’t expect that my cholesterol will be this high. Having high cholesterol can cause major health problems. It can cause you to have heart problems. There can be a blockage in the arteries. It is when the cholesterol blocks the blood going to the brain and heart.
When there is to much fat and plague, it builds up on the walls of the arteries and becomes hardened. The arteries become narrowed down, causing the blood and oxygen to move slowly to the heart and to the brain. When the blood is reduced, you can have a stroke because the brain is not receiving enough oxygen. If the arteries have a blood clots, there is a risk for heart attacks. When there is not enough of oxygen and blood flowing to the heart you can have chest pain and heart burn. Having to much of LDL is known as the “Bad cholesterol” and cause having plague on the arteries and the vessels.
HDL is the “good cholesterol” that can clear cholesterol from the arteries. There is so much of us that have high cholesterol and it doesn’t cause symptoms. Most of the times we don’t even know that our cholesterol is high. Having high cholesterol can increase symptoms of the heart. Cholesterol is not only bad, but is good for our bodies. Our liver makes the cholesterol that we need in our bodies. Having to much cholesterol can increase our risk for heart disease and heart attacks. Plague can cause blood clots by blocking the arteries that blood flows to the brain and can give strokes.
We can prevent having high cholesterol by some ways. Increasing our physical activity in exercising and making healthy food choices is a good start. Eating low-fat such as (fruits, vegetables, and grains) can help prevent having high cholesterol. Omega -3 fatty acids and fish can help reduce the risk because it reduces the risks of having blood clots. Cutting down saturated fat will also help reduce. There are some functions in which cholesterol plays a role in. Cholesterol produces hormones such as Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone, Vitamin D, Aldosterone, and Cortisone. Cholesterol helps the liver make bile.
Having bile, our bodies are able to digest properly. When the fat is digested it doesn’t get into the blood and doesn’t cause blood clots in the arteries. This problem is important for me to change because I don’t want to be in the risk of having heart problems. Long-term effects of this problem is a risk for strokes, death and heart attacks. With my family history and my high cholesterol, I am not at the risk of heart attacks. In my family history, I don’t have any family members that were in the risk of heart problems. This makes me feel better knowing there is less chances that I can have problems with my heart.
Looking at the food that I consumed, In N Out has the most fat that I ate. The burger has 10 g. of saturated fat, which fast foods can cause a risk of heart disease. Fast Food has fats that are not unhealthy which can lead to many risks factors such as: cancer, obesity, heart disease, heart attacks, effects in the liver, and digestion problems. I will increase my cholesterol intake by reduces the fat and processed foods. I will buy fresh products and make the food at home instead of buying the processed food. Fish is not my favorite type of meat to eat, but I will eat more fish.
Looking at my “Intake Compared to DRI View” I consumed 0. 2 g of Omega-3 fatty acids. I need to consume at least 1. 1 g. This shows me that I need to eat more fish or drink fish oil supplements. Fish is good for the brain because they clean the blood. There are less chances of getting strokes and blood clots in the vessels. I will also eat more fiber foods like: beans, eating fruits, and eating oatmeal. There is times when the fat is around the liver. We can prevent that by doing physical activity everyday. I will increase my cholesterol intake by 100 mg a day.
The other major problem that I have is low in calcium. The requirement for calcium is 1300 mg and my intake is 320 mg. Having low calcium can bring hypocalcemia disease. Calcium is very important for our bodies, especially for our brain, teeth, and bones. Everyone is supposed to meet their requirements for calcium. When people don’t have enough calcium through food, they need to take supplements for calcium because it is very important for our health. There is younger people who don’t have enough calcium but it is mostly the middle aged people who have problems with low calcium.
As people get older their bones get narrowed and they need more calcium to help give strength to the bones. Calcium has a big role in women. When women are pregnant, they loose a lot of calcium. Pregnant women need more calcium because the baby need stop build strong bones, muscles, teeth and a healthy heart. If you don’t have enough calcium, the baby takes it from your organism and this results health problems. Also, a women has a problem with menopause. Women who have menopause, have more chances of having osteoporoses disease.
When a women have their periods they have a hormone called Estrogen, which protects the bones. When a women has menopause, she doesn’t have this hormone to protect her bones. Osteoporoses disease can last a lifetime and is not cured. It is when you your bones are very weak and high chances of them breaking. People who have this disease have a lot of pain and sleeping problems. If there is a a family history of having osteoporoses, there is high chances that you can have the same disease. Symptoms of deficiency calcium is: memory loss, depression, menopause, fragile bones, and muscle spasms.
This dietary problem is very important to me because I need to move. I like doing physical activities, like running and exercising. If I will have a problem with bones, I won’t be able to do these things that I enjoy doing. Calcium is linked to chronic disease like osteoporoses. With my family history and my intake of low calcium, I am not in the risk of getting osteoporoses. In my family history we didn’t and don’t have family member sick with this disease. When we don’t have enough calcium, the bones take the calcium from the bones causing to have problems with our bones.
I will change my diet so I can no longer have this problem is by eating more plain yogurt and drinking more milk. Yogurt and milk are rich in calcium, which will help me raise my intake. I will increase my calcium by eating more eggs, cheese, and yogurt and will decrease my intake of cholesterol. To meet my calcium DRI, I need to drink 3 more cups of milk each day. I will increase my intake of calcium by 1000 mg. The recommended calories that I need to have is 2190 kcal per day. Examining my intakes, I only consumed 1297 kcal per day.