Food Diary Analysis

Food Diary Analysis
Student’s Name
Institution’s Affiliation
Abstract
The client’s food diary included data recorded on her dietary pattern for five consecutive days. Findings obtained from the diary indicated seasonal food intake patterns with some of the breakfast dishes missing. Carbohydrate intake was lower than the recommended daily intake. Proteins, though adequate, are taken intermittently and are inadequate in some days such as in the third day. The diary also has indicated higher hunger levels during breakfast. This phenomenon can be attributed to lack or limited fiber containing diet during breakfast sessions. Fluid and water intake is consistent and meets the essential daily requirement of 2 to 3 liters. The level is sufficient to sustain the recommended level in the body, even after strenuous exercise. She follows a regular exercise schedule involving various activities such as treadmill running incline walk and row machine. Maximum health can be attained by ensuring that we observed a regular dietary pattern that complies with the recommended standards. An energy balance can be achieved efficiently by providing that both energies gained and energy lost is in a state of equilibrium.
Keywords: Food diary, glycogenic index, macronutrients, and micronutrients
Food Diary Analysis
On the first day (January 19), she balanced her diet, evenly across breakfast, lunch, and dinner and took food from all classes. Her dietetic composition seems to include sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients as well.

However, her food intake pattern is irregular according to the data provided. Throughout the recorded days, she maintained a consistent water intake and regular daily exercise.
Macronutrients
Carbohydrates
Her carbohydrates intake on the first day is relatively low compared to the daily energy requirement of 6g -12g per Kg. Also, there were no carbohydrates taken on the third day. The foods contain lower added sugar, thus contains low carbohydrate content.
Proteins
Her protein intake is also varied and obtained from diverse sources. Her primary sources contain high protein content above the recommended (more than 2g/kg) and included eggs, milk, chicken and red meat. The daily protein requirement for her weight is approximately 150g per day.
Fat intake
Her diet contained adequate to slightly above the average of lipids. Foods like yogurt, tuna, and peanut butter serve the essential daily requirement of fats of 11 to 15g per day.
Vegetables
Her diets constituted a variety of vegetables, though are intermittent. The first two days recorded high fruits and vegetable intake which includes, bananas, lettuce, and carrots. However, critical green vegetables are lacking on most days.
Micronutrients
Minerals
The diversity of the diets included in her diary serves a good number of essential minerals in adequate amounts, such as manganese, iodine, and sodium.
Water
The diary indicates adequate and consistent water intake for the five days. It ranges from 2 to 3 liters which are ideal for replacing water lost in the form of sweat during her physical exercise.
Hunger level
Her hunger level is relatively higher in the after breakfast than other times of the day for all the five days. To counter the effect, she should include high fiber diets such as porridge or granary bread. Her main meals are taken during lunch time and sometimes during dinner.
Recommendations for a Better Oral Hygiene
The range set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) is used in this report to determine all food classes minimum daily requirements (Ahmed, & Blumberg, 2009). The ranges are set to put into consideration the energy requirement of various individuals based on their physical activity. An excellent dietary pattern follows the appropriate guideline to achieve the most desirable health outcomes.
Though the diary indicates adherence to most of the daily nutritional requirements, some key macronutrients are inadequate compared to the daily needs set by IOM. Also, some food classes are missing in some days within the assessment period. On the third day, the diet was quite limited and omitted essential macronutrients for the whole day, for instance, carbohydrates were missing on that day.
The diary indicated higher hunger levels after breakfast for all the five days. This can be attributed to low fiber content in diets taken during breakfast. She should include diets rich in fiber in her breakfast mean such as granary bread.
Daily physical exercise requires a significant amount of energy which can be obtained through the intake of foods rich in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can easily be converted to glucose compared to lipids which take longer to produce the required amount of energy for physical exercise (Cermak, & van Loon, 2013). Also, carbohydrate choice should be of the lower glycogenic index to produces a consistent amount of energy and for a longer time.
Energy Balance
While other macronutrient recommendations may seem to be the same between individuals, the individual’s energy requirements differ and mostly determined by the nature of physical activity they are involved in. Energy balance consists of a state of equilibrium between energy gain and energy loss while maintaining a healthy physical shape (Hill, Wyatt, & Peters, 2012).
The diary indicates disequilibrium between energy lost and energy gained, resulting from the intermittent carbohydrate intake. The energy requirement for an average healthy adult is with regular body exercise, or any other strenuous daily activity ranges between 6- 12g per Kg. In the diary, carbohydrates are excluded in the first and third day, and intermittent in other days. Fats, though can produce the required energy, usually takes longer to be converted and also produce inconsistent amounts of energy.
Deficiencies that Can Lead to Poor Health
Inadequate or lack of particular key macronutrient and micronutrients can result in foodborne diseases. Sticking to a dietary pattern that omits crucial nutrients exposes one to dangers of developing these illnesses, where some may be fatal and bring long-term adverse health consequences.
The dietary pattern followed by the client indicates some essential nutrients omissions as noted in the diary. Carbohydrates are required for basal metabolic activity as well as to generate the energy needed for physical exercise. Deficiency of carbohydrates results in ketosis, a condition characterized by severe breath, fatigue, nausea, and headache (Gil-Montoya, de Mello, Barrios, Gonzalez-Moles, & Bravo, 2015). It occurs when stored fats are being broken down to generate glucose.
The diary lacked green vegetables, indicating low intake of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Though in small quantities, its work should not be underestimated. Vitamin C deficiency results in scurvy, a condition involving bleeding gum (Gil-Montoya et al., 2015). The condition seriously undermines oral hygiene regarding bleeding lesions which exposes one to the risks of bacterial invasion.
Lack of phosphorous in the diet undermines the process of bone formation. Phosphorous is essential for the creation of strong bones and teeth. As indicated in the diary, most of the diet lacked phosphorous (Gil-Montoya et al., 2015). Phosphorous deficiency leads to the development of weak teeth, which are vulnerable and prone to breaking thus undermining oral hygiene.

References
Ahmed, S., & Blumberg, J. (2009). Dietary guidelines for Americans 2010. Nutr Rev, 67, 615-23.
Cermak, N. M., & van Loon, L. J. (2013). The use of carbohydrates during exercise as an ergogenic aid. Sports Medicine, 43(11), 1139-1155.
Gil-Montoya, J. A., de Mello, A. L. F., Barrios, R., Gonzalez-Moles, M. A., & Bravo, M. (2015). Oral health in the elderly patient and its impact on general well-being: a nonsystematic review. Clinical interventions in aging, 10, 461.
Hill, J. O., Wyatt, H. R., & Peters, J. C. (2012). Energy balance and obesity. Circulation, 126(1), 126-132.
Appendix 1
Nutritional Distribution
The Food and Nutrition Board of IOM set the ranges for macronutrients distribution that caters for micronutrients needs and preferences. Nutritional distribution for a normal adult should contain the following percentage of the food taken in a day:
Protein 10% to 35%
Carbohydrates 45 % to 65%
Fats 20% -35%
The range allows for flexibility depending on an individual’s energy requirements and preferences. Also, it accommodates the micronutrients’ requirements of various individuals.
IOM report further illustrates the above information as follows using the gram per Kilogram of an individual’s body mass:
Carbohydrates range is 5 to 12 g Kg-1
Proteins range is 1.2 to 1.8 g Kg-1
Fats range is 14 to 17 g per day
Fluid intake should range from 2.2 liters to 3 liters per day.