Essay on Healthy Eating on a Budget: Peanut Butter, Unsalted Pepitas & Flax Seeds

Peanut butter unsalted Pepitas Flax seeds, Not fortified Making changes to my diet was not an easy task. It is because of the following reasons. Firstly, I don't have enough time to cook or eat healthy meals because of my classes and volunteer activities that I participate in. Thus, I often make smoothies; large tossed salads and casseroles. Secondly, I don't have enough money to buy and eat healthily. Foodstuff is not cheap. Therefore, I would go for the most affordable food item on the menu without considering its nutritional value or the adverse results that particular food would cause on my health. Thirdly, peer pressure was a significant issue. It is because it is cumbersome to eat healthily and maintain a social life. A college is a place where students tend to live a carefree life eating out and drinking, and because I do not want to be the one that breaks the cycle, I often join the parties. Therefore, because I do not want to disappoint my friends, I make unhealthy decisions, which I regret later(Stead &Adamson, 2011). Lastly, I enjoy eating, and I do not take into consideration the type of food or its nutritional value. Therefore changing my diet was not an easy task.

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The changes I made on my diet were realistic. It is because of the following reasons. Firstly, I saved a lot of cash from buying my food rather than eating out. Secondly, I learnt self-discipline when in social gatherings with my friends. Whenever I went partying, I set the limit and thus ended up not overdoing some things because my friends thought it was cool. Thirdly, I learnt how to maintain a healthy lifestyle by eating a lot of healthy foods. Lastly, because I am always in a rush going to classes and volunteer activities, I learnt how to plan my meals instead of consuming smoothies and salads,

There are particular foods that I added to my diet were fruits, such as. It is because of their nutritional value. Fruits such as apple and bananas contain vitamin A that improves a person's eyesight and foliate that help in increasing red blood cells. Additionally, fruits act as protective foods that protect a person from diseases and infections. Lastly, fruits help in digestion because of the roughages in them. Vegetables such as broccoli also added Vitamin C, which is a protective food.

The changes I made to my diet were mostly for the nutritional value. The foods I deleted from my menu were fatty and had a lot of proteins. Their nutritional value was terrible for my health because of the following reasons. Firstly, fatty foods such as flax seeds have omega-3 and high fibre content, but the side effects for taking them include; allergic reactions, diarrhea, obstruction of the intestines, bloating, constipation and gas. Therefore, as much as the flax seeds were nutritious, they affected my health in a lot of ways.

Secondly, the chicken breast with skin removed before cooking had a lot of proteins. It is approximated to be 73.5%, with a fat content of 23.5%. The high fat and proteins in this type of food increased a person's risk of having diseases associated with the heart (Ozdoan, M., & Aksit, M. (2003). Additionally, too many proteins increased a person's intestinal discomfort and indigestion. Also, a lot of proteins causes weight gain. The weight gain can cause someone to be obese.

Thirdly, the foods that I changed the amount in my diet were mostly fruits. The nutrients found in fruits and vegetables are for the maintenance and the healthiness of a person's body. For example, the potassium found in fruits aids in minimizing the risk of getting diseases associated with the heart and stroke. Additionally, it reduces the risk of an individual getting kidney stones and reducing bone loss as a person ages (Slavin & Boyd, 2012). Foods such as broccoli, oranges and strawberries have Vitamin C that is essential in the production of collagen, which strengthens capillaries that supply the skin with nutrients and blood.

Additionally, the foods that I added in my diet were strictly food that had carbohydrates of a percentage higher than 55, and the fat content had a percentage of less than 25. It is because, through eating such foods, I maintained a balance of the nutrients that my body needed. Due to demanding activities in my daily routine, I need a lot of carbohydrates for energy. Additionally, carbohydrates aids in fueling the brain, kidney and heart muscles (Siri-Tarino et al. 2010).

Conclusion

In summary, people have many excuses about why they do not monitor what they eat. However, to prevent a lot of health problems, a person is advised to eat a lot of healthy foods, mostly a balanced diet to supplement the nutrients that the body needs. The chronometer is a web-based diet analysis program that can help an individual monitor the percentages of each nutrient they consume in a given type of food. Therefore, to maintain a healthy eating lifestyle, a person has to monitor closely what he or she eats.

References

Ozdoan, M., & Aksit, M. (2003). Effects of feeds containing different fats on carcass and blood parameters of broilers. Journal of applied poultry research, 12(3), 251-256.

Siri-Tarino, P. W., Sun, Q., Hu, F. B., & Krauss, R. M. (2010). Saturated fat, carbohydrate, and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(3), 502-509.

Slavin, J. L., & Lloyd, B. (2012). Health benefits of fruits and vegetables. Advances in nutrition, 3(4), 506-516.

Stead, M., McDermott, L., MacKintosh, A. M., & Adamson, A. (2011). Why healthy eating is bad for young people's health: Identity, belonging and food. Social science & medicine, 72(7), 1131-1139.