A BALANCED DIET

Most people don t eat a balanced diet. This leads to weight gain and other health problems. Average Americans get more than 40 percent of their calories from fat. (The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends no more than 30 percent should come from fat.) This causes a major nutrient deficiency. Not enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are consumed and these foods are the 

Measure your eating habits against these recommendations by checking the  

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It is generally assumed that adequate vitamin levels in humans can be obtained through a balanced diet. However, ongoing studies continue to indicate that the majority of the U.S. population is not receiving even the RDA through diet. Supplementary vitamins are thus provided for fortification of foods (20) and as oral or parenteral dosage forms. 

The beneficial effects of dietary fiber, including both soluble and iasoluble fiber, are generally recognized. Current recommendations are for daily iatakes of 20—35 g ia a balanced diet of cereal products, fmits, vegetables, and legumes. However, the specific preventive role of dietary fiber ia certaia diseases has beea difficult to estabUsh, ia part because dietary risk factors such as high saturated fat and high proteia levels are reduced as fiber levels iacrease. 

Nutritional deficiency of vitamin B12—Eat a balanced diet diat includes seafood, eggs, meals, and dairy products. 

Pernicious anemia—Lifetime therapy is necessary. Eat a balanced diet tiiat includes seafood, eggs, meats, and dairy products. Avoid contact with infections, and report any signs of infection to the primary health care provider immediately because an increase in dosage may be necessary. 

Whether a fluid or electrolyte imbalance occurs depends on the amount of fluid and electrolytes lost and the ability of the individual to replace them. For example, if a patient receiving a diuretic eats poorly and does not drink extra fluids, an electrolyte and water imbalance is likely to occur, especially during initial therapy with the drug. However, even when a patient drinks adequate amounts of fluid and eats a balanced diet, an electrolyte imbalance may still occur and require electrolyte replacement (see Chapter 58 and Display 58-2 for additional discussion of fluid and electrolyte imbalances). 

To prevent a fluid volume deficit, the nurse encourages oral fluids at frequent intervals during waking hours. A balanced diet may help prevent electrolyte imbalances. The nurse encourages patients to eat and drink all food and fluids served at mealtime The nurse encourages all patients, especially the elderly, to eat or drink between meals and in the evening (when allowed). The nurse monitors the fluid intake and output and notifies the primary health care provider if the patient fails to drink an adequate amount of fluid, if the urinary output is low, if the urine appears concentrated, if tiie patient appears dehydrated, or if signs and symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance are apparent. 

The average soldier received one pound of fresh beef or one pound of salt-fish three-fourths of a pound of pork or 20 ounces of salt beef one loaf of bread and one pint of milk. (Hardly a balanced diet.)... 

It is important that children have proper nutrition and eat a balanced diet of foods that supply adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and iron. Good nutrition lowers the amount of swallowed lead that passes to the bloodstream and also may lower some of the toxic effects of lead. 

All individuals should have a balanced diet with adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D (Table 3-1). Table 3-2 lists dietary sources of calcium and vitamin D. If adequate dietary intake cannot be achieved, calcium supplements are necessary. 

Medical nutrition therapy is recommended for all patients. For individuals with type 1 DM, the focus is on regulating insulin administration with a balanced diet to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. A meal plan that is moderate in carbohydrates and low in saturated fat, with a focus on balanced meals is recommended. In addition, patients with type 2 DM often require caloric restriction to promote weight loss. Bedtime and between-meal snacks are not usually needed if pharmacologic management is appropriate. 

Diet At least until eating a balanced diet at B3... 

We can be sure that a balanced diet including fruits and vegetables is beneficial to human health. Whether antioxidants confer these benefits, and whether these benefits include longevity, remain to be seen. 

Before taking final leave of the vitamins, let s note that, for vitamin after vitamin, good sources have been green vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products, milk, and meat. Mother was right eat a balanced diet and include plenty of veggies and fruits. 

A deficienqf of zinc in humans will retard growth, both physically and mentally, and contribute to anemia. It is present in many foods, particularly proteins (meat). A balanced diet provides an adequate amount of zinc. Not more than 50 milligrams per day of dietary zinc supplement should be taken, given that high levels of zinc in the body are toxic. Human bodies contain about two grams of zinc. A deficiency of zinc can cause a lack of taste and can delay growth as well as cause retardation in children. 

Sales of Ca supplements alone were 875 million in the United States in 2002, and comprised 60% of all mineral supplement sales (Anonymous, 2004). In 2004, sales of Ca supplements increased by 9.3% (Uhland et ah, 2004), possibly to some extent in response to the Surgeon General s report on bone health that was issued that year. More recently in 2006, it was projected that dietary supplement sales in the United States would approach 5 billion (Anonymous, 2006). While Ca derived from a balanced diet is preferable, Ca supplements are a popular noncaloric alternative for increasing daily Ca intake. There are a vast number of oral Ca supplements available in the market place in the form of capsules, tablets, chewable tablets, effervescent tablets, liquids, powders, suspensions, wafers, and granules. However, not all Ca salts are equally soluble or bioavailable and the dose of Ca on the label of a supplement may not necessarily be reflective of the relative amount of available Ca once consumed. Furthermore, the same Ca salt may be more or less bioavailable depending on the production process and materials used to manufacture the supplement. 

Physiologically, body stores are maintained by extracting approximately 10% of the iron provided in a balanced diet and this corresponds to 1.5 mg each day for males and slightly more for females to compensate for pregnancy and menses. The trace element is derived from food by peptic digestion and after reduction the ferrous form crosses the enterocyte to be released at the serosal pole via the ferroportin-hepcidin mechanism to be transported, by plasma transferrin, to developing red cells in the marrow for haemoglobin synthesis. At the end of their life span effete erythrocytes are removed by the reticuloendothelial system in the spleen, bone marrow and the liver. 

Mitchell, C. A., Dougher, T. A. O.,Nielsen, S. S., Belury, M. A., Wheeler, R. M. (1996). Costs of providing edible biomass for a balanced diet in a controlled eeologieal life support system. In Ft. Suge (Ed.), Plants in Space Biology (pp. 245-254). Tohoku Univ. Press, Sendai, Japan. 

During the week before the test, write down (1) what physical exercise you engaged in and for how long and (2) what you ate for each meal. Remember, you re trying for at least a half an hour of exercise every other day (preferably every day) and a balanced diet that s light on junk food. ... 

What your body needs for peak performance is simply a balanced diet. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, along with lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Foods that are high in lecithin (an amino acid), such as fish and beans, are especially good brain foods. ... 

NUMBER ONE Every person who eats a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein products, potentially consumes approximately 32 different types of synthetic chemicals every day. 

Identify those chemicals that can be expected to occur in a balanced diet... 

When reviewing all of the previous data, the FDA detected synthetic chemicals in virtually all the foods tested. Only corn, ham (luncheon), pineapple (canned), pinto beans, kidney beans, and chicken noodle soup were shown not to be contaminated. The fact that virtually every food we eat has been shown to be contaminated raises the following question. What synthetic chemicals are we most likely going to be exposed to if we consume a balanced diet of dairy, fruits, grains, protein, and vegetable products The answer to this question is discussed in Chapter 3. 

The USDA Food Guide Pyramid (see Appendix 2) recommends that no one food group is more important than another - for good health you need them all. Most people are well aware of the USDA recommendations, but individual choices obviously dictate the degree to which these recommendations are actually followed. For those individuals who attempt to maintain a balanced diet, they must also realize that they will consume a mixture of chemicals that is unique to each food group. Therefore, the chemical diversity of an individual s diet is dictated by the foods they consume. But before we discuss this chemical diversity in our diet, it is necessary to describe the basic types of chemicals to which we are all exposed. 

Exhibit 9 shows that many of the vegetable products contain banned pesticides. These data show that 33 vegetable products are contaminated with banned pesticides, whereas 21 or 47 percent of the vegetable products are contaminated with multiple banned pesticides. This widespread contamination transcends the five recommended vegetable groups that are included in a balanced diet. For example ... 

The information in Exhibit 14 has also been used to determine the makeup of the most common chemical mixture associated with eating a balanced diet. If a chemical occurs in at least five of the six food categories, it was selected as a common dietary contaminant and their average frequency in food products was determined. This complex chemical mixture is represented by two banned organochlorine pesticides, two chlorinated organophosphorus pesticides, three organochlorine pesticides, two organophosphorus pesticides, six aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons, and two chlorinated petroleum hydrocarbons. 

Exhibit 14. Chemical Frequency for All Market Baskets Showing a Balanced Diet Exposure (i.e., as a Percentage)... 

The previous discussion has focused on an individual s exposure to synthetic chemicals in a balanced diet, yet many individuals choose to eat only specific foods that fit their lifestyle preferences. Thus, it is important to look at how specific diets can affect an individual s exposure to chemical mixtures. 

Eat a balanced diet with no more than 30 percent of calories from fat. 

In retirement, dietary needs will probably change. You will need less food and you will need different food. The extent of change will depend on your past eating habits and your present activity level. Regardless of your past eating habits, the challenges to attain a balanced diet take on a new dimension as you age. The following pretest lets you know how well you understand the key points of nutrition. 

These nutrients help your body absorb and use food. They also influence gland secretion and maintain a proper balance in your body s chemistry. Fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and whole grain or enriched breads and cereals supply you with essential vitamins and minerals. If you eat a balanced diet containing a variety of fresh and unprocessed food, you probably don t need extra vitamins or minerals. However, if you are neglecting a portion of your diet, see your doctor about a supplement. 

It requires dedication and planning to have a balanced diet day after day. 

If you don t eat a balanced diet, take a vitamin and mineral supplement. 

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