Nadia Muhammad (2A)
P1 - Explain how the concepts of nutritional health contribute to health and
wellbeing.
I am interested in becoming a registered nutritionist and I am looking to apply for a degree
course in nutritional health. I have chosen two individuals who will be anonymous and calculate
their food intake in the space of 3 days and record how much food they have eaten and
describe the impacts each of these foods from different categories have on their wellbeing.
In this report I will be listing the concepts of nutritional health and discuss how they contribute to
an individual’s health and wellbeing. Some factors that I will be discussing are healthy eating,
the eatwell plate, the food pyramid and a balanced diet. These topics help individuals to
understand the effects of the lack of processing on nutritional values and help to avoid
destroying nutrients.
What are healthy eating and balanced diets?
Healthy eating is important for all individuals as it helps to maintain good health and body
strength, this allows individuals to remain physically active “where they have a longer quality of
life and are able to take part in activities daily without fail” (CDC:2021). When having a healthy
diet, it protects the body against serious diseases and health problems including high blood
pressure, heart strokes, etc. Healthy eating also makes an impact on memory leading to
improved sleep and better concentration (longer attention span). Healthy eating consists of
meals that provide nutrients for the body. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fats
and vitamins etc. Furthermore, healthy eating teaches individuals the importance of taking in the
right foods that can have a great impact on their health and wellbeing. These foods involve fruits
and vegetables for example which allows individuals to have a lot of energy where they are able
to handle stress better (Healthwise Staff:2020). Individuals are also able to get support from
their loved ones where they are encouraged to make changes to their eating lifestyle to ensure
that they are eating appropriate foods that are eating appropriate foods that are good for their
mental health and wellbeing. However, healthy eating isn’t always convenient as consuming too
much healthy foods can lead to bad health diets, so it is important that individuals are taking
little fat foods as they help to give the body energy. Moving on, balanced diets have relation to
healthy diets as they both ensure that the body is receiving enough nutrients needed in order for
the body to function properly. It is important that individuals have a good suitable balanced diet
which include drinking water consistently and ensuring that you eat from the correct food groups
and avoid consuming unhealthy food choices that can lead to negative effects on the body such
as signs of fatigue or development and growth issues for example as individual may become
obese when consuming too much fat foods whilst another person may become too skinny when
only consuming the same healthy foods daily. Balanced diets also help to keep teeth and bones
in good shape through consuming vitamins through consuming vitamins through healthy food
products.
The Eatwell Plate/Main food groups:
The Eatwell plate is a guide which shows the proportions in different food groups which are
needed in order to maintain a well balanced diet, having these food groups , this is suitable for
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all individuals except from people under the age of 2 years old or those with special dietary
needs (NHS inform:2019). The Eatwell plate is split into 5 categories that we eat and drink,
some involve foods with nutritional levels that give the body good energy levels and others that
have an affect on individuals health and wellbeing (decreased mood, poor sleep). These foods
categories include:
● Fruits and vegetables (carrots, vegetables)
● Starchy carbohydrates ( potatoes, bread, rice, pasta)
● Fats (spears and oils)
● Dairy products (milk, eggs, cheese)
● Proteins (beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat)
The most important part of the Eatwell plate is fruit and vegetables. All individuals should aim to
eat those foods at least everyday. These foods are vital for an individual's diet as they provide
different types of nutrients to the body including fibre, potassium and vitamins A and C. Fibre
helps to decrease blood levels and lowers the risk of heart stroke, potassium helps to maintain
good blood flow, allowing the heart and lungs to function properly. Vitamin A helps to protect the
body from infection and keeps individuals' physical features (skin and eyes) healthy and in good
condition. Furthermore, Vitamin C helps with growth and repair including the healing of cuts and
wounds.
The Food Pyramid is a diagram that shows how different food and drinks contribute to a good
balanced diet. Individuals can choose foods and drinks from each tier based on their food
preferences. It divides Food and drinks into five primary shelves, which I will explain further.
Vegetables, Salad, and Fruit on Shelf 1. This should be used as a foundation for your meals.
It's always preferable to have more. Individuals should limit themselves to just one glass of
unsweetened fruit juice per day.
Shelf 2: Wholegrain cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta, and rice (3–5 servings per day, up to
7 for adolescent boys and men aged 19–50). The best cereals are wholemeal and wholegrain.
Shelf 3 consists of milk, yoghourt, and cheese (3 servings a day and 5 from the age of 9 to 18).
Choose low-fat or reduced-fat varieties. Low-fat milk and yogurt are better choices than
cheese. Cheese should be consumed in moderation.
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Shelf 4 consists of Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, and nuts. Individuals should choose to eat
lean beef, skinless poultry, and fish as they are the healthiest. On the other hand, oily fish can
be eaten up to twice a week. Eggs, beans, and almonds are also good choices. Individuals
should limit eating salty processed meats like sausages, bacon, and ham.
Malnutrition is a severe condition that occurs when your diet doesn't have the expected
amount of nutrients. “Malnutrition also occurs when specific foods that contain one or more
important vitamins or minerals that are not used enough in an individual's diet” (The Editors
of Encyclopaedia Britannica:2021), having a lack of nutritions such as vitamins and minerals
can lead to deficiency diseases including sickness, poor immune systems etc. According to
studies, “children are most likely to suffer from malnutrition due to imbalances to their diet”.
(Johns Hopkins:2021) this is because children enjoy eating sweet foods like chocolate, sweets
and are required to eat enough of these foods in their diet to help with their brain development
and nervous system.
Under-nutrition is one of the many types of malnutrition. This occurs when there isn't enough
food in the body leading people to become underweight, this has side effects of dry hair and
skin which tends to fall out very easily undernutrition may also “develop if an individual is
unable to prepare foods for themselves or may have a disorder where they find eating foods
difficult” (John E. Morley:2021). Professionals are able to diagnose if a person has this
condition based on how they look and their height/weight where they can provide treatment
or step to step guidance where individuals eat more healthier foods to reach.
Overnutrition is another type of malnutrition. This occurs when a person consumes too much
nutrients such as fats and sugary foods to their body leading individuals to potentially become
overweight and obese. Although fast foods add convenience and taste, it can cause severe
effects to an individuals health and wellbeing including memory loss, heart strokes, diabetes
etc, this can lead individuals to feel anxious about their weight and fall into depression.
According to statistics based back in 2016, “39% of adults above the age of 18 were
overweight whilst only 13% were obese” (World Health Organisation:2021). Being overweight
and obese can have effects on both genders; for girls, these factors can cause them to have
early puberty and worsened cramps whereas boys would start puberty late leading to delayed
development in some areas.
What are processed foods?
Processed foods are foods that are altered whilst in preparation (NHS:2020). Most foods need
to be processed so that bacteria can be removed and ensure that the food is safe to eat.
Examples of foods that are normally processed are milk, bread, tinned vegetables etc.
I will talk about the process on how foods are processed.
The first process I will be talking about is Freezing. This is one of the most commonly used
methods for food preservation where temperatures are used at a low rate to prevent
microorganism growth in foods. “There is no equipment required when freezing foods, instead,
people pack their foods into vacuumed sealed bags and store them long term, helps to prevent
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ice crystal formation” (Laurie Neverman:2021). This is good for beginners as it requires easy
steps and simple instructions to follow.
The next process I will speak about is Drying/Dehydration, “not everyone uses this process but
it’s used to dry foods with air drying, sun ovens etc” (Laurie Neverman:2021). Foods that
dehydrate very well are fruit and vegetables. If kept in a cool place foods tend to stay in good
condition for a long period of time.
Moving on, Canning involves putting foods in glass jars and tin cans. This canning process,
canning, is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight
container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans).
BMI and BMR
The BMI (Body Mass Index) is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilogrammes by the
square of their height in metres. BMI is an easy way of determining weight categories such as
underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity. However BMI does not directly measure
body fat, however it is somewhat associated with more direct body fat measurements 1,2,3. In
addition, BMI appears to be just as closely linked to many metabolic and illness outcomes as
these more direct measures of body fatness. BMR (known as basal metabolic rate) controls how
the body uses energy for particular functions. It also measures how much energy is in the body
in calories. This way, individuals would know what their body requires in order for it to function
well and stay active.
GM Foods
Foods generated from genetically modified (GM) species have had their genetic material (DNA)
changed in a way that does not occur naturally, through introducing a gene from another
creature. This is also known as "Modern biotechnology" or "gene technology" (World Health
Organization:2021) Plant-based GM foods are currently able to be accessed, but foods
generated from GM microbes or GM animals are most likely to be introduced in the future
market. GM foods can potentially help to lower food prices by increasing yields and ensuring it
is reliable.
Health Supplements/Exercise Regimes
Health supplements are substances that you can take to enhance your diet or reduce your risk
of developing health problems for example osteoporosis or arthritis. Pills, capsules, powders,
gel capsules and tablets, extracts, and liquids are all examples of health supplements. Exercise
Regimes are the physical activity guidelines which recommend to get at least two and a half
hours of moderate aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes of strenuous aerobic activity
each week (helpguide:2021). All individuals are required to at least do Aerobic activity, they
advise to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic
activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
P2 - Explain the sources of essential nutrients and their functions in the body.
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