From my diet monitoring, I learned that I should be eating more fruits more consistently, and consuming more refined grains, as I do not eat many foods that are high in carbohydrates. I also learned that I overeat proteins, but consume enough calcium and vegetables on a daily basis. From the Falcon Market lab, I learned that it is very easy to be fooled by commercial packaging and marketing strategies on the food in super markets, as a lot of the products are packaged to look like they are natural and healthy, when in fact they contain lots of unhealthy chemicals that are detrimental to your health. Not only that, but many foods also manage to sneak in hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, without clearly stating it on the packaging. One specific example of my nutrient deficiencies/excesses is that on Day 1, the graph showed that I only consumed about 60% of my recommended intake for the Whole Fruit category. In Days 2 and 3, I gradually increased my intake in whole fruit, rising to almost 75% on Day 2 and about 80% on day 3. One thing to note about the data is that I regularly take calcium supplements, so the Cheese category on the three days is inaccurately portrayed, as I do get sufficient amounts of calcium daily.
Here are the screenshots of the 3 days:
Day 1:
Day 2
Day 3
To improve my diet, I will continue to increase my intake in fruit until I reach the 100% threshold, and try to keep my intake of refined grains constant. To increase my intake in whole fruit, I will incorporate more fruit into my diet during the day, such as eating grapes or apples with my toast during breakfast, or bringing fruit to snack on at school. To limit my intake of carbohydrates to a constant rate, I will try to pay closer attention to the types of foods that contain a high amount of refined grains and only eat those in moderation. For example, on Day 2, I had a couple of cookies for snack and some noodles for dinner, but since those are both fairly high in refined grains, it basically blew up my refined grains category. In the future, if I know that I am going to have noodles for dinner, then I will remember to get another snack, such as a a bowl of fruit, instead of a few cookies. This way, the intake on refined grains can be limited and I am still able to have a yummy, healthy afternoon snack.
If I had the opportunity to coach someone on proper health and nutrition, I would definitely warn them to pay close attention to the products that they buy and watch out for refined grains and detrimental chemicals and other substances in food products, such as hydrogenated oils. People tend to not pay as much attention to refined grains, so as the day goes on, the amount they consume exceeds the recommended daily amount very quickly. Hydrogenated oils should not be eaten because they are shown to increase the LDL "Bad" cholesterol while lowering the HDL "good" cholesterol, which in causes a multitude of health concerns including heart disease. I would tell the person I am coaching to make sure that they eat enough fruits and vegetables. Even though I always eat enough vegetables, I don't think that majority of the American population consumes enough vegetables on a daily basis, and whole fruits are often overlooked and insufficiently consumed because people favor deserts and other unhealthy sweets, such as candy and ice cream.
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