In this task I will describe and explain the dietary programme for people with different types of illnesses and lifestyles. Introduction
Dilwar Choudhury Task 3
Case Studies
In this task I will describe and explain the dietary programme for people with different types of illnesses and lifestyles.
Introduction
The importance of good nutrition is not a new concept, for even Hippocrates who lived 400 B.C said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food". In this day and age, the issue of nutrition has become even more of important subject. At least four of the ten leading causes of death (heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes) in the United States are directly related to people’s diet. But while the wrong diet can be deadly, eating right is among the key cornerstones of health.
Of course, food alone isn't the key to a longer and healthier life. Good nutrition should be part of an overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes regular exercise, not smoking or drinking alcohol and not taking other toxic substances. Genes also participate a great deal in a persons risk for certain health problems. Fortunately what a person eats can greatly influence that person’s body. For example, Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) can begin in early childhood, but the process can be stopped and also reversed if a person changes their diet and lifestyle to a healthy one. Osteoporosis (bone thinning) can be slowed one if enough calcium and vitamin D is consumed and regular exercise is performed. These examples are evidence that a balanced diet have great positive effects on the body. To stay healthy a body needs the correct amounts of the three main components of nutrition, which are and . The body also needs from a variety of foods. Also moderation must be taken in consideration, as eating too much or too little of any food or nutrient can cause negative effects on the body.
Case Study One: Sam
Sam is a female and a long distance runner. She runs an average between five to ten miles, two or three times per week. Sam has entered a marathon, which begins in three months and therefore she thinks she should follow a dietary regime to increase her athletic performance.
Importance of special dietary requirements:
Good nutrition is critical for a runner to excel in running and have enough energy for a race, both before the race and during a race. A long distances runner has energy requirements much more than a short distance runner. In an article on the topic of endurance in ‘The Physician and Sports Medicine’ magazine, Walter Frontera and Richard Adams, said, "During sustained exercise such as marathon running, total body energy requirements increase 10 to 20 times above resting values". Therefore long distance runners need to eat more foods rich in carbohydrates to fuel their muscles, they also need to drink more. As Sam likes to run in the morning a good breakfast is very important in her diet, as it helps to control blood-sugar levels, which will increase her mental acuity and improve her running mood. And research has shown that certain foods eaten at breakfast may affect our hormones and help prevent chronic diseases.
Description of the individual’s special dietary requirements:
As Sam is an athlete, her dietary requirements are very different than inactive individuals such as the average citizen. Athletes follow a special dietary programme before and during their training. This programme is basically a balanced diet but more emphasis is placed on eating carbohydrate-enriched foods. This is because carbohydrates provide a large amount of rapid energy to the human body, which is especially needed by athletes than normal individuals. For example, a cyclist has an energy requirement of about three times the energy requirement of an inactive person. Athletes need additional energy requirements for their rigour excise and this can be obtained from foods such as pasta and rice. For an athlete their protein, vitamins or minerals requirements stay the same as normal. The human body cannot train rigorously within two hours of eating a meal. But Carbohydrate-enrich foods are digested faster than other types of foods such as proteins and so they are a very valuable source of food and energy to an athlete. Therefore an athlete’s balanced diet should consist more of carbohydrates than normal. An athlete’s diet should be low fat, low protein and almost mostly vegetarian diet to achieve top performance in sports. A low-protein meal minimizes the load of protein-breakdown products that must be excreted by her kidney urination. And her fluid intake should be generous to ensure that the body is well hydrated, cold water is best preferred. Sam’s balanced diet and calorie intake depends on her weight to height ratio and her workload. Therefore she must adjust it to her body’s needs. Long distance athletes should eat up to five times a day. The total calorific intake for a day should be divided as followed - Breakfast 25%, Lunch 30%, Dinner 25% and Other 20%. ‘Other’ should consist of any two types of meals such as a second breakfast and a night meal or snacks between meals. The average daily calorie requirement for a woman is 2100 kcal, but for a long distance runner it is doubled (4200 kcal). The number of calories needed in a diet for is higher when a person increases the workload, works in cold weather conditions and is adapting to new conditions e.g. altitude. Eating a meal or snack before running is very important, as when the body runs out of energy sources such as food and body fat, it starts eating the muscles for energy. Jenna Bell Wilson, a nutrition and exercise instructor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque said "Running in the morning without eating something is like driving a car on fumes”. This statement shows the impotents of eating a breakfast before running. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Dietetic Association recommend that a person should eat a high carbohydrate meal about 400 to 500 kcal, two or three hours before running. The U.S record holder in the 1000 meters Jennifer Toomey, said she cooks herself a breakfast every morning consisting of two fried eggs, two slices of whole wheat toast, OJ and a coffee. But most runner’s don’t have time to cook such a meal, however Jennifer Toomey has said that a mini meal between 100 to 300 calories would do fine for hour of running. The amount of calories Sam needs is dependent on her body size such as weight and body fat and her running program. The best breakfast for people in general, is one, which is rich in complex and simple carbohydrates, protein and small amounts of healthy fats. Sam’s breakfast consist of all of these.
