Impact of Poor Nutrition on Health and Well Being

Discuss about the Monitoring Practices of the Fitness Professionals.

Poor nutrition can affect the health and well being of people, and reduce the ability to lead an active and enjoyable quality of life. Poor nutrition can cause stress and tiredness and adversely affect our ability to work, and can also increase the risks of different diseases such as overweightedness and obesity; dental decay; hypertension; elevated blood cholesterol, cardiac diseases, stroke, diabetes type 2, eating disorders, osteoporosis, depression and even cancer (Combs & McClung, 2016).

The three most common chronic diseases that can be caused due to poor nutrition are obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Poor nutrition can be linked to unhealthy diets which can cause delayed growth of a baby in the womb, or early in infancy, and also affect children, adolescents and adults. Due to poor nutrition, the normal development and the normal functioning of the body can get hampered, thereby leading to the onset of different diseases (Geissler & Powers, 2017).

Healthy diet and physical exercise can help to reduce the risks of various diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Good diet can promote healthy functioning of the organs, and maintenance of the body homeostasis. Thus, in health promotion, physical exercise and good/ healthy diet are an integral part. Good diet and exercise can also help to improve the overall quality of life and can be used as a part of the intervention strategies for several diseases (Berry et al., 2018).

Healthy fats includes monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which care considered healthy for the heart. Examples include: 1. Monounsaturated fats include Nuts (such as peanuts, cashews and pecans), vegetable oils (canola oil, peanut oil, and olive oil), almond butter and peanut butter and avocado. 2. Polyunsaturated Fats include: salmon, trout, sardines, herring as well as walnuts, flaxseeds and canola oil. These foods are rich in omega three fatty acids which is beneficial for the cardiac system (Evans, 2017).

Unhealthy fats include trans fats (such as fried foods, margarine, baked goods and processed foods) and saturated fats (such as fat cuts of red meat, poultry, high fat dairy products, tropical oil and lard) (Pinheiro & Wilson, 2017).

An excess of salt in the diet can lead to an increase in water gain and thereby increase the blood pressure, and thus increase the risks of stroke and cardiac failure and heart attack. Excess of sugar in diet can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. Similarly, too little salt in diet can also lead to weight gain, kidney diseases and increased blood cholesterol levels and also can lead to iodine deficiency. Too little sugar in diet can cause malnutrition, weight loss and fatigue as the body is unable to get sufficient amounts of glucose (DiNicolantonio & Lucan, 2014).

Chronic Diseases Linked to Poor Nutrition

This group add calories to the diet, however does not contribute much to the nutrient value of the diet.

This includes all milk based products, and is a rich source of dietary calcium.

This group includes both animal and plant based food and contains various nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, iron, zinc and omega 3 fatty acids.

This group is rich in fibers, and is helpful in the reduction of diseases such as diabetes, obesity and CVD.

They are also important sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

(Delgado-Lista et al., 2016).

These are organic compounds that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen having the general formula C_x(H₂O)_y and are produced by green plants by photosynthesis. Recommended intake: 45% to 65% of diet.

Proteins are chains of amino acids and are the building block of tissues and also are a source of energy. Recommended intake: 0.8 gm per Kg of body weight.

These are substances needed for the normal functioning of the body. Recommended intake: variable (depending on the vitamin or mineral).

Fluids form the solvent for the substances present in the body, while electrolytes are molecules present in the cytoplasm. Dietary intake: variable.

(Delgado-Lista et al., 2016).

Healthy diet can be ensured by various principles such as: understanding the dietary needs of oneself; including peas and peaches in diet; reducing the amount of meat in diet; separating the good fats from the unhealthy fats, and increasing the intake of the former; being careful of the portion sizes; avoiding sugar sweetened beverages and instead limiting calorie intake through solid food; restricting packaged foods and reading food labels. Healthy diet can also be ensured with increasing fruits and vegetables in diet, avoiding processed meat, avoiding added sugars, drinking more water and eating less salt (Brown, 2018).

For individuals who exercise regularly, the dietary intake can increase the number of meals eaten through the day. The serving size can also be increased based on the intensity of the exercise and the amount of energy spent in it. The dietary modification can focus on providing adequate nutrient to support the physical activities. Specific tips can include having a healthy breakfast, selecting proper size of servings, including healthy options for diet, eating after exercise and drinking plenty fluids (Naldi et al., 2014).

This diet is based on the principle of intermittent fasting in which regular diet is consumed for 5 non consecutive days where calories are not counted, and 2 non consecutive days of fasting where the calorie intake is limited to 500 to 600 calories. The advantage of this diet is that it is easier to follow and does not require banning of foods. The disadvantage of this diet can be dizziness caused by the restricted calorie intake on fasting days (Mahony et al., 2016).

Role of Healthy Diet and Exercise in Reducing Risks of Chronic Diseases

This diet replicated the human diet during the Paleolithic age (high in fats and proteins, low in carbohydrates) and consists of food that can be hunted or fished. Advantages of this diet include reduction in the consumption of processed food as well as high calorie food. Disadvantages includes a lack of scientific evidence, and the exclusion of dairy products and grains which are important components of healthy diet (Fenton & Fenton, 2016).

Different measures exists for measuring the body composition, such as Body Mass Index (BMI) which shows the ratio between the weight and height; skin fold thickness which assesses the subcutaneous fat deposits, waist circumference which measures the central fatness, bioelectric impedance analysis that measures the impedance of the body to small electric current, dual x ray absorptiometry that measures bone mineral mass, densiometry that measures the densities of tissues,  Isotope dilution or hydrometry and magnetic resonance imaging. Using these techniques, a personal trainer can understand the physical state of the person, and the type and intensity of physical exercise needed (Oz, 2016).

Diet plays a key role in determining the body composition; especially of that of fat mass and fat free mass. Healthy diet can help to maintain the ratio between the fat and muscles, and thus in the maintenance of a healthy body composition (Oz, 2016).

Energy systems are metabolic systems that are involved in the production of energy from nutrients. There are 3 types of systems: Immediate (which is an ATP phosphocreatinine system), Short term (which is the anaerobic/lactate system) and Long term (which is the aerobic system). All these three systems are linked to each other in the form of a triangle. Energy substrates are molecules that liberate energy after taking part in an energy system, such as an ATP molecule or a Glucose molecule (Sherwood, 2015).

Body Satisfaction can be improved by improving the body image and appreciating the overall wellbeing of the individual. This can be achieved by three strategies:

1. Not making diet decisions based solely on calorie counts and fat intake, and instead basing it on food that are healthy.
2. Decreasing the superficial focus on the body and decreasing body dissatisfaction
3. Socializing more and engaging in activities.

(Jansen et al., 2016)

With good nutrition, it is possible to maintain a healthy body composition and body mass, which can thereby help to improve the body image and body satisfaction (Jansen et al., 2016)

Individuals experiencing a poor body image are often preoccupied with their physical appearance, have a belief that they have some abnormality or defect in their appearance which can make them too much conscious and sensitive of their appearance. This can further lead to unhealthy eating habits and physical symptoms caused due to it (Holzhauer et al., 2016).

Examples of Healthy Fats and Unhealthy Fats

Recommendations from a physical instructor can often be limited to the diet changes that are required to support the physical exercises. However, many important factors such as medical history of the client, health risks and clinical aspects of the diet can often be missed out from their recommendations. Another limitation is the lack of clinical expertise (Bennie et al., 2017).

Some of the most common gastrointestinal disorders include:

1. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
2. Celiac disease
3. Crohn’s disease
4. Ulcerative Colitis
5. Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Medical conditions that would require referrals can include: Gallstones, Hemorrhoids and Diverticulitis. These diseases can require medications and even surgeries, and thus would need referrals to medical or allied health professionals (Drossman, 2016)

For dietary concerns that can require referral to a medical or allied health professional includes eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa), obesity, negative body image and body dissatisfaction. Such concerns can be addressed by skilled dieticians and psychological interventions (Mehler & Andersen, 2017).

The human digestive system is made up of two main sets of components: the alimentary canal and the accessory organs. The Alimentary canal is a continuous tube that starts with the mouth and ends in the anus and includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach and the intestine. The food passes through the alimentary canal where is subjected to digestion and absorption. The accessory organs such as the tongue, teeth, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas help in the process of digestion (Rizzio, 2015).

In the process of digestion, complex molecules in the food are broken down into smaller substances through the effect of various enzymes and digestive juices. The digestion can be either mechanical (breaking the food into smaller pieces, thereby increasing the surface area) or chemical (action of enzymes or stomach acids). The process of absorption involves the digested food passing through the intestine, during which the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream (Sherwood, 2015).

Enzymes act as catalysis in biological reactions that is it helps to speed up or slow down a reaction. Enzymes binds specifically to substrates of a reaction (at the active site) which causes a change in the shape of the substrate and thus alters is chemical activity. During the process of generating energy from food, enzymes helps in the breakdown of energy rich compounds (such as ATP) and thus liberate energy in the process, which helps in the cellular performance (Sherwood, 2015).

References:

Bennie, J. A., Wiesner, G. H., van Uffelen, J. G., Harvey, J. T., Craike, M. J., & Biddle, S. J. (2017). Assessment and monitoring practices of Australian fitness professionals. Journal of science and medicine in sport.

Importance of Salt and Sugar in Diet

Berry, E., Aucott, L., & Poobalan, A. (2018). Are young adults appreciating the health promotion messages on diet and exercise?. Journal of Public Health, 1-10.

Brown, A. C. (2018). Understanding food: principles and preparation. Cengage learning.

Combs Jr, G. F., & McClung, J. P. (2016). The vitamins: fundamental aspects in nutrition and health. Academic press.

Delgado-Lista, J., Perez-Martinez, P., Garcia-Rios, A., Alcala-Diaz, J. F., Perez-Caballero, A. I., Gomez-Delgado, F., … & Delgado-Casado, N. (2016). CORonary Diet Intervention with Olive oil and cardiovascular PREVention study (the CORDIOPREV study): rationale, methods, and baseline characteristics: a clinical trial comparing the efficacy of a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil versus a low-fat diet on cardiovascular disease in coronary patients. American heart journal, 177, 42-50.

DiNicolantonio, J. J., & Lucan, S. C. (2014). The wrong white crystals: not salt but sugar as aetiological in hypertension and cardiometabolic disease. Open Heart, 1(1), e000167.

Drossman, D. A. (2016). Functional gastrointestinal disorders: history, pathophysiology, clinical features, and Rome IV. Gastroenterology, 150(6), 1262-1279.

Evans, P. (2017). Low Carb, Healthy Fat. Plum.

Fenton, T. R., & Fenton, C. J. (2016). Paleo diet still lacks evidence. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 104(3), 844-844.

Geissler, C., & Powers, H. (Eds.). (2017). Human nutrition. Oxford University Press.

Holzhauer, C. G., Zenner, A., & Wulfert, E. (2016). Poor body image and alcohol use in women. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30(1), 122.

Jansen, A., Voorwinde, V., Hoebink, Y., Rekkers, M., Martijn, C., & Mulkens, S. (2016). Mirror exposure to increase body satisfaction: Should we guide the focus of attention towards positively or negatively evaluated body parts?. Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry, 50, 90-96.

Mahony, K., Langdon-Daly, J., Serpell, L., & Gilbert, S. (2016). To Fast or not To Fast: Examining the Impact of the 5: 2 Diet on a Series of Executive Function Tasks in Healthy Adults.

Mehler, P. S., & Andersen, A. E. (2017). Eating disorders: A guide to medical care and complications. JHU Press.

Naldi, L., Conti, A., Cazzaniga, S., Patrizi, A., Pazzaglia, M., Lanzoni, A., … & Psoriasis Emilia Romagna Study Group. (2014). Diet and physical exercise in psoriasis: a randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Dermatology, 170(3), 634-642.

Öz, M. (2016). Nutrition and Gender Effect on Body Composition of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Journal of Advances in VetBio Science and Techniques, 1(1), 20-25.

Pinheiro, M. M., & Wilson, T. (2017). Dietary Fat: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. In Nutrition Guide for Physicians and Related Healthcare Professionals (pp. 241-247). Humana Press, Cham.

Rizzo, D. C. (2015). Fundamentals of anatomy and physiology. Cengage Learning.

Sherwood, L. (2015). Human physiology: from cells to systems. Cengage learning.

Sherwood, L. (2015). Human physiology: from cells to systems. Cengage learning