Welcome to the journey and connection of Nutrition and Wellness!

We all have our own journey in this life. Some of us have the desire to be a famous singer, athlete, painter, etc. Others strive to protect and serve as a military member, police officer, or firefighter. Then you have a clear majority of our country who are entirely okay with just getting by day to day. These same people are most likely a big portion of the percentage of Americans living with diseases such as cardiovascular disease or C.V.D, diabetes, hypertension and various forms of cancer. These diseases are often associated with the individuals who do not take care of their bodies and ignore their nutrition and health.

For those of us, like myself, who fell in love with the market of fitness and health industry, it is a struggle to grasp our heads around why people live the way in which they do each day. To blatantly disregard the heath recommendations of science and professionals is like committing slow suicide. By no means will I become rich and famous (unless I happen to get lucky), but something far more valuable shall be attained. I'm talking about fulfillment by helping others reach their dreams/goals. Nutrition is no easy field to work in as the trendy diets, myths about this food or that food, and thousands of "online coaches" are popping up to add to the utter confusion that is a healthy lifestyle. The information that hits the public's ear is always different and most of the time based off complete opinion.

What exactly is nutrition? I am a current student of Dietetics and Nutrition at Ashford University, and over the past few months, I have finally begun taking my major level classes getting into the "meat and potatoes" if you will, of the science behind nutrition. As I have learned over the past five weeks, nutrition is the term we use to define “the science of how food nourishes the body” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). A diet is simply a compilation of the foods and drinks we consume. While reading through the chapter this week, one fact that stood out as fascinating was that the normal person will end up consuming over 70,000 meals. 

The effects of what we choose to eat over our lifetime can greatly impact how long we live, what diseases we develop or fight off because of our choices. The best foods for humans to consume will allow for proper “support, growth, and maintenance of strong muscles, sound bones, healthy skin, and sufficient blood flow to nourish all parts of your body” (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Our bodies run on a combination of vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and the “holy trinity” if you will, of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats (lipids).

So many diseases/conditions can arise from an individual choosing to ignore a healthTwo consequences of inadequate/improper nutrition are heart disease and anemia. Heart Disease is the number one leading killer in the United States regarding malnutrition. Anemia is the condition “where your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin” (Web-MD 2019). This disease can be treated with proper vitamins and supplements (mainly an Iron supplement). There are countless other diseases caused by a poor diet.

Two health implications of this change come in the form of a higher rate of obesity in our country. Back in the year 2000, adult obesity rates in our country were at 30.5%. Today, that rate has jumped ten whole points to 40%. As a nation, we are overweight, and it is in large part to the complete ignorance on the caloric intake we consume when eating outside our own homes. In the comfort of our home we can measure and take our time reading the nutritional information. This allows us to make informed decisions. However, while you are on the go, most Americans just want to go as fast as possible and have a disregard to what they are shoveling in their mouths. The second health concern is the jump in diabetes in our country as well. Going hand in hand with the obesity rates, diabetes has jumped from 12 million cases to 30.2 million cases.

We will look at the top three leading killers of Americans who suffer from being overweight or obese. Let’s start on cardiovascular disease. If an individual, especially a woman, eats a diet with limited saturated and trans-fat, but high in fruits, veggies, nuts, seafood, and grains can easily fight their chance to develop this heart disease. As I learned in section 11.3 of my course textbook, women are a majority of the 83 million Americans who developed this condition since 2016. Next, let’s look at what kind of diet can help fight off hypertension, and cancer. Figure 11-3 is basically a chart or checklist of what diets need to consist of or what to avoid for the different diseases.

Here is a link to the American Heart/Stroke Association's findings on 2017 statistics :

https://healthmetrics.heart.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Heart-Disease-and-Stroke-Statistics-2017-ucm_491265.pdf 

Cancer and Hypertension both call for avoiding diets high in salty/pickled foods, both saturated and trans-fat. They also call for individuals to drink alcohol in moderation and to increase their fruits and vegetable intake. a is a term known very well by all of us and unfortunately can hit any and everyone at any age, and for any reason, so we cannot definitively say that a poor diet is to cause. However, we can say that a healthy one can help fight off and lower your chances of developing the disease. Hypertension is just a fancy word for high cholesterol. The scary part about this disease is that it is often called the silent killer. For years, there can be no signs or symptoms and without knowing what healthy levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressures are, you will never know. Normal ranges of these are below 120 and 80, respectively.

Malnutrition is yet another disease that can affect the human body due to a poor diet. Think of malnutrition as being undernourished or failing to give your body the needed vitamins/minerals and sources of energy it needs to function properly. A great example of this would be failing to fill your vehicle with air for the tires, oil for the engine and your loved ones using their seat belts for protection. According to table 9-1 of our text book, underweight is a term used to describe someone who has a Body Mass Index under 18.5 and is considerably far more likely to die due to a wasting disease (such as cancer). Their bodies are already malnourished, and they have a harder time retaining the needed nutrients. Having too little body fat greatly increases an individual’s ability to fight off any foreign illness/bacteria.

Overweight is considered to anyone with a Body Mass Index of greater than 30. “An estimated 69% of American adults are considered to be in the category of overweight or obese” (30% are obese) (Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. 2017). Having too much body fat can directly cause disorders like Arthritis, breathing problems, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension and multiple forms of cancer. People who are obese are three times more likely to develop these conditions than normal people.

Looking at Table 9-2 of our textbook, the mortality rate of people shown by the J shape graph shows a high chance to die at 15 (starvation) and then sky rockets when the Body Mass Index hits 35-40. The population who are considered obese and severely obese are three times likely to die of a serious disease like I mentioned in the paragraph above. Some preventative measures to avoid being overweight are simple. An individual need to eat a balanced diet, drink adequate amounts of water, take vitamins, and stay active by working out.

Works Cited:

1.      1.  Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2017). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (14th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

2.      2.  Web-MD (2019). Understanding Anemia-The Basics. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/understanding-anemia-basics#1
          3. American Heart and Stroke Association. (2017). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2017-At a Glance. Retrieved from: https://healthmetrics.heart.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Heart-Disease-and-Stroke-Statistics-2017-ucm_491265.pdf