Week 7 Reflection (21 Dec-27 Dec)

In this week, I have already posted the data of the Meal Logs and have therefore completed my project. In the following/final week, I will be presenting my research in a Powerpoint slide format.

Meal Log (Healthy Diet)

This is a Meal Log of a Healthy Diet. As compared to my regular diet, this meal log is much more balance, with a sufficient amount of food each day.

Like my previous data, I have also created a Pie Chart for the above meal log. From this, we can see that the largest portion is from the Fruits & Vegetables Food Group(36%), unlike the previous chart, which the largest portion was from the Meat & Alternatives Group. Also, in this chart, there is only 2% of Fats, Sugar and Salt, which shows that it is much more healthy. Lastly, there is a higher percentage of the Rice & Alternatives food group(32%) than the Meat & Alternatives food group(30%) now.

Meal Log

This is the meal log of my regular diet. As you can see, there is a wavering amount in the food I eat daily, which is in fact not very healthy.

From the data above, I have constructed the table into a Pie Chart. From this, it is shown that I ate mostly from the Meal & Alternatives Food Group and 26% of the food I ate belonged to the Fat, Sugar & Salt group. This is in fact very unhealthy as I am suppose to eat mostly from either the Rice and Alternatives category or the Fruits & Vegetables Category.

Week 7 Reflection (14 Dec-20 Dec)

In this week, I have finally compiled the meal log. Therefore, in the following week, I will be compiling the information into a graph before publishing it with the meal log of a diet.

Week 6 Reflection (7 Dec-13 Dec)

This week, I have managed to get a meal log of a diet. I will be posting it together with the Meal Log of a regular diet before comparing them. I will be collecting the data for the Meal Log this week.

Week 5 Reflection (30 Nov - 6 Dec)

Since creating my own recipe of a diet was a tough thing to do, I have decided to make a 4-day meal log as well as a 4 day meal log of a Diet. Once I have collected these 2 datas, I will see the difference between a normal diet and a healthy one.

Week 4 Reflection (23 Nov - 29 Nov)

In this week, I'm had troubles coming up with my own personal recipe for a diet. Therefore, I have researched on the different types of recipe other people used as well as the types of foods recommended by specialist before creating the recipe for the experiment.

Week 3 Reflection (16 Nov - 22 Nov)

This week, I have researched on what a healthy diet is and how it is important for our physical being. The week after the next, I will be starting on my experiment to see if a healthy diet will efficiently decrease someone's weight, be it just a little or a lot.

Week 4's "To-Do List":

Plan the experiment for the following week (Create a schedule for the diet as well as the recipe.)

A Healthy Diet

What is a Healthy Diet?

A healthy diet is one that helps maintain or improve health. It is important for the prevention of many chronic health risks. A healthy diet involves consuming appropriate amounts of all nutrients, and an adequate amount of water.

The Importance of a Healthy Diet:

Poor nutrition will lead to excess weight, mood swings, and increased stress. However, with a healthy diet, we will enjoy increased health and longetive. We will also experience a stronger immune system and fewer sugar-induced mood swings, making it easier to respond stress, and reducing the amount of stress we experience due to illness or poor overall health. We also may have more energy, so we can be more productive in our life, leaving us the ability to do more things that we enjoy. Therefore, it is important to have a healthy diet so that we will remain strong and fit.




Some Examples of Unhealthy Diets:

1. Food additive controversy: Some people claim that food additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorants, preserving agents, and flavorings may cause health problems.
2. Fast Food
3. Fad Diets: A Fad Diet refers to idiosyncratic (A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group) diets and eating patterns.

Week 2 Reflection (9 Nov-15 Nov)

In this week, I have researched on the parts and functions of the digestive system. I should be able to start my project by the 4th or 5th week after researching on the different types of food used in the diet as well as the importance of a healthy diet.

Week 3 "To-do-list":

Research on The Importance of a Healthy Diet and how it affects our body.

~The Digestive System~

The Digestive System is also known as the human gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), digestive tract, guts or gut is the system of organs within humans that takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining matter. The simple substances are absorbed into the blood vessels around the system and transported to the body cells, where they are used to provide energy and build new tissue. These are the parts along with its functions in order:

The Mouth: It contains the openings of the salivary glands; the tongue; and the teeth. This is where food is being chewed by the teeth with the help of the tongue and saliva, which helps in chemical breakdown of the food, and turns the food softer.

Pharynx: At the back of the mouth, there is a cavity known as the Pharynx. When food is swallowed, the soft palate closes the nasal cavities and the epiglottis(a flap which closes the trachea hile food goes down the gullet/oesophagus) closes the trache, therefore preventing food from entering the voice box and leads to a hollow muscular tube, the oesophagus.

Oesophagus: Also known as the gullet. After the mouth, food is swallowed into this organ which transports the food into the stomach. A piece of swallowed food is a bolus.

Cardiac Sphintcter: Between the stomach and the oesophagus, there is a muscular ring which relaxes to open and let food through. It is also known as the Gastroesophageal Sphincter.

Stomach: The stomach churns the food into very small particles with the help of substances like digestive enzymes, pepsin and gastric acid. Some substances, such as water, pass through its wall into nearby blood vessels, but almost all the semi-digested food goes into the small intestine.

Small Intestine: This is the organ where most of the breakdown of food and absorption takes place. It is made out of bile, pancreatic juice(made from the pancreas) and intestinal enzymes. A lymph vessel called a lacteal absorbs recombined fat particals, whereas thhe remaining semi-liquid waste mixture passes into the large intestine.

Large Intestine: This organ, consisting of the caecum, colon, rectum and anal canal, is able to retain food long enough for fermentation, this is due to gut bacteria required to breakdown some substances. Only certain substances that is broken down will be absorbed in the large intestine. Most of the water in ther waste passes through the colon walls into nearby vessels. A semi-solid mass(faeces) is then pushed out of the body via the rectum, anal canal and anus.

Rectum: This is where undigested food are stored as faeces. Faeces are removed by contraction and relaxation of the anus.


Source of information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_System

Week 1 Reflection (2 nov-8 nov)

In this 1st week, I have basically researched on the different kinds of nutrients and how having a lack of them will lead to serious health problems, and over consuming them would lead to obesity. During the first few weeks of my holidays, I will be researching more about the topic on Digestion and Nutrition, first fully understanding the information and theory before finally starting with my project on creating a timetable for a diet. In the 2nd week, I will be researching on the Digestive System and how nutrients are being abosorb.

Water and Dietary Fibre

Water:

-- Makes up 60% of our body mass.

-- Constantly lost from our bodies, even at rest.

-- Lack of water would lead to dehydration. Dehydration may even lead to Heat Stroke, Coma and even Death.

-- Our bodies need bout 2 Litres of water a day:

1. To maintain a constant body temperature.
2. For all chemical reaction that take place in our bodies.
3. To lubricate joints in our bodies.
4. To remove waste products from our bodies.

-- Many foods contain large amount of water.

Dietary Fibre

-- A substance found in food from plants.

-- Cannot be digested by our bodies.

-- Able to abosorb water and increase in bulk.

-- Aids in the removal of waste products from our bodies and prevents Constipation.

-- Mostly found in Fruits, Vegetables, Seeds, Nuts and Wholegrain Cerals.

5 Types of Nutrients

There are 5 Types of Nutrients:

1. Carbohydrates

-- Energy-Giving Nutrients.

-- Produce energy that we need to keep warm and to function properly.

-- Excess Carboyhydrates will be converted into FATS and stored in our bodies.(lead to weight gain and obesity)

2. Fats

-- Source of energy

-- Provide body with more energy than the same amount of Carbohydrates.

-- Prevent heat loss, Keep us warm

-- Protect organs

-- Found in both plants and animals.(Also found in Corn oil, olive oil, butter and lard)

-- Over consumption causes obesity, which leads to heart diseases.

3. Proteins

-- Required for Growth, repair and maintenance of cells.

-- Alternative source of energy.

-- F0und in both animals and plants.(e.g. meat, fish, milk, soya beans, etc)

-- Too little proteins leads to kwashiorkor.

-- Too much proteins leads to obesity and loss of calcium from bones

4. Vitamins

-- Protect our bodies from diseases and keep our bodies functioning.

-- Needed only in small amount.

-- Lack of vitamins may lead to serious health problems and diseases.

-- There are 4 types of vitamins:

1. Vitamin A (Fat-Soluble)
2. Vitamin B (Water-Soluble)
3. Vitamin C (Water-Soluble)
4. Vitamin D (Fat-Soluble)

-- Vitamin A : Usually found in egg yolks, liver, dairy products and yellow/orangr/dark green vegetables and fruits. Needed for healthy skin and formation of visual purple (helps us see better in dim lights) in our eyes. Lack of it will cause dry skin, night-blindness and the reduce of the ability to fight off diseases.

-- Vitamin B : Found in cereals, meat, fish and milk. Needed to release energy from the food we eat. Required for normal growth of children (Vitamin B1).

-- Vitamin C : Found in Green leafy vegetables and Fruits( especially cirtrus fruits). Needed to absorb iron from the food we eat and help wounds to heal. Lack of it will cos Scurvy, the bleeding and swollening of the gums and loose of teeth.

-- Vitamin D : Found in Milk, Margarine and Fish Liver Oil. Needed to build strong bones and teeth and to absorb calcium from the food we eat. Lack of it would cause bones to weaken and be unable to support the body, as well as teeth and gum problems.

5. Minerals

-- Help our bodies stay healthy and function well.

-- Needed in very small amount.

--Obtained by eating a variety of foods in the correct amount.

-- There are 3 important minerals:

1. Sodium-- Helps muscles and nerves to function properly. Maintains the fluid balance in our bodies. Found in processes food. Lack of it can cause tiredness and muscle cramps. Too much sodium causes hypertension, which causes people to suffer from high blood pressure as well as dizziness and headaches.
2. Iron-- Needed to form red blood cellsm which carries oxygen in our bodies. Found in Liver, Kidneys and Dark Green Vegetables. Lack of it leads to anaemia, which causes people to be often short of breath and to feel weak and tired.
3. Calcium-- Needed to form Strong Bones and Teeth. Mostly found in Milk, Cheese, Fish and Green Vegetables. Lack of it results in weak and brittle bones. Brittle bones would break easily and may not be able to support the weight of the bodies.

From this, I can conclude that obesity is mostly due to the over consumption of Carbohydrates, Fats and Proteins. Apart from these 5 Nutrients, oud body also need Water and Dietary Fibre. These 2 are equally important for our bodies despite not being nutrients.

~Learning Targets~

My learning targets for the topic: Digestion & Nutrition are...

1. The importance of a healthy diet
2. How nutrition is broken down and used by the body
3. The reason some people grow fat while others don't
4. The functions and parts of the digestive system
5. How our daily diet would affect our health/body