Discussion 8

Reflection: My New Knowledge on Nutrition & Goals

My final discussion on this blog is a reflection of what I have learned about nutrition and health over the past five weeks.  Every so often I take a class as an elective out of interest, and I find that it has a profound impact on my life in one way or another.  This class has particularly impacted me for the better, and I consider the knowledge I have gained as invaluable.  

Throughout the weeks in this class, I have reinforced some of the beliefs and practices I have followed for years.  For instance, I knew that vegetarianism was one of the healthiest types of diets, and our textbook, Nutrition: Concepts and controversies reinstated this fact for me.  Although I had already considered myself health conscious, the amount of information I have learned about nutrition through this class has been astonishing.  I have strengthened my knowledge on the types healthy foods, nutrients, and how food deeply impacts and influences health.  On another level, I learned some things that I was completely unaware of, and this brought nutrition, and the importance of it for health into a whole new light.  From a personal standpoint, I feel enlightened about nutrition, and from the beginning of class, this newfound knowledge has been actively incorporated into my diet.

Here’s a list of diet goals I have set for myself:

• Continue making whole foods the primary construct of my diet.
• Continue to avoid processed and packaged foods.
• Add more variety to my diet, most particularly new vegetables.
• Get more protein daily from pulses, legumes, and nuts.
• Use olive oil in cooking, and as flavoring instead of butter and ghee.
• Open myself more to the wide variety of foods available in Indian culture.
• Hold the salt more often than not, and watch the sodium content on food labels.
• Look for MUFAs and PUFAs, and try to completely avoid trans fats and saturated fats.
• Increase my daily intake of whole grains.
• Continue substituting soy for milk.
• Continue to eat lots of fiber.
• Continue allowing sweets only periodically.
• Begin counting calories and documenting meals to ensure calorie control and optimum nutrient intake.
• Begin incorporating health concepts with regard to preparing for pregnancy so that within the next year I am in an ideal state for becoming pregnant.

Other Goals With Regard to Lifestyle:

• Maintain my physical activity routine to ensure a healthy weight and body.
• Incorporate some new physical activities into my routine.
• Pay more attention to the health benefits of food instead of simply my weight.
• Remember that perfect thinness isn’t realistic or very healthy.

      I am typically relieved at the end of a class that it is over and my hard work is complete.  Although I found this class to be an excellently thorough introduction to nutrition, it has left me wanting to learn more.  I plan to continue educating myself on important nutritional concepts and to share what I learn with my husband and family.  Knowledge is truly priceless.  This class has made it crystal clear to my why nutrition is so essential to good health and a long life.  Even better, it has taught me how to achieve a nutritious diet for a lifetime.