Day 31 - My End of January Challenge!

For the last month, we have divulged into the world of nutrition in an effort to gain knowledge about individual nutrients, about the meaning of food, about recent developments in nutrition, and about many organizations that work to progress good nutrition in our world.
But before we say adios to nutrition and move onto next month's topic, I want to offer you a personal challenge in which you can use the information you've gained over the last month to learn more about yourself. Today I want to challenge you to assess the foods that you eat. You can complete this analysis for as many days as you like, but I want to encourage you to do at least three. (Seven days will give you a better all around idea of your diet but three is just as good.) For this challenge, complete daily food diaries like Sample A below, an eating behavior diary like sample B below, a summary table that presents the average of your three day data collection like sample C below for each of the days you are recording. Then fill our all of the analysis tables and answer some questions after you complete all of the data. One tip I do suggest when doing this challenge is to record all of your food consumption data in a program like FitDay. It will help you keep your items better organized when filling out later information.
Sample A - Daily Macronutrient and Vitamin/Mineral Diaries
Fill in the following tables for each of the food items you consume in your day. Complete a new set of tables for each day!!
Protein

Food Item	Amt	kCal	Animal protein (g)	kCal animal protein	Plant protein (g)	kCal plant protein

Carbohydrates

Food Item	Simple carbohydrates (g)	kCal simple carbohydrates	Complex carbohydrates (g)	kCal complex carbohydrates	Fiber (g)	kCal fiber

Lipids

Food Item	Saturated fats (g)	kCal saturated fats	Unsaturated fats (g)	kCal unsaturated fats	Cholesterol (g)

Vitamins

Food Item	Vitamin A	Vitamin C	Vitamin D	Thiamin	Riboflavin	Niacin	Vitamin B-6	Vitamin B-12	Folate

Minerals

Food Item	Calcium (mg)	Iron	Magnesium (mg)	Sodium	Zinc

Fluids

Food Item	Non-kCal Water	Non-kCal Coffee	Non-kCal Tea	Milk	Juice	100% juice	Alcohol	Soda

Sample B - Eating Behavior Diary
Complete the following table for each day you are recording your food consumption.
Part 1

Time of Day	Meal (M), Snack (S), or Beverage (B)	Hunger Level 0 (not hungry) to 3 (very hungry)	Location	Activity During Eating	Others Present

Part 2

Time Spent Eating	Food Eaten and Quantity	Reason for Choice	Helpings	Satiation Level

Sample C - Summary Table of Consumption Averages
Compute the averages of your three days consumption for each of the following items in the Table below:

kCal Total Daily Average
Protein - Animal
Protein - Plant
Carbohydrate - Simple
Carbohydrate - Complex
Carbohydrate - Fiber
Lipid - Saturated
Lipid - Unsaturated
Lipid - Cholesterol
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B-6
Vitamin B-12
Folate
Calcium
Iron
Magnesium
Sodium
Zinc
Caffeine

PART 1: MACRONUTRIENT ASSESSMENT
Sources of Calories
Fill in the following table to compare your average daily intake of macronutrients to the Dietary Reference Intakes set forth by the Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, and National Academy of Sciences.

Macronutrient	Average Daily Intake (g)	kCal/g	kCal from Macronutrient		Average Total kCal		Share of total kCal (%)
Carbohydrate		X4 =		/		=
Total Fat		X9 =		/		=
Protein		X4 =		/		=

Carbohydrate, Fiber, and Sugar Intake
1. Did you consume at least the minimum recommended amount of carbohydrate (30g)  needed to produce enough glucose for brain function?
2. On average, how many grams of dietary fiber did you eat each day?
3. Did you eat the recommended grams of fiber on average each day (25g for women, 38g for men)?
4. List one food you consumed with the most dietary fiber per serving: Food = __________, Fiber (g)= ___________
5. If you did not meet the recommended amount of fiber, what are two foods you would be willing to eat regularly that contain 3 or more grams of fiber per serving?
6. List three foods that contributed the highest amounts of "added" sugar to your diet and how many calories were provided by each. If the information is available, list how many grams of added sugar are in each food and calculate how many calories are provided by added sugars.

Food	Calories	Grams Added Sugar		kCal from Sugar
			X4 kCal/g
			X4 kCal/g
			X4 kCal/g

7. What percentage of your total calores comes from added sugars?
Total kCal from sugar: ____ / total kCal consumed X 100 = _____% kCal from added sugar
8. If your intake of sugars is high, list the foods you could eat or drink LESS of?
Fat and Cholesterol Intake
1. Did 20-35% of your total calories come from fat?
2. List the top three sources of fat and saturated fat in your diet
Sources of Fat (g):
Sources of Saturated Fat (g):
3. List three foods in your diet with the highest source of trans fat? What alternates could you select to limit your intake of trans fats? (anything with hydrogenated oils in it has trans fats)
Sources of Trans Fats:
4. What is your average daily intake of Cholesterol? ________mg
5. What three foods in your diet contribute the most cholesterol to your diet?
Sources of Cholesterol (g):
Protein Intake
1. What was your average percentage of calories from protein? ____%
2. Compute your RDA for protein (Body Weight x 0.8 g/kg)  _______g
3. Did your average protein intake meet or exceed your RDA?
4. List the top two sources of animal protein (includes milk and eggs) and plant protein in your diet and indicate the grams of protein per portion of food you ate:
Animal Sources of Protein (g):
Plant Sources of Protein (g):
5. Did you eat more protein (in total grams) from animal or plant sources?
6. Consider the benefits of increasing the sources of plant protein in your diet. If you ate more protein from animal sources than from plant sources, list four plant-based foods you could eat more regularly that provide at least 5 grams of protein per serving:
Macronutrient Intake Summary
Based on the data above, indicate how often you meet the target behaviors listed below:

Macronutrient Target Behaviors	Always/Usually	Sometimes	Rarely/Never
Consume at least 130g carbohydrate per day
Consume at least 25-38 grams of total fiber per day
Moderate intake of added sugars
Consume no more than 35% of total kCal from fats
Consume less than 10% of total kCal from sat fats
Consume less than 300mg cholesterol
Consume little or no trans fats
Meet RDA for protein
Obtain a significant contribution of protein from plant sources

Macronutrient Review
Answer the following questions in narrative form. Be specific and clear!
1. Describe the overall contribution of kCal from carbohydrate, lipid, and protein in your diet. Do you meet recommended levels? What one or two major changes do you need to make in your food consumption to improve your status?
2. Describe whether your intake of fiber, sugar, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol are healthy or excessive. What one or two major changes do you need to make in your food consumption to improve your status in these areas?
3. Is your protein intake sufficient? Do you get sufficient "necessary" amino acids?
Vitamin and Mineral Assessment
Do not include vitamin or mineral supplements in this section
Vitamin Intake
1. From your diet analyses, fill in the table. Include both the unites (mg, µg, etc) and numerical value. Refer to the DRI. Divide your average intake by your RDA to determine % RDA. Indicate whether your average was less than 0% of the RDA (use the - symbol), more than 200% of the RDA (use the + symbol), or close to the RDA (use the = symbol).

Vitamin	Average Intake (units)	RDA (units)	% RDI	Less than, Close to, More than
A		800 µg
C		60 mg
D		5 µg
Thiamin		1.1 mg
Riboflavin		1.1 mg
Niacin		14 mg
B-6		1.3 mg
Folate		400 µg
B-12		2.4 mg

2. Which of your vitamin intakes were less than 7% of the RDA?
Mineral Intake
1. From your diet analyses, fill in the table. Include both the unites (mg, µg, etc) and numerical value. Refer to the DRI. Divide your average intake by your RDA to determine % RDA. Indicate whether your average was less than 0% of the RDA (use the - symbol), more than 200% of the RDA (use the + symbol), or close to the RDA (use the = symbol).

Mineral	Average Intake (mg)	RDA/AI (mg)	%RDA	Less than, Close to, More than
Calcium		1000 mg
Iron		15 mg
Magnesium		310 mg
Sodium		2300 mg
Zinc		12 µg

2. Which of your mineral intakes were less than 70% of the RDA or AI?
Sodium Intake
1. The Dietary Guidelines recommend you to "consume less than 2300 mg sodium per day; and to choose to prepare foods with little salt". Do you feel that your intake of sodium exceeds the amount you should eat daily?
2. If you answered yes to the question above, list the foods, beverages, and/or condiments you consume that contribute the most to intakes in excess of your sodium needs:
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
1. Do you take one or more vitamin and/or mineral supplement?
2. If so, list the brand name(s), type(s), and frequency of use:
Assessment of Vitamin and Mineral Intake
Using the assessment in the previous section, describe how well your current behaviors meet the four target behaviors listed below.
1. To eat a variety of vitamin/mineral -rich foods so as to consume at least 70% of the RDA for each vitamin on a daily basis.
Vitamins/Minerals for which I meet the RDA:
Vitamins/Minerals for which I fell far below the RDA:
Fluid and Beverage Assessment
Fluid Needs
1. Fluid needs based on kCal consumed
Divide your average caloric intake ____ / 1000 kCal / qt of fluid = ____
(1 qt is 32oz, so multiply you number of quarts by 32 to calculate your fluid needs in ounces)
____qt X 32 = _______ oz/day
2. Calculate additions needed for exercise/athletes
If you are an athlete or exercise regularly (4-7x a week), do you think you need to consume additional fluids to account for fluid loss during exercise?
If so, use the following rule of thumb to estimate how many additional ounces of fluid you need:
Prior to exercise, you need to consume an additional 2 cups (16oz) of fluids. During exercise, you need to consume an additional cup (8oz) every 15-20 minutes. After exercise, you need to consume 2 cups (16oz) for every pound of body weight lost.
How many additional ounces of liquid do you need?
3. My total daily fluid need is ____oz.
Assume that approximately 20% of your fluid intake is met by the water (moisture) present in the foods you eat, and 80% from beverages. How many ounces of fluid do you need to consume in beverages each day?
Total daily fluid needs: ____oz X 80%
4. My total intake of fluids from beverages needs to be no less than ____oz.
Fluid Intake
1. From your dietary tables determine the total number of ounces of fluids you consumed each day from liquid beverages. Combine the totals of the three days and divide by three to compute the average.
Average daily intake of fluids: _____oz
2. Is your average daily intake of fluids from liquid beverages at least as much as the amount you determined you needed to consume?
If not, how much more do you need to drink to meet your fluid needs?
Fluid Sources
1. List the top three non-caloric and three top caloric beverages you consumed, in order of the amount consumed, with the beverage consumed the greatest amount listed at the top. (Non-caloric beverages include water, diet sodas, sugar-free beverages, and unsweetened tea and coffee. Caloric beverages include milk, juice, juice drinks, soda, sports drinks, alcoholic beverages, and specialty beverages such as mocha latte and sweetened teas.
Non Caloric Drinks:
Caloric Drinks:
Milk Intake
1. How much milk to you drink each day?
2. If not, consider whether you consume enough calcium-rich food sources other than milk to meet your need for calcium, to determine whether you need to consume more calcium:
3. If you drink milk, what is its fat content?
Juice Intake
1. What is your average intake of juice per day?
2. List the types of juices you drink:
3. Do you drink 100% juices when you drink juice?
Soft Drink Intake
1. What is your total average intake of caloric "soft drinks" per day?
2. How many calories did these beverages provide, on average, each day?
Alcohol Intake
1. What percentage of your average total kCal is contributed by alcohol (7 kCal/g)?
Caffeine Intake
1. What is your average daily intake of caffeine?
2. Does your caffeine intake exceed the amount considered to be moderate intake (300 mg/day)?
Fluid and Beverage Assessment
From the previous information, indicate how often you meet the target behaviors listed below:

Fluid Beverage Target Behavior	Always/Usually	Sometimes	Rarely/Never
Fluid intake meets fluid needs
Milk intake is appropriate to meet calcium needs and not exceed recommended fat intake
Contribution of total calories from beverages
Intake of "soft drinks" is moderate
If I drink alcohol, I do so in moderation
Intake of caffeine is moderate (less than or equal to 300 mg/day)

PART 2: EATING BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT
Eating regularly throughout the day is optimal for providing your body with the energy and nutrients it needs. Take a look at whether your eating pattern could be improved.
1. Do you eat within 1-2 hours of getting up?
2. How frequently do you eat throughout the day?
3. How many meals do you eat most days?
If you skip meals, which meals do you skip?
4. How many snacks do you eat most days?
What time(s) of day/night do you most often snack?
5. Do you have regular meals and snacks or do you "graze" all day?
Eating Locations and Activities
Making eating an event that is focused on and done in a setting designated just for eating is a more healthful habit than eating on the run or while engaging in other activities such as driving or watching TV. Take a look at where you eat and what else you do while eating that may contribute to negative eating habits.
1. List any eating locations other than a designated eating space. These locations might also include your car, a couch, or standing in front of the refrigerator, among others.
Social Contest of Eating
1. Do you eat at least one meal a day shared with others?
Which meal(s) do you typically eat with others?
2. Are your meals relaxed and enjoyable, or do you need to modify the atmosphere and/or spend more time enjoying eating?
Internal and External Eating Cues
A  primary driving force for when and how we eat consists of our internal cues of hunger. If we ignore these cues and eat only in response to external cues such as time of day, amount of food served, or a particular mood or stress, we are not allowing out bodies to regulate caloic intake according to our physical needs.
1. Look at how hungry you were for meals and snacks. Although we should avoid eating when we are not hungry, it is best not to wait until we are "very hungry" because this state is often associated with overeating. What was your most common level of hunger?
2. How often do you eat for reasons other than hunger?
3. Do you allow plenty of time to eat, taking a minimum of 15 minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch and dinner?
4. Do you generally clean you plate?
5. Do you often take second helpings?
Food Choices
1. How often does "good" nutrition influence your food choices (alone or in combination with other factors)?
2. Are the foods and beverages you generally consume as snacks more or less healthy choices than those you consume at meals? Do your snack choices affect your overall diet?
Healthy Eating Behaviors
For each of the eating behaviors below, indicate how frequently you practice that behavior.

Healthy Eating Target Behaviors	Always/Usually	Sometimes	Rarely/Never
Eating regularly spaced meals and snacks; not skipping meals
Eating in a designated location and focusing on eating rather than other activities
Enjoying the company of family and/or friends while eating on a daily basis
Eating in response to external cues
Responding to satiation to terminate eating (rather than "cleaning my plate", becoming overfull, or stopping eating prior to being satisfied, restricting intake)
Selecting foods not only for taste and enjoyment but also to provide for nutritional needs

PART 3: ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION
Summarize and discuss specific changes you think you need to make in your diet to be healthier. Also discuss what you discovered in this challenge experience. How might this affect the way you eat for the future?
Thank you for reading my blog this month and for learning all about nutrition with me! I look forward to starting on my new topic which I will introduce tomorrow!!
Today's Workout: Today I went back to my first Yoga workout after being sick! It was a wonderful way to stretch and relax, to focus on my body and my strength. Set aside some time today to participate in a little yoga yourself. Especially try out child's position (sit on your knees, then stretch your arms out in front of you and push your torso to the floor).
Today's Food Tip: It is never a good idea to exercise on an empty stomach, so today I want to encourage you to eat a small, healthy snack an hour or so before you workout. You're body will benefit from the extra energy boost and you'll feel stronger (not faint) during your exercise.
Today's Relaxation Activity: Sometimes, I find that waking up earlier than I normally do can actually be a relaxing activity (once I get over the shock of my alarm going off that is). So tonight, set your alarm for a half an hour to an hour earlier than normal. When you wake up tomorrow, take your time with getting ready, eating breakfast, and maybe even read a chapter of a book while you relax and take in the morning sun!