Nutrition, Diet And Exercise¶
Health Goal¶
I realized many years ago that I would enjoy the rest of my life more if I went through it in better shape so I got serious about diet, nutrition and exercise. My goal is to have the energy and ability to do the things that need to get done and those that I enjoy.
Personal Journey¶
It is a lifelong journey. Author’s original problem was overnutrition, an intake of calories that exceeded his expenditure, so over time, he became overweight and that brought complications like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and low energy that could have led to cardiovascular disease. To solve the problem before it got out of hand, he had to lower his calorie intake, increase his expenditure, follow suggestions from health organizations, get the necessary essential nutrients from nutrient-dense food and wait for slowly appearing results. It is a process that takes years in either direction it goes.
Diet Criteria¶
A good diet should:
Allow you to have a good night’s sleep
Allow you to have optimal mental performance
Allow you to have a pleasant experience when you go number two
Give you enough energy to carry out your chosen set of activities (mental and physical)
Provide all essential nutrients
Prevent excessive hunger
Keep you at optimal weight
Minimize risk of future disease
Provide eating pleasure and satisfaction
Diet Profile¶
Diet includes fruits, vegetables, grains, nonfat dairy products, fish, legumes, poultry, and lean meats
All essential nutrients are consumed everyday including vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids
Fatty acids come mainly from fish, vegetables, legumes, plant oils and nuts
There is enough fiber to keep digestive system functioning well
There is intake of foods that are high in antioxidants
Saturated fats and cholesterol are minimal
Energy intake is matched with energy needs
There is no alcohol intake
Exercise Profile¶
Walking mostly, running sometimes
Strength training
Results¶
Date |
Cholesterol |
Triglyceride |
HDL Cholesterol |
LDL Cholesterol |
VLDL Cholesterol |
CHOL/HDL Ratio |
Glucose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10/2024 |
128 |
41 |
46 |
73.8 |
8.2 |
2.78 |
78 |
08/2023 |
116 |
58 |
44 |
60.4 |
11.6 |
2.64 |
82 |
05/2023 |
123 |
47 |
52 |
61.6 |
9.4 |
2.37 |
76 |
12/2022 |
111 |
50 |
42 |
59 |
10 |
2.64 |
80 |
01/2022 |
121 |
58 |
40 |
69.4 |
11.6 |
3.02 |
92 |
01/2020 |
143 |
65 |
42 |
88 |
13 |
3.4 |
90 |
01/2019 |
143 |
63 |
35 |
95 |
13 |
4.1 |
86 |
01/2017 |
151 |
66 |
30 |
108 |
13 |
5 |
82 |
02/2013 |
141 |
77 |
31 |
95 |
15 |
4.5 |
95 |
06/2011 |
205 |
86 |
36 |
152 |
? |
5.69 |
87 |
05/2007 |
200 |
176 |
23 |
142 |
? |
8.7 |
85 |
04/2007 |
241 |
436 |
22 |
? |
? |
10.95 |
93 |
10/2006 |
227 |
368 |
27 |
139 |
61 |
8.4 |
91 |
11/2005 |
221 |
194 |
30 |
159 |
32 |
7.4 |
96 |
Suggestions¶
Follow Dietary Guidelines and Recommendations created by Health Organizations
Speak with your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise program
DASH, Mediterranean or MIND diet may help to lower blood pressure, prevent or reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, gout, increase lifespan and promote healthy aging.
Nutrition Activities and Objectives¶
Health is the goal
Slimming down even a little will accrue health benefits
Slowly work yourself up to your long-term goal
There is a minimum amount of exercise that is recommended
If acid reflux is a problem, make last meal of the day small and avoid acidic foods
Get the essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids
Get the required fiber
Keep an eye on the salt and saturated fats
Drink a glass of water before every meal to keep you hydrated
Author uses Snack to make sure he is within budget (calories) and to make sure he get the essential nutrients
Author eats from a limited menu most of the time
Author eats six equally sized meals per day from 6am to 9pm, a meal every 3 hrs.
When hunger temporarily occurs, author ignores it until next meal
Using Snack and Solution Testing¶
Get a solution from Snack (food items and quantities)
Try it out for a day, week or month or longer. It is important to find out how individual’s body reacts to the new food and that takes time.
If solution works, keep, if not, make adjustments, recalculate, get a new one and retest. Change food items, change quantities or both.
Change one thing at a time and make small changes
Tracking Health Progress¶
Check body weight
Check body fat (Author does a quick pinch check, tries his pants on, looks at the mirror and also checks his body fat percentage on the tanita weight scale. User decides what weight and body fat is appropriate for him or her. There is a body fat percentage range that is considered healthy by the medical doctors and nutrition experts.)
Check body strength
Check vital signs (body temperature, pulse rate. respiration rate, blood pressure)
Have blood lab work done every year at least to track changes
Pay attention to daily energy level
Pay attention to digestive system changes
Pay attention to mood changes
Pay attention to mental performance
Energy Intake - Calorie Budget¶
A good starting ball park figure for the energy intake is the number obtained from one of the basal metabolic rate equations
Individual can increase or decrease the initial ball park figure calories according to how he/she feels, physical activity and the results obtained
There is a calorie intake sweet spot (range) that allows individual to feel comfortable and slim down at the same time.
Eating nutritious food is something we need to do to meet our body’s daily nutrient requirements
Setting a good pace (diet,exercise) is critical so that we do not burn out.
We should go as fast as comfortable and we do not have to go at the same pace always.
When in the mood, accelerate, otherwise take it slow.
If trying to slim down, calorie deficit should be small for highest probability of success
The smaller the caloric deficit, the longer it will take to reach ideal or recommended weight
A large caloric deficit will make you weak, ravenous, will impair your workouts and may cause sleeping problems
There will be a point in time when a caloric deficit is no longer needed
Negative emotions and hypoglycemia will wreck individual’s calorie budget plan
An increase in activity level may trigger a hunger response so be ready
A lower glycemic index diet may cause less hunger
To keep daily calories equal, keep protein intake steady and exchange carbohydrates for fat and vice versa
Distribute your nutrients evenly through out the day specially protein for optimal healing and recovery
Energy Expenditure - Exercise¶
Walking is easy, low risk and very effective
Strength training and cardio will get best results
Always warm-up well before exercising to minimize injuries and avoid jerky movements
Gradually increase time, weight or intensity
Always stretch. It keeps you flexible and able to easily move