Reflection/Feedback on other blogs

Jessalyn's blog - http://blogyourdiet.tumblr.com/

Jessalyn's blog is easy to read and follow. She could have included more details in her record of her 3-day diet, such as specific amounts of each dish. I also think she could have done a deeper analysis of her diet by using more tools from the Health Promotion Board website since she only used the Food Intake Assessment. She put in a lot of effort for her suggested healthy 1-dish meal. It is evident because she took information from a lot of sources, showing that she did a lot of research. She even analysed the recipe and attached not only photos of the final product, but also photos of each and every ingredient. This visual aid will help those who wish to use her recipe to cook that dish. Her reflections show that she really learnt a lot from doing this PT.

Min Yi's blog - http://cooking-up-my-storm.blogspot.com/

Min Yi gives a very detailed record of her diet and she analyses it day by day, which I think is a very good way to specifically know the roles that the food she consumes plays in her diet. She also attached an easy-to-follow recipe for her improved dish. Her reflections are insightful and honest, but I think that she should have further elaborated on why she considers her diet a rather healthy one and how she plans to strive towards a balanced and healthy diet.

Audrey's blog - http://audreyandfood.blogspot.com/

Audrey's blog is well-organised, but like Jessalyn, she only used the Food Intake Assessment to analyse her diet, which does not a give a very comprehensive analysis. Her healthy 1-dish meal looks not only healthy, but also delicious! It is evident from her reflections that she got to know her own diet better and she has straightforward plans on how to improve her diet, and these plans are based on her analysis of her 3-day diet and are also achievable.

Reflection on process and learning points

What have you learnt about your eating habits?

I have learnt that my eating habits can be improved on a lot. I realised that I have been putting a rather lot of unhealthy food into the body, thus my sodium intake is so high. Even though sodium is essential in small amounts, too much will cause blood volume to increase because sodium attracts and holds water.Increased blood volume will cause your heart have to work harder in order to move blood through the vessels, thus increasing pressure in the arteries. In order to not further harm my body, I should lower of sodium intake and increase my calcium intake.

Do you consider your diet a healthy one? Why?

No, I do not consider it a healthy one. I think I eat a lot of junk food throughout the day and my meal times are also inconsistent. Potato chips are present in my diet for 2 out of 3 days, and they are not the healthiest food to snack on. I do not have a specific timimg for my meals, and I even skip some of my meals. For example, I did not eat dinner on Day 1 since my lunch was taken rather late. That is not very good for your body. I need to cut down on my junk food in order to lower my sodium intake which is currently exceeding the Recommended Daily Allowance by a rather big amount. Since the 3-day diet was recorded during the holidays, I think the timing problem will solve itself when school starts and the meal times are fixed for us.

Are the suggested nutritional tools useful? How?

Yes, they are useful. They allow me to analyze my diet by looking deeply into it. I was able to learn how unhealthy my diet was and which items I consumed were causing it to be unhealthy. For example, I never knew that I was greatly exceeding the Recommended Daily Allowance for sodium, and that my calcium intake was also too low. The nutritional tools are rather detailed, thus making the analysis more precise.

Why is your suggested one-dish meal healthy?

It has healthy ingredients like a variety of vegetables and most of its ingredients are also a healthier choice.

Instead of normal rice, brown rice is used. Brown rice has many health benefits, including aiding in the control of blood sugar and cholesterol level, providing carbohydrates requirements and being rich in mineral thus supplying nutrients to the hair, teeth, nails, muscles and bones.

The chicken it uses is uncooked, boneless and skinless chicken breast. Although chicken skin adds flavour, it is usually the most unhealthy part of the chicken, thus the meal is made healthier by removing the chicken skin.

Also in replacement of normal cooking spray, non-fat cooking spray is used. Low sodium soy sauce is used instead of normal soy sauce.

With this combination of healthy ingredients, the meal also becomes healthy! :)

Suggestion for healthy one-dish meal

Presenting to you...the Weight Watchers Chicken Fried Rice

Source: http://www.laaloosh.com/2009/01/11/weight-watchers-chicken-fried-rice-recipe/

Weight Watchers Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients:
- 2 sprays non-fat cooking spray
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup scallions, chopped, green and white parts
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 12 oz uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 2 cups cooked brown rice, regular or instant, kept hot
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:
1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat.

2.Add egg whites and cook, until scrambled, stirring frequently, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove from pan and set aside.

3. Offheat, recoat skillet with cooking spray and place back over medium-high heat.

4. Add scallions and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chicken and carrots; saute until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

5.Stir in reserved cooked egg whites, cooked brown rice, peas and soy sauce; cook until heated through, stirring once or twice, about 1 minute. Makes 6 servings.

Analyze the diet - Energy and nutrient compositions of food

1. Cake, butter Alternate Name : N/A Description : Cake made form flour, eggs, sugar, condensed milk, baked. Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 36 g 2. Taiwanese sausage, pork, grilled Alternate Name : N/A Description : Sausage made with pork meat, grilled Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 55 g 3. Ramen, Japanese fishcake, soup Alternate Name : Miso ramen W/ Japanese fishcake Description : Japanese egg noodle with preserved radish, Japanese fishcakes in soup Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 553 g 4. Rice dumpling, vegetarian (Click on food name to view picture) Alternate Name : N/A Description : Glutinous rice, W/ mocked meat, chestnut+chinese mushroom filling Edible Portion : 100% Per Serving : 197 g

The analysis (per serving) follows:

Energy (kcal) Protein (g) Total fat (g) Saturated fat (g) Dietary fibre (g) Carbohydrate (g) Cholesterol (mg) Sodium (mg) Cake, butter Taiwanese sausage, pork, grilled Ramen, Japanese fishcake, soup Rice dumpling, vegetarian 180 198 316 395 2 9 17 12 11 15 6 8 6.9 6.9 1.5 3.2 0.0 N.A 3.5 4.5 19 7 48 69 48 19 74 0 90 343 1,715 896 As can be seen, the ramen contributed greatly to my exceeding amount of sodium intake. Surprisingly, the vegetable dumpling has the most amount of energy :)

Analyze the diet - Food intake assessment

Based on the information you have provided, your daily energy requirement is estimated to be 1,936 kcal. This energy requirement is the level of calorie intake from food that will balance the calories your body burns, thus maintaining your weight. For weight loss, you should consume fewer calories and be more active. If you need to gain weight, consume more calories than your body requires.
Period of Analysis: 04/09/2011 - 06/09/2011
Energy (kcal) Carbohydrate (g) Protein (g) Total Fat (g) Saturated Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg) Calcium (mg) Dietary Fibre (g) Sodium (mg) Average intake per day 1,451 188.4 46.0 57.5 28.2 157.0 504.9 13.8 2,781.2 Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) 1,936 290.4 60.6 64.5 21.5 193.6 1,000.0 19.4 1,291.5 % of recommendation met 75 65 76 89 131 81 50 71 215
View graph of actual nutritional intake compared against RDA Energy 75% Carbohydrate 65% Protein 76% Total Fat 89% Saturated Fat 131% Cholesterol 81% Calcium 51% Dietary Fibre 71% Sodium 215% 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 % RDA Met
Table showing the % of total calories of diet versus recommendation
% of total energy intake Your diet Recommendation Total Carbohydrates 52% 55 - 65% Total Protein 13% 10 - 15% Total Fat 36% 25 - 30%
Nutrition messages based on results Saturated Fat Your intake of saturated fat was higher that the recommended amount. An excess of saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol, subsequently increasing your risk of heart disease. The main sources of fat in our diet are also the sources of saturated fat! These include coconut-milk based foods, blended oil (usually used in commercial cooking), flavoured rice (e.g. chicken rice, nasi lemak, nasi briyani) and creamer/whitener/condensed and evaporated milk in beverages. Cutting down or limiting such sources of fat will also help to reduce saturated fat intake. Sodium Your sodium intake was greater than the recommended amounts. Sodium acts like a sponge, holding water in our body. Excess sodium increases the blood volume, which then raises the pressure in our blood vessels. Hypertension or high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke and heart attacks. The main source of sodium in our diet comes from salt (sodium chloride) and sauces added during cooking or at the table. To cut down on sodium intake, gradually reduce the use of salt and sauces when preparing or cooking food so that your taste buds have the chance to adjust. Try flavouring foods with natural seasonings like lemon juice or herbs and spices. Choose fresh food over processed foods over processed foods and enjoy the natural taste of foods. When eating out, ask for less sauces or gravy in dishes. Calcium You were not getting enough calcium in your diet. Without adequate calcium, you may be at risk of developing osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become weak and brittle. If left untreated, osteoporosis can worsen until a fracture (crack or break in the bone) occurs. Increase your calcium intake from a variety of sources. Consume calcium-enriched breads and biscuits, green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified juices, high-calcium soya bean milk, ikan bilis, sardines (with bones), tofu, as well as milk and other dairy products. Vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium. Your body can make this vitamin after sunlight hits your skin. You can easily obtain enough by getting at least 30-60 minutes of sunlight a day. Aside from eating wisely, remember to make exercise a part of your life. Exercise helps to burn fat, tone your muscles, improve your stamina, relax and sleep better, as well as keep you alert and study better! Exercise at least 20 to 60 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week, until you sweat and breathe deeply without getting breathless. Choose an exercise that you enjoy, and try a variety so that you don’t get bored. Keep your exercise routine simple, fun and interesting. When shopping for food, look out for products with the Healthier Choice Symbol. These products are lower in total fat, saturated fat, sodium and/or dietary fibre content compared to other products in the same category.

Analyze the diet - Healthy Diet Pyramid

Food Group	Number of Servings /Day	Example of 1 Serving
Rice and Alternatives	5-7	2 slices bread (60g) ½ bowl* rice (100g) ½ bowl noodles or beehoon (100g) 4 plain biscuits (40g) 1 thosai (60g) 2 small chapatis (60g) 1 large potato (180g) 1 ½ cup plain cornflakes (40g)
Fruit	2	1 small apple, orange, pear or mango (130g) 1 wedge pineapple, papaya or watermelon (130g) 10 grapes or longans (50g) 1 medium banana ¼ cup*** dried fruit (40g) 1 glass pure fruit juice (250ml)
Vegetables	2	¾ mug** cooked leafy or non-leafy vegetables (100g) ¼ round plate+ cooked vegetables 150g raw leafy vegetables 100g raw non-leafy vegetables
Meat and Alternatives	2-3	1 palm-sized piece fish, lean meat or skinless poultry (90g) 2 small blocks soft beancurd (170g) ¾ cup cooked pulses (e.g. lentils, peas, beans) (120g) 5 medium prawns (90g) 3 eggs (150g)++ 2 glasses milk (500 ml) 2 slices of cheese (40g)

* rice bowl ** 250ml mug *** 250ml cup +10 inch plate
++ While 3 eggs are equivalent in protein content to other items listed under the meat and alternatives group, egg yolks are high in cholesterol. Thus, eat no more than 4 egg yolks per week.

For Day 1, I obviously didn't have enough servings for each of the categories, except for fats, oil, sugar and salt, since I consumed a lot of unhealthy food like hamburger, cake and potato chips. Even though those food are rather nice to eat, they are really bad for your body, so I should cut down on those food. I feel like most of the food I consumed on Day 1 do not fit into any of the categories besides fats, oil, sugar and salt.

For Day 2, the cocktail sausages consumed for breakfast should give around 1-2 servings of meat and alternatives. A variety of fruits eaten throughout the day gives me 3 servings of fruits and the veggies for dinner make up 2 servings of vegetables, which is good! :) As for rice and alternatives, I only had 2 servings, so perhaps I could have my breakfast of cocktail sausages together with bread or cornflakes.

For Day 3, I think it is rather big improvement from the previous 2 days. For the vegetable dumpling, it was home cooked by my grandmother and she put a lot of veggies in so I think that should fulfill the 2 servings of vegetables. The 2 slices of watermelon also fit into the 2 serving of fruits nicely :) The beef ramen from a restaurant gives me around 3 serving of rice and alternatives as well as 1 serving of meat and alternatives.

Trace your diet - Day 3, 6 September 2011 (Tuesday)

Time	Food eaten	Quantity
9.30 am	Cocktail sausages	12
1.00pm	Vegetable dumpling	1 piece
3.00pm	Watermelon	2 pieces
6.00pm	Beef ramen Ice lemon tea	1 bowl 1 glass

Trace your diet - Day 2, 5 September 2011 (Monday)

Time	Food eaten	Quantity
9.00 am	Cocktail sausages	8
12.00pm	Potato chips Orange	2 packets (120g) 4 slices
4.00pm	Mango cake Peach	1 slice 1
7.00pm	Rice with veggies Milk Tea Apple	1 plate 400 ml Half

Trace your diet - Day 1, 4 September 2011 (Sunday)

Time	Food eaten	Quantity
8.00 am	Hamburger Hashbrown Milo	1 1 around 300ml
2.00pm	Mango cake Soup 100plus	1 slice 2 bowls 500 ml
8.00pm	Potato chips	1 packet (60g)