An area that I need to drastically improve on is my Calcium intake. I was 72.64% below my recommended daily value. Over the course of the days, my intake levels fluctuated and I never ever reached the recommended value. I did consume raw milk only on days that I made a smoothie. But I definitely can up my intake by consuming more dairy or leafy greens or even fish.
Another area that I need to improve is my Iron intake. I was 67.86% below my recommended daily value. With a deficiency in iron, I am often exhausted halfway during the day because there is less oxygen going into my tissues. I can improve this area by eating more spinach or even chicken or beef. I can just add a cup of spinach anytime I make a smoothie and this will allow me to increase my intake for that day. I have realized that over the course of the days, I consume very little amounts of chicken or beef. These items help increase iron intake and are very easy to cook and can be added in a variety of ways.
Vitamin C is essential for our immune systems and I am lacking in this category which is pretty bad considering that flu season is approaching. I am 31.34% below the recommended amount. Strawberries have a high amount of this vitamin and I add them to the smoothies I make but I can also get them from different peppers and fruits like pineapple, kiwi, and mango.
My fiber intake definitely need to be increased as I am 44.69% below the recommended amount. A lot of fiber is in different types of beans, vegetables or even fruit like blackberries and pears. During the 5 days, I noticed that most of the days I consumed some fruit but barely consumed any vegetables. I need to work on inputting more vegetables whether by blending it in smoothies, eating it raw or consuming it in different meals.
A category that I expected to exceed in was the sodium category. My recommended amount was 2903 mg and I was below it by 37.08%. With sodium basically in every food item, I was sure that my diet was above the recommended amount. Consuming too much sodium can be harmful but I think I will continue to consume a constant amount every day.
I am surprised that my Vitamin A intake is not as deficient as other categories. I was only 3.79% below the recommended amount.It is very interesting how carrots along can contain so much vitamin A. I definitely can still improve in this category by eating iceberg lettuce or sweet potatoes. These items can be easily added to any meal and taste really good in general. Eating a sufficient amount of vitamin A will ensure my eyes to stay healthy and so my vision will not get worse than it already is.
Although we did not track how much sugar we are consuming in our diets. By looking at the foods I ate, it allowed me to see how much added sugar I am consuming each day. It is scary how much sugar can be put in different foods and I struggle to reduce the amount consumed. For example, on Day 4 I went to Starbucks and my drink along had 48 grams of sugar. This is very unnecessary and sugar overall is harmful to the body. I want to cut out unnecessary sugars by drinking more water and fewer drinks with so much added sugar.
The most surprising category was my calorie consumption. I was below my recommended amount by 40.9%. According to my calculations, I am supposed to consume about 2420 calories which I think is a lot in terms of my size. But I never realized that part of the of the calories needed has to be used up every day. I want to up my calorie intake by making smart food choices. I want to pick more natural foods that will help me meet the recommended amount for each category.
Below are the charts from each day that I tracked my diet.
 |
Summary Chart Day 1 |
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| one of the smoothies |
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| Smoothie ingredients |
 |
| Day 2 |
 |
| Day 3 |
 |
| Day 4 |
 |
| berry sangria herbal tea |
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| Day 5 |
"10 Tips on How to Eat More Calcium." Department of Health & Human Services. Department of Health & Human Services, 31 May 2012. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
Fetters, K. Aleisha. "15 Signs You May Have an Iron Deficiency." Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
"26 Foods High in Vitamin A for Healthy Eyes." Bembu. N.p., 20 June 2014. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
"Teavana® Shaken Berry Sangria Herbal Tea." Starbucks Coffee Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.
"Vitamin C Functions." Functions. DSM, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.
Mattheis, Christine. "12 Foods With More Vitamin C Than Oranges."Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.
"Banana." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Boiled egg." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Chow Mein" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Kung Pao chicken" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Red grapes" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Spinach." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Strawberries" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Black grapes" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Fried rice" Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2016.
"Cucumber (Peeled)." Calories in 1 Cup of Pared, Chopped and Nutrition Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
"Shredded Carrots." Calories in Fresh Selections and Nutrition Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
"Chunky Cinnamon Bread." Calories in Cub Foods and Nutrition Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
"Cheddar Cheese Bagel." Calories in Safeway and Nutrition Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016.
Samsung Health App- California Rolls, White Nectarine, White Peach Corn, Green tea ice cream, Safeway chicken tenders, Una Más chicken burrito & tortilla chips
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