Name:
Mallorie Schaak
Topic: Improving Nutrition/Eating Habits for a Healthier
Lifestyle
Specific Purpose: To encourage the audience to change their
nutrition and eating habits to promote an overall healthier
lifestyle.
Central Idea: Increasing a healthy nutrition regiment and
promoting healthy eating habits can have major effect on a
person’s health and happiness.
Introduction
I.
The Attention Step
a. Risks of…
i. Heart Disease
ii. Stroke
iii. Type II Diabetes
iv. Hypertension/High Blood Pressure
v. Cancer
vi. Osteoporosis
vii. Obesity
viii. Some of you may be thinking that I’m just naming
random health problems; however, these health
problems aren’t so random… Poor Nutrition in a
CONTRIBUTATING FACTOR in each of these “random”
health problems.
b. After deciding what my final speech topic would be I
dove head first into research… I scoured the internet,
not because I was too lazy to find literature on the
topic but because the internet is the most accessible
resources to the many individuals who I hope to reach.
What I found was not only intriguing but also
appalling.
c. According to the Center for Science in the Public
Health, “…typical American diet is too high in
saturate fat, sodium, and sugar… too low in fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, calcium, and fiber.” So I
ask you…
(Transition)
Why is it important to have good nutrition?
Body
II.
The Need Step. Of the 7 chronic conditions, I named at
the beginning of my speech, 4 make the list of top 6
leading causes of death… 2011 Statistics
a. Heart Disease deaths 596,577; causes of heart disease
*Atherosclerosis which is caused by CORRECTABLE
problems such as “unhealthy diet, lack of exercise,
being overweight, and smoking.”
*Heart arrhythmia – (abnormal heart rhythms) among
causes are high blood pressure and diabetes
b. Cancer deaths 576,691; (National Cancer Institute)
*Obesity: increases risk of cancers associated with
-Esophagus, pancreas, colon/rectum, breast (after
menopause), endometrium (lining of the uterus),
kidney, thyroid, and gallbladder.
-2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey showed that 68% of U.S. adults 20 or older are
overweight or obese and 17% teen/children.
- Percentage of cases attributed to obesity varies but
can be as high as 40% for some cancers.
c. Stroke deaths 128,932; occurs when an artery to the
brain becomes blocked or ruptures as a result blood
flow is cut off to parts of the brain depriving oxygen
and glucose causing the brain to die. Also known as
brain attack.
*Controllable Risk Factors include many conditions
caused by poor nutrition. Those include:
-High blood pressure
-Heart Disease
-High cholesterol
-Diabetes
-Overweight or obesity
d. Diabetes deaths 73,831;
Risk factors…
-High blood pressure
-High blood fat levels
-High fat and carbohydrate diet
-Obesity or being overweight
(Internal summary: You may be telling yourself… These seem like
the most extreme outcomes of having a cheeseburger and fries
instead of a salad and water… But what I’m relaying to you is
that you don’t want wait until you are at this point to decide
that you need to make a change.)
(Transition) Making a change in your nutrition is making a
decision to better your body for the future.
III. The Satisfaction Step.
a. The benefits of having a proper nutrition are
numerous…
i. According to the World Health Organization a
balanced diet…
1. Boosts immunity and healthy development;
2. Protects against certain types of diseases…
a. In particular the noncommunicable
disease we previously discussed;
3. Contributes to a healthy body weight; and
4. Is an important step towards a happy and
healthy lifestyle.
b. Improved nutrition not only has an effect on your
physical health but also your mental health.
i. Brain Food:
1. Protein: used for growth and repair around
the body; chemical messengers used to
transport information to other parts of
brain, i.e. signals about mood.
2. Fats: Nerve cells in brain made up of fat;
body and brain run on glucose
(Internal Summary: The numerous benefits of proper nutrition
overweigh the devastating consequences of poor nutrition.)
(Transition) Now that you know some of the benefits and
consequences of nutrition let me tell you how to improve your
current nutrition to provide a better present and future for you
and your body.
IV.
The Visualization Step. Pamela Hinton’s, Ph.D., article
title “Improving Your Nutrition in Four Simple Steps,”
provides a great start to what will be a lifestyle change
for the better.
a. Step 1. Achieve a healthy body weight
i. Hinton agrees that although this “sounds
daunting” just a couple small steps maintained
over time will do the trick:
1. Substitute water for sugary soda/fruit
drinks
2. Ask for your latte with skim milk and no
whip
3. Revamp your snacks from “chips, crackers,
cookies or candy” to “fresh-fruit, baby
carrots, air-popped popcorn, etc”
b. Step 2: Reduce your intake of saturated fat, trans
fat, sugar and sodium
i. When consumed in excess these contribute to
weight gain and chronic disease
1. Limit intake of processed grains and snacks;
choose dried fruits, pretzels or nuts
instead.
2. Limit intake of processed meats (bacon,
lunch meat and sausage) and of cheese and
pizza; instead prepare lean cuts of fresh
meet and choose low-fat cheese; try mixing
in beans or tofu as a source of protein.
3. Use less salt; instead enhance flavor with
herbs and spices
4. If you are unsure check the label of foods
that you are planning to eat; avoid products
with added sugars (sucrose, glucose, highfructose corn syrup) or trans-fat.
c. Step 3: Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, fish and diary.
i. They contain multitude of vitamins and minerals.
1. Eat more fruits and vegetables at meal time
and for a snack.
2. Swap whole grains for processed. I.e.
choose brown rice and whole wheat pasta.
3. Choose fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and
cottage cheese.
4. At least 2 times a week choose seafood
rather than meat to increase intake of
omega-3 fatty acids.
d. Step 4: Be a conscientious consumer when eating out!
i. Ask for salad dressing, butter, sour cream on the
side to give you control of the amount used.
ii. Avoided dished prepared with cream/served with
cream sauce
iii. Choose steamed, broiled or baked over fried or
sautéed
iv. Don’t be afraid to ask for a “take-home”
container
v. Don’t forget dessert…choose a fruit sorbet, pie,
or share with a friend
e. These steps are not an all-encompassing guide on how
to improve your nutrition. These steps are a jump
start in the right direction. There are numerous
resources available to help you on your path to a
healthy nutrition.
f. ChooseMyPlate.gov: Provides nutrition education
materials for consumers (you and I) and for
professionals. Examples: Daily Food Plans and Sample
Menus.
g. Helpguide.org: Provides tips for planning and
sticking to a healthy diet. In depth look into each
food group and provides help steps to set you up for
success.
(Transition) I urge you; take the steps toward a healthier
future… Protect yourself from the disastrous consequences of a
diet poor in nutrition.
Conclusion
V.
The Action Step.
a. (Summary) Hundreds of thousands for people die every
year from health conditions that have poor nutrition
as a major contributing factor.
b. (Call to Immediate Action) It is up to you to protect
yourself from these health conditions. Take steps now
to reduce risks and control the factors that lead to
many of these deaths. Grab a apple on the way out the
door instead of that donut, eat grapes while at your
desk instead of that bag of M&M’s, and drink water
instead of you daily soda… Every step in the right
direction is the right step!
c. (Memorable Close) Only you can make the decision to
create a healthier lifestyle for yourself. Only you
can take the steps to make a change. Only you can
push yourself to be a better you. So I urge you; for
no one other than yourself… Take that first step and
then continue down a path of healthier choices and a
healthier life!
References
"Benefits of a Balanced Diet." WHO/Europe |. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/diseaseprevention/nutrition/a-healthy-lifestyle/benefits-of-abalanced-diet>.
"Daily Food Plans & Worksheets." Daily Food Plans &amp;
Worksheets. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.choosemyplate.gov/supertracker-tools/dailyfood-plans.html>.
"Healthy Eating." : Easy Tips for Planning a Healthy Diet and
Sticking to It. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/healthyeating.htm>.
Hinton, Pamela. "ACSM | Articles." ACSM | Articles. 2 Feb. 2012.
Web. 24 Nov. 2014. <http://www.acsm.org/access-publicinformation/articles/2012/02/02/improving-your-nutritionin-four-simple-steps>.
"Leading Causes of Death." Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14
July 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-ofdeath.htm>.
"Mental Health." Nutrition for Mental Health Issues. Web. 24
Nov. 2014. <http://www.nutritionistresource.org.uk/articles/mental-health.html>.
"Obesity and Cancer Risk." National Cancer Institute. Web. 24
Nov. 2014.
<http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/obesity>
"Recipes." Sample Menus and. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/samplemenus-recipes.html>.
"Stroke: Causes and Risk Factors." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 24 Nov.
2014. <http://www.webmd.com/heart/atrial-fibrillationstroke-11/stroke-causes-risks>.
"Type 2 Diabetes Causes and Risk Factors." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 24
Nov. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/diabetescauses>.
"WHY POLICY." Why Good Nutrition Is Important. Web. 24 Nov.
2014.
<http://www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/nutrition_policy.ht
ml>.