Katie Haarala
Nutrition 321
Dr. Larson
12/01/06
Mineral Intake
Mineral
Calcium
Copper
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Phosphorus
Selenium
Zinc
Sodium
Day 1
799 mg
1,330 mcg
10.85 mg
330 mg
3.74 mg
1,018 mg
27.36 mcg
9 mg
1,965 mg
Day2
1,013 mg
2,060 mcg
20.13 mg
408 mg
4.51 mg
1,679 mg
73.88 mcg
13.63 mg
5,705 mg
Day3
1,349 mg
1,140 mcg
15.85 mg
341 mg
3.46 mg
1,697 mg
83.02 mcg
9.19 mg
2,748 mg
RDA
1,300mg
900 mcg
18 mg
310 mg
1.8 mg
700 mg
55 mcg
8 mcg
1,500 mg
UL
2,500 mg
----45 mg
350 mg
----4,000 mg
--------2,300 mg
Overall I found the trend in my diet intake of minerals to exceed the RDA, and a
few times my intake exceeded the UL. When comparing my mineral intake to my
vitamins intake I found I was more deficient in my minerals. I found my diet was
deficient in the vital minerals Calcium and Iron.
Calcium has been shown to lower blood pressure and prevent Osteoporosis. It
helps to build strong bones and teeth, and is vital to muscle and nerve function. Calcium
also plays an important role in blood clotting and metabolism, and helping to regulate
blood pressure. You can find this essential mineral in sources such as milk, yogurt,
broccoli, oats, prunes, soybeans, collard greens, and cheeses. In order to increase my
daily calcium intake I could have a serving of cheddar cheese for a snack; this would
contribute 202 mg more to my daily intake. Another option would be to eat a cup of
cottage cheese with a meal adding an additional 135 mg of calcium to my diet.
Iron is an essential mineral that women specifically are deficient in their diet.
You need this micromineral in order to create hemoglobin, which transports oxygen
throughout the body. Iron can be found in meats, eggs, seafood, legumes, dried fruits,
whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, and seeds. Iron can be found in high amounts within
breakfast cereals such as Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal. If I ate 1 cup of Cream of Wheat
for breakfast I would add 10.28 mg of Iron to my diet. I do not eat a lot of meat, so if I
included more animal meats into my diet, I would in turn be including more Iron.
When looking at my mineral assessment I found that I had exceeded my upper
tolerable limit for the minerals magnesium and sodium. As we discussed in class,
magnesium is a mineral that we don’t have to worry about if we exceed the UL. It is
used so we understand that taking a supplement may be harmful. Magnesium is a
component of many enzymes needed for metabolism, and is necessary in bone and
tendon formation. The best food sources that include magnesium are: tea, nuts, legumes,
bran, leafy greens, whole grains, and egg yolks. I believe I had a higher amount of
magnesium because of all the salads I eat, and because most of my grain sources are
whole.
Sodium is an electrolyte that is commonly over ingested throughout many
Americans diet. It is important in regulating the body’s fluid balance, and helps to
promote proper muscle function. A high sodium diet may cause many health ailments.
The most common would be high blood pressure or heart problems. This electrolyte can
be most commonly found in the form of table salt, but also in: dairy products, seafood,
seasonings, and most processed foods. I believe most of my sodium intake may be
coming from salad dressings or other seasonings. In order to lower my sodium content, I
should cut back on these products.
Understanding nutrition and the recommended daily intakes of these minerals,
which come in forms of macro, micro, and electrolytes, is an essential knowledge for
society today. Nutrition is a vital part of sustaining a healthy lifestyle, and through
learning about how these mineral levels can affect your body, we can have a better
understanding of how to continue healthy eating habits, and ultimately leading a healthy
life.
Now that I have taken a look at my diet through many different angles I can
compare all the recommendations I have made for myself to reassure my given advice,
and making sure nothing from my earlier assessments contradict each other.
On my food pyramid assessment I determined that I was getting a well balanced
diet, but often falling one or two servings short in a couple categories. I assumed that I
was receiving an adequate intake of grains, but I was surprised to find that my average
serving each day was about 4. On the contrary, I wasn’t as surprised that I was falling
short in my meat and milk servings. I determined that I need to consume an extra serving
daily in the meat category, and an extra serving of the milk group.
When looking at my fat intake I realized that I consume around 50 grams every
day, which is a good average for my caloric intake. I also determined that 23% of my
calories were coming from fat, which also was a good percentage. When looking at my
cholesterol intake I saw that I ate around 133 mg on a daily basis.
My vitamin intake was pretty successful. I found that I was over the RDA for
almost every vitamin, but never over the UL. However, I did determine that I should eat
around 6 mg more of the fat-soluble vitamin E.
My mineral assessment was fairly good as well. I found myself meeting most of
the mineral’s RDA’s, but over consuming in a couple areas. I determined that I was
deficient in the mineral calcium, and in order to receive more of this powerful
macromineral, I am going to incorporate more dairy products throughout my day. I was
also deficient in Iron which is common for many Americans. In order to increase my
Iron consumption I decided to incorporate different breakfast cereals, and try to include
more animal products in my diet
After understanding all these different areas of nutrient consumption I am
confident I will be able to include more of the servings, vitamins, and minerals I am
deficient in into my diet. To improve my diet even further I am going to keep a food
journal in order to see if I am meeting all of the recommendations I have made for
myself. Through this journey I was able to get a better understanding of where I stood
nutrition wise, and how I can further improve my diet to make sure I lead an even
healthier life from here on out.