Waters for the Human Body - Essay Example

? Prior to starting this my eating habits were a mess. I used to eat once or twice a day in fast foods and when I eat at home I constantly eatjunk foods. I noticed that my drinking of liquids was also inappropriate. I was drinking more sodas than water. My life is a bit hectic and I do not have a routine or specific time in which I eat. Due to the fact that I was not eating much at home my intake of fruits was extremely deficient. Since this course has given me an opportunity to learn a bit about nutrition I have taken advantage of the knowledge and I have begun to implement some lifestyle changes in order to improve my nutrition. The first change that I incorporated once I learn the importance of water was to diminish my consumption of sodas. Water is necessary for the maintenance of the body since it includes 20 minerals need as part of a healthy diet. Water is very important for the human body since it helps increase the metabolism, while at the same time controlling appetite. It provides the body with energy. I realized now that I use to get a bit dehydrated in the past because I was not consuming enough water. I use to feel like I did not have energy. A person recommended I take 5 hour energy. I thought about it, but I noticed the product was very expensive. I have taken a route I did not know existed to improve my energy levels during the day. All I needed was to consume more water each day. I have started a routine of drinking 8 to 10 cups of water each day. I already see in the difference by making this small change. People often state that water is energy and they are completely right. Along with consuming adequate amount of water and cutting down on sodas I have made other changes to my nutritional input since the start of this class. As I stated earlier my eating habits prior to starting this class were a bit of a mess. I was not paying attention to my nutritional needs and was eating too many foods items made of fat and cooked in an unhealthy manner. People that categorized the food sold at fast food restaurants as junk are completely right. I was abusing my body by eating too much fast food. I remember that often after eating fast food my body would feel tired. I think it was because my metabolism was rejected the food a bit. Fast food does not contain the fibers, nutrients, and carbohydrates needed for a balanced diet. There are two types of carbohydrates: simple and complex. My body was getting a high intake of simple carbohydrates, but it was not getting an adequate consumption of complex carbohydrates. The difference between these two types of carbohydrates lies in the speed of digestion. Simple carbohydrates are digested slowly by the body, while complex carbohydrates are processed quickly. My lack of consumption of complex carbohydrates was hurting my ability to get boosts of energy. During the course I learned that some of the foods that contain complex carbohydrates include fruit, cereal, barley, brown rice, chick pea, oats, potatoes, root vegetable, sweet corn, wholemeal breads, and potatoes. As I learn the importance of complex carbohydrates I incorporated some changes to my diet immediately. I went to the supermarket and I bought two boxes of cereal. During the last week I have been eating cereal in the morning for breakfast instead of reheated pizza or microwave foods. Another lifestyle change I made to my nutritional input was incorporating the consumption of daily intakes of fruit. The day I bought the cereal I spend $20 on fruits. I bought banana, apples, grapes, pineapples and kiwis. I am taking with me at least two fruits everyday to school in my backpack. Instead of buying candy bars to control my hunger during my time in college I am now eating fruits. I read somewhere recently that fruits are made up mostly of water; that is the reason whey they are so healthy. Along with eating fruit every time I see a water fountain I am drinking a bit of water. The increase water consumption and the intake of fruits has help me a lot control my impulses towards eating junk food. I have already made some changes to my daily eating routine which I know are going to help me a lot in the near future. Despite the fact that I started to make some changes to my daily eating routine there are still ways to go. I lower my consumption of fast food, but I am still visiting these establishments often. I am still addicted to unhealthy foods. I realized eating is not a crime, but when I enter McDonald’s to eat instead of eating a Big Mac combo I should order a salad once in a while. One of the areas in my eating habits that has to improve is my consumption of salads. I am barely eating any vegetables during the day. I don’t think that the small pieces of salad inside a burger count that much. I am very proud of myself for reducing my soda consumption and increasing my water intake. It was not that hard to do. The problem in the past was that I did not realize how important water is to the body. I have to start taking care of my body better by improving my nutritional habits. When I’m not eating outside I see myself often eating pre-prepared foods that pretty much constitute more junk foods. I need to seek out help in order to learn how to cook some healthy meals. I’m probably going to have to buy a cooking book or take some cooking class, maybe I can take advantage of the internet to find cooking lessons online. It is amazing the range of videos concerning different topics available at websites such as YouTube.com. Depending on how I am able to progress on my own I may have to seek professional help such as visiting a nutritionist. I am motivated and inspired to change my eating habits in order to obtain the balance diet my body needs and deserves. Read More