A Nutritionally-Challenged Woman - Case Study Example

S.O.S. For A Nutritionally-Challenged Woman I was sitting in my office waiting for my next client, Susan, when I heard her knock on the door. As she entered, I saw a tired but beautiful middle-aged woman who gave me a meek smile. I asked her to take off her coat and sit down on the couch, as she looked like she needed to relax a bit. I asked her how she was and how I can help her while I picked up her chart. “I see on your chart that your diet includes fast food and quick box meals. So you do not cook?” I asked her. Susan embarrassed, admitted, “I’m afraid not. Although I can say I am a great cook, my schedule just prevents me from working in the kitchen that is why I have to resort to pre-cooked food or easy-to-prepare ones for my family.” Another career woman prioritizing work over her own and her family’s health! Most of my clients belong to this category. They say they are too busy to cook healthy dishes, to exercise, to simply relax and de-stress. I thought to myself how pathetic it is for most people to take their health for granted like that and only realize how important it is when they start losing it and feeling the repercussions. Susan revealed to me that her family has a history of breast cancer and she is anxious she might contract it too, with the lifestyle she has and the diet she feeds her body. I asked her, “Do you know how much preservatives they put in “convenience” food? Processed foods like the ones served in fast foods that they easily take from the freezer to the microwave oven and then served to you… or the quick box meals you and your family eat for dinner everyday are treated with so much preservatives to keep their shelf life and savory taste. However, these preservatives have been found to be harmful to our health.” Susan looked at me with wide eyes, “Oh really? I just buy them for the sake of satisfying our hunger and because they are what they are… convenience foods that are convenient to get! All the while, I thought it saved us so much time and effort to just have them for meals.” I then explained to her that nutrition experts warned people against consuming processed food because it can result to degenerative diseases like Cancer, and she is a strong contender for that due to her family history of the disease. “Schwarzbein (1999), for one, gives 10 guidelines to healthy living, including not skipping meals, eating unprocessed foods and instead, eat balanced meals with protein as the main nutrient, healthy fats, real carbohydrates, non-starchy vegetables, snacks, solid food and water. Aside from this healthy diet, she also advised lessening stress, reduction or elimination of toxic chemical intake and to increase activity level through exercise.” Susan gave out a deep sigh. “You know, I’ve always known that one’s health depends on eating healthy, balanced meals. Combined with enough rest and exercise, I know that it can prevent one from getting sick. However, right now, I feel I am left with no choice because of the heavy requirements of my job. The same goes for my husband, Douglas.” I took the opportunity to talk about her getting sick from her unhealthy diet and all that stress she takes in everyday. “Tell me, Susan, how do you really feel, physically?” She slumped her shoulders and confessed, “I feel I am low on energy. I always feel fatigued, irritable and guilty of the bad example I am being to my children in terms of taking care of my health. They also subsist on all that junk food I serve them for meals! I try to make up for it by nagging them to take multivitamins like I do”. She stopped to think for a while and continued on, “I do need help. My whole family does! How can I restore my family’s health with the tight schedule I have right now?” Indeed, her whole family is at risk. Campbell & Campbell (2004) revealed that diet has a critical role in health dietary needs are shared by people who share the same genes. I shared with Susan that according to Campbell & Campbell, that it is essential that their diet comprise whole foods and that supplements like daily multivitamins are not enough to replace the nutrients one gets from natural foods. Good nutrition can prevent, halt or reverse diseases and that food choices affect one’s health as well as the environment. I told her, “You do have a choice, Susan… and that choice is to either keep on eating the way you do and risk your and your family’s health, including the likely risk of cancer OR you can choose to eat right. What is it going to be?” Susan smiled at me and said, “If you put it that way, of course, my choice is to eat right! How are we going to do that now?” I smiled back at her then looked at her chart. “It says here that your basal metabolic rate or BMR is 1800 calories, and that you are 10 lbs. over your ideal weight. We can work from there by making healthy choices in your food while meeting your daily caloric requirement. If we couple this with exercise or just raising your activity level, then we can also make you lose that extra weight.” Susan beamed at the sound of “losing weight”, but was confused at the mention of BMR. I explained, “BMR is the minimum calorific requirement your body needs to sustain you while you are at rest. It is the largest factor that determines your overall metabolic rate and how many calories you need to consume to gain or lose weight (Shapefit, 2010). Your BMR is 1800 calories. It means we have to maintain that. If you remain passive and unmoving throughout the day, then you cannot consume more than 1800 calories. However, if you want to lose weight, you should be more active, like stretching a little bit more when you reach for objects or take the stairs instead of the elevator or do some sitting down exercises while you are at your office table working. You need to build up your muscles. You might need to increase your calorie intake because moving more makes you lose calories faster, and if you do not maintain your BMR, then your metabolism slows down. Bob Greene, Oprah Winfrey’s diet and exercise consultant says it takes quite a few calories for the body to maintain body muscle and the more you have, the more calories you burn even if you are just idle. You are 45 years old now and muscle deteriorates naturally with age if you don’t do anything to prevent it. People who go on crash diets to lose weight puts their muscle tissues at risk because when you eat less food, your body does not turn to your fat storage to fuel it but it feeds on your muscles (Greene, 2006)” Susan was listening eagerly and then she asked about food choices. I advised that most nutrition experts agree that eating lots of fruits and vegetables, and a healthy combination of protein, carbohydrates and fats in the food choices as well as to drink lots of water. Greene also strongly advises to eat a hearty breakfast before going to work because it the body needs sustenance after long hours in the night of not eating, and it fuels the body for a busy day. I pulled out my copy of Bob Greene’s book and showed it to Susan. She browsed at the menu plans and chose those designed for her BMR level. This is what she chose for a three day diet plan: Day 1 Breakfast: Yogurt, fruit and nuts Snack: 1 slice pear with 1 ½ ounces of reduced-fat cheese Lunch: Whole-wheat pita with 1/3 cup hummus, 1 slice reduced-fat cheese, ½ cup cherry tomatoes with ½ cup sliced carrots, ½ grapefruit. Snack: 1 banana Dinner: Chinese Take Out: ¾ cup stir-fried white tofu or stir-fried chicken and broccoli or mixed vegetable stir-fry, ¾ cup brown rice. Day 2 Breakfast: 1 bowl whole grain cereal with low fat milk, add fruits Snack: 1 apple, sliced with 4 teaspoons peanut butter Lunch: Vegetable burger, 1 orange, sugar-free iced tea Snack: 1 hardboiled egg, whole wheat crackers Dinner: Fresh Green Salad with Balsamic Vinegar; fish fillet Day 3 Breakfast: 1 bowl oatmeal with sliced bananas and crushed almonds Snack: low-fat yogurt Lunch: Ham, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich with Whole Wheat Bread Snacks: 1 cup pineapple with 1-2 tablespoons cashew nuts Dinner: Clear Vegetable Soup, Grilled fish with Tomato salsa The foods Susan chose were easy to prepare and pack for her busy lifestyle. More importantly, they are all healthy and packed with nutrients that her body craves. The same foods may be brown-bagged by her family members, with the quantity depending on their BMR values. They can all share the same dinners as a family eating healthy meals together. Susan is taking the first steps towards achieving her goal of living a healthier lifestyle. Eventually, she will be able to manage her time to achieve work-life balance and to lessen her stress levels. She was also advised to add more exercise in her daily activities. References Campbell, C. & Campbell, T. (2004) The China Study. Chicago: Independent Publishers Group. Greene, B. (2006) The Best Life Diet. Simon & Schuster. Schwartzbein, D. (1999) The Schwarzbein Principle. Health Communications, Inc. Retrieved December 2, 2010 from http://www.schwarzbeinprinciple.com Shapefit (2010) Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR). Retrieved December 3, 2010 from http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html Read More