Life Cycle and Nutrition - Essay Example

Reflection Assignment: Life Cycle and Nutrition I. Good nutrition can be considered as one of the most essential objectives in the aim to achieve and maintain good health. The process of growth and development through the lifetime of a human being can be attained and optimized through the application of the different knowledge and principles of good nutrition. Basically, by knowing the fundamental information such as the RDA for people of different ages, the meals can be properly planned. The determination of life cycle nutrition can be considered important on the basis of the fact that the different age groups needs different types and amounts of the nutritive values on the basis of the body capacity and even activity. For that matter, the needs of an infant varies from that of an adult. Also, one of the basic nutritional knowledge is that the age of rapid development from infant through puberty requires the highest amount of nutrition (USDA National Agricultural Library). Based on the knowledge that is made available for the people, there is a variety of food that can be consumed to be able to achieve the optimum level of nutrition. Once this is attained every part of the body can be considered to have the condition for proper functioning. If such state can be maintained lifelong, then wellness and positive nutrition can be achieved. The lifecycle nutrition then can be considered as a chronological determination of the health needs and requirements for maximum and optimum growth and development of individuals from infancy, adolescence, adulthood and old age. II. In terms of pregnancy, the most important concern is nutrition for both the mother and the child. The availability of information can be considered of abundance in the present era wherein different sources can be utilized. Included in such references can be found in published documents, both in printed form and those that are online. One of the references that can be considered to present knowledge regarding nutrition during the period of pregnancy is that of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Based on the online information presented, common recommendations can be achieved which include proper food choice, intake and habits. In addition, the recommendation on the prevention of habits that can be detrimental such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using drugs and even consuming caffeine (ACOG). Basically, the data that can be found in the said site can be considered helpful in guiding pregnancy on the basis of the fact that it had been presented in simple language that discusses and presents data and information that are essential to the pregnant woman. One of the important data presented is the breakdown of the needed food content such as vitamins and minerals and the recommended amount which can be considered as an important guide specifically in the planning of the daily meals (ACOG). Other important issues that are discussed in the website are body mass index (BMI), methods of planning meals, essential nutrients that are needed and other issues. The different ailments and conditions that can be incurred by pregnant woman which can be considered important in warning them regarding the harm of not having enough nourishment or even negligence of the needed of the developing infant. The said point can also be considered in the presentation of the proportion of the weight of the infant during pregnancy. For that matter, the needed increase in the body mass can be estimated. The information presented is fundamental to the development and proper nutrition of both the mother and the child. In that case, based on the included topics the website can be rated high. On the other hand, the information is presented concisely and brief, thus, further reading and research from other references can be considered substantial. The ACOG website can be considered as a concise website presenting important outline of the issues affecting pregnancy. For that matter, subjects that are essential to the nutritional development of the pregnant woman and the infant can be found in the website. Although this is the case, additional information can be extracted from other resources for an in depth accumulation of related information. III. During infancy, the food progression is essential to be able to achieve the proper and optimum development of the babies. In the initial stage of infant development, breastfeeding is recommended to be able to provide for the needed nutritive components that can be found in the mother’s body. Bottle feeding is also another choice for newborn but formulas and components are needed to be given more attention. Newborn – 4 months – Breast Feeding/ Iron-fortified Formula 4-6 months – Solid foods (e.g. iron-fortified cereals, rice, wheat) can be initiated in addition to milk 6-12 months – Babies are taught to feed themselves both solid foods and milk/other liquids (weaning) (Source: USDA National Agricultural Library) Figure 1. Food progression in infancy. Infancy is the onset of the period of growth and development thus attention is needed to be given to be able to achieve the maximum growth potential that is the main basis of a healthy body. IV. The determination of the nutritional needs of children can be considered important in the fight for the prevention of different health conditions such as ADHD, hyperactivity, autism, premature birth, etc. Basically, the main contributing factors are the health of the parents and the nutritional support and attention received by the infant even during the development inside the womb. Genetic conditions can be inevitable in certain cases but then proper nutrition and parental support and guidance can alter even such effects. This can be attributed to the fact that the identity and the attributes of the child can be due to the synergical interaction of the genetic composition and the environmental effect which is composed of care and nutrition. For that matter, even conditions such as autism or premature birth which can be attributed to genetic considerations can be prevented if proper nutrition is provided for both the parent and the infant (USDA National Agricultural Library). V. Nutrition during adulthood can be considered as a responsibility. During puberty wherein individuals tend to experiment and explore, proper nutrition tends to be neglected on the basis of influence by the environment and other people. Such situation can have negative effects specifically when the individual reach adulthood and old age wherein susceptibility to different diseases can occur. Conclusion Based on the gathered information then, it is important to give attention to proper nutrition on a lifetime basis to be able to achieve and maintain optimum health condition. For that matter, negative habits and other actions that can have detrimental effects to the health and the condition of the body are needed to be prevented to be able to avoid incurring different types of abnormalities and health disorders. Lifecycle nutrition is an essential issue to ponder and give proper attention. Reference American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. June 2008. Nutrition During Pregnancy. 31 July 2008. USDA National Agricultural Library. 12 May 2008. Lifecycle Nutrition. 01 August 2008. Read More