Blog Post 4: Post Traditional Diet Analysis Part 2:

Now that I have my diet analysis calculation done, in addition to my two posts following my diet, I can make a more clear sense about what I currently like, and would like to change about my diet.

First, the three things I really like about my diet are:

1) It is clear from my calculations that I am getting a sufficient amount of calcium in my diet daily.
2) I am incorporating a sufficient amount of whole fruits into my routines.
3) I am taking the time to make sure to enjoy my meals with my family, and when they are not available, with friends or in a somewhat relaxing atmosphere


However, three things that I believe could be changed about my diet to improve it are:

1) I need more grains and complex starches incorporated into my daily routine
2) I am consuming too much saturated fat (and sodium)
3) I am not eating enough green leafy vegetables (I am more fruit heavy than vegetable balanced)

Lifestyle factors (such as diet, exercise, and smoking habits) play an impact on health, such as on the likelihood of succumbing to an sudden cardiac death (Chiuve et al. 2011).  Therefore, the above factors can be assessed for their ability to improve or decline my quality of life now, and as I age.

3 things I like about my diet;
1) Getting enough calcium in my diet is essential, since sufficient calcium can help to prevent the onset of osteoporosis (Roschger et al. 2008)

2) Incorporating whole fruits into my diet is providing me with a good intake of phytochemicals, that may help to reduce the risk of certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer (Rodriguez-Casado 2014).  Additionally, eating fruits helps to prevent me from poorer snacking habits, such as refined sugars (except for the exceptional eclair my wife brought home that day, but it was the only one I had in the whole month!)

3) Enjoying meals with family and friends brings joy to my life and also helps to remain less stressed, which in part may have an effect on my overall health (McEwan & Stellar 1993).

Items I believe should be improved:
1) I need to take in more whole grains and complex starches.  One of the issues I currently have is that I am in a rut and eat the same thing every morning before work.  What I need to do is vary my breakfast routine to bring my grains in better check.  Eating more complex starches can help to reduce my risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Jenkins et al. 2001).

2) I need to reduce my intake of saturated fats and sodium.  From looking at my diet, it is clear that this is a byproduct of my move to Paris, since I have increased my consumption of cheeses (soft and hard) to practically every meal of the day, while also switching from skim milk to 2% milk.  Having a good monounsaturated fat:saturated fat  ratio will also reduce my risk of developing cardiovascular disease (Schwingshackl &Hoffman 2014)

3) I need to increase my intake of green leafy vegetables according to the myplate diagram.   I found this surprising- until doing this blog I thought my fruit-vegetable intake was balanced, but I was quite incorrect!  By increasing my vegetable intake, I will increase my B vitamin intake, and also dietary fiber intake, which may help to prevent certain large intestine diseases (Otles & Ozgoz 2014)

Bibliography
1)Chiuve SE, Fung TT, Rexrode KM, Spiegelman D, Manson JE, Stampfer MJ, Albert CM. "Adherence to a low-risk, healthy lifestyle and risk of sudden cardiac death among women." JAMA. 2011 Jul 6;306(1):62-9. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.907.
2) Roschger, P., Paschalis EP, Fratzl P, Klaushofer K. "Bone mineralization density distribution in health and disease"  Bone , Volume 42 , Issue 3 , 456 - 466
3) Rodriguez-Casado A. "The Health Potential of Fruits and Vegetables Phytochemicals: Notable Examples." Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2014 Sep 16:0.

4) McEwen BS, Stellar E.. "Stress and the Individual: Mechanisms Leading to Disease." Arch Intern Med. 1993;153(18):2093-2101
5) Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Augustin LS, Vuksan V.. "High-complex carbohydrate or lente carbohydrate foods?" Am J Med. 2002 Dec 30;113 Suppl 9B:30S-37S.
6) Schwingshackl L, Hoffmann G.. "Monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil and health status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies." Lipids Health Dis. 2014 Oct 1;13(1):154. 
7) Otles S, Ozgoz S.. "Health effects of dietary fiber."  Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment. 2014 Apr-Jun;13(2):191-202.

TO THE AMAZING 'TEAM NUTRITION' STUDENTS: HERE ARE THE TWO WEBSITES TO USE TO FIND RELEVANT ARTICLES FOR CITING:
www.pubmed.gov
scholar.google.fr

My Traditional Diet: Post-Analysis Part I

I've now compiled my diet over two days and input it into the diet nutrition calculator on our Connect website!  The tool was very useful and made this task very easy!  I would say it took me 30 minutes/ day to enter.  In addition, I entered my data first into an excel spreadsheet.  I did this because I thought it was easier to assess my portion quantity here than through the analysis tool.   Plus, I can easily group foods to make sure I am getting enough water, distinguish repeating food groups, etc.

Here is an example of my excel spreadsheet:

breakfast	quantity
toast, whole grain	1 slice
toast, whole grain	1 slice
toast, whole grain	1 slice
olive oil, extra virgin, organic	1 tbsp.
avocado, organic	1 small
cheese, local pecorino (hard)	0.2 cup
cheese, mozzarella	1/2 cup
tomato	1 medium
pepper	dash
oregano	dash
butter	1 tsp
jam, strawberry	1 tbsp.
melon	1 cup
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
milk, 1%, organic	6 oz.
espresso	2 oz.

or an example of by type:

melon	1 cup
milk, 1% organic	6 oz.
milk, 1%, organic	6 oz.
nectarine	1 medium
nectarine	1 medium
olive oil, extra virgin, organic	1 tbsp.
olive oil, extra virgin, organic	1/4 tbsp
oregano	dash
paprika	dash
pepper	dash
snacks
thyme	dash
toast, whole grain	1 slice
toast, whole grain	1 slice
toast, whole grain	1 slice
tomato	1 medium
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
water, tap	8 oz.
yogurt, organic, whole	1 cup

Once all the numbers were in the analysis calculator, I generated two graphs- one was both days combined into 1 graph.  This is very helpful since variety means averaging both days gives a better picture insofar as if individual food group requirements are being met.

This is a graph showing my diet on both days- it shows how variety in my diet complements both days- for example; vitamin B1 was a little low on day 1, but on day 2 I consumed near recommended levels

This is showing an average of both days.  It shows my saturated fat intake is higher than recommended- which is most likely due to my intake of cheeses!

So, overall this was a good method of objectively looking at my diet.  I learned a few things that I would like to change about my diet- there is one more section to complete for my traditional diet, which is now the self-analysis on what this data means- we will complete that section in mid-September- please stay tuned!

My Traditional Diet: Day Two: Wednesday 20 August 2014

After having fun with this project yesterday, I woke up this morning excited to once again be blogging my diet.  Admittedly, I was less energetic than usual because my little one woke up a few times through the night calling for daddy.  Regardless, I knew I had enough energy and once again began preparing our breakfast, and had my wife help as 'sous chef'.

Breakfast: 8:15a-8:50a

Today's breakfast was similar to yesterday.  As previously explained, this meal is pretty much my current go-to breakfast; since it is delicious, nutritious, and easy and quick to prepare.  To add a little variety, the cheeses on the toasts were changed from yesterday, giving a different depth to the meal, as well as the bread was switched from a whole grain loaf to a local pain au levain (aka-sourdough bread, it has a slightly acidic taste- delicious!).  Regardless, breakfast variety is something I will be addressing in my self-analysis.




1 cup semi-skim organic milk
1 serving Spanish espresso
2 cups water
3 pieces of whole grain bread
1 tbl EVOO
2 slices semi-cured cheese (local)
1/4 cup mozzarella
1/2 tomato, slices of onion
1 tsp butter
2 tsp Greek wildflower and pine honey (bought locally)
1 serving melon
pepper and oregano from the community garden





Lunch 2p-2:30p

Today my schedule was pushed back to due to French conversation class and also some experiments that I had to run in the morning that took extra attention.  As I mentioned yesterday, I prefer to eat later in the day, usually between 1p-2p, following more of a Spanish-style lunch schedule.   As a result, no one was available for lunch to join me, so I decided to sit outside in the courtyard near my lab and take in a little sun (but not too much- this is Paris!)

Lab Courtyard Selfie!

1 cup of organic yogurt
1 nectarine
2 cups of pasta
1 cup ground beef
homemade sauce (1 tbl EVOO, 1/4 tomato, 1/4 green pepper, spices)
a few shreds of Parmesan cheese
(since I ate outside, I did not have any water at this meal- which is always difficult, since I love water!)

 Snacks

12:30p-1:30p During French conversation class, I had a mug of Darjeeling tea and a banana (and a cup of water after the class)








at 3p I had a coffee of 1 cup semi-skim milk and espresso (and one square of 90% cocoa chocolate) at my desk while I worked.

at 6:50p I had a medium Cortland-style apple on the walk home

at 7:30p I shared 1/3 of chocolate eclair (my favorite french pastrie) with my wife and daughter (it was a surprise- our favorite boulangerie has been closed for the month but just reopened!)

I also drank 3 additional cups of water throughout the day

Matching Workout Outfits... by accident?

Hera adding extra weight to help me reach
my goals- thanks sweetie!

Exercise  7p-7:30p
At home, before dinner I started my 30 minute workout (Wednesday is one of the days I designate to work out, having a set schedule helps me make sure to reach my goals).  This week my daughter decided to join in and help me out!





















Dinner: 9:35p-10:25p

Again following a more traditional Spanish eating style, we waited until my daughter went to sleep to start our meal tonight.  Since yesterday was lacking on green leafy veggies, today they were incorporated into the meal (in general , we prefer to have our heavier meal for lunch, and a lighter meal for dinner).  The meal itself was delicious, refreshing, and light.  The only regret was recently the cucumbers we have been buying are bitter.   It's always hit or miss with cukes, but obviously we'd prefer a more crisp clean taste to make the meal more enjoyable; but to reiterate it didn't deviate the meal enough to make it regrettable.  My wife and I decided it would be a nice night to enjoy a potent potable together, so we popped and shared a bottle of Saison Dupont- a beautiful Belgium beer that is typically enjoyed in the fall- it has a fresh blonde taste with undertones of fruit- an easy drink for a worknight.  We took the popcorn out onto our terrace with our beverages to further enjoy our time together and recount the day- it was great!




3/4 cup garbanzo beans/ chickpeas
1/2 cucumber
1/2 tomato
5 pieces of feta cheese
1 tbls. of EVOO
light salt, oregano, and pepper
1 cup loose popcorn (pot popped in 1 tbls. sunflower oil), lightly salted
2 cups water
1 goblet Saison Dupont.
1 light serving of guitar strumming on the terrace (calorie free!)





Now it's approaching the end of the night, and again I feel relaxed and refreshed from my meals today.  I did not feel a loss of energy, nor did I experience any discomfort typically associated with overeating.  The next step of this project will be to analyze the meal from a nutrition perspective, as well as a well being perspective.  I plan on taking some time over the weekend to work on the next step of this blog- please stay tuned!

My Traditional Diet: Day One: Tuesday 19 August 2014

Here's my first blog entry!  I'm new to this, so please bear with me :)

Creating a self nutrition evaluation is a part of the Nutrition Course that I have designed at Mville, and I figured it is only fair if I myself under the same evaluation I will ask my students to conduct.  Additionally, I haven't analysed my diet since moving to France, so I believe I will find this helpful to adjust for any particulars about my diet which need improvement!

I have decided to follow my diet on a Tuesday and Wednesday in August while living in Paris.  This is somewhat unique, because most stores are closed in Paris in August, or are on reduced hours.  For example, the outdoor market in our neighborhood in the 15th arrondisement is figuratively lights out for the entire month, plus some staple stores (such as CarreFour, La Vie Clair, etc.) have reduced hours.  This makes it more difficult to find our typical organic and local options, but we do our best!

Meal One: Breakfast (8:30a-9:10a)

This picture stars a cameo of my wife's

right arm as she reaches for more melon.

I snuck out of bed a little earlier than my wife, which meant I had the opportunity to begin preparing our breakfast while my wife caught a few extra zzzz's, and my daughter was unusually still asleep as well.  I made our staple breakfast, which included the following for myself:

3 medium toasted slices of locally made whole grain bread, two with 1 tablespoon (total volume) extra virgin organic olive oil (EVOO), and covered with a light spreading of avocado.  One slice received a French percorino cheese slices from our fromager and the other tomato and mozzarella from Carrefour.  A dash of black pepper on each and dried oregano from our local garden. The third slice had a light spread of butter, and Bonne Maman strawberry jam.  I also ate a cup and a half of melon (which wasn't very tasteful as it had been in previous weeks- selection for melon is beginning to drop) The meal included two cups of water, and a cup of cafe-creme made with semi-skim milk.

 My daughter, Hera, also enjoyed her breakfast with Mommy and Daddy!

                             

As mentioned, this is a staple meal we prepare during the week- it can be prepared in 15 minutes of less while one partner plays with Hera, and is filling yet light enough to let the day begin with a bounce.  More than anything, I always leave breakfast happy because we make sure to spend it as a family and enjoy each others company before we split up for the day's work.

Meal Two: Lunch/ Dejeuner 12p-12:45p

Today I decided to eat lunch with my lab mates- I do not always afford myself this privilege since sometimes I prefer eating outside if the weather is nice enough, or continuing to work while eating in my office.  Regardless, it was great to sit and eat a meal with them and take a break from work, however I had to adjust my eating schedule to theirs (typically I would eat later since I am usually still full from my breakfast)

Most employees tend to buy their meal at the Institut since it is subsidized (my lab mates full meal in the background cost approximately 6 dollars- quite a deal).  However, I typically prefer to carry my own meal, since 1) my meal is not subsidized by the French government, 2) my wife is a wonderful chef and makes delicious meals!  3) we can better control what goes into our food if we cook it ourselves (e.g.- we typically do not add salt or excessive quantities of oils to our meals)
For this meal I had:
2 cups of water
1 cup of organic yogurt
1 medium nectarine
1 serving of cod
3/4 cup of Indian lentils/ Dahl (leftovers from takeout on Sunday) mixed with the fish (this was a great use of the leftover- it added a lot of flavor to the fish- something we will definitely try again in the future!)

NOT my lunch

As mentioned, my lab mate in the background had a meal from the campus. Institut Pasteur has many various options to cater to everyone's appetite. While the options he chose appear quite healthy, I'm not sure about my other colleague who also chose available options from the campus.  His choices are pictured to the right.  We'll discuss this type of eating during the semester, and how to incorporate these options occasionally into a healthy diet!




 Snacks between 2p-6:30p

At 2p I took a 15 minute break to brew a cafe creme while catching up on the day's news
This included 1 cup of semi-skim milk and espresso

During work I drank 2 more cups of water



At 6:15p on the walk home I had a
medium banana as a pick up until dinner

And made sure to take the stairs in lieu of the elevator for some extra movement!

Dinner: 7:30p

Sometimes my wife and I wait to eat until after our daughter goes to sleep (and we feed her dinner separately), but tonight we were hungry (most likely spurred by my part of eating earlier than usual) so we shared our meal with our daughter.

Our dinner consisted of two segments- my wife returned to the fromager and our local baker for a fresh baguette.

During this segment of the meal, I had 2 cups of water, 1/3 of a baguette, and 1/2 cup of soft cheese (Reblochon), and 1/4 cup of semi-cured cheese.

We then completed the meal with a homemade bowl of vegetable soup (which was pureed), which contained:

3/4 of a potato

1/4 carrot

1/5 of an onion

1/2 clove of garlic

1/4 mushroom (since it was laying around and we wanted to use it)

spices (bay leaf, thyme, paprika)

1/4 bouillon cube

1/4 tablespoon EVOO

2 cups water
1 nectarine 30 minutes before turning in for the night

2 more cups of water before bed, and that completes this day's meals.  Prior to analysis, I feel the meals gave me what I needed for the day, however in retrospect I could have used more raw vegetables- tomorrow's dinner will be certain to include more leafy greens.  I already see some areas that will need improvement, but I would rather complete the two days meals before I start working on the analysis and plans for improvement.  

So, for now, I am pleasantly optimistic!  I believe this blog will be very useful for my diet self-analysis.