Nutrition & Fitness Paper Essay

Nutrition and Fitness play different roles in American’s lives. According to Healthy People 2010 54% of Americans are not regularly active, 15% are not active at all. Americans consume too many calories, often in the form of added sugars and fats, but too few vitamins and minerals, in part because the intake of fruits, vegetables, and milk products is relatively low. (Insel & Roth. 2008 p.367) There is a number of health risks associated with obesity. According to WebMD.com â€Å"Obesity is not just a cosmetic problem, it’s a health hazard. Someone who is 40% overweight is twice as likely to die prematurely as is an average-weight person. This is because obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions†. Some of the health risks that are associated with obesity include: Heart disease and stroke, High blood pressure, Diabetes, Cancer, Gallbladder disease and gallstones, Osteoarthritis, and Breathing problems, such as asthma. (WebMD.com). There are many ways that American’s can incorporate fitness and nutrition in their daily lives. This paper will discuss fitness and nutrition habits, and suggest new habits that will benefit your health and promote healthy weight. My current fitness and nutritional habits include many positive traits. For starters I always try to eat something nutritious every two to three hours each day, by doing this I continually eat healthy foods and I stay fuller longer reducing the chances of having fatty snack foods throughout the day. I try to remember to make sure that each of my meals contains lean protein, like some fish, turkey, or egg whites and the appropriate servings from the food pyramid. I love fruits so I try to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables with each meal or as a snack in throughout the day. On occasions I have a high carbohydrate drink that is high in protein such as soy milk combined with a serving of a nutritional carbo snacks, usually within thirty minutes before a workout. I also try to regularly drink only non-calorie containing beverages, like water or sugar free water based drinks. I try to eat healthy fats on a daily basis, like almonds, nuts, fish, and flax seed oils. I know that I should obtain all of my carbohydrates from fresh fruits and vegetables, but sometimes have limited time to prepare these items due to my hectic schedule and I find myself taking easy shortcuts. In an attempt to better my fitness habits I will attempt to incorporate some  new fitness habits into my daily lifestyle. Three new fitness habits that I could reasonably incorporate into my lifestyle would include eating healthy breakfast, exercising first thing in the morning and obtaining my vitamins and nutrients through foods versus vitamin supplements. It is commonly said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day well this has always been a statement that is hard for me to live by. I often find myself rushing out the door to get my child off to school and make it to work on time without indulging in breakfast first. By the time I get around to having my morning meal it is nearly lunch time. My metabolism is running at the lowest gear of the entire day when I first wake up in the morning. My body is running on pure fumes alone. The second I eat something, my body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. If I could make time to incorporate breakfast into my day my metabolism would kick into gear much sooner and I would have more energy which would result in an overall better day and a better workout. As with eating breakfast getting in a quick workout in the morning will jump start my metabolism for the day. Just quick ten or fifteen minutes of a workout in the morning will give me more energy and prepare me for my hectic day. The later in the day I work out the less likely I will be able to get to sleep on time. Overall I think exercising in the morning makes me feel healthier and gives me a better attitude. I have discovered that I need to try to get my vitamin and nutrients intake through my food supply rather then through supplements. Supplements only provide the vitamins and minerals listed on the bottle. But food supplies a lot more – antioxidants, phytochemicals that are beneficial to the body, and probably even things that scientists haven’t discovered yet. It’s also cheaper to get nutrients this way. A bottle of multivitamins may not be expensive, but if one was to factor in all the other things, such as antioxidants and essential fatty acids, the cost would be quite high. By obtaining my vitamins and nutrients through my food intake I will be receiving additional benefits. In conclusion, I understand that there are several habits that I need to change regarding my nutrition and fitness. I now realize that if I can make the three fitness and nutritional changes and incorporate them into my lifestyle I can greatly improve my nutrition and fitness. I also understand that I am putting myself at a higher risk of developing several health related problems if I do not make and attempt to better my nutritional habits. I hope that in the coming weeks that I can make the necessary changes to not only promote healthier nutrition and fitness habits, but overall health and wellness as well. References Insel, P.M., & Roth,W.T. (2008). Core concepts in health (10th ed.) Chapter 1. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from the University of Phoenix May 11, 2009Loss: Health Risks Associated With Obesity. Retrieved from the World Wide Web at: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/obesity-health-risksWeight-loss.emedtv.com (2006-2008) May 11, 2009