In
my opinion, every day that a woman is growing a baby inside her body is equivalent
to a woman hiking a mountain. It takes a
lot for a baby to grow and a new mom needs to make sure that she watches her
diet to include all the necessary nutrients needed to have a healthy baby and
mother. Good nutrition is needed for the normal development of the fetus,
energy for the mother, and infection and disease resistance. Vitamin B12 and folic acid should be supplemented into the diet, in
addition to iron and vitamin C.
Malnutrition can cause permanent damage to the baby, so it is important
to consume enough quality food to feed both mother and growing baby. When I was pregnant with my first child, many people told me that I can eat whatever I want because I was eating for two. This lead to me gaining more weight than I was supposed to. Many pregnant woman gain twice as much as the recommended weight gain of 25 to 30 pounds. It is important to eat some extra calorie, but it is important that the calories are nutrient dense.
During
the first year of an infant’s life, nutrition needs are at an all-time
high. Sizer& Whitney (2013) state
that a baby faster in the first year of life than ever again and that nutrition
status is gauged by the growth of infants.
Infants require a diet of either breastmilk or formula until about 6
months old and then other foods can be slowly introduced. Water is also crucial for infants, but most
of the those needs are met in the formula or breastmilk.
By
the time a child becomes a toddler; his or her diet has changed
significantly. Nutrition needs are met
by modified adult foods. Through
toddlerhood into childhood, the caloric needs significantly increase to the
point where they will have doubled by age six and even more by age 10. Vitamins and minerals are important for
children and actually need more than that of an adult. Vitamin D, iron, and fluoride should be
supplemented in a child’s diet. Because parents are the gatekeepers to their children’s nutrition intake, healthy nutritional habits begin with parents providing and teaching children those healthy habits. As parents, we are responsible for setting our children up for life when it comes to their eating habits – for better or worse (Model, 2013). A child who grows up eating a diet with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals will likely carry those habits into adulthood. As a mom of 6, I know how hard it can be to be to give a child all the characteristics of a healthy diet. I have very picky kids and trying to meet their nutritional needs can be quite the challenge. I understand that it is up to me to train them in eating a variety and nutrient filled diet, but sometimes making chicken nuggets for the third time in a row in one day is the only way I can get any sort of calories into them. The most successful I have been with teaching healthy eating habits to my kids has been when I required it of them. At one point, I made my kids stay at the table until they had a bite of everything on their plate. This has helped open up their palate to different foods and they become less picky. I know many adults who are still very picky to this day and have very poor diets, mainly due to their lack of healthy habits as a kid.
It
is hard to get quality nutrition in busy teenagers. Sizer & Whitney (2013) state that food
choices made during the teen years profoundly affect their health. Calorie need for adolescence is dependent
upon physical activity level. Because
bone development is high during this age, extra calcium is needed. Iron levels need to be maintained due to lean
body mass gain and menstruation in girls.
Vitamin D is also important for continued bone growth and development.
Sizer
& Whitney (2013) state that nutrition has many documented roles that are critical
to successful aging. Obesity can become a problem for those adults that
decrease their activity level and not the calories consumed. Because adults tend decrease their physical
activity, the energy needs also decrease. Older adults need to focus on
adequate intakes of vitamin A, D, B12, calcium, zinc, and iron as well as
antioxidants and water (Sizer & Whitney, 2013).
Model healthy eating habits to your
children. (2013, Aug 06). The Times - Transcript Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1417850092?accountid=32521
Sizer, F. & Whitney, E.
(2013). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th
ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Biosocial Methods (2013). Image retrieved from http://biosocialmethods.isr.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/developmental-biology_maizeblue.png
No comments:
Post a Comment