In The Learning Journal

In the Learning Journal, imagine you work for a community health organization.
What dietary changes
would you recommend to promote better nutritional health in your community? What practices do you
feel are important to emphasize and why? What anatomic and/or physiologic changes can you promote
through dietary changes?
It is well known that diet and nutrients can be responsible for a number of diseases such as cancers,
cardiovascular disease (hypertension, atherosclerosis, etc.) and diabetes. Diet is also the sole reason for
weight gains, and also high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Diets that are high in fibers (vegetables), fruits,
nuts, whole grains have been attributed to be health promoting. High calorie foods, diets with high slats,
eating meat, animal fats, etc. have been shown to be health damaging as they are key risk factors for the
onset of many non-communicable diseases. High intake of dietary sodium (table salt) is linked to
cancers, high blood pressure with all its associated complications like stroke, kidney diseases, kidney
cancer, etc. High salt intake alone has been shown to contribute to 1.5 to 4.0% of disease burden
globally [ CITATION Ezz13 \l 1033 ].
Good nutrition is an important aspect of healthy living, which when combined with physical activities
can help people reduce weight, lower the risk for chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes,
cancers, etc., and is viewed as a way of improving our overall health [ CITATION HHS11 \l 1033 ].
Good nutrition is therefore an important asset for the protection from diseases, promotion and
maintenance of health and wellbeing of the population and should be part of the public health policies
for all governments.
Education
to promote good nutrition in the community, there is need to educate the community on the benefits of
eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and drinking plenty of water. These
eating behaviors have been shown to promote good health. The diet people take should have proteins,
vitamins, micronutrients, fibers, etc. There is need to discourage the population from eating readily
made foods, food high in calories and animal fats as they are associated with increased risk for weight
gains, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, certain types of cancers, etc. dietary education and physical
exercises will be interlinked as a measure to promote general health. Jogging, playing football, netball,
walking to work or school, are all important in health promotion in addition to good nutrition.
Consulting a dietician is aanother important advise since a large proportion of people may not be able to
know which type of food to eat so they can have a well balanced diet.
Policies
Also, I can recommend the local authorities to enact laws and regulations regarding advertisement,
sales, and consumption of certain foods that have been linked to the onset of chronic diseases. Such
policies should target also schools where learners converge since they can learn good eating behavior
from schools where they spent most pf their times.
Practices to recommend
I would advise people to cook their own foods from home and to follow a well-documented nutrition
guideline that states how much of a specific nutrient an adult should take in a day or on a specific
occasion (during exercise you need more energy). Buying junk foods and drinks will be discouraged as
they contain a lot of animal fats and are high in calories.
Anatomic structural promotion through healthy diet
Health diet is important for nearly all structures and functions
For the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal system, eating food high in fibers promote peristalsis
and help prevent constipations. Also eating foods low in dietary salt (sodium) is important as it lowers
the risk of developing bowel cancers and also cardiovascular diseases.

Bone health is also promoted by eating of adequate micronutrients such as calcium in nuts and other
sources. Pottasium is another important micronutrient that is very essential for proper function of the
heart and can be readily got from vegetables and fruits such as yellow bananas.

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In the Learning Journal, imagine you work for a community health organization.

What dietary changes

through dietary changes?

globally [ CITATION Ezz13 \l 1033 ].

for all governments.

from schools where they spent most pf their times.

they contain a lot of animal fats and are high in calories.

Anatomic structural promotion through healthy diet

Health diet is important for nearly all structures and functions

the risk of developing bowel cancers and also cardiovascular diseases.

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