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Abstract
Dietary choices are important for the overall health and wellness of every individual. In particular, a combination of physical activity and eating choices can lead people to have a more fulfilling, productive, and healthy life. In recognition of this, this work examines my personal eating behaviors during the course of two days, comparing them with the average food group requirements considered to be healthy.
This process aims at finding the correct ways to improve my lifestyle, which is a necessary step in my work as a nurse. With the strain nursing puts on the body and mind, it is more crucial than ever to be able to maintain a proper diet and eat healthy as a way of keeping up with the demands of the job. Results of testing and research have shown that I have to increase the amount of physical exercise I engage in, as well as the amount of certain food consumed during the day.
Introduction
The diet journal assignment has served as an interesting and informative way for me to engage with my everyday lifestyle. As an individual, I do not think I currently experience any significant or big problems regarding physical fitness, health, or weight. However, I still think that regarding one body as worthy of investing both time and effort is valuable. In particular, the cultivation of good health helps individuals to live long and prosperous lives even in their older years, which I something I want to be able to do. Seeing how adherence to a good nutritional balance and physical exercise has a positive impact on long-term wellness, I used the opportunity to cultivate better habits and behaviors during the time of the evaluation.
Additionally, my present occupation as a nurse gives me the moral and professional responsibility to stay on top of my physical and mental performance for the sake of other people, as an occupation that partially helps me stay fit; nursing both influences and depends on my health. I will use this work as a way to discuss the results obtained, their scientific basis, and the potential implications they have. Hopefully, as a result of this exercise, my capacity to act in both a health-conscious and productive manner will be increased.
Literature Review
The literature review will focus on discussing the relationship between nursing work, diet, physical activity, and health. Because nursing is currently my main occupation and a factor in a variety of day-to-day decisions, I want to see it as an integral part of maintaining my health and important consideration. Firstly, current research notes that nursing work has a profound effect on the physical condition of nurses. In particular, many of the everyday tasks connected with doing nursing work involve walking and using ones hands. Research has shown that the level of strain on the body from having a job in this field ranges from moderate to high, with many individuals reporting neck, shoulder, and back problems as a result (Trinkoff et al., 2003). This data can be interpreted in several ways in relation to the subject of the current discussion.
Firstly, it presents an important reason for maintaining ones physical wellness while working as a nurse. Without having sufficient preparedness for the job, sustaining lasting damage to ones body is extremely likely, emphasizing the need for continued physical wellness. Additionally, the levels of strain seen in a nursing job can be seen as a form of exercise in itself, which helps people to keep a certain level of activity even while leading an overall sedentary lifestyle.
Nursing additionally has a profound effect on mental health, being a source of stress, which manifests in a number of ways. Firstly, the amount of work that needs to be performed takes a toll on the psyche, resulting in higher stress and anxiety than a person might desire in their life.
Nursing requires a certain degree of mental wellness and stability, one that is difficult to maintain and support in the world of today. One of the effects of the elevated stress, as research shows, is the tendency of nurses to eat junk food (Jordan et al., 2016). The use of nutritionally low foods acts as a way to relieve stress. Additionally, with the busy and often unpredictable schedules of many nurses, breakfast often gets skipped, putting more emphasis on afternoon food intake and snacking (Jordan et al., 2016). This information further supports the initial assertion of nursing and wellness being connected, as the occupation has high potential to affect an individuals diet.
Looking at the subject from an alternative standpoint, one could also consider the factors outside of nursing that can affect the profession and wellness of a person working in the field. In particular, physical fitness and exercises have consistently shown a positive correlation with the wellbeing of nurses. Regular physical activity has the potential to enhance nursing practice through enabling medical professionals to develop better mental resilience (Owusu-Sekyere, 2020).
Additionally other practices have the potential to help in enhancing nursing practices for individuals. In particular, food intake and a balanced diet can be seen as another way to help medical professionals to maintain their professional and personal capacity alike (Lim, 2018). The benefits of a good diet are apparent and remain the subject of the entire present paper, but the particular positive influence it has on nursing should be noted nevertheless. Strong physical and mental health created by a stable diet helps nurses to fulfil their work objectives efficiently and avoid burnout. Other mental health problems faced by nurses in a professional and personal capacity, similarly, can be improved through dietary choices (Adan et al., 2019). Overall, the creation and maintenance of a proper diet helps medical professionals to work at their full power.
Methodology
For this discussion, I have used the forms provided to record my present food intake during the period of 2 days. The first day was a selective representation of how I normally eat, including snacks and other junk food. On the second day, however, I have tried to avoid high-sugar foods and fast food, instead opting to go for a move conservative meal. Meal times and calories were recorded as well, which worked to bring more context into the final evaluation. As a final measure, each food group intake count was compared against the standards set by the USDA, which are seen as a comparison point for healthy eating.
Results and Discussion
The comparisons between my food intake and the recommendations can be most aptly seen using a visual representation. As seen in the diagram below, the results of this experiment vary considerably, with my food intake by each group being different compared to the control values.
The first day had me eating the most junk food, while also having no time for a proper breakfast and eating snacks. Evidently, this meal plan has had an effect on my required intake of every food group except vegetables. In terms of water, dairy, fruit, grains, protein, and oils, my diet during that day was either excessive or lacking. However, I must note that the overall number of calories I have consumed turned out to be close to the desired goal of 2000, measured at precisely 1964 calories. This diet saw me being unable to properly regulate food intake throughout the day, in equal parts due to a lack of time, funds or patience to have a more balanced diet.
During the second day, however, the results were significantly different. Notably, the intake of both water and protein has jumped significantly, along with dairy products. I ate no vegetables on that day, which was an issue, but the overall food intake was closer to the desired requirements set by the USDA. The preparation and management of the second day took around the same amount of effort as the precious one, making simple foods that are quicker to both prepare and eat. Similar to the first day, I did not have the time to have a proper breakfast, which significantly impeded my capacity to eat in accordance with regulations.
Overall, I can say that the differences between the metrics were mainly caused by the strain of my current lifestyle, coupled with the general resistance to dietary change and reliance of sugary foods. The disparity between the data shown makes the needs for further consideration clear. To maintain a healthier and more fulfilling diet, an increased intake of water, vegetables, grains and protein foods is needed. Additionally, to support my living as a nurse, I think that an overall increase in the number of physical activities might be necessary. While I am not accustomed to regular exercise or training, lighter variations of either of the two might prove effective.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I have managed to find out more about my current lifestyle and its dietary flaws throughout the course of this experiment. As the direct result of filling out the 2-day food group forms, I compared the average meals I have with what is considered healthy and beneficial to the human body. Using research regarding the relationships between health and nursing work, I have found that the maintenance of my health and its wellness has a direct connection to my work performance.
Patient care puts a strain on my mental and physical health, and does not give me much time to have a proper breakfast. Additionally, a better standard of dieting and physical exercise has the capacity to improve my work performance. After evaluating and describing the differences in my current and preferred diet, I have been able to find what I need to do in the future. Firstly, increase the level of physical activity I have on a daily basis. Secondly, improve the daily intake of a number of food groups, including water, vegetables, grains and proteins. And lastly, I will need to find a way to have proper breakfasts more often, as it is also an important consideration for this discussion. The work has helped me outline the necessary steps for improving my future health and shaping my work practice.
References
Adan, R. A. H., van der Beek, E. M., Buitelaar, J. K., Cryan, J. F., Hebebrand, J., Higgs, S., Schellekens, H., & Dickson, S. L. (2019). Nutritional psychiatry: Towards improving mental health by what you eat. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29(12), 13211332. Web.
Jordan, T. R., Khubchandani, J., & Wiblishauser, M. (2016). The impact of perceived stress and coping adequacy on the health of nurses: A pilot investigation. Nursing Research and Practice, 2016, 111. Web.
Lim, S. (2018). Eating a balanced diet: A healthy life through a balanced diet in the age of longevity. Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome, 27(1), 3945. Web.
Owusu-Sekyere, F. (2020). Assessing the effect of physical activity and exercise on nurses well-being. Nursing Standard, 35(4), 4550. Web.
Trinkoff, A. M., Lipscomb, J. A., Geiger-Brown, J., Storr, C. L., & Brady, B. A. (2003). Perceived physical demands and reported musculoskeletal problems in registered nurses. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24(3), 270275. Web.
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