The amount of nutrients our body’s need changes throughout
our life cycle. The amount and types of nutrients we need is based off our age,
gender, heredity and geographical location.
Specific nutrients should also be adjusted if any specific deficiencies
have been identified with your physician (Sizer, et al, 2014). It is
recommended that you have your blood drawn to seek out possible
deficiencies. For a list of common deficiencies
click here.
Healthy eating habits should start with parents during the
planning phase of the pregnancy (pre-pregnancy). A father’s nutrition plan and
lifestyle choices may affect his fertility and possibly the fertility of his
children. A pregnant woman’s diet feeds not just herself, but her newborn as
well. A pregnant woman’s diet feeds both her and her unborn child.
Her nutrient intake should increase during the second and third trimesters
(Sizer, et al, 2014). While the understanding that her nutrients are being
shared by her child, a mother should be cautious of the amount of weight she
gains during pregnancy (Diamond, 2010). The below chart gives an idea of
what a healthy weight range should look like:
Mothers, who
lack proper nutrition, are underweight or overweight can endure complications
during and after birth. Problems can occur with their infants being born
underweight or overweight, both creating health risks for their child, however
low birth weight it the number one concern for a child’s mortality. There can
also be additional risks to the mother during pregnancy, especially if she is
overweight or obese. The added weight gain can accelerate their risks with
overweight and obesity related health risks (Sizer, et al, 2014).
Proper nutrient
intake is important throughout your lifespan, but perhaps was the most
important during your infancy. A human-beings growth rate is the fastest during
the first year of his or her life. This rapid growth rates comes with high
nutrient demands, especially vitamin A, vitamin D and Calcium. During the first
6 months of our newborn’s life, all of their nutrients should come from breast
milk. As the infant ages, whole foods can be slowly integrated into their diet
as their bodies are able to metabolize them (Sizer, et al, 2014)
Before a child
reaches adolescence, it is the responsibility of the parent to feed them. Parents
should implement healthy eating habits from the start. The “clean your plate”
philosophy is a thing of the past. When a child is full they should be allowed
to stop eating and snacking throughout the day should be encouraged rather than
discouraged. Healthy, nutrient dense, whole foods should be the child’s main
source of nourishment. If while out to eat the kid’s menu does not appear to
have these healthy options, a “smarter choice” larger meal can be split with
adults or other children (Sizer, et al, 2014).
Keeping track of
what your child eats when they start feeding themselves can prove to be a
challenge. Hopefully the eating habits you have instilled up to this point have
managed to sink in and no bad habits are being developed. It is always
encouraged to continue educating them in regards to their nutrition and health.
If bad habits are developed, hopefully they will revert to previous learned
habits as they age. 
Healthy eating
habits during our later years become increasingly important. We should understand
that our nutrient needs change with our age. Overall calories may need to
decrease in while some nutrient consumption should be increased, like vitamin D
(Sizer, et al, 2013). The main take away
from this blog should be that best practices need to start early on in life and
be maintained throughout the entirety of your life; they should be taught to
children as early as possible and their education should continue into
adulthood.
References
Diamond, A.
(2010). “Advice on Eating for Two Should Go Beyond Pregnancy”. Nursing
Standard,
25(1), 28.. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Sizer,
F.,Whitney, E. (2014). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th
ed.). Mason, OH:
Cengage
Learning.
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