Nourishing Insights: Case Studies on Diet, Digestion, and Skincare

Case Study 1: J Wellington Wimpy Diet Change

When Wimpy changed his diet from a burger meal to a sandwich submeal, he was inspired to improve his health and nutritional habits. In the last Hamburger meal, Wimpy had a combination of meat, hamburger buns, vegetables, cheese, and some superfoods like tomatoes. As such, the burger contained macronutrients like fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. As expected, carbohydrates formed the most significant portion of the nutritional components in the burger. Wimpy, however, decided to change his diet and opt for a tasty Turkey Sub sandwich. This sandwich contains the same macronutrients as the burger but in different portions. The sub contains carbohydrates in the bread, proteins in the meat component, and fats in the cheese. However, the replacement comprises a more considerable amount of carbohydrates and proteins compared to the burger. The 6-inch sandwich, however, contains fewer fats than the burger.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Though people popularly select sub sandwiches as the healthier option than burgers, the sandwiches´ healthy, nutritious mix is highly questionable by some nutritionists. However, the sandwiches are made from grilled chicken instead of the deep-fried alternatives in the burger. As such, the sandwiches have a lower calorie composition compared to burgers. In terms of macronutrient composition, therefore, the sub-sandwich is the preferable alternative.

To make his feeding patterns even healthier for weight loss, Wimpy should also consider adding leafy, root-leguminous, and whole alternatives to his diet. Such macro-food options as salmon, tuna, lean beef, and chicken breast could improve his health. Furthermore, he should increase his use of vegetables and fruit salad and legumes, beans, and potatoes.

Case Study 2: Carol´s Lactose Intolerance

Carol is one of 75% of the world population affected by intolerance to lactose (West, 2017b). Lactose intolerance refers to the inability of the human digestive tract to digest lactose. These intolerant individuals to lactose lack a sufficient supply of lactase enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose into the simple sugars of glucose and galactose. The undigested lactose thus travels whole through the digestive tract and causes such stomach upsets, including diarrhea and bloating (West, 2017b). Individuals like Carol, who experience intolerance to lactose and dairy products, are often advised to use yogurt. Despite being a milk product itself, yogurt is often low in lactose. Active bacteria often break down the lactose in yogurt into digestible variants. As such, the individual tolerance levels for yogurt compared to milk are usually 60% better (West, 2017a).

Case Study 3: Hydration and Dehydration – Elli´s Parents

First, it is essential to understand that human skin behaves like a sponge. As such, the skin wrinkles when they becomes dry and straightens up when hydrated. As such, dehydration may cause the skin to stay dry and wrinkled. Water absorption to the human skin occurs through the process of Osmosis. This osmotic movement of hypotonic solution into the inner regions of the skin depends on differences in ionic concentration between the skin organs and the fluid transport vessels. Osmotic movement of water into the skin layer occurs when the salt, sugar, or other ionic concentration in the skin organ is considerably higher than that of the fluid transportation vessels. When the water one intakes is higher in the concentration of these ions, the reverse osmotic process occurs, and moisture in the skin is lost. Doctors and health practitioners thereby discourage the intake of higher salt or sugar concentrations. Such higher concentrations in the ingested fluids may create a reverse osmotic movement and cause dehydration and wrinkling of the skin. Health experts thereby discourage the excessive intake of caffeinated fluids as well as sugared or salty water sources.

Part 2: Putting it All Together

The three cases presented above are instances of the digestion and assimilation of food components into the body (Bustami et al., 2020). The digestive system takes a comprehensive process that separates various nutrients and fluid components needed for multiple functionalities within the body. During the digestion process, the three macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) are the most crucial components of the human diet requirements. These three groups of nutrients are often digested in different stages within the digestive system. They furthermore provide diverse sources of energy and bodybuilding at other times.

Among the three macronutrients, carbohydrates are the most readily available energy source (Bustami et al., 2020). These carbs are thus easy to break down into their simple constituents (monosaccharides) to provide the energy required for body functions. Fats, on the other hand, are often used only slightly in the energy production processes. Excessive fats in the diet are deposited in locations like under the skin, around the cardiovascular regions, and in other major organs. These stored fats may then cause health complications. It is thereby essential that individuals balance their dieting intake regularly to control chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity. Individuals should ensure healthy eating by consuming only the right amounts of macronutrients and adding micronutrients to balance their diets.

Digestion is an enzymatic process for the most part. In such enzymatic breakdown of foods, some individuals may often lack the required enzymes required for breaking down some problematic foods. The most common digestive condition related to enzymatic digestion is lactose intolerance. Individuals with lactose intolerance often lack sufficient amounts of lactase enzyme. As such, they are unable to digest lactose into galactose and glucose. Such individuals (currently comprising 75% of the world´s population) must look to avoid lactose-rich dairy products. Health practitioners are continuing to research healthier alternatives to such dairy products.

Finally, water has been determined to be the most crucial solvent and fluid for both the digestive system and the organs of the body. People are increasingly being encouraged to hydrate regularly with ion-neutral fresh water. The freshwater keeps the skin hydrated through an osmotic balance of water on the bodily organs. Individuals must also avoid excessive intake of caffeinated solutions and salty and sugared water if they wish to prevent dehydration and wrinkling.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the digestive system is an essential process in the human body. The system must be supplied with digestible and healthy foods to ensure healthy living and skincare. People must understand (alongside their nutritionists) their digestive system and the types of foods that are safe and healthy considering their body types.

References

Bustami, Y., Leliavia, L., Elisabeth, N., Gandasari, A., & Ratnasari, D. (2020). Contextual teaching learning in the human digestive system: The contribution of critical thinking skills. Biosfer, 13(1), 101–113. https://doi.org/10.21009/biosferjpb.v13n1.101-113

West, H. (2017a, February 22). 6 Dairy Foods That Are Naturally Low in Lactose. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dairy-foods-low-in-lactose.

West, H. (2017b, June 24). Lactose Intolerance 101 - Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lactose-intolerance-101.