NR305 Week 3 Discussion, Exploring Popular Diet Trends
Week 3 Discussion Post: Exploring Popular Diet Trends:
Question 1. Briefly describe the diet you have selected to consider.
I chose the paleo diet due to a personal interest in this diet. The diet consists of lean meats, fish rich in
omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, catfish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. And oils such
as olive oil, and walnut oil. The aim of the diet is based on the notion that our bodies have not evolved to
adapt to this modern day diet therefore it is healthier to return to a way of eating like our hunter-gatherer
paleolithic ancestors use to eat more than ten thousand years ago. (Vashini, Gayathri, & Priya 2019 para.
2). With this diet food to avoid are grains, legumes, dairy products, sugar, salt, saturated fats, and highly
processed foods. It is believed the paleo diet can help control blood glucose as well as lipid levels
however, when we remove legumes and dairy, we are at risk of certain vitamins and minerals deficiencies
(Vashini et al. 2019).
Question 2. Share how you would respond to your cousin. Please include questions you would ask, and
your advice/recommendation.
I would want to know how much she knows regarding this diet, has she started on the diet? How much
weight she is planning to lose? Does she or her friend eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner? How much of
fluid does her friend or she drink per day. According to our textbook Kelley, J. H., & Weber, J. R. (2018)
hydration is an important indicator of a client’ general health status" I also want to know how her friend is
doing with the diet. Is she experiencing any fatigue, and how much weight she has loss since beginning
the diet, does her diet include exercise plan? I would advise my cousin and her friend to ensure they are
maintaining a balanced diet.
I would also let her know that although the paleo diet is said to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
since it eliminates saturated fats which is actually a good thing. Yes, it helps to gain lean muscle and
strength, helps to balance blood sugar which is good in the management of diabetes. However, because it
excludes dairy products it can lead to other nutritional deficiencies, such as inadequate vitamins and some
minerals intake. It can cause diarrhea and headaches (Vashini et al. 2019 para. 2).
When starting any diet, it is advisable to consult with your primary care physician who can monitor and
guide you to a proper way of eating healthy combine with exercise that can yield to a long term weight
loss effect rather keeping to a strict diet that restrict you of certain nutrients, that can help your overall
health.
Kelley, J. H., & Weber, J. R. (2018). Health Assessment in Nursing (6th ed). Philadelphia, PA: Wolter
Kluwer Health. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Vashini, A., Gayathri, R., Priya, V. V. (2019) Awareness on the importance of paleo diet among college
students -A survey. Drug Invention Today 11 (6) pp. 1304 – 1306. Retrieved July 21, 2020 from
https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer
Week 3 Discussion Post: Exploring Popular Diet Trends:
Question 1. Briefly describe the diet you have selected to consider.
I chose the paleo diet due to a personal interest in this diet. The diet consists of lean meats, fish rich in
omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, catfish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. And oils such
as olive oil, and walnut oil. The aim of the diet is based on the notion that our bodies have not evolved to
adapt to this modern day diet therefore it is healthier to return to a way of eating like our hunter-gatherer
paleolithic ancestors use to eat more than ten thousand years ago. (Vashini, Gayathri, & Priya 2019 para.
2). With this diet food to avoid are grains, legumes, dairy products, sugar, salt, saturated fats, and highly
processed foods. It is believed the paleo diet can help control blood glucose as well as lipid levels
however, when we remove legumes and dairy, we are at risk of certain vitamins and minerals deficiencies
(Vashini et al. 2019).
Question 2. Share how you would respond to your cousin. Please include questions you would ask, and
your advice/recommendation.
I would want to know how much she knows regarding this diet, has she started on the diet? How much
weight she is planning to lose? Does she or her friend eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner? How much of
fluid does her friend or she drink per day. According to our textbook Kelley, J. H., & Weber, J. R. (2018)
hydration is an important indicator of a client’ general health status" I also want to know how her friend is
doing with the diet. Is she experiencing any fatigue, and how much weight she has loss since beginning
the diet, does her diet include exercise plan? I would advise my cousin and her friend to ensure they are
maintaining a balanced diet.
I would also let her know that although the paleo diet is said to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
since it eliminates saturated fats which is actually a good thing. Yes, it helps to gain lean muscle and
strength, helps to balance blood sugar which is good in the management of diabetes. However, because it
excludes dairy products it can lead to other nutritional deficiencies, such as inadequate vitamins and some
minerals intake. It can cause diarrhea and headaches (Vashini et al. 2019 para. 2).
When starting any diet, it is advisable to consult with your primary care physician who can monitor and
guide you to a proper way of eating healthy combine with exercise that can yield to a long term weight
loss effect rather keeping to a strict diet that restrict you of certain nutrients, that can help your overall
health.
Kelley, J. H., & Weber, J. R. (2018). Health Assessment in Nursing (6th ed). Philadelphia, PA: Wolter
Kluwer Health. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Vashini, A., Gayathri, R., Priya, V. V. (2019) Awareness on the importance of paleo diet among college
students -A survey. Drug Invention Today 11 (6) pp. 1304 – 1306. Retrieved July 21, 2020 from
https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer
