Tom and Jessica are best friends, but they couldn’t be more different when it comes to their diets. Tom spends a lot of time in the gym surrounded by body builders and has adopted a very protein-heavy diet, complemented by small amounts of vegetables and a vitamin/mineral supplement, which he now sells. Jessica has never liked the taste of meat and is now a vegan who eats only organic foods. She believes in a sustainable lifestyle and her vegan diet reflects that belief. Tom believes that Jessica would be healthier and have more energy if she would just use the vitamin/mineral supplement that he sells. He believes that his supplement provides the energy in his very low carbohydrate diet and is a good substitute for whole grains and fruit. He points to his body-building magazines as proof that his diet is healthy. Jessica’s family has always embraced a vegetarian, although not vegan, lifestyle. She believes that Tom’s lifestyle is not very healthy and provides him with information from several nutritional research studies on the importance of all food groups to good health. Question 1: Compare and contrast the sources that Tom and Jessica are using to support their positions that one diet is better than the other using the steps and procedures in scientific method. Support your answer with data, facts, key terminology, specific examples and other information drawn from the textbook and at least one other supplemental source. James is 20 years old and slightly overweight. He wants to shed some weight quickly and decides to try the new “Keto” diet because the protein-rich, high fat diet allows him to eat all of the foods he loves. For breakfast, James eats three fried eggs with three slices of bacon and coffee with heavy cream. For lunch, he consumes four slices of pepper-jack cheese rolled in four slices of roasted turkey and dipped in a mayonnaise-based sauce. For dinner, James cooks one cup of mushrooms in heavy cream and butter to make a sauce to pour over six ounces of chicken. He adds one cup of spinach on the side. He drinks water with his lunch and dinner. Following are MyPlate goals for James: Food Group Goals Grains 10.0 oz equivalents Vegetables 4.0 cups Fruits 2.5 cups Dairy 3.0 cups Protein 7.0 oz equivalents Empty Calories 596 calories Question 2: Using the MyPlate food group lists in Chapter 2 of your textbook, analyze James’ menu to see how many servings he’s getting from each group. How does James’ menu compare to his MyPlate Goals? Explain to James how his current diet can affect his nutrient status.
