Introduction
A healthy diet is one of the key factors in achieving weight loss and preventing chronic cardiovascular disease. For the diet to be effective, the patient must consume fewer calories than they expend in a day. Additionally, it is essential to consume a balanced diet that includes sufficient protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber (MyPlate Planner, n.d.). Therefore, this paper will analyze the patient’s 24-hour diet and develop strategies for communicating the need for weight loss to the patient.
A 24-Hour Diet for a Client
For example, breakfast might include oatmeal, cereal, and low-fat proteins such as eggs or peanut butter. For lunch and dinner, half of the patient’s serving should consist of vegetables, a quarter of the plate should be reserved for starch, such as potatoes, yams, or corn, and the remaining quarter should be allocated to protein, including beef, chicken, or fish (My Plate Planner, n.d.). At the same time, it is essential to maintain variety throughout the day and alternate products. For example, if the patient had chicken for lunch, it is better to eat fish for dinner. Moreover, how fish and meat are prepared is very important; therefore, it is best to bake, boil, or steam them, rather than fry them.
Analysis of the Diet According to General Dietary Guidelines
Moreover, the diet should adhere to general guidelines that promote weight loss, such as consuming more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (The American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations, n.d.). Additionally, the patient should monitor the amount of sugar and salt consumed and attempt to reduce their intake. Furthermore, a healthy diet often helps eliminate or significantly reduce alcohol consumption. To make a healthy diet more effective, the nurse may recommend that the patient incorporate daily exercise, provided there are no contraindications.
Educating the Patient on the Diet
Motivational Interviewing
The optimal communication strategy with the patient must be selected depending on the patient themselves. It is usually best to combine motivational interviewing and giving advice. MI will help the patient and nurse better understand the person’s characteristics and discuss the reasons for being overweight, as well as the possible negative consequences for the patient’s health. In addition, motivational interviewing “can strengthen a person’s motivation and commitment to change” (Remis & Ernst, 2016, p. 32).
Advice
People are more likely to stick to the decisions they make on their own than to the recommendations and advice of others. However, advice from a health care professional is still needed for a patient to lose weight healthily without further harming their health. Often, patients may need help understanding all the threats to their condition, and straightforward advice from a nurse or practitioner may not have a significant impact. Therefore, it is first necessary to motivate the patient to change, and then move on to advising them to control and regulate the weight loss process.
Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Access to Healthy Food
The availability of healthy food and, as a result, the patient’s health largely depend on socio-economic factors, such as the level of education, place of work, and membership in a particular community. For example, well-educated people are more likely to have high-paying jobs. A high income level will encourage a person to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Additionally, the physical environment can also impact a patient’s ability to eat healthy foods. These factors can lead to undernutrition, weight gain, and obesity. It, in turn, can lead to chronic health problems and diseases, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Conclusion
Thus, a person must be sufficiently informed about how to follow a proper diet for weight loss. Moreover, a professional must prepare the daily diet, taking into account the general requirements for a healthy diet and the patient’s specific needs. However, it is crucial to explain to the person the importance of weight loss and maintaining a healthy diet, and motivate them to make a change. Additionally, it is essential to consider socio-economic factors that may impact the availability of healthy food when designing a diet.
References
My plate planner (n.d.). Web.
Reims, K., & Ernst, D. (2016). Using motivational interviewing to promote healthy weight. Family Practice Management, 23(5), 32-38.
The American Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations (n.d.). Web.