Start by writing your name on the top of the page, or provide a cover page.
Step 1: Select a common disease/disorder that can be alleviated by appropriate micronutrient consumption; it can be one experienced, currently being experienced, or in desire of being avoided. This is the foundation of the assignment.
Include a link to an academic journal that supports the relationship. If a journal link is not included, the assignment will be penalized 50%. No exceptions.
Note: unacceptable examples include deficiencies named after the micronutrient (I don’t mean conditions like iron deficiency anemia, this is a legitimate medically recognized condition, what I am referring to are made-up examples such as “sodium deficiency disease/disorder”) and obesity (if the obesity is caused by a “hormone imbalance”, state the name of the suspected hormone disorder) as these are nutrient imbalances. Eating disorders are also unacceptable, do not select an eating disorder (naturally, if someone is suffering from anorexia nervosa, there will be other issues that accompany the eating disorder as there is an overall lack of nutrition being provided to the body).
The textbook is the recommended source, and the micronutrient-related chapters have numerous examples, as each micronutrient section is supported by information regarding what would occur due to an imbalance. Do not overthink it or get fancy (numerous students tried to analyze diabetes, and failed).
Step 2: Focus on ONE micronutrient that will help alleviate the disease/disorder selected. Provide the micronutrient’s RDA based on personal needs (if you are a biological female, do not use a biological male’s RDA, for example, especially for iron), and upper limit (if an upper limit for the micronutrient selected has not been established, explicitly state this).
Step 3: Provide a food log, making sure that each food has the amount of the micronutrient, as well as the servings. Analyze how much of the particular micronutrient selected is being consumed, and compare the actual intake versus the micronutrient’s established RDA to determine if the actual intake is adequate, inadequate or excessive based on the established upper limit.
The food log is to address one day’s intake of food, but once again, focus only on the micronutrient selected; do not include macronutrients as done in the previous NAAs, or other micronutrients; the assignment will be penalized if excess clutter is provided.
Note: some nutrition labels do not provide the actual quantity and units of the micronutrient on the label, but instead provide a percentage. Students would have to work backwards, utilizing the percentage given and multiplying it by the RDA to obtain the actual quantity.
Example:
Vitamin X (currently not a recognized vitamin, this is for demo purposes only, do not research it in vain): 10% per serving
Servings eaten: 2
RDA: 500 mg
Vitamin X amount consumed: 0.1 * 2 * 500 = 100 mg
Also note, if the math utilized above does not make sense, it is highly advised that the student seek a math tutor to refresh/teach the fundamental math utilized above.
Step 4: Close with a statement noting the difference between the RDA versus actual personal intake, and what personal changes can be made to improve on intaking the micronutrient if a deficiency or excess is discovered.
In the file there is format you can follow