Good Report About Cultural Nutrition Counseling

Josephine’s Body Mass Index

Taking into consideration the fact that Josephine’s Height is 5’2 and her weight is 117 pounds, her BMI is 21.4 according to the BMI Calculator. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, boy weights are evaluated in accordance to the following standards:

Obesity: 30 BMI or more

Overweight: 25-29-9 BMI
Normal Weight: 18.5 – 24.9 BMI
Underweight: Less than 18.5 BMI (www.nhlbi.nih.gov)

Taking these standards into consideration, Josephine’s body weight would be considered normal.

Josephine’s Lab Values
Three Areas that Need Improvement according to Josephine’s Food Record
The three major areas that need improvement from Josephine’s food record are: Raising the amount of vitamin B12, raising the amount of potassium to normal levels and increasing the amount of Irons in her body. In order to increase vitamin B12 in Josephine’s body, she should consume Vitamin B12 rich foods. In this regard, I would recommend food such as; fish products, crabs, red meat, specifically liver, fortified soy products and cheese. The other recommendation I would make to increase Josephine’s potassium content to normal levels is taking fruits such as Bananas, avocadoes and watermelons. I would also recommend Josephine to include dark leafy spinach, baked potatoes, yogurt, fish and mushrooms to improve her body potassium content. A balance between potassium and sodium in the body is crucial for proper electrolyte functioning, thus reducing chances of kidney failures (www.healthaliciousness.com). Additionally, Josephine has slightly low amounts of iron in her body in relation to the recommended value. In this case, I would recommend that she consume iron rich foods such as green leafy kales, spinach among others.

Three Goals to Establish in Josephine’s Case

One of the goals that I would establish with Josephine is to create a balance in her diet by ensuring that she incorporates all the basic nutrients and in right quantities in her diet. The second goal would involve a changed perspective of food choices. Josephine seems to strictly follow traditional diets that do not combine other basic nutrients; it would be important to change her attitude towards food choices in a manner that she considers a wide perspective of food products. Consequently, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle would be the third goals; this would be achieved through proper food consumption.

References

Calculate Your Body Mass Index. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
Top 10 Fruits Highest in Potassium. (n.d.). Retrieved February 1, 2015, from http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-potassium-fruits.php