Reflection Questions: After Stage 3

The resources that I have used for this project was the internet and books from the library.  Using the internet and the library would have the most information about this topic.  In addition, it is easy to access information and very convenient.  Some websites were definitely better than others, however in the end, all the websites used were very useful and helpful to the research that I've gathered.  Like any other research project, finding websites and books take the most time, but there weren't many difficulties in finding info about nutrition since it's such a popular topic.

I did have printed sources, although not many.  The first one was The Raw Cure and the second was The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet.  For the first book I had to buy it from Amazon because I could not find it in libraries and bookstores.  I stumbled upon the second book when I was at the library and I decided to add in a omega-3 diet section as well as a section talking about fats after obtaining this book.  Many of the ideas for the project came from books and resources that I find.

I had many electronic resources since it was the most convenient way of researching. I am not going to list all of them here because that would take way too long, but I have mentioned them in previous posts when I post about the notes that I have taken.  I access them through the internet by googling the topic that I need to take notes on.  It was pretty easy to find the websites since all I had to do was search in the search bar, but jotting the information down took a very long time (probably most of my project was just taking notes).  These websites were valuable because most of the information I got was through the internet and I learned a lot though just researching.

I didn't have any human resources because I didn't need to since I got all my information by the internet and the library.

Making choices on what sources to use or what to not use was pretty easy because I just needed to find the benefits and the functions of whatever I was researching.  If the website or book did not have that, then I would not use that source.  I evaluate my sources by seeing how legitimate the website and the information is.  Most of the sources I used were pretty legitimate because I can compare the info with other websites.

Recipes

I decided to add some recipes on my poster because I think there will be extra space.  The recipes that I have chosen were Fluffy Flax Buttermilk Pancakes, Blueberry Muffins, and Crispy Fish Sticks from the book The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., RD.  Online, I found some other recipes; Delicious Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake and Carrot Pasta with Creamy Zesty Garlic Sauce from Raw Food Recipes and Pesto Chicken Florentine from Allrecipes. If it is needed, I can always add or take away recipes because of the lack/abundance of space on the poster.

During the presentation, I won't be bringing any food samples because I'm not too confident with my cooking skills.  And also, I don't want to bring any extra food home that's half eaten and have to throw it all away.  There is just too many things that could go wrong with it and it's too complicated.  Therefore I am avoiding the idea of bringing food samples for my presentation.

Spray Painting My Poster Board

I have successfully spray painted my poster board a beautiful coral colour using Colortool® Spray.  I bought the spray paint at Michaels.  Although if you look closely, the colour is not completely even, but that doesn't worry me too much because I will be gluing pictures and information so it will cover most of the imperfections.

Ways to Eat Healthier

On the poster, I will be listing ways one can eat healthier.  I took notes on juicing, omega-3 diet, growing one's own food, avoiding junk food, raw vegan diet, buying local organic food, reading nutrition labels, and cooking at home.  The sources that I used were: Mayo Clinic, Spark People, The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., RD, Critical Bench, LIVESTRONG, Kristen's Raw, Michigan State University, Health Canada, FitDay, and The Raw Cure by Jesse J. Jacoby.

It took me a long time to find the websites and books in order to gather the information.  Many of the websites and sources were used in these notes and were very helpful.  I have learned a lot through note taking and the websites have taught me many things on eating healthy.  

The websites were useful because it included benefits of each strategy and diet.

Carbohydrates, Protein, and Water

I have taken notes on these three important nutrients that help the body function properly.  The websites that I have used to research were: Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, WebMD, My Food Diary, and Dorchester County Health Department.

The website I used for finding information on carbohydrates was very useful.  The info was plentiful and very descriptive.  Overall, it was very useful for my project.  The website for protein and water had less information that I needed, but still was enough for me. 

Materials: Poster Board

Last Saturday, I went to the store and bought a large tri-fold poster board.  The board is white, but I think that would be too plain, so I am planning to spray paint it.  Since my poster is about food, a salmon colour would be most suitable.

World's Healthiest Foods: Vegetables

Similarly to the fruits notes, this is about vegetables.  I have used the same website, The World's Healthiest Foods, for my research.  I noted how each vegetable affects one's health and I wrote about 8 vegetables: eggplant, green peas, shitake mushrooms, onions, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, and cauliflowers.  Through this research, I found out that just by eating these vegetables, one can drastically reduce the risks of disease and sickness.

I really like the website I used for this research because it has such a wide variety of foods to choose from and an abundant source of information for each food.  There is a lot of detail and it clearly explains the nutrition values of the food.  Also, this website makes it very easy to maneuver through pages.  This is definitely a good website to use for research.

Fats

Using the book "The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet" by Evelyn Tribole, M.S., RD, I have taken notes on the healthy fats and the unhealthy fats.  I have researched how they affect our bodies and also the food sources that contain the type of fat.  Another source of information I used was the American Heart Association site. 

The book did not have much of the information I was looking for because it was mostly about ways to incorporate omega-3 into an individual's diet, but it might be useful later when I take notes on ways to improve eating habits.  However, the chart was taken from the book. 

The website I used was very useful and had lots of information about each fat such as how it affects health, food sources, and the recommended daily intake.

Meeting With Ms. Korber

On February 26th, I went to see Ms. Korber to fill out the green progress checklist.  We agreed to meet on Friday March 7th again.  Some things that I need to do were to plan my presentation, more research and notes, and reflect on what I have done/will be doing.

Planning My Presentation

I don't think my presentation will be a speech or anything serious.  Instead, I want it to be natural and unplanned.  My presentation will probably be me standing next to my poster and talking about everything that I have researched about.

I can prepare by going through all the information I have about my display and make sure that I have memorized the facts about nutrition (TBH I don't think I will have all of it memorized, but I'll do my best).  This way, I won't be as nervous and stutter as much during my presentation.

Of course, this is not official yet, and I will probably be adding to this subject but these are my first thoughts about my presentation.

Reflection Questions: After Stages 1 and 2

        The area of interaction of this project is Health and Social Education because I am researching about food and its contributions to our health.  I chose this area of interaction because it affects everyone one way or another.  Health plays a large part of the well-being of an individual, emotionally and physically.  I am interested in how food can directly help the body function as well as the ways we can eat healthier.  As an individual who has multiple family members who have diseases, I want to find how to eat better to positively affect our lives.

        I don't have much knowledge about eating healthy other than foods class and watching Dr. Oz once in a while, so this project can help me learn more about food and health in general.  The inquiry question for the project is "What can we do to eat healthier?".  There are infinite ways to eat, and the project only shows some tricks and diets.  Someone can easily figure out which area of interaction this personal project is because it directly correlates to  one's health and physical conditions.  My goal and specifications are to make a poster showing different tips and hints to help us eat better.  In addition, showing the functions and contributions of each food item, nutrient, vitamin, and mineral.  The poster will be colourful, have many pictures, and be very visually appealing.
      

Minerals

From the websites Office of Dietary Supplements and Colorado State University Extension, I took notes on minerals that one's body needs to enjoy a healthy life.  Within each mineral, I described what the function of the mineral is for as well as how one is able to acquire it through food.

Vitamins

I took notes on vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K.  The websites that I used are MedlinePlus, For Dummies, Whole Living, Office of Dietary Supplements, and The Nutrition Source | Harvard School of Public Health.  I included what each vitamin is used for and how to obtain the vitamin into one's system.

Poster Rough Sketch

This is a diagram of what my poster is going to look like.  The middle section is for ways to eat healthier.  Left side is mainly about the different types of fruits and vegetables.  And the right side is for the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that make our body function properly (eg. carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, fats).

Planning Poster Sections

I will be dividing the poster into three sections: "Healthy Foods", "What Can We Do?", and "Vitamins and Minerals".  Under "Healthy Foods" section, I will list foods and their beneficial properties.  "What Can We Do?" section will be about what are some ways we can change our lifestyle and eating habits so that we can lead a healthier life (Eating raw vegan, eating organic etc.).  "Vitamins and Minerals" will be listing the nutritional facts of vitamins and minerals that allow our bodies to work properly.