Effectiveness of Plant Based Diet vs DASH Diet on Hypertension on Adults with High BMI

Summary:

Plant-based diets include dietary habits where whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds are the primary components of an individual's everyday food intake.  These include vegan, lacto-ovo-vegetarianism, semi-vegetarianism, pesco vegetarianism, the DASH diet, and the Mediterranean diet.  Each of these plant-based diets has been shown to initiate weight loss and improved cardiac function and health. The objective of this review is to review literature that addresses the consumption of plant-based diets and the impact of that diet on weight loss and improved outcomes related to cardiac health.

Reflection:

The coursework within the Advanced Nutrition Research 775 course has increased my knowledge of proper research techniques commonly used within the nutrition field of work. The assignments we completed taught valuable information regarding research development, acquisition, design, and methodologies.  The material also allowed us to learn about a new statistical analysis program that we could use to analyze data in our future research studies as nutrition professionals.  There were a few pieces that I felt reflected my work within the course.  One of which includes the final oral presentation of work, which included components of my poster abstract as well as more in-depth background information regarding the problem posed and the intervention methods utilized in my research topic.

I feel that this piece best reflects my work because it encompasses all components of all the work done throughout the course. The oral presentation included the final version of my research proposal, which had been changed, updated, and amended before being settled on for the final performance. It also included the relevant literature review, methodologies, statistical analysis methods, conclusions, and references used.

The skills I learned completing this piece include developing a research study proposal, collaborating with instructors on proper methods of research design and feasibility, improving my auditory skills when presenting complex information to a research audience, and developing a visual presentation that is visually interesting and appealing. Having these skills will help me succeed in the nutrition profession due to my experience with developing professional quality materials.

If I could improve on this piece, I would expand on my knowledge of statistical analysis methods. I have limited knowledge of how to utilize the different tests and analysis programs. I feel that if I were more comfortable with how to use these different analysis tools I would be able to demonstrate and them in a research setting more efficiently. I would also narrow down my research intervention as well as elaborate on the invention protocol for the groups involved. I would include my research methodologies for how I came to find the research articles in my study. Lastly, I would make my presentation longer to be within the time requirement of the study. When I initially submitted the presentation, I was unsure of the time limitations for submission of my assignment. In the future, I will be sure to determine that information before the development and submission of the assignment.

This piece reflects my professional growth by showing that I have the ability to develop a research topic and design, conduct research on that topic, and create nutrition education materials to demonstrate the research conducted. The flaws and strong points within this body of work are a great base for me to learn from and utilize in my future career in the nutrition field.