Why Is Healthy Eating Important For Teens?

     Eating healthy. Young kids shudder at that thought, only wanting to stuff their faces with delicious goodies like candies and cookies, wishing that dessert was their only meal. But for teens today eating healthy has become very important. Teens are becoming more conscious of what they put in their bodies. Here are a few reasons why eating healthy is so crucial.
     Eating healthy is very important for teens because we are growing. Our bodies are constantly developing and changing and it is essential that we take care of them during this process.
     Eating healthy can also prevent getting diseases in the future. Some foods can reduce your risk of illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Citruses, strawberries, papayas, pineapples and kiwis help fight cancer. And green tea reduces heart disease and stroke risk.
     It is also good for teens to start eating healthy now, while we are young. We need to make a habit out of eating healthy that will stick with us for the rest of our lives. It is said to take around 30 days/repetitions to form a habit. Just 30 days of healthy eating and you will have a habit that will help you forever.
     Have you ever noticed that when you forget to eat breakfast (which isn't recommended) you are irritable and groggy until you get some food in your belly? Well eating healthy boosts your energy and stabilizes your mood.
     There are so many reasons that us teens should eat healthy, and it isn't that hard to do! Hopefully our blog will help you become a healthy-eating teen! :)

Information:
http://www.healthchecksystems.com/hfoods.htm
http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm
http://www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php

Pictures:
http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/tools/downloads/healthy-eating-reward-chart-for-kids/image_preview
http://www.smilenewbraunfels.com/_media/images/teens.jpg

Determining the Daily Caloric Requirement for a Teenager:

Every person has a recommended daily caloric requirement, or a certain number of calories that should be consumed by that person in one day, and every person's caloric requirement is different because of various factors:

Age, gender, size, and lifestyle (level of activity) that differ between individuals. It is even said that caloric requirements may differ from country to country, for example, the UK is said to have a lower caloric intake standard than the US.

· Age: Teenagers who are more fully developed in ages around 15-18 usually require more calories than younger teens in ages 13-14 who still may only need a fairly childlike diet rather than an adult like diet.

· Gender: Males generally require a greater number of calories than females, as they tend to be larger and also (usually) have faster metabolisms.

· Size: A larger person commonly requires more calories than a smaller person because a person's organs must work harder to support a larger body and its systems.

· Lifestyle: A more active individual requires additional calories as compared to a less active individual simply in order to support his or her level of exercise.

So what are the basic numbers of recommended daily caloric requirements for teenagers? Here is a chart from a study done by the National Institute of Medicine: *

Gender	Age (Years)	Sedentary**	Moderately Active	Active
Female	9 - 14 15 - 18	1,600 1,800	1,600 - 2,000 2,000	1,800 - 2,200 2,400
Male	9 - 14 15 - 18	1,800 2,200	1,800 - 2,200 2,400 - 2,800	2,000 - 2,600 2,800 - 3,200

*All calculations were made based off the median height and weight for each age (your size could be different so be sure to factor that in)

**Sedentary meaning a way of life characterized by much sitting and little physical exercise

To further help you in determining your own personal recommended daily caloric requirement, visit this daily caloric calculator. We feel that this calculator by Nutrition Data is particularly useful as it includes recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals as well as macronutrient distribution. However, note that as a whole, caloric calculators are not always accurate because your level of activity varies from day to day, meaning that your lifestyle varies as well. A calculator is just a tool to help you form a general idea of how many calories you should be consuming daily.

http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/teen-calorie-intake.html

http://www.weight-loss-center.net/calorie-needs-teens.htm

http://nutritiondata.self.com/tools/calories-burned

Macronutrients:

The three macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They are so named because your body needs these in large amounts, as they are the three main sources of energy (among their other roles). Here is some background information about each:

Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the macronutrient the body can most quickly transfer into usable energy, so they are extremely important for more active teens that need to move or react quickly. Carbohydrates are divided into monosaccharides (fructose and glucose), disaccharides (sucrose), and polysaccharides (starch and fiber). Carbohydrates are made up of sugars, fibers, and starches. This macronutrient provides short and medium-term energy, which is stored as glycogen. Carbohydrates should amount to around 45-60% of your daily caloric intake. Good sources include bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables.

Proteins: Proteins make up 20% of the average teen's body weight so it is important to maintain a supply of this macronutrient. Proteins are made up of amino acids and are essential for the growth and repair of your skin, hair, and nails, as well as the operation of various enzymes in your body. Also, in the absence of carbohydrates, the body will begin to utilize proteins as a source of energy. This macronutrient should amount to about 10-15% of your daily caloric intake. Good sources include fish, lean/red meat, eggs, beans, nuts, low fat milk, poultry, and soy products.

Fats: It is important to note that fats are divided into four categories: saturated fats, unsaturated fats, essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, and 9), and cholesterol (further divided into low-density lipoprotein [LDL] and high-density lipoprotei

n [HDL]). Unsaturated fats, essential fatty acids, ad HDL cholesterol are necessary for your body to maintain healthy cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. Saturated fats and LDL cholesterol should be limited as they are known to cause hearth disease and diabetes among other illnesses. Fats are made up of lipids and are responsible for providing long-term energy for lower intensity activities. Your body can store fat in the form of triglycerides over long periods of time. In addition, fats insulate and protect your vital organs. 20-25% of your daily caloric intake should be fats.

Sources of saturated fats (which you should limit) include red meat, egg yolks, cheese, butter, and milk. Olive oil, canola oil, avocados, almonds, pecans, sunflower oil, and corn oil are all good for getting your unsaturated fat. For essential fatty acids, you should eat walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, avocados, dark leafy green vegetables, and oily fish. Foods high in LDL cholesterol include cream, butter, ice cream, egg yolks, shellfish, and red meats. To increase your level of HDL cholesterol, you should eat omega-3 acids and a lot of fiber.

As always with your food choices, it is vital to get just the right amounts. The three macronutrients should be the body's main food sources and it is important not to under or over consume these foods. If you can maintain a balance of these macronutrients in your diet, you are taking a step towards a healthy lifestyle.

http://www.healthymuslim.com/articles/cuyvb-why-we-need-protein-in-our-diets.cfm

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm

http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/cholesterol/raise-hdl-cholesterol.html

http://alexschutzenhofer1.blogspot.com/

http://typesofprotein.com/

http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/809156/best-nuts-for-your-health

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/25719

lifetime fitness handouts

Foods to Limit

     To maintain a healthy eating cycle, you should eat certain foods in moderation. Many foods are appetizing like candy, fried foods, foods with a lot of fat, and foods with a lot of sugar or sodium. Knowing that many of the foods that are good may fall into these categories doesn't mean you can't eat them, but must be eaten in MODERATION. Eating in moderation is important because it can help decrease certain health risks.

     Eating too much sugary foods can cause tooth decay, gum disease, unstable blood sugar, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, malfunctioning immune system, and aging. All these things can be prevented by not eating too much sugar. When sugar is left on your teeth, the sugar will make your teeth decay faster so you should always brush your teeth after you eat something with sugar in it. When sugar is left on the teeth gum disease can occur. Also too much sugar can cause our blood sugar levels go wacky. When the blood sugar levels change dramatically it can lead to fatigue, and exhaustion while performing daily tasks. It can also affect our immune system. In our blood bacteria and yeast are present and eat sugar for their food source. So if there is too much sugar they will multiply and your immune system will weaken.

     Fatty foods are also not good for you too. Fatty foods are broken up into two main categories, saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Saturated fats are bad for you because they are processed and are linked to high cholesterol levels. Also saturated fats absorb bad nutrients and a lot of salt and unsaturated fats don't absorb them so its better than saturated fats. Our body only needs a small amount of fats everyday so watching the amount of fat is important. Also eating fatty or oily foods can cause acne and clog your arteries.
     Now that you know what foods are needed in moderation, choosing your foods will be a little harder but will make you healthier. Don't forget, an apple a day keeps the doctor away! ;D

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_fat_in_food_bad_for_you

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1124.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=167

http://www.beautyden.com/sugar.shtml
http://www.easyvectors.com/browse/detailed-illustrations/vector-candies-and-sweets
french fries were taken by me

3-Day Meal Plan:

Here we have provided an example of three days of healthy eating for a teenager along with some healthy and fun snacks:

Day 1:

·Breakfast: 1 cup of Cheerios with one cup of skim milk, 1 apple [sliced], ½ cup of yogurt, 1-2 glasses of orange juice.

·Lunch: 4-5 ounces of pasta

with organic tomato sauce, basil, and grated Parmesan cheese, romaine lettuce and tomato salad with low-sodium Italian dressing, 1-2 glasses of water.

· Dinner: 6-8 ounces of baked salmon with lemon and capers, 1 ½ scoops of brown rice, 3 stalks of sauteed asparagus with salt and pepper, 1-2 glasses of water. For dessert: a slice of low-fat cherry pie with reduced-fat whipped cream and strawberries.

Day 2:

· Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal with a dash of brown sugar and one sliced banana, 3 strips turkey bacon fried in peanut oil, 1-2 glasses of organic fruit smoothie with acai.

· Lunch: Turkey, Swiss cheese, and romaine lettuce sandwich on whole wheat bread,

one cup of low-sodium chicken noodle soup, 1-2 glasses of skim milk

· Dinner: 2 cups of Chinese chicken salad with romaine lettuce, grilled chicken slices, light Asian dressing, ¼ cup wonton chips, and ¼ almonds, 1-2 cups of hot tea. For dessert: 1 scoop green tea or azuki bean ice cream.

Day 3:

· Breakfast: 1-2 cup acai bowl (acai, bananas, and granola), ½ of a grapefruit with a sprinkle of sugar, bran muffin with chocolate chips, 1-2 glasses of apple juice.

· Lunch: 1 chicken pot pie (chicken, peas, carrots, potato, gravy, and pie crust), 1 cup of mixed berries, 1-2 glasses of water.

· Dinner: 7-8 ounces of steak, 1 roasted potatoes, carrots, and string beans with seasoning, 1-2 glasses of water. For dessert: 1-cup vanilla gelato with assorted fruit on top.

Snacks for in between:

· 1 cup mixed veggies (ex: carrots, celery, broccoli)

· Fish in a stream (3 celery sticks spread with peanut butter and goldfish)

· 1 cup sliced fruit

· 1 trail mix with dried fruit and assorted nuts

· 1 cup pita chips with guacamole or mango salsa

http://breakfastadventures.tumblr.com/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fresh-fruit-platter-recipe/index.html

http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/MainDish/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=923&mealGroupId=1003

http://www.123rf.com/photo_4794945.html