why is it important for teenagers to eat healthy foods?

            Healthy eating in general is something that everyone should try to shoot at but especially teenagers. Many teenagers are not practicing healthy eating because they are too lazy to watch what they eat. Often time's teens wont think twice about eating fast food or having a soft drink because simply, it tastes good. But this is one of the critical times during your life to eat healthy.

            During the teenage years, the human body goes through puberty and grows very significantly. That means that the body is going to need lots of nutrients to be healthy. Iron and Calcium are two minerals that are essential in the growth of teens. Eating the right foods with the right vitamins can help teens to have a strong and healthy body.

            As teenagers grow, their appetite grows as well. Some teens will find them selves always hungry and many teens will see an increase in the amount of meals they eat in a day. The reason is the body needs fuel to keep us growing and healthy. So eating right is very important, we need to give our body good fuel to run on and we will be more efficient.

            Healthy eating may be hard during teenage years due to many things. For example many girls are obsessed with have the perfect magazine body. So they don’t eat enough food and it is really unhealthy for the body. Also many guys are approaching their prime physical ability so they participate in sports. Some of those particular sports require them to be a certain weight and like the girls many tend to starve themselves and the body isn’t getting enough fuel.

            Eating Healthy during teenage years is extremely important. It is very important for puberty and growth, and since we get a greater appetite, choosing the right foods is ideal. Lastly just avoiding under eating is important because the body need to have its proper fuel.

http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site988/mainpageS988P0.html
http://www.nutrition.com.sg/he/heteens.asp
http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm 

How do u determine the Daily caloric intake

The amount of calories that everyone needs each day is different. Your body shape, age, gender, activity level and metabolism are all factors that affect your individual caloric requirements. To calculate your caloric requirements you should use the below formula to find out your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate - how fast you use calories) then multiply the resulting number by your activity level (also below.)

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

 



Age - When children start to undergo puberty, their body is constantly growing and all that new muscle requires more energy. Your caloric requirements peak around the age of 25 and slowly decrease over time. That is unless you maintain some physical activity and strive for a muscular appearance. Muscle requires more energy than fat so the more muscular you are the more calories you need.



gender - Men require more energy than women. A man has less body fat and about 10 to 20 percent more muscle than a woman of the same size and age (generally). And as already stated, muscle needs more calories than fat so, Men need more calories than women, or rather. More muscle = more calories needed.




metabolism and body shape-  everyone requires a different amount of energy each day. People with a high metabolism need more calories than those who don't have a high metabolism. You should ask your doctor if you have concerns about your metabolism. Muscle requires a lot more energy than fat, so if you're an active, in shape guy or girl your caloric needs are higher than most people.


To read more:
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-factors-affect-your-calorie-needs.html


http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

Carbs, Protein and Fat. What to know!

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are important for an active teen because they are the macronutrients in their bodies. It provides energy for the body, and gives the body strength and fuel.


Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. Carbs are made of Saccharides (sugar in simplest form) your body digests these saccharides for energy. When athletes are active, carbohydrates give the body something to run on and burn off like a car. A car runs on gasoline, and burns it off. After a while it runs out, and you have to fill it up again. It is the same for carbohydrates. It is the main source of fuel that should be taken in by every athlete. Good sources of carbs include whole-wheat foods, vegetables, fruits, and beans. The recommended intake of carbs is 45-65% of all calories being consumed, according to the USDA. Some easy ways to eat healthy is to buy whole wheat cereals, like cheeriosm and to regularly eat fruit or vegetables when you're craving a snack, so that you're no providing your body with empty calories like soda or candy.
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm


Proteins help athletes to build muscle. Amino acids in your body work hard for your muscles to recover from fatigue after an intense work out, or a sport's practice. Therefore, it is important to take in protein after exercising so that your body can recover,
and build muscle. the recommended amount of protein you should be getting is 10%-35% of the total calories you ingest.(USDA) 35 percent would be for people who are continuously involved in extremely strenuous activities.


Fats are also very important to an athletic teen. People may say that all fats are bad for you, but some fats are actually good for you, and are essential for an active teen. Unsaturated fats are good for you. It helps to lower cholesterol, and it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to lower blood pressure, fight inflammation, and protect the brain and nervous system. Fats are also good for insulation. It is unhealthy for athletes to have no body fat because if their not careful, their bodies can have extreme temperatures. the recommened intake for fats is 20% - 35% of your caloric intake.(USDA) however, make sure you are eating good fats, and not trans fat. some good sources of fat are olive oil, avocados, nuts, and canola oil. these are all unsaturated fats and are good sources of the fat your body needs.

Having a balance of all three macronutrients are important, and will help athletes flourish in their sports.

http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm
http://www.hornetjuice.com/amino-acids.html#athletes
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/a/goodfatsbadfats.htm
http://cdn.elev8.com/files/2009/10/Carbohydrate-food-shot-@-350.jpg
http://www.hoalian.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/high-protein-foods-2.jpg

Foods to avoid!! :P

 Research shows that most modern killer diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer are definitely related to your diet and lifestyle.

What to avoid/ limit

trans fat

saturated fat

MSG
Cholesterol

Canned Soup -  MSG

Canned soups that you see lining the shelves of grocery stores tend to have high levels of salt, trans-fats, and MSG. "Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance." MSG is added in many foods that we eat today like,"The Campbell's soups, the Hostess Doritos, the Lays flavored potato chips, Top Ramen, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, Heinz canned gravy, Swanson frozen prepared meals, and Kraft salad dressings, especially the 'healthy low fat' ones."  MSG has also been disguised as Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, which is just another name for Monosodium Glutamate.

(Read more at - http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm)

Fats

Unhealthy fats are saturated fats (some saturated fats is ok) and trans fatty acids (trans fats), like butter and margarine. These fats contribute to heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol and obesity.They should be strictly limited! 

Potato chips, French Fries, and other Fried Foods/Snacks

are fried at very high temperatures.

Any time food is cooked, fried, or processed using high heat, a substance called acrylamide is produced. Acrylamide is a known carcinogen and neurotoxin.

French fries and potato chips also contain trans-fatty acids which increase your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

http://www.natural-health-restored.com/unhealthy-foods.html

http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm

http://www.natural-health-guide.com/foods-to-avoid.html

3 Day Meal Plan

Athletic teens should be taking in about 3200 calories a day. This is more than most
teenagers because it will be burned off while exercising. An example of a three day meal
plan is:

DAY 1

Breakfast
2-3 slices Turkey Bacon
2 Whole Wheat Pancakes
1 Banana
1 glass Orange Juice

Lunch
2 slices Thick crusted, vegetable pizza
1 Apple w/ peanut butter
½ cup Broccoli
1 glassSkim milk

Dinner
1 Baked chicken (skinless)
2 scoops brown rice
Caesar Salad
1 glass skim milk

Snack
1 Low-fat yogurt parfait w/ strawberries & blueberries & granola

DAY 2

Breakfast
1 glass
skim milk
1 ounce
low fat yogurt
1 bowl oatmeal
1 orange





Lunch
1 Roast Beef sandwich w/ mayo, ketchup, lettuce
2 oatmeal raisin cookies
carrot sticks w/ light ranch dressing
1 glass lemonade

Dinner
1 glass
skim milk
2 chef salad
2 slice garlic bread
2 servings spaghetti w/ meat sauce

Snack
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

DAY 3

Breakfast
Scrambled eggs
1 Whole wheat toast
1 Blueberry muffin
1 Papaya


Lunch

Roasted turkey breast
Baked potato
Cooked cauliflower
Gatorade

Dinner
Skim milk
Baked salmon w/ lemon juice
Brown rice
Raw broccoli



Snack
Fruit salad

Bibliography

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-factors-affect-your-calorie-needs.html
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm
http://www.hornetjuice.com/amino-acids.html#athletes
http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lowfatbasics/a/goodfatsbadfats.htm
http://cdn.elev8.com/files/2009/10/Carbohydrate-food-shot-@-350.jpg
http://www.hoalian.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/high-protein-foods-2.jpg
http://www.natural-health-restored.com/unhealthy-foods.html
http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm
http://www.natural-health-guide.com/foods-to-avoid.html