Importance of Eating Healthy

Lets get Healthy!

There are many reasons why teenagers should eat healthy. If teenagers eat healthy, they can maintain a healthy, consistent body weight. This can help BOOST self-esteem, give you more energy, motivation to be active and support your body's need to grow. When eating healthy, it is a good idea to pay attention to the ingredients, macro nutrients, micro nutrients, fat, and calories. If you pay attention to these items, it can help control what you eat and make sure you stay healthy. Eating the right foods is one of the greatest factors of trying to stay healthy.

Sources:

http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=243&id=2162&np=292

How to Determine a Teens Recommended Caloric Intake

I know I need to eat calories, but how much?

Gender isn't something you can change
http://www.sexpertremark.com/2011/01/07/battle-of-
the-gendered-pickup/gender_symbols_062909_m-2/

Because not everyone is the same, there are certain factors that are contributed into how much calories you should have in a day. Some of these factors are the way your built, activity level, gender, and age. While we are teenagers, we tend to grow more so it is important that we get enough calories in our diet to giving us enough energy to grow. Your gender, age, and the way your built is something that you can't change...but your activity level is something that you can change.

Although everyone isn't the same, the "general" recommended intake is 2,500 to 2,800 calories a day for boys and 2,200calories a day for girls.


Sources:
Check how much calories YOU should be eating

Importance of Carbs, Protein and Fat

Carbs? Proteins? Fat? What are those?

Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are all macronutrients-essential elements that your body needs for it to start and continue growing. Carbohydrates are needed for many things, considering that it is our body's main source of energy. Your body changes carbohydrates into glucose when it is then transports all parts of our body like tissues and organs to be used as energy. When there is extra sugar it is then stored in the muscles and liver. The daily recommendation intake is 45-65% of carb calories. Carbohydrates can be complex and simple. simple carbs are found in fruits, vegetables, and milk products. Complex carbohydrates can be found in starchy foods like bread and cereal. Usually food with complex carbohydrates are a good source of fiber which is also important for your body.

Proteins is a important part of our bodies. It is a key element to your hair, nails, eyes, but most importantly, to your brain and heart. It is also used to maintain bones, skin and muscles. Without protein, we wouldn't have healthy blood cells. For proteins, the daily recommended intake is 10-35% protein calories. You also need protein for growth,repairing damaged tissue, helping your immune system function better, and much more. Surprisingly, there are a lot of foods with protein in it. Soy products, beef, pork, fish, and even beans! By eating these types of food, our body then breaks it down into amino acids, which then can be used in the body! Eating meat and other animal products are good for your body because they have all of the amino acids that your body can't make. You should eat protein everyday because your body doesn't store proteins like it does with sugar or fat.

Fat is also an important nutrient for our body. Now days, people think having fat is a bad thing but in really, it isn't! It helps keeps our body's in perfect condition! However this doesn't mean you should go and eat fatty and greasy foods; too much fat is not good and there are bad fats And good fats. The daily recommended intake is 20-35% fat calories. Fat is a major energy source for the body and it also helps your body absorb vitamins. Fats helps your body feel full and it is an important source for calories and nutrients for babies. Fats also is a big part of your cholesterol levels.

Sources

Carbohydrates, carbohydrates carbohydrates!

Learn more about PROTEINS!

Who knew having fat could be a good thing?

Specific Foods You Should Limit or Avoid

Thats unhealthy? Oh I know why! It has......bad stuff in it??

Some foods to avoid are any types of foods that are in the "other" category of the food pyramid. Foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, andsimple carbs should be avoided.

What saturated fats do to your body is that they raise your cholesterol. When you have high cholesterol, you are more prone to having a heart attack. Some examples of saturated fatty foods are mainly at fast food restaurants. The reason why this happens is because most of the products that they produce are drenched in oil, deep fried, or aren't the best meat.

Trans fats can also help to raise your "bad" cholesterol and lower your "good" cholesterol. Companies know that trans fat is bad for you, but they use this type of fat in their foods because its cheap and gives them the right taste and texture that they are looking for.

There are different types of carbs. There are good carbs and bad carbs..
also known as simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. 
Complex carbohydrates are the ones that your body should be running off of; not simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates ofter don't have as much nutrients in them as complex carbohydrates. Simple "carbs" give you a burst of energy then eventually makes your body have a crash. So in other words...a sugar rush. complex crabs have a lot more 
vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in them compared to simple carbs. The energy that comes from this type of carb last over 
a longer period of time. This is why athletes carbo-load before big games or runs. The body responds best to these types of carbs,and stores them in the body's energy tank. It eventually releases it little by little as your body needs it more.

Sources:

http://parentingteens.about.com/od/nutrition/a/badfood_habits.htm
http://www.briancalkins.com/simplevscomplexcarb.htm

3-Day Meal Plan

Plan it! Make it! Eat it!

Day One

Breakfast:

• 1 sesame toasted Bagel (cream cheese optional)
• 1 glass of Orange juice (w/pulp)
• 1/2 a papaya

Lunch:

• Ham and Cheese sandwich (whole wheat bread) with a slice of tomato and 2-3 pieces of lettuce
• 1 Whole apple (w/skin on)
• 1 glass of Whole Milk

Snack:

• 1 bag of Tomato-Basil Sun chips
• 1 glass of Strawberry lemonade

Dinner:

• 3 oz. Grilled chicken
• 1 bowl of Hapa rice (a mix of white and brown rice)
• Small side salad with 2 tablespoon of Oriental dressing

Day Two

Breakfast:

• 1 cup of plain yogurt
• 1 cup of Cheerios with 1 glass of Skim milk
• 1 Banana

Lunch:

• 1 cup of Fusili pasta with 1/2 cup of brocolli, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 2 oz. of grilled chicken
• 1 glass of Passion Orange
• 1 bag of Goldfish
• 
  

Snack:

• 100% Fruit Strawberry Popsicle
• 1 slice of toasted wheat bread (butter/jelly optional)

Dinner:

• Stir Fry (2.5 oz. grilled chicken, 1 cup of tofu, 1 cup of grilled shrimp)
  
• 1 cup of Hapa rice (brown and white rice)
• 1 glass of fat free Milk

Day Three

Breakfast:

• 1 Scrambled Egg with Salt/Pepper
• 1 glass of Guava juice
• 1 Banana

Lunch:

• 1 Grilled cheese sandwich
• 1 bag BBQ Pop Chips
• 1 glass Strawberry Lemonade

Dinner:

• Beef stew (3 oz. beef, 1/2 cup cooked carrots, 1/4 cup of potatoes, 1/4 cup of celery, limited amounts of salt and pepper)
• 1 cup of Soy Milk
• 1 cup Ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)

Snack:

• 1 Orange (peeled)
  
• 1 oz. Strawberry Ice Cream

Sources:

http://www.nutrition.com.sg/he/heteens.asp
http://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm