Importance of Healthy Eating!

There are many long term and short term benefits to eating healthy.
1. It helps support growth
As teenagers, we are at a point in our life where we are growing rapidly, and in order to sustain that growth, we need to eat healthy foods. The foods we eat provide our body with crucial vitamins and minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, vitamin A and C and much more. Our food also provides us with important daily nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, sugars, proteins, and so forth. Therefore, if teenagers aren't eating healthy, they are missing out on all of these nutritional values that support healthy growth and development.
2. Energy
Because teenagers are so active being involved in school, sports, etc., we need a lot of energy to keep us going. Athletic teens especially need energy so that during sports they don't wear out and get tired too quickly. In order to get this vital energy needed to stay up and going, teens need to eat healthy. If we are eating the right foods fit to our lifestyle then we can get the right amount of energy needed for whatever we are doing, whether it's sports, school, or just everyday life.
3. Prevents diseases
If we eat healthy now, it can prevent diseases and medical complications now and for the future. Eating healthy helps prevent against heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and more. We tend to think that what we do and eat now won't effect us in the future, but in fact it does. All of our food we eat effects our chance of having health problems ow and later in life.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are composed from sugar, and starches, and is scientifically recognized as "H20 + C". Carbohydrates supply the body with the main energy source. They support the functioning in our nervous system, muscles, and internal organs. The recommended intake of carbohydrates depends on a one's activity level, age, gender, and height. One can receive their carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans. There are, however, ways people can take in "bad" or unhealthy, and limited carbohydrates. For example, sugar should be eaten moderately, otherwise it will become disturbing for the body to process these kinds of carbohydrates. Other "limited carbohydrates" include cookies, cakes, soda. These are also known as "simple carbs," and have a negative effect on blood sugar levels and mood.

Proteins

Proteins are composed of amino acids and are components of hair, muscles nails, skin, internal organs, especially the heart and brain. Proteins enable growth and healthy red blood cells. Protein intake is calculated using one's age, height, gender, and frame size. Protein can be found in foods such as eggs, cheese, soy, fish, beans, nuts, seeds, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, etc…

Fats

Fats are made up of fatty acids. Fats provide energy reserve and insulation for the body. Fats are burned to produce energy whenever one's diet lacks a sufficient amount of energy. Fats protect the body's organs from trauma and temperature change. The recommended intake of fats is 65 grams per day. "Healthy" fats can be found in Vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E, and K. Saturated fats are the "unhealthy" fats, and can solidify at room temperature. This is the sort of fat that produces obesity.

Caloric Intake

1. Age
Because we are teenagers we're growing a lot right now compared to when we were younger and not going through such a dramatic growth spurt. Therefore, our caloric intake increases because of the amount of energy our body is using simply by just growing.

2. Weight/ height
Weight and height play a big role in the amount of our caloric intake. Obviously, a teenager that is quite big in body mass whether it's mostly fat or mostly muscle is going to need to intake more calories in order to provide enough energy for their whole body compared to a thin little girl that's half their size. Height also plays a role because of the same concept. The amount of body mass correlates with the amount of daily caloric intake.

3. Gender
Gender plays a big role in caloric intake. First of all, girls are generally smaller then guys, so their caloric intake is less. A teenage girl generally doesn't use up the same amount of energy as a teenage boy because girls are generally smaller, less active, and not growing at such a rapid pace compared to teenage boys therefore their caloric intake varies.

4.Amount of exercise
Amount of exercise is also an important factor when it comes to caloric intake. People who are less active will have a smaller daily caloric intake compared to a very active person simply because they are not using up as much energy. When we work out and push our body, it uses up a lot of energy and so we eat in order to replenish the body's energy. Therefore a less active person doesn't need to replenish as much energy compared to a very active person.

3 Day Meal Plan

3 DAY MEAL PLAN
DAY 1

Breakfast:
1 piece of whole grain toast w/ low cholesterol margarine
1 cup of fruit
1 egg (salt and pepper)
Glass of carrot juice

Lunch:
Swiss cheese slices
½ cup nuts
Sesame seed cracker
Grapes
Salami slices
Glass of milk

Dinner:
Seasoned salmon w/ olive oil, dill, and garlic
Roasted broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes
Glass of water

DAY 2

Breakfast:
2 cups of steel cut oats w/ brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins and/or bananas, sliced almonds, and flax seed
Glass of Milk

Lunch:
Seasoned tofu with caramelized onions, garlic salt, and soy/skim milk
1 Yoplait yogurt
Carrot slices
1 bag of Baked Lay's Chips
Glass of Apple juice

Dinner:
Lemon seasoned chicken breast
Romaine salad w/ tomatoes, feta cheese, and cucumber
Whole-wheat pasta with light marinara sauce

DAY 3

Breakfast:
2 cups of Raisin Bran cereal
1 cup of skim milk with Raisin Bran cereal
1 cup of straw/blue/ras/blackberries
1 cup of hot Rooibos tea

Lunch:
Bagel with low-fat/fat free cream cheese
2 clementines
1 sandwich–sized ziplock bag of Kettle Chips/Popchips
Glass of organic lemonade

Dinner:
Eggplant chili
Salad w/ cranberries, sunflower seeds, pomegranate, and goat cheese
Buttered toast
Glass of water


Sources:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which exercises and vitamins can help sharpen your mind
http://www.worldbestuniversities.fundiaries.org?best-food-to-sharpen-your-brain.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002449.htm
http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/fat thin.html
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm
http://www.aubergines.org/recipes.php?eggplant=547
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food fitness/sports/eatnrun.html
http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/sportnutrition.html

What specific foods should you limit or avoid?

1. Fats

Fast food contains extremely saturated fats. Eating an excessive amount food containing saturated fats can cause many cardio vascular problems,and long term effects such as diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. Some examples of saturated fats are animal fats, processed foods, cheese, cocout oil, chocolate, etc.

2. High in sodium
Too much salt in a diet can lead to muscle cramps, dizziness or electrolyte disturbance, which can cause neurological problems, or even death. Too much sodium in a diet can lead to strokes or other cardio vascular diseases.It's good to avoid foods such as processed cheeses and meats, certain canned meats like spam, salted snack foods such as pretzels and popcorn, etc
3. High in sugar
Some effects of high levels of sugar in a diet are:
- obesity
• diabetes
• heart disease
• an overgrowth of pathogenic intestinal flora
• gout
• panic attacks
• hyperactivity, and
• depression.

Many foods today are high in sugar. Many foods you might not even know are high in sugar. For example, ketchup is made up of 1/3 sugar. Also, some health foods are full of sugar for example, the average granola bar is packed with sugar. Avoid foods such as donuts, chocolate bars, candy, cereals that are high in sugar, fruit juices that contain lots of sugar, etc.

It's particularly important as a teen to eat healthy. Learning how to eat healthy as a teen will carry throughout your whole life. If you learn as a teen then it will create good eating habits for the rest of your life. Also, during teenage years is when the body grows the most and if teens aren't eating healthy it can stunt the growth and cause long-term problems.

http://www.monumentalmassage.com/articles/foods_to_avoid.html
http://www.copperwiki.org/index.php?title=Saturated_fat