Why Should Teen Eat Healthy?

Eating the right foods is one of the key steps to becoming a healthy adult. During adolescence, it includes your final years of growth. So if you don't consume the right amount of nutrients, and/or cut down on the right amount of junk food, you might not be able to reach your maximum potential of a healthy adult. Especially since you are still a teen, you have heightened nutritional needs and eating unhealthy may put your health and growth at risk. Eating healthy can make you look great, feel great, and lets you do the things you want to do without getting tired.

So what exactly is a healthy meal plan? Having a healthy diet doesn't necessarily mean giving up ALL of your favorite foods. It means you should eat a range of foods so you get all the nutrients you need. Eating healthy in your teenage years will benefit you in short term, and long term situations. You know the saying that doctors tell you, "Eat a rainbow?" Well it's quite true! Eating healthy will affect you in many ways in your life.

This all leads down to the big question: Why? Eating healthy NOW will help you maintain or lose/gain weight and prevent anxiety, obesity and depression. Eating and adequate amount of foods like carbohydrates will provide energy, make you alert and support your focus throughout the whole day and everyday after that. 

Maybe you're not too worried about your future right now, but what you eat in teen years will hugely impact the adult lifestyle set out for you. Did you know that 90% of a person’s bone density is built up by the end of the teen years? You have to start now if you want a healthy future. Long term effects of eating healthy in your teen years include developing a healthy/confident body image that will last your throughout adult year; the habits you take on as a teen also continue during adulthood. Most importantly, eating right will also help prevent risks of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. You have to start now.

Sources:

http://michellelenawellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Fruit-rainbow.jpg

http://www.livestrong.com/article/413268-importance-of-healthy-eating-for-teens/

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/Bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Eating_tips_for_teenagers?open

http://mom.me/parenting/4879-importance-nutrition-teens/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/nutrition-kids-and-teens

http://woman.thenest.com/healthy-lifestyle-important-teenagers-3043.html

Factors Affecting Caloric Requirement

There are many factors that affect caloric requirement; they include gender, age, height, weight, body composition, and activity level. It is important for teens to get the sufficient amount of calories each day so they can stay energized throughout the whole day.

Gender is a large factor in different requirements for calories. Generally, an adult man has less body fat and moire muscle than a woman of the same size and age. So normally, a man would require more calories than a woman of the same size and age would. Muscle burns more calories than fat does, which is why a man’s caloric needs are generally about 5-10 percent higher than a woman’s. This also applies to youths too.

Another factor affecting caloric requirement is age. As you get older, your metabolism slows down and the caloric intake is reduced. So the older you are, the less calories are needed. However, teens are still growing so the age factor does not apply to teens as much as adults.

Height/weight and body composition can also affect caloric requirement. Generally, the taller and heavier you are, the more fat is in your body, so a higher amount of calories should be consumed to maintain that weight. Also, losing muscle and gaining fat slows down metabolism.

Another factor affecting caloric requirement is the person's activity level. A teen who works out more burns more calories, which means they need a higher intake to sustain themselves. A teen who is not as active requires less calories since they aren’t burning as many calories as the more active teen.

If a teen does not consume the recommended amount of calories, he/she will be tired easily. For a girl with an average activity level, average height and weight, and aged 14-18, the recommended caloric intake is 2000 calories. For a boy with an average activity level, average height and weigh, and ages 14-18, the recommended intake is 2400-2800 calories. This does not apply to all average teens, so you should consult a nutritionist or your doctor to find out how many calories is right for you.

Sources:

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

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

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/factors-seem-affect-daily-calorie-intake-9876.html

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/factors-influencing-calorie-needs-3580.html

Macronutrients

It is important to know exactly what you are eating. We've all heard of carbs, proteins, and fats, but do they mean anything significant to you? These three types of food fall under a group called macronutrients. Macronutrients are nutrients that are required in large amounts in the human diet. Together, they keep your body running efficiently.

The largest group is called carbohydrates. They are the main source of energy in your body and make up most of your daily caloric intake. Carbohydrates are made up of two groups of sugar molecules. Simple carbohydrates are made up of monosaccharides - glucose, fructose, and lactose. Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of molecules ie. starch and fiber. As written earlier, carbohydrates are the main source for your body's fuel. The cells in your body use the glucose in it for energy. So for this reason, the recommended amount an average teenager should consume is 45%-65% of your daily caloric intake; they contain about four calories per gram. Here are some healthy sources of carbohydrates: non-processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and beans. It is important to eat enough foods with carbs because you won't be tired as easily and they also contain many micronutrients. 
                                                        

Most average teens have no problem getting enough of protein, but keep in mind that not all sources are healthy. Protein is made up of amino acids, which is an organic compound that contains a carboxyl and an amino group. They are used for the building and repairing of tissues and organs. Amino acids make up your cells and do most of the "cell-work." Kind of like carbohydrates, proteins keep your body running and are also an important building block of bones, muscles, skin, and blood. However, the amount of protein consumed is relatively smaller than carbohydrates, 10%-25% of your daily caloric intake. Each gram of protein contains four calories. Healthy food sources include fish, white-meat poultry/lean beef, milk, cheese, and yogurt.
                                                       Here's what most teens believe are the real enemy = fats. Fats are used for energy storage in your body and contain 9 calories per gram. However, fats should actually make up 20-30% of your daily caloric intake. There are two sup groups of fats, or fatty acids (which is what they are made of). 
           The first very unhealthy group includes trans fat and saturated fat. Trans fats are the absolutely worst fats you could consume. Trans fat is known to raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. They also put you at higher risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Still, most teens leisurely consume fried foods, fast foods, chips, doughnuts, and etc. Even though they taste sooo good, you should know that these foods could potentially lead to an unhealthy, "fatty" lifestyle. Saturated fats are not relatively as bad because a tiny amount of them may have some health benefits, but they are still bad in general. Like trans fat, saturated fat also raises your cholesterol level, and are high in calories which could also lead to heart disease and other problems. These fats are found in common foods like beef, lamb, pork, coconut oil, and etc.
          As you might be able to tell by now, the majority of your fat consumption goes toward healthy fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats lower your bad cholesterol and can decrease your risk of heart disease. You can find them in avocados, nuts, and canola/olive/peanut oils. Polyunsaturated fats are also healthy and can also lower bad cholesterol. Furthermore, they include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. You can find polyunsaturated fats in safflower, sunflower, sesame, soybean, and corn oils.

                                                                

Sources: 
http://www.self.com/flash/diet-blog/2011/08/6-high-fat-foods-that-are-good/ 
http://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/cfb/carbohydrates.htm

http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/macronutrients.htm

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/   
          Saturated-Fats_UCM_301110_Article.jsp

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/types-of-fats-topic-overview?page=2
http://www.webmd.com/men/features/benefits-protein