Vitamin A and Your Eyes

Key Nutrients for Healthy Eyes
Nutrient	Sources	Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Teens
Vitamin A	Beef liver, chicken liver, cod liver oil, milk, eggs	900 micrograms for boys, 700 micrograms for girls
Carotenoids	Kale, spinach, leaf lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, tomato juice, sweet potatoes, broccoli, squash, watermelon, pink grapefruit, apricots	No RDA established
Vitamin C	Oranges, orange juice, red and green bell peppers, grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli, kale	75 mg for boys, 65 mg for girls
Bioflavonoids	Berries, grapes, apples, oranges, grapefruit, yellow onions, soy foods, legumes, teas, dark chocolate	No RDA established
Source: National Agriculture Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture

 

Carotenoids for Good Vision

 

Vitamin C

 

Bioflavonoids

 

Vitamin E

 

Develop Good Eating Habits Now for
Lifelong Health and Vision

Unhealthy dieting and weight-loss strategies, such as using over-the-counter diet pills or yo-yo dieting, typically backfire among teens and young adults, a new study suggests.

While overweight or obese teens may need to adopt healthier diets and increase physical activity, it's common for young people to look for quicker fixes to lose weight. But the new study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that unhealthy weight-control strategies caused teens to be heavier 10 years later no matter what their body mass index was to begin with.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health looked at data taken from more than 1,900 middle-school and high-school students who were followed for 10 years. More than 37% of the girls and 10% of the boys dieted persistently. Nearly half of the girls and almost 19% of boys engaged in other unhealthy weight-control practices, including smoking, using laxatives, vomiting, using diet pills, skipping meals or eating food substitutes.

Girls who dieted persistently had higher body mass indexes 10 years later: an increase of 4.6 units on the BMI scale compared with 2.3 units among non-dieters. For boys, a seven-unit increase was seen among persistent dieters compared with 3.5 among non-dieters. The increase in BMI occurred among people who were overweight to begin with as well as those who weren't overweight but dieted or engaged in unhealthy weight-control practices anyway.

"While young boys and girls may think dieting will help them to lose weight, data suggests they may be causing more harm than good in the long run," Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, the lead author of the study, said in a news release. "The focus needs to be on healthful eating and physical activity behaviors that can be sustained over time, rather than unhealthy, weight control practices."


Article "Unhealthy Dieting Leads to Higher Weight in Teens, Study Says" by Sheri Roan with the LA Times. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-teen-dieting-20120106,0,457692.story


Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens.

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasize the of healthy eating fo importance r teens.

Most parents wouldn't dream of giving their kids a mug of coffee, but might routinely serve soft drinks containing caffeine. Foods and drinks with caffeine are everywhere, but it's wise to keep caffeine consumption to a minimum, especially in younger kids.

How Caffeine Affects Kids

A stimulant that affects kids and adults similarly, caffeine is a drug that's naturally produced in the leaves and seeds of many plants. Caffeine is also made artificially and added to certain foods. Caffeine is defined as a drug because it stimulates the central nervous system. At lower levels, it can make people feel more alert and energetic.
In both kids and adults, too much caffeine can cause:

• jitteriness and nervousness
• upset stomach
• headaches
• difficulty concentrating
• difficulty sleeping
• increased heart rate
• increased blood pressure

Especially in young kids, it doesn't take a lot of caffeine to produce these effects.
Other reasons to limit kids' caffeine consumption include:

• Kids who consume one or more 12-ounce (355-milliliter) sweetened soft drink per day are 60% more likely to be obese.
• Not only do caffeinated beverages contain empty calories (calories that don't provide any nutrients), but kids who fill up on them don't get the vitamins and minerals they need from healthy sources, putting them at risk for nutritional deficiencies. In particular, kids who drink too much soda (which usually starts between the third and eighth grades) may miss getting the calcium they need from milk to build strong bones and teeth
• Drinking too many sweetened caffeinated drinks could lead to dental cavities (or caries) from the high sugar content and the erosion of tooth enamel from acidity. Not convinced that sodas can wreak that much havoc on kids' teeth? Consider this: One 12-ounce non-diet, carbonated soft drink contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories.
• Caffeine is a diuretic that causes the body to eliminate water (through urinating), which may contribute to dehydration. Whether the amount of caffeine in beverages is enough to actually cause dehydration is not clear, however. It may depend on whether the person drinking the beverage is used to caffeine and how much caffeine was consumed that day. To be on the safe side, it's wise to avoid excessive caffeine consumption in hot weather, when kids need to replace water lost through perspiration.
• Abruptly stopping caffeine may cause withdrawal symptoms (headaches, muscle aches, temporary depression, and irritability), especially for those who are used to consuming a lot.
• Caffeine can aggravate heart problems or nervous disorders, and some kids may not be aware that they're at risk.

Foods and Beverages With Caffeine

Although kids get most of their caffeine from sodas, it's also found in coffee, tea, chocolate, coffee ice cream or frozen yogurt, as well as pain relievers and other over-the-counter medicines. Some parents may give their kids iced tea in place of soda, thinking that it's a better alternative. But iced tea can contain as much sugar and caffeine as soda.
Here's how some sources of caffeine compare:

Item	Amount of Item	Amount of Caffeine
Jolt soft drink	12 ounces	71.2 mg
Mountain Dew	12 ounces	55.0 mg
Coca-Cola	12 ounces	34.0 mg
Diet Coke	12 ounces	45.0 mg
Pepsi	12 ounces	38.0 mg
7-Up	12 ounces	0 mg
brewed coffee (drip method)	5 ounces	115 mg*
iced tea	12 ounces	70 mg*
dark chocolate	1 ounce	20 mg*
milk chocolate	1 ounce	6 mg*
cocoa beverage	5 ounces	4 mg*
chocolate milk beverage	8 ounces	5 mg*
cold relief medication	1 tablet	30 mg*
*denotes average amount of caffeine

Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Soft Drink Association

What's Caffeine Sensitivity?

Caffeine sensitivity refers to the amount of caffeine that will produce an effect in someone, which varies from person to person. On average, the smaller the person, the less caffeine necessary to produce side effects. However, caffeine sensitivity is most affected by daily caffeine intake.
People who regularly drink beverages containing caffeine soon develop a reduced sensitivity to caffeine. This means they require higher doses of caffeine to achieve the same effects as someone who doesn't drink caffeinated drinks often. So, the more caffeine kids take in, the more caffeine they'll need to feel the same effects.
In addition to being more susceptible to the effects of caffeine based on size, younger kids are more sensitive because they haven't been exposed to it as much as adults.
Caffeine moves through the body within a few hours and is then passed through the urine. It's not stored in the body, but kids may feel its effects for up to 6 hours if they're sensitive to it.

Cutting Caffeine

Can you keep kids caffeine-free? Absolutely! The best way to cut caffeine (and added sugar) is to eliminate soda. Instead, offer water, milk, flavored seltzer, and 100% fruit juice. For added convenience, serve water in squeeze bottles that kids can carry around. You can still serve the occasional soda or tea — just make it non-caffeinated. And watch for hidden caffeine by checking the ingredient list on foods and beverages.
If your teen has taken up coffee drinking, one cup a day can easily turn into several (as most adults know), especially if your teen drinks it to stay awake during late-night study sessions.
The best way to reduce coffee caffeine intake is to cut back slowly. Otherwise, kids (and adults) could get headaches and feel achy, depressed, or just downright lousy.
Someone cutting back on caffeine may feel tired. The best bet is to hit the sack, not the sodas: It's just a body's way of saying that more rest is necessary. Don't worry — energy levels will return to normal in a few days.
Feel free to let kids indulge in a sliver of chocolate cake at birthday parties or a cup of tasty hot cocoa on a cold day — these choices don't pack enough caffeine punch to be harmful. As with everything, moderation is the key to keeping your kids' caffeine consumption under control.

Excerpts taken from "Caffeine and Your Child" Reviewed by Steven Dowshen, M.D. Read more at: http://kidshealth.org/parent/growth/feeding/child_caffeine.html#

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating in teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org