During teen years, the need for a healthy diet cannot be
overemphasized. It is at this age that you are giving those finishing touches
to your final entry into adulthood and completing your major growth spurt. It
is the period of the fastest growth in your entire lifetime.
During these years you need extra calcium to store up the maximum amount of bone mass. The need for iron also increases at this time. Dieting prevents you from getting the calories and nutrients you need to grow properly and can in fact retard your growth. It may cause girls to stop menstruating and prevent boys from developing muscles.
What should you be eating?
Eating a healthy
diet is not difficult if you know the few basics of choosing the right food.
The best way to have a balanced nutrition is to choose in ample quantity the
many nutrition requirements of your body from each of the food groups:
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Vegetables
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Fruits
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Breads, cereals, rice, and pasta
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Milk, yoghurt and cheese
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Meat, poultry, fish, dried beans and peas, eggs, and nuts.
What should be your ideal weight?
This should not be
difficult at all. Any doctor or your school nurse should be able to tell you
depending on your height, age and sex. He should be able to tell you whether
you need to lose or gain weight and even advise you as to how to go about it.
Going on a diet just because your friends are doing so or thinking that you are
fat and need to go on a diet, is the worst thing you can subject your body to.
Instead of making you look and feel healthy, it might lead you into severe
health problems.
In case you need to lose weight
It may so happen
that you indeed are overweight and the doctor advises you to lose weight. The
best and the surest way to start this is through exercise. In fact at times,
that is all that you may need.
Some tips for losing weight
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Cut down on fats and sugars, and not on food
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Never try to lose weight by going on a low calorie diet
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Never reduce your liquid intake
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Skipping meals especially breakfast is foolish
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“Diet pills” should never even be thought of
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The balancing act:
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Maintain a balance between your favorite fatty foods and
fruits and vegetables, which are usually very low in fat.
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Eat a wide variety of foods making sure your diet is
nutritionally right.
§
Generally eat a reasonable quantity so that you can even
add a few slices of pizza or the `junk food` you like so much, once in awhile
into your diet.
“Child Care: Teenage Dieting” Read more:http://newsolio.com/child-care-teenage-dieting,5254
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 importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information
visit www.bestteendiets.org
