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Take a look at your eating habits. What
you eat, where you eat and why you eat are important to your health.
As a teen, you need to eat a variety of
foods that give the nutrients your growing body needs. Eating better
and being more active can make you feel better and think more
clearly.
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What do
you eat? If you eat a lot of fast food loaded with toppings - plus
an extra helping of dessert - your diet is probably not balanced.
Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grain food, lean meat, fish and
beans. And eat less fats, oil and sweets and soft drinks.
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Increase your intake of calcium (for
building healthy bones and teeth) by taking more foods like soya
beans, celery, cabbage, kale, spinach, broccoli, almonds, peanuts,
sunflower seeds, sardines and oysters. Getting adequate calcium in
your diet may help delay the onset, or limit your chances of
developing osteoporosis later in life.
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Teenage girls have to increase the
intake of iron as they reach puberty. The body will excrete about 1
mg per day, but this is doubled during menstruation. Good sources of
iron are green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, soybeans,
peanuts and wholegrain products.
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Where
do you eat? If you eat in places such as your room or in front of
the TV, you may want to change that habit. Eating while doing other
things make it easy to lose track of how much you have eaten.
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Why do you eat? The best reason to eat
is because you are hungry, try doing something else to get food off
your mind. Call a friend, exercise, read, or work on a craft. These
activities can help you to cut back on eating when you are feeling
bored, upset or stress.
You don't have to be an athlete,
supermodel or movie star to stay fit and healthy. you can take
charge of your health by making small changes in you eating and
physical activity habits - which will help you feel and look better
now and be healthier for the rest of your life.
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