Introduction

We created this blog to hopefully educate other teens about what a healthy diet really is. In this blog we will cover things like why eating healthy is important, the importance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, daily caloric intake, and some types of food that should be limited or avoided. Also included on this blog is an example of a 3 day meal plan that we created. Hopefully after reading this blog, you will have learned something you didn't know before, and will be able to apply that knowledge later on.

-Posted by Brandon Lockwood-

Why Should Teens Eat Healthy Foods?

It is important for Teens to eat healthy. It affects daily life in ways such as:

* Good Overall Health
- Contributes to living longer and happier
- Helps your body grow and keeps it working

* Affects how you perform (Energy Levels)
- Helps your body be in top working condition
- Being well-nourished helps with focus and concentration
- Increased stamina and energy

* How You Feel
- Feels good eating healthy, doesn't it?
- Better mood

* How You Look
- Unhealthy, oily foods have been linked to acne
- Some healthy foods affect complexion and skin
- Coupled with daily exercise, healthy eating keeps you thin

‹Posted by Kendrick Leong»

Importance of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates at a Glance

Composition:

• Sugar
• Starches
• Fiber

Role:

• Provide Energy
- Starches provide energy longer than sugars
• Primes Body for Fat Intake

Recommended Intake:

• 45-65% of daily caloric intake
• 15 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight
• 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates

Sources:

• Any Starch, Fruit, or Vegetable

Carbohydrates are what all of us eat every day. They're in everything, from crackers to tomatoes. Basically, carbohydrates are sugar found in most all foods. It's super important because your body needs it to function. When you eat carbohydrates, your body breaks it down into various nutrients, one of which is glucose. Then your body can use that glucose, or sugar, by turning it into energy.

There are two types of glucose. They are monosaccharides and polysaccharides. Mono, meaning one or singular, refers to one unit of sugar in monosaccharides. They are simple sugars which can be found in refined sugar like the kind you buy in the big flour sacks. Simple sugars can be found in normal table sugar and fruits and vegetables. Although you can get monosaccharides from white sugar, its better to eat vegetables and fruits because they also contain fiber and other vitamins.

Polysaccharides are the other type of glucose. Poly, meaning multiple or many, means that there are multiple units of sugar in a polysaccharide. They can be found in starches, which include rice, wheat and pasta. Polysaccharides are used by plants to store glucose for later use to be used as energy. Surely you've heard of the term "carbo-load" which is commonly used by athletes before a big event. This refers to the feast of carbohydrates that they consume, which are usually rich in complex sugars like polysaccharides. They choose complex sugars because they last far longer than simple sugars which are sometimes instantly used after being consumed.

The recommended daily caloric intake percentage of your daily caloric intake is 45-65%. This means that of all the calories you consume in a day, 45 to 65% of them should be from carbohydrates.

» Posted by Adam Pating »

Importance of Fats

Fats at a Glance

Composition:

• Saturated Fats (should be avoided)
• Unsaturated Fats
• Essential Fatty Acids
• Cholesterol

Role:

• Provide Energy
• Insulates Organs

Recommended Intake:

• No more than 10% of daily caloric intake
• 9 calories per gram of fat

Sources:

• Avocado
• Red Meat
• Dairy
• Olive Oil
• Shellfish

What do you think when you think of fat? People everywhere view fats differently. Some people think of fats as killers, thigh enlargers, an essential part of their beloved fried chicken or even that nasty blob on the end of your steak. But the truth is, although fats generally get a bad rap, they can be beneficial to your health when consumed in moderation.

There are many types of fats, but the most common are saturated fats. Saturated fats come from all over the place in the typical American diet. Basically any red meat (AKA animal protein) or dairy product such as milk or cheese, have saturated fats in them. There have been hundreds of studies on the health impact of saturated fats, and it has been proven to cause high blood pressure and even cancer.

Another common type of fat are the hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated fats are fats that have undergone a process to solidify them to be more easily mixed into mixes and cakes to give a product a better texture. Some common examples of hydrogenated fats are shortening or margarine. Hydrogenated fats are detrimental to your health and they are found in many products like the all-too-popular Pop Tarts and Eggo Waffles. They are even found in the most common cracker. Hydrogenated fats are generally known to increase your blood cholesterol.

The last kind of fats are the unsaturated fats. They are more commonly known as monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and the famous trans fat. Mono/Polyunsaturated fats are the healthy fats. Once again, when it comes to fats, you want to keep your intake down. Even though these fats can be beneficial to your health, it doesn't mean you should drink a whole bottle of olive oil (a good source of "healthy" fat), does it? Trans fat on the other hand, although unsaturated, has been proven to increase risk for coronary disease. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can be very helpful when consumed in place of saturated and trans fats.

When consuming fats, our recommended intake is less than 10% of your daily caloric intake. Any more than this can lead to obesity and other coronary problems. Just remember to cut back on the fat intake. Some easy ways to reduce your fat intake include:

• Cutting down or cutting out fried fast foods from your diet

• Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet

• Avoid commercially made foods containing shortening or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil

And finally, as a last word about fats, remember everything in moderation. Even though something may be good for you such as healthy fats, don't go overboard. It's simply too much of a good thing.

«Posted by Adam Pating

Importance of Proteins

Proteins at a Glance

Composition:

• Complete Proteins
• Amino Acid
• Essential Amino Acids

Role:

• Growth and repair of skin, nails, bones, hair, tendons, ligaments and muscles
• Enzyme production and maintenance of strict acid based balance

Recommended Intake:

• 20-35% of total caloric intake
• .83 grams per kilogram of body weight

• 4 calories per gram of protein

Sources of Protein:

• Lean Meat
• Poultry
• Nuts
• Fish
• Beans
• Eggs
• Soy

Protein is an essential part of anybodies diet for many reasons. One of which being that its in nearly your whole body, in places like your hair, nails, muscle and skin, to name a few. You'll always hear about how it makes you strong and how its in milk, but most importantly, it helps repair your body and is used to make things like the production of hemoglobin or cardiac muscle (your heart).

We eat protein rich foods because they have complete proteins which contain essential amino acids in them. Essential amino acids are the only 9 amino acids that the human body can only get from protein rich foods. Complete proteins can be found in meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs. Soybeans are also a good source of complete protein and are the only plant which have them. Even though there are a total of 22 amino acids important to human health, our bodies can create 13 of them.

Those 22 amino acids are called the essential amino acids. Those amino acids are just a few of many found by scientists in protein. Our body takes those amino acids from foods and uses them to make protein. Then the protein can be used for other things like the production of hemoglobin which is part of a red blood cell that carries oxygen to everywhere in your body.

Our recommended daily caloric intake percentage for proteins is 20-35%. That means that of all the calories that you have consumed, 20 to 35 percent of them should be from protein.

«Posted by Adam Pating

What Foods Should Be Avoided or Limited?

While some foods may be deemed "bad" for you because of what they do in excess, it is important to remember to eat all foods in moderation. Here are some foods/additives that should be completely avoided, or limited:

• Whole Milk
- While it has Calcium and Vitamin D, it also contains saturated fats
- Has little fiber, but plenty of fat and cholesterol
• Animal Protein
- Preferably, you should eat lean red meat
- Having too much protein is linked to osteoporosis
- Contains a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol
• Saturated Fat
- Increases production of bad cholesterol
- Contributes to obesity
- Doesn't fill you up, so it leads to overeating
• Trans Fat
- Man-made fat, substitute for saturated fat
- Increases bad cholesterol, decreases good cholesterol
• Mono sodium Glutamate
- Stimulates production of insulin, drops blood sugar levels, and makes you hungry
- Tricks your body into thinking the food is nutritious, even if it's not
• Sugar
- Too much sugar suppresses the immune system
- Can cause premature aging
• Salt
- Can increase blood pressure, which leads to heart attacks and strokes
- Needs potassium to regulate sodium levels
• Caffeine
- Causes dehydration
- Leads to withdrawal symptoms, like an actual drug
• Nitrite
- Could increase the possibility of lung disease
• BHT and BHA
- Studies have linked BHT with tumors and malignant cancers
• Artificial Color
- Can lead to behavioral and developmental problems
- Large quantities can lead to cancer
• Aspartame
- Can cause seizures
- Can cause brain tumors
• Sulfites
- Allergies may result in skin rashes
• Pesticides
- Disrupts hormone function
- Causes a variety of cancer

≈Posted by Kendrick Leong≈

What is the Daily Caloric Intake?

The Daily Caloric Intake for:
Inactive Teens: 2200 calories
Moderately Active Teens: 2400-2800 calories
Active Teens: 2800-3200 calories

Factors that may affect Daily Caloric Intake include:
∆ Height
∆ Weight
∆ Body Composition
∆ Metabolism
∆ Activity Level

Caloric Needs are different from person to person, so it is important to determine for yourself how much you need.

›Posted by Kendrick Leong›

3 day meal plan

Day 1
Breakfast
- 2 slices of whole grain toast
- 2 eggs
- 1 banana
- 1 glass of fat free milk

Lunch
- Salad (olive oil based dressing, avocados, baby spinach, chicken breast)
- 1 glass of water
- 1 apple

Dinner
- seasoned grilled ahi
- 2 scoops of brown rice
- 1 orange
- 1 glass of fat free milk

Snack
- 1 pear
- 1 handful of almonds

Day 2
Breakfast
- 1 bowl of oatmeal
- 1 banana
- 1 glass of fat free milk

Lunch
- 1 bowl of beef stew (onions, potatoes, lean beef, tomatoes)
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice
- 1 handful of grapes
- 1 glass of water

Dinner
- Sauteed chicken breast
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice
- Carrots
- 1 glass of fat free milk

Snack
- 1 handful of pecans
- 1 apple

Day 3
Breakfast
- 2 scrambled egg whites
- 1 glass of fat free milk
- 1 handful of blueberries

Lunch
- 1 bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup (whole wheat noodles, chicken breast, carrots)
- 1 glass of water
- 1 pear

Dinner
- Beef broccoli
- 2 cups of cooked brown rice
- 1 glass of fat free milk

Snack
- Strawberries
- 1 handful of mixed nuts

-Posted by Brandon Lockwood-

Conclusion

And this is the end of our blog. Hopefully by reading the blog we have created, you learned something about a healthy diets for teens that you didn't know before. We hope that by using the information that this blog contains, you are able to have a healthy diet and because of that you will live a healthier life.

-Posted by Brandon Lockwood-