Eating healthy and doing the amount of exercise regularly has always been a world concern. Everybody has once gone to the doctor and been said “You have to change your eating and exercise habits and start having a healthy lifestyle” And we may ask ourselves: “what does the word healthy really mean here?! Is it eating a lot of fruits and vegetables all the time and not eating any fats and sugar and exercising all the time?” For those people who are struggling with this issue and really want to achieve a healthy life and live in the physical terms (diet, exercising, resting), you’re on the correct page.
What is the scientific reason for why we eat?
First of all, we eat for various reasons; we are in the street walking from our after school activity, when our stomach starts mumbling “I need food, please give me food”, we may also experience low energy and bad breath. This is very common, humans are heterotrophs, we need energy to survive, food satisfies our hunger, appetite and provide with the necessary nutrients to our cells and parts of our body. Scientifically speaking, energy is produced by the splitting of a chemical bond in a substance called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), often referred to as the body´s "energy currency". It is produced in every cell of the body from the breakdown of carbohydrate, fat and protein- the three fuels that are transported and transformed by various biochemical processes (Sports Nutrition by Anita Bean). Any food may fill us up and “shut up” our stomach, but only healthy foods such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water will contribute to a healthy physical life. Remember that a physically healthy person is the one that has a body that works properly, all the organs, muscles, function for the health of the body, killing diseases, producing cells, etc. Every food we eat has calories, which is the fuel for our body that provide heat and energy for us to breath, eat, and do pretty much anything. Some have more and some less, that contributes to our final daily caloric amount, which depends on certain factors, like exercise done, weather, age, etc. The scientific definition of a calorie is the energy needed to raise the temperature by 1 degree Celsius. If you ever have doubts about calories and how many a food has, remember it is always in the can/pack. We should ingest approximately 2500- 3000 calories per day for boys from 14- 18 years old and 2200 calories per day for girls from 14- 18 years old. Even though caloric values are not extremely important in teen years since we are growing, developing good habits about what food to choose in terms of calories will lead you to having an appropriate weight in future years, when the caloric intake makes a difference.
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| Check the table to see how you´re doing! |
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| The food advices in this pyramid can lead us to a healthy life |
Does exercise really keep us healthy?
Sports and doing exercise can bring different number of benefits to our body; the main one is to build up a strong body and avoid many possible sicknesses, illnesses, diseases, that can occur in the future because of a sedentary lifestyle. Some of this is reducing risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, etc. The benefits are enormous, so one should prioritize playing soccer or basketball than staying to play PS3, Xbox, etc. Not only develops one person’s physical shape, but it also contributes to the social and intellectual side. As John Medina states in his book “Brain rules” men started doing physical activities since they inhabited the Earth. They didn’t do eat as a hobby and if they had time, like we do now, but they did it so survive, either hunting or running away from a tribe, etc. This physical habit has been done until contemporary times, and the human brain has evolved to adapt to doing exercise. According to Medina, exercise has been related to how intelligent a person is and can be, if somebody exercises regularly, that person shouldn’t have difficulties learning and apply knowledge and skills.
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| Benefits of exercise |
It is your choice to start changing your lifestyle habits
As mentioned previously, one should adjust their eating habits according to the amount of exercise and sports one does, the amount of muscles being worked out, time of training, intensity, among other things. Sometimes it can be very hard for a teen to pick in between an apple or a bubble gum, or water and Coke, but one must learn to do it and these posts will have its goal to try to change your mind about it. I’m only transmitting information, it isn’t enough that you process it and know it all by heart, because the goal of this is to apply to daily life and the multiple instances in which we will have to make a decision.
Below this paragraph, I have put one of the most common mistakes we generally make in health matters. Nutritionist Silvia Conci and Internet sources have helped me to develop it, including extra tips on how to avoid them. If you want to collect them and apply them to your daily life, great, you will live a long and healthy life! It is all up to you, it is your body! A good diet, exercise, smart decisions and a lot of rest will lead to ones health and quality of life!
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| Get involved in after school activities, anyone can do it, it is worth it! |
Common mistakes we do, tips to avoid them!
· We only eat one type of macronutrient! Foods that give us energy are categorized into three macronutrients: Proteins, lipids (or fats) and carbohydrates. Teens use to eat only one, lets say proteins and leave the others apart . One should try to divide the daily calories the following way: 55% carbohydrates eating fruits, milk, vegetables, whole grains, beans, etc. all made up from one thing: sugars (single unit is called glucose). Then 30% of fats found in healthy foods like peanuts, avocadoes, in general oils like canola, peanut, sesame, nuts, etc. and 15% of proteins in foods like salmon, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, beans, sea food, soy, etc. It doesn’t need to strictly be this way, but one should try to follow this ideal percentage table.
· We tend to avoid fruits and vegetables and go for fast food! A good amount of vitamins and minerals are indispensable for a good sporty life. About this, one can follow the “5 rations of fruits and vegetables” a day statement, it will be of good utility because it will give appropriate quantity vitamins and minerals to regulate the energetic processes and other micronutrients such as fiber (can´t be digested but contributes in the digestive process by "cleaning" and stimulating our intestines) , antioxidants (prevents oxidation removing potentially damaging oxidizing agents) and other phytonutrients (substance from plant origin which has nutritional value) which are vital for health, immunity and optimum living. Don’t go under 3 rations of food and vegetables a day, and eat vegetables of every type and colour in a meal.
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| Diets full of vegetables and fruits are great! |
· Avoiding fats to not gain weight! Fats are one of the three macronutrients that provide with energy and that are necessary for survival. It is a long-term energy storage place, and everyone should eat unsaturated fat ones, the ones that benefit you. When someone is on a diet, essential fatty acids are missed out, necessary to live a healthy life. Some good sources of fatty acids that won´t make one “fatter” and build up are spoons of oil, sunflower, nuts, seeds, olive oil, oily fish and corn.
· Eating pasta for every meal before a competition! Pasta is tasty and it is often eating by sports man. It is very good to eat pasta 2 or 3 weeks a day, but not all the time. There are also other cereals like rice, corn, oat, barley, rye, etc to pick from that give us quick and instant energy and can also include vitamins and minerals.
· Skipping meals! We tend to skip meals, either because we wake up too late, or because we had a lot of homework, we had to study, or whatever. Every meal is extremely important, because that is where the energy to face the whole day, thinking, playing sports and doing our normal life. Breakfast is the most important one and shouldn’t be missed at all costs, since remember that we haven't given the organism food for 10-12 hours (since dinner). It must be a complete breakfast in order to have a positive performance on school and after school activities and not to have glucose deficits (and faint). Another problem is that we may often not be hungry in the morning. For his, it is recommended to wake up with anticipation and dedicate the first few minutes to personal hygiene and cleaning of our personal space, since that will generate hunger. Every person that eats a good and balanced breakfast will increase its nutritional state and improve its performance. If you follow this advice and have and complete meals, you’re going to achieve better grades in school and in other activities!
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 Diary rations and frequency of consumption of recommended foods! Take into consideration!
- Mineral and vitamin deficits- they are produced as the consequence of an unbalanced diet or restrictive diets (monotonous or unbalanced) that don’t include the basic nutrients. The minerals that have great importance through the teen stage is calcium, iron and zinc that are related to a concrete aspect of the growing stage. Calcium: it is related to the growing of the osseous mass (growing of the bones) and the foods that have a high content are milk and all of its derivatives (the vitamin D, lactose and the proteins make the absorption more efficient), dry fruits, and derivatives of soy. Iron- It is a component of hemoglobin (transports oxygen) that is necessary for the development of what blood is made up of (red blood cells) that helps in the process to obtain energy. The nutrients that are best absorbed are from animal origins, such as meat, fish, eggs and derivatives of these foods, but vegetable origin aren’t digested as good (with the exception if vegetables are mixed with foods rich in vitamin C, citric acids or with food from animal origin rich in complete proteins like ham or lentils). Zinc- Is involved in the synthesis (combination) of proteins, and therefore in the formation of body tissues. It also contributes to the process of obtaining energy, in the immune system and has an antioxidant roll. The lack of zinc in the body may cause injuries on the skin, delay in the cicatrization of tissue, hair loss, nail fragility, changes in taste and smell, etc. The main sources of zinc are meats, fishes, seafood, and eggs, and also cereals, dry fruits and legumes have as well. The vitamins necessary in this stage are the ones related with the synthesis of proteins, growth and development. These are water-soluble vitamins A and D (found in dairy products, butter, egg yolk, and viscera), vitamins of the group B: folic acid found in legumes, green vegetables, fruits, breakfast cereals. Other vitamins are B12 found in meat, egg, fish, dairy products and soy and B6 in integrated cereals, liver, dry fruits, etc.
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· Ingesting medication by oneself and supplements use! Ingesting medication by oneself without medical subscription can be very common, and this is something really dangerous, since it will give excess amounts of supplements and hormones, which can cause severe damages and even death. About the use of supplements (vitamins, minerals, proteins), it is not very recommended, unless high intensity training, since an adequate diet is more than enough to obtain the nutrients necessary that the body needs. Why pay for a pill when one can get a fruit salad.
· We need water! With training and physical activities, a lot of sweat is released, and the necessities grow, even more on hotter days. It is suggested to drink 7-8 glasses, and depending on the energetic necessities (example 2500 Kcal, 2.5 litters of water). It does not only hydrate us but it will carry waste products as well. It is way more preferable to drink water rather than sodas. Always take water to practices!
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| Follow the advices. Click to expand |
· We eat too many fast food and precooked food! Its fine having a burger once in a while with your friends, it won’t harm you forever. The issue comes when this “often” becomes something regularly and turns into an always. Make wise decisions and pick something healthier with not so much salt, sugar, saturated fat, etc. It is better to waste more money on something healthier and live a longer life in the future. Don’t get tricked by their prize, the prize means the quality of how good it is for your body!
· We sleep too little! We have reached a point where we have many projects, quizzes, tests, etc due the next day and we often stay until 11, 12, 1, 2, and in extreme cases most of the night studying or finishing work. The key here is organization: instead of procrastinating (something very common everyone does once in a while) and going on Facebook until 8, time could have been used wiser and been studying or finishing the work there, so at night one gets good sleep (8- 12 would be the ideal). In my case for example, I go to sleep at 10:30 and sometimes earlier when I don’t have much homework, and if I need something to modify, I wake up very early (determination is very necessary) and finish it there, my brain works better at morning that at night when I’m all tired. Advice: restrict yourself and organize the precious factor of time.
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| Effects of tobacco on a teen´s body |
· Consuming alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs to think one is “cool”: This is a major problem around our age. First, I will start with the worst ones and the most addictive ones: tobacco and drugs. These are the addictive ones and that must be avoided to be healthy, they are really addictive (drugs like marihuana, cocaine, etc) and once you start it is really hard to stop, especially if you start young. People start for reasons like to forget problems (self- esteem problems and not feeling confident about oneself) and to be "cool" something that has clearly evolved and now days being cool is not smoking. Don´t fall in the trap, nicotine is seriously addictive and once you start it is very hard to quit. From every one I have talked to that smoked cigarettes, they all regret the moment when they smoked their first one. For this 2 I will give you a pretty straightforward advice: never start if you want to be healthy and live a long life without having a huge chance of getting diseases. Peer pressure can play a great role in this, like you’re friends making you do this or that. It doesn’t matter if you look like a chicken, or whatever they might call you, don’t accept it. About drinking, the bad things are the effects that it has, making you the most invincible guy that can jump from trees or cross the street when the light is green, etc. It is very hard to say to a teen not to drink, especially when one becomes older, but the bad things occur when you binge drink in little periods of tine (girls specially) and the effects that has, like getting crashed by a car, getting injured, and even to death. When you are still developing and are growing, the recommendation is not to drink, I know there are plenty of people around pretending to be "cool" by smoking, drinking, etc., learn to avoid these kind of people and hang out with the smart ones that make the right choice. Trust me, make the right decisions, don´t go with what your "cool mate" says, simply don´t do it, you will live a better live without knowing you did something bad for your body. The consequences are many, short term and long term effects. For our time period the short term one are physical problems (hang over, illnesses, unwanted or unprotected sex, etc.) and legal problems (drinking underage, or hurting someone while drunk and the long term effects are school problems (reflected on our grades), and social problems (fighting and lack of participation in youth activities). The advice here is being responsible and taking care of what one´s action, it is all up to you, not anyone else.
Why do teens try it?
- Family and friends- If any of our family members or friends smoke or drink daily, we get the impression that it is normal and therefore one should try it. Being around smokers greatly increase the change you will try it.
- Misconceptions- Messages about the health dangers of alcohol and tobacco are often not believed. We may look at people who have smoked/ drunk for years and seem to be perfectly fine, but unfortunately the effects of it might not be visible. It takes a while till they finally find the effect it has had on one.
- Advertising- Advertisement has been very successful in the past, using cowboys, attractive models and cartoons. The idea they are sending is that by smoking/ drinking one will be like that, handsome and attractive, and that it is cool to do it, but it is not!
- Curiosity- Some people might try it because they are curious. They might see people around them that tries it and it makes them happy and relaxed, and they wonder how it feels like.
- Rebellion- Every adults tell you that one shouldn't try it. Sometimes teens get tired of following rules and orders and go against every thing our parents told us. Using tobacco and excessively drinking can be a way to rebel against authority. One tries to be independent, but one certainly doesn't become independent by becoming addicted to them.
- Peer pressure- Our peers will generally try to make us try it, that it will be "fine" and that you will feel great. Again, say no and don´t fall on the trap. They are already addicted to it and they are trying to get others to become it as well. Explain him assertively your situation and reject it. It will be the best decision you will have made.
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| Path of addiction.. don´t let this happen to you! |
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| Alcohol can kill, have precaution! |
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| Belief vs reality |
Overweight problems are still very common around the age; every food related decision we choose now will complement to our weight in the future. It is true there are several factors that affect obesity and overweight such as genetic, behaviour, metabolism, environment, race, socio economic status and culture, but food is in my opinion the biggest one, and healthy decisions can overtake the other factors. Below, some tips for overcoming nutritional over weight and underweight problems
Are you overweight? Don’t worry; there is still time to reverse it!
· Serve your own food! For meals like lunch or dinner, one should serve its won food in relation to how hungry one is to avoid eating excess food and increase weight.
· Eat until you are full! Many of us were probably taught to eat everything that was served in our plate no matter what. Now days, that mentality has changed completely and health classes are teaching student to finish eating once one is full. This full feeling is called satiety. A possible thing one could try out and testing if your full of not and by not looking at the plate is by eating blindfolded.
· Preplanning and goal setting: Many of the food related things, like what we have for lunch or dinner is all up to our parents. We should also intervene and have our own thoughts about the food we eat, like “Hey mom for today I would like lasagna, or rice with fish, etc” to not eat the same things twice on a day and also to eat in a healthily way. By also putting dates and goals like reducing some weight (if overweight) or if underweight diets to gain some weight.
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| Caloric value in each food |
· Exercising frequently! Exercising 2 to 3 times a week will help burn excess calories and get you in good shape!
Just as a reminder, these suggestions should be taken in a light way, if one is overweight, one should set goals to try to be in an ideal weight. This isn’t about being the skinniest of all, no, is about standing in the correct position BMI (Body Mass Index) wise. You may think looking in the mirror might be the easiest way to tell if one is overweight, but the BMI is the best way. To calculate it, divide your weight (in kg) by the square of your height (in m). Ex: If I´m 60 kg and my height is 1.7 m, I must do the following: 60/ 1.7* 1.7= 21. According to the list I would be "normal weight" which is the one we are aiming for.
What are the limitations of the BMI?
The BMI does not give information about body composition, such as how much weight is fat and how much lean (thin) tissue. It simply gives the desirable weight of average people, not sports people! When you stand on a scale, it weighs everything- bone, muscle, water and fat. Therefore, you don´t know how fat you actually are. For competitive sports man, this classification isn't trustworthy, but for most people, it serves its purpose.
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| Think before you act! |
Are you underweight? There is time to modify it as well!
This isn’t a major problem for many people as well, especially in poorer countries in Africa, for example. It is something that occurs to both man and woman, I would say more to women in richer countries, who can be obsessed with being really skinny (the definition of beauty isn’t measured by how thin one is!). The two major food disorders that have caused many deaths are bulimia and anorexia nervosa. It isn’t a topic directly related to food; it has also some mental problems that are why it is categorized under mental illness. Bulimia is caused when somebody binge eats a lot in a short amount of time and tries to get rid of the calories by vomiting it. Anorexia, on the other hand, is caused when someone is obsessed about a certain weight, and goes on diets to try to be skinnier, even when some are still really skinny. It occurs most often in girls, when they look themselves in the mirror and see a fat and corpulent body, when they really aren’t.
Being underweight in poor countries, or malnourished, can be a very hard thing to reverse. Sometimes, we unfortunately cant all take part on our physical health, because the world isn’t all rich. Some teens don’t have a choice but eat what there is; there isn’t a real choice to pick from. We must take care of the food, I know this isn’t geography class, but we must take advantage of it wisely, eating only the healthy food, since not everyone is as lucky as us unfortunately. If you are on a diet, just think of the people that are dying every day, and then make a better choice. Being underweight means being below the healthy weight for your age and height, as shown in the table below. There are varied reasons for why one can be underweight, such as where one lives, the accessibility of food, socio economic class, and genetics. Sometimes it is uncontrollable and we can’t change it, like the million of children in Africa, but fortunately for many other teens it is controllable. It can lead to many diseases, cancer and tuberculosis, and even to death in certain instances when organs don’t get enough nutrients and the body can’t function.
Real life example:
I have a neighbour who is 94 years old, and each morning wakes up with strong determination and strength to water the flowers and sweep the floor. It is something astonishing that just catches my attention every morning while I am having breakfast and across the window he is doing some sort of house duty, something even I am sometimes lazy to do. He is realistically 94, but he has a body of a 70 years old person, which is the reason: a healthy lifestyle. I am not 100% sure what he did to maintain that perfect shape, but I’m pretty sure he was involved in many physical activities and ate a well- balanced diet. As you will see in the following posts about environmental health, the air, the water and everything related to the environment has a huge impact also on our health. Switzerland is one of the countries with the longest life expectancy, which is another factor that explains the state he is in right now.
My lifetime goal and for every teen who is reading this, is to finish the last stage of life (I hope not soon and in many, many years!) like my neighbour Albert did, happy, always smiling, and enthusiastic with 94 years old but many less from the outside.
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| My neighbor Albert! |
Conclusion
To conclude this post, I would like to encourage everyone, to maintain a physically healthy life. Remember that it doesn’t only mean not being sick or having tremendous muscles, its how your body works and responds, and to build that one must eat a healthy diet including food from all the foods mentioned above (carbs, unsaturated fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals), going for fruits and vegetables and doing a lot of sports! Again, I remind you that its your life, not mine. I want everyone to be healthy people, enjoy the best of life with family friends, etc, you are the only one that can decide! The sooner we get the habit, the easier and better it’s going to be!
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| Protect yourself from the 6 risk behaviors |
Sources of picture: my.hrw.com (very good online health textbook)
