WHY IS PROPER NUTRITION SO IMPORTANT FOR ADOLESCENTS


WHY IS PROPER NUTRITION SO IMPORTANT FOR ADOLESCENTS

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Do you feel like you are hungry all the time?

Don’t worry. It’s normal. You are growing and developing at a rather impressive rate. The body demands more calories during early adolescence than at any other time of life. On average, boys require about two thousand eight hundred calories per day; and girls, two thousand two hundred calories per day. Typically, your ravenous hunger will start to wane once you have stopped growing, though not always. If you are big and tall, an athlete, or physically active, you will still need increased amounts of energy into late adolescence.

You are unique therefore, your calorie demands are going to be unique like you!

What you consume now will determine how healthy you will live for the rest of your life. It will be like a savings account of health and strength, from which you will withdraw energy for the rest of your days. Failure to eat an adequate diet at this time can mean that you might not reach your maximum strength and abilities. It can arrest or slow your growth and can result in delayed sexual maturation. Proper nutrition is also important during this time to help prevent adult diet-related chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and osteoporosis.

So, eating is good. You need to eat in order to have a healthy body; beautiful skin, hair, and nails; to have energy to accomplish all the things you want; and simply— to be happy. Eating is not the problem; the problem is what you are eating!

No one food plan works for all people. I will not tell you what to eat. I believe that part of growing up is making our own choices. What I will try to do in this book is equip you with enough knowledge for you to be able to make informed decisions about what is best for you!

If you get the nutrition right, everything else will fall in place on its own; but if you can’t straighten the nutrition aspect out, your health may never reach its optimal level and you may not achieve your ultimate potential!

Here is a quick glance at what your body needs. Even if you think you know, read on. You may be surprised at some of the things you come across.

DO IT RIGHT

Do you know that your outer layer of skin, the epidermis (apart from the thicker dermis beneath), replaces itself every 35 days?

You are given a new liver every six weeks (a human liver can regenerate itself completely even if as little as 25% remains of it). Your stomach lining replaces itself every 4 days, and the stomach cells that come into contact with digesting food are replaced every 5 minutes. Our entire skeletal structures are regenerated every 3 months. Your entire brain replaces itself every two months. And the entire human body, right down to the last atom, is replaced every 5-7 years.

Are you incredible or what!?

In order for these processes to work properly we need more than 140 nutrients in our daily diet. Some of these are essential, that we cannot do without, some are needed in very small quantities, while others we may not even feel the need of unless we develop some illness. Most of these nutrients we consume when we are eating a healthy portion of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important nutrients in our bodies. Imagine human body like a building. A building needs bricks, support beams, pillars, cement and various other materials to be constructed. Then glass, wood, and paint is added in order to beautify it. Just like a building cannot be made to look beautiful unless it is built properly, your beauty cannot shine through unless you consume all the right nutrients. Some buildings might be constructed poorly but they might look beautiful, right?

Unfortunately, this beauty will be temporary and the building will suffer from its poor construction sooner than later. You can see this in the case of many people. They look beautiful in their youth but age terribly.

Your goal is two-fold—to consume the right nutrients to not only be naturally beautiful, but also have a lasting health so you can enjoy life fully and be a productive, beautiful person longer.

You need to consume the right quantities of carbohydrates, proteins, dairy, fats, vitamins, and other nutrients. In here, I will discuss what you need to consume and how much; and what kind. You will know what I mean as you read on!

WHICH NUTRIENTS AND HOW MUCH?

There is a difference between calorie- rich diet and nutrient-rich diet. Just because you had a huge meal, does not mean that your body received all that it needs. For example, double-cheeseburger with fries and soda will fill you up, but your body will still be starved. It is a calorie-rich food, not nutrient rich.

Remember your body is constantly renewing itself!

Well, these cells need energy to be renewed, and they are certainly not receiving this energy from a cheeseburger. However, if you have a bowl of salad, though you might not feel satiated, your cells have gotten the nutrition they need. I am not going to suggest that you stay off of all calorie-rich food, it is almost impossible; but you must make sure that bulk of your diet is consisted of nutrient-rich food, preferably in their raw form.

Now coming to the nutrients…

It is important to remember that these needs are ‘general’ and do not apply to all people. Adolescent males have higher caloric requirements since they experience greater increases in height, weight, and lean body mass than females. Also, if you are big built, athletic, and active, you will naturally consume more nutrients than a petite person or someone who has more sedentary lifestyle.

Rule of thumb to determine whether you are consuming calorie-rich or nutrient-rich food: If the food is in its original, natural form, it is most likely nutrient-rich; if it is cooked, processed, or packaged, it is most likely calorie-rich and deficient in nutrients.
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PROTEIN

Protein are the building blocks of life. They break down into amino acids in our bodies and promote cell growth and repair. They also take longer to digest than carbohydrates, which helps you feel fuller for longer and on fewer calories. They help to build up muscles, regulate hormones, build up enzymes, and they are also the building blocks for DNA. This makes them absolutely essential for everyone, especially adolescents.

The requirement for protein is highest for females in the 11 to 14-year age range and for males in the 15 to 18-year age range, corresponding to the usual timing when heights peak up. US adolescents consume more than adequate amounts of protein, which is why we are not going to spend too much time on this.

The densest sources of protein include beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, and cheese. If you prefer to avoid meat, there are vegetarian sources of protein as well such as green peas, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, nuts and nut butter, beans, tempeh and tofu, edamame, leafy greens, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, and yogurt.

Our bodies do not store protein as they store carbohydrate. That is why it is important to have daily intake of protein, especially at your age.
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CARBOHYDRATES

Carbohydrate is the body’s primary source of energy. Carbohydrates break down into glucose during digestion, and glucose is the main source of energy for each cell in your body. Having low blood glucose may result in irritability, nervousness, headaches, sweating and confusion. This is one good reason you don’t want to go to school or work without a balanced breakfast.

Carbohydrate-rich foods include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, pasta, yeast bread, soft drinks, milk, cereals, and foods such as cakes, cookies, donuts, sugars, syrups, and jams. Almost 75% of our calories come from carbohydrates. That is 2/3 of the food you eat all day!

You should opt for the best source of carbohydrates. It is really not that complicated. It boils down to a choice between complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. You want to choose complex over simple! Not that you can’t consume simple carbohydrates at all, but you want to make sure that bulk of your diet consists of complex carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are usually found in foods that are in their original form. They are often rich in fiber, thus not only do they make you feel full and satiated, they also keep your gut healthy. Complex carbohydrates are commonly found in whole plant foods and therefore, are also high in vitamins and minerals.

Some of the sources of complex carbohydrates are:

  • Whole grains and foods made from them, such as oatmeal, pasta, and whole-grain breads
  • Starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, and pumpkin
  • Beans, lentils, and peas
  • Green vegetables

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Simple carbohydrates are the quickest source of energy, as they are very rapidly digested. Some simple carbohydrates, like sucrose or table sugar, are added to processed foods. Other types of simple carbohydrates are naturally occurring in foods. Fructose, which is fruit sugar, and lactose or milk sugar, are natural, simple carbohydrates.

Some of the sources of simple carbohydrates are:

  • Table sugar / Brown sugar
  • Corn syrup / Maple syrup
  • Honey
  • Molasses
  • Jams /Jellies
  • Fruits & Fruit drinks
  • Soft drinks
  • Candy

As you can see, not all simple carbohydrates are artificial. Some are available in their original form and naturally, they are good for you. However, you want to avoid simple carbohydrates from processed foods as much as possible.

Simple sugars can be lethal!

Yes, they taste great but here is what you don’t know about simple carbohydrates: consuming too many simple carbs may lead to weight gain. Eating foods loaded with simple carbohydrates, such as white rice or white bread, causes blood glucose to suddenly spike. This makes your pancreas release extra insulin to help cells absorb the glucose. Your body uses whatever glucose it needs right away and then stores the rest as glycogen in your liver and muscles, although you can only store a certain amount of glycogen. Insulin helps store any extra glucose that is not used right away in the form of fat. Over time, this extra fat storage can drastically increase your weight.

In addition to that, foods rich in simple carbohydrates are often higher on the glycemic index, or GI. The glycemic index is a scale of 1 to 100 that evaluates foods based on how quickly they raise your blood sugar.
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Image courtesy of luciferianblog.com

Now here is something totally crazy…

Most of us consume simple carbohydrates in the form of refined sugar as listed earlier. Refined sugars contain no fiber, no minerals, no proteins, no fats, no enzymes—only empty calories. What happens when you eat a refined carbohydrate like sugar? Your body has to borrow vital nutrients from healthy cells in order to metabolize the incomplete food. Calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium are taken from various parts of the body to make use of that sugar. Many times, so much calcium is used to neutralize the effects of sugar that the bones become osteoporotic due to the withdrawn calcium!

If simple sugar consumption is continued, it causes body to become highly acidic. More minerals are needed from deep in the body to correct the imbalance. If the body is lacking the nutrients used to metabolize sugar, it will not be able to properly handle and rid itself of the poisonous waste. This waste accumulates through the brain and the nervous system, which speeds up cellular death. The bloodstream becomes over-loaded with waste products and symptoms of carbonic poisoning result.

I know it all sounds really scary, and it is! This is why you need to know this information so you can make intelligent, informed decisions about what you want to allow in your body.

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your body. The problem is not carbs, the problem is what kind of carbs! This is why you want to choose complex carbohydrates over simple carbohydrates.
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Image courtesy of PositiveMed.com

FATS

Fats have acquired a bad rep lately. They are extremely important for our bodies (and our beauty) and deserve due respect. Essential fatty acids are known to function as part of cellular membranes, contributing to their fluidity and electrical potentials and to transport oxygen across membranes. They affect nerve tissue, brain development and mental state. They supply energy and assist the body in absorbing the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K; as well as growth, burning of fat, chromosome stability, absorption of sunlight in your skin. They are also involved in adrenal stress response, muscle recovery time, vision, sperm formation, and all glandular functions.

Nutrition experts recommend that fats should not make up more than 30 percent of our diet. Up until a few years ago, low fat diets were all the rage but now we know better. Though it is good to be cautious, we need to have adequate amounts of fat for not only the proper functioning of our bodies but also to avoid many mental and physical illnesses.

Fats are accused of causing not only obesity but a myriad of other health concerns. The culprit is not really fat, it is saturated fat. Once you know the difference between different kinds of fats, you will understand this point.

There are three different kinds of fats:

Monounsaturated Fats

These are your good fats. They remain liquid at room temperature, and turn solid when they are chilled. Common sources of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, avocados, almonds, cashew nuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts.

The sources of monounsaturated fats are not only delicious, they are full of amazing health benefits including: decreased risk for breast cancer, reduced cholesterol levels, lower risk for heart disease and stroke, help with weight loss, Less severe pain and stiffness for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis, and reduced belly fat. How can you go wrong?

Polyunsaturated Fats

These are similar to monounsaturated fats. The difference between the two of them is in their chemical bonding. Monounsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature, but turn slightly solid when chilled. They are more solid than monounsaturated fats but less so than saturated fats. This makes polyunsaturated fats also liquid at room temperature.

Your body needs two types of polyunsaturated fatty acids — omega-3s and omega-6s — from your diet, because your cells cannot make these fatty acids themselves. Both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids contribute to brain function. Omega-3 fatty acids also reduce inflammation and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Polyunsaturated fats are found in many vegetable oils, including safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils, as well as in nuts and seeds.

The omega-3 fatty acids can be found in flaxseeds, walnuts and some fatty fish, such as salmon and herring, while omega-6 fatty acids found in pecans, Brazil nuts and sesame oil.
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Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature and these are the kind of fats that have negative health effects. Saturated fats build LDL cholesterol, also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol, in the body compromising your cardiovascular health. And now the sad news…all the fast foods contain saturated fats—pizza, cheeseburgers, ice cream, cheeses, fried chicken.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Your body needs vitamins and minerals to facilitate hundreds of biochemical reactions in your body, overseeing processes like bone growth and the maintenance of healthy skin. You need vitamins and minerals to feed your metabolism (which allows you to burn fat and thus not gain weight), rejuvenate your cells, keep your muscles healthy, keep your bones strong, keep your teeth white and sparkly, heal your wounds and many, many other reasons.

I am sure you have noticed milk and orange juice containers with bold labels of ‘Vitamin D added’ or ‘Fortified with Calcium and Iron’. This is one way of getting vitamins and minerals…through fortified food. But obviously the most effective way is through raw food.
When you consume vitamins and minerals in their natural form—through raw foods—almost all of them are used to manage various functions of your body. However, if you consume them through fortified foods, or supplements, only a limited amount is used and the rest is excreted out of the body through urine. That is why those who take multi vitamin and mineral supplements may have a pee with strong odor and bright yellow/orange color.

You can fulfill all your needs for vitamins and minerals by having a serving of salad for lunch and dinner and having fruits for breakfast and snack. The key to having a whole range of vitamins and minerals in your diet is to have a variety of vegetables and fruits, instead of sticking to the same few you always eat.

For example, add a wide variety of greens in your salad such as kale, spinach, and mustard greens, instead of always having lettuce. Throw some fresh herbs in your salad as well such as sage, rosemary, mint, cilantro, arugula etc. It will add more flavors to your salad and provide some amazing nutrients to your body. Don’t only eat apple or bananas; eat a rainbow of fruits like papayas, oranges, grapefruits, peaches, kumquat, berries, grapes, passion fruit, kiwis, melons etc.

Be brave and explore any and all new fruits and vegetables you come across, unless of course you have some known allergies. In that case you need to be responsible and careful.