There are many types of teens: highly active, sort of active, not active at all, and those with health problems. Our blog is focused on the highly active/athletic teens. Knowing about your health is important for everyone especially those who are very active. To be able to work and make our bodies stronger we have to know about what it needs in order to do those activities. And when we know what helps them we can improve our bodies performance during our strenuous activities. Our blog is here to help provide us with that information.

Specifically Recommended Foods

There are several foods that I would recommend including in your diet because of the many nutrients that they offer. Below is a list of foods and why they would be good choices to be include in your diet:
- Apples are full of multiple vitamins
- Whole Wheat/Grains are great sources of fiber that help with digestion, lower risk of diseases such as colon cancer and diabetes, and are very supplementary to your bones.
- Black Beans are rich in fiber, magnesium and iron. They are virtually fat and cholesterol free.
- Spinach decreases the risk of blindness because it is full of the anti-oxidant lutein, which lowers the risk of macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It is also full of iron and zinc.
- Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, which fight heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
- Kiwifruit are an excellent source of vitamin C. They actually contain more vitamin C than a medium sized orange.
- Almonds and Sesame seeds are good sources of calcium. It is very important to consume enough calcium when you are young because as you get older, your body’s ability to absorb calcium becomes weaker and weaker. Lack of enough calcium when you are young will most likely lead to Osteoporosis.
- Fortified soymilk is rich in fiber, protein, calcium, and omega 3 fatty acids. It has been shown to lower cholesterol and improves heart health.

Three Day Diet Plan:

Day One
Breakfast: yoplait yogurt, 1 slice whole wheat toast

Lunch: asian salad with chicken, granola bar, and orange

Snack: apple, cheese

Dinner: salmon, greenbeans& carrots, milk

Day two
Breakfast: Whole wheat bagel, and banana

Lunch: turkey sandwich with, cheese and letuce and tomato
milk
strawberries

wheat thins
fruit salad

chicken
brown rice
mixed green salad

Day 3
cereal cherios w/ milk
stawberries

salad, mixed greens
granola bar

pear
grapes

spaghetti bolognes
salad w/chicken and cheese
milk

Carbohydrate:
-provide fuel. good sources are breads, starches, and fruits. Whole grains are best.
- 45%-65% of the total daily calorie intake.
about 225 grams of carbs

Protein:
1.0-1.2g of protein per kg of body weight.
for exact calculation:
http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/protein.asp

Fat:
fat is needed because active athletes quickly burn through carbs and need fats as backup.
Boys aged 15-18: 107g of fat, 34g of saturated fat, 81g of sugar, 7g of salt.
Girls aged 15-18: 82g of fat, 26g of saturated fat, 62g of sugar, 5g of salt.
Boys aged 11-14: 86g of fat, 27g of saturated fat, 65g of sugar, 6g of salt.
Girls aged 11-14: 72g of fat, 23g of saturated fat, 54g of sugar, 6g of salt.


What to Avoid:
Sugary carbs, candy soda. lead to quick burst of energy then crash.
energy bars
caffine


Sources: http://www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk/teens/health/dear_doc/archive/d/diet_rda.html

http://www.vitalhealthzone.com/nutrition/diets/recommended_calorie_intake.php#3