Eating Healthy For Teens: Why does it matter?

If you are reading this, it means that you are probably a teenager. The point of adolescence in life is crucial because at the time of puberty the body needs more nutrients than usual. Specifically, key nutrients like calcium, iron, protein, and zinc. Your body even needs more calories to grow as well. Iron is one of the more important nutrients because it helps your blood carry oxygen to your muscles and helps fight diseases via immune system. Another essential nutrient is calcium. Calcium is actually more important in the long run because it will help build strong bones. You see, during the adolescent stage in life the body absorbs as much calcium as it can because it needs it to help the bones grow properly. Studies show that teenagers simply aren't eating enough foods that have a sufficient amount of calcium. If you don't get a healthy amount of calcium, you are prone to fractured bones more often when you grow older. Not only that, but your bones actually start to lose calcium when you get older than your late twenties. The recommended amount of calcium is 700 milligrams a day, so start drinking milk or eating yogurt. 

How many calories should a person have?

A calorie is a measure of heat required to raise the temperature of water one degree.The amount of calories needed for almost every person is different. So, there are many factors that can determine a persons calories. One of them are your metabolic rate or your metabolism. Most with higher metabolisms will burn calories more quickly but your metabolisms can be already decided for you by your genetics. Another can be your activities, higher activity levels usually mean the greater need for caloric intake. The more you exercise, the more calories you need to fuel that exercise. Age is a big factor too. As you get older, your metabolic rate tends to decrease, reducing calories needs. Gender is another one. Males tend to have a higher metabolism and larger bodies increasing caloric need. Weight and body composition is another factor. The bigger your body, usually the more calories you need to fuel it.

Macronutrients

Macronutrients are the classes of chemical compounds consumed in the large quantities which provide fuel for the human body. They are fats, proteins and carbohydrates.Each is important in its own way to the human body. Carbohydrates may contain the least amount of fuel out of them but yet, they are the most valuable to athletes. During extensive exercise like shorter sprints, they are the only macronutrients to supply the body fast enough and supplies the body energy to be able to do a sprint at the same intensity as those shorter sprints.Those carbohydrates are split up into the four groupings called monosaccharides, dissaccharides, and polysaccharides. Fat contains more than twice the fuel as carbohydrates but it does has its downsides though. Fat is good for longer activities because fat cannot supply energy for intese activities fast enough. It is used to power exercise with lower intensity. There are different types of fats, saturated, unsaturated, fatty acids and cholesterol. Protein is another one of the macronutrients. It provides growth and repair of skin, hair, nails, bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles. For exercise it is used for vigorous training. Macronutrients are a big part of the fuel you need.

Foods to avoid and limit

In many fish there is mercury. A basic definition of mercury is an element that hurts your
nervous and mental functions. Mercury comes from everywhere around us it is in the air,
everywhere. Because of factories, cars, machines, etc mercury goes into the ocean, rivers, and
that passes the mercury to the fishes. This doesn't mean that you have to stay away from fish
forever, many fish have small amount of mercury. Fishes like butterfish, freshwater trout, crabs,
and oysters have the least amount of mercury. Bass, tuna, monkfish, and lobsters have moderate
mercury, this will not kill you but it is advised that you eat these type of fish a couple times a
week. You should stay away from fishes like sharks, swordfish, and marlin though since these
contain the highest mercury.