International E-Magazine on adolescent health Circulatory and Respiratory System | Page 11

NUTRITION IN ADOLESCENTS
Adolescence is a tough period; teenagers grow up and learn new things about their body. In fact,
one of the important things is nutrition. Adolescents tend to eat more away from home, these
includes fast foods and soft drinks which aren´t too healthy. Nowadays teenagers, especially girls,
are more concerned about their body image than anything else. There is a common pressure in
society of being thin and this is way teenagers start having eating disorders. Their body needs lots
of nutrients like energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals. As they grow up their appetite increases,
it is very important to have a healthy diet. On this period salts and body fats increase easily.
Guidelines for a proper diet can be a perfect option for an adolescent who would like to have a
healthy life.

Choosing a healthy diet
during adolescence

A Healthy diet is essential for all ages specifically for adolescents. It is of extremely importance
to discuss your diet plan with your personal nutritionist so he or she can give you specific meals
according to your body proportions. The Choose My Plate icon is a presentation of a daily
balanced meal people should usually eat with controlled portions displaying different colors one
for each group of foods.
Carbohydrates: We can say that carbs are the most important part of a diet since they provide
the prime energy source for our body. Cutting out carbohydrates from your diet is a big mistake
since glucose is the sugar unit that our body cells use for energy. Our body requires energy most
time that´s why it is recommended that about 45-60% of our energy intake should come from this
section. Without carbohydrates, protein from our muscles will be used; this means the body will eat
our own muscles eventually. Dairy products, fruits, vegetables. beverages, nut, seeds and many
other foods contain carbs. Carbohydrates are classified in two groups according to their chemical
structure.
Simple carbohydrates are simple sugars; table sugar, milk, chocolate, fruits, flour and packaged
cereals.
Complex carbohydrates consist of three or more sugars mostly rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals;
leguminous plants and vegetables such as beans, broccoli, lentils, spinach and skimmed milk.
Fats: Nutritionists consider low-fat diets the key for losing weight, managing cholesterol, and
preventing health problems. Nevertheless there are good diets essential for physical and emotional
health. Fats compose our adipose tissue, which it is also energy storage and build up our myelin,
which is a material that covers our nerve cells and brain so they can send electrical messages.
Another important action of fats is the production of steroid hormones. Bad fats are named
trans-fats, which are mostly artificial; these are found in common fast foods, cookies, frozen
dinners, chips, and pizza dough. Other type of bad fats are saturated fats even though they can
have some health benefits, taking them in excess will bring you serious problems. You can find
them in meat, ch