The International E-magazine on Adolescent Health; Nutrition and Your Circulatory and Respiratory Systems (e.gMarch.2014) | Page 4

NUTRITION
 IN
 ADOLESCENTS

Eating healthy is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is something that
should be taught at a young age. A healthy diet is even more important as an
adolescent. There are 6 nutrients existing. These are Water, Carbohydrates, Fats,
Protein, Vitamins, and Minerals. These are a huge part of our daily diet and health.
Water is the most important nutrient. In fact, your body is approximately 50 to 55
percent water. Your body uses
water 24 hours a day. A by-product
of the energy production in your
body is heat. Water regulates your
body temperature by dissipating
that heat. Water also carries
nutrients to the cells in your body.
Water does not produce energy.
Carbohydrates are the primary
source of energy for your body.
Carbohydrates power every system
in your body, including your brain,
heart, muscles and internal organs. Carbohydrate can be simple (table sugar, corn
syrup) or complex (whole grain). Simple carbohydrates enter your bloodstream very
quickly. That is why you get a sugar high when you eat candy. Complex
carbohydrates are processed and used more slowly. Protein is the building blocks
that provide the structure for the tissues of your body. Proteins are also used to
transport essential elements in your blood stream. There are two types of protein.
Complete and Incomplete protein. Complete protein contain a good amount of
amino acids needed for the
body and are needed on a
great diet. Some examples
of complete proteins are
Meat, Fish, Yogurt, and milk.
Incomplete proteins are
ones that don’t have enough
amino acids. These are
located on Nuts, Beans, and
seeds. Fat are our energy
sources. When we have
excess nutrients in our
body, some of it is stored as
fat. The primary purpose of
fat is energy production. Some fats are good, some not so much. There are two