We all get tired of hearing our moms pestering us about eating healthy. While this is something that is typically dismissed by teens, it should be something that they need to pay closer attention to. Eating a nutritious diet helps teens perform at a higher academic and athletic level while also keeping teens healthier so they develop healthy eating habits later in life.
Eating a healthy and balanced diet is important to keep a high level of energy to perform well in school and sports. While we all love them, empty calories from sugar filled treats or sodas provide zero nutrients. While calories are needed for energy, they are pointless when they lack nutritional value. Diets without nutrition lead to a lack of concentration, which can make it more difficult to focus in school. A healthy and balanced diet helps fuel the mind to take on long hard days at school. According to Hopkins Med ,several studies suggest that eating breakfast can help teens be more successful in school by improving memory, alertness, concentration, problem-solving ability, test scores, school attendance and mood.
Having a good diet also helps enhance teens’ performance in sports. A well-planned, nutritious diet should meet most of an athlete’s vitamin and mineral needs. A healthy diet will also provide enough protein to promote muscle growth and repair as they advance as an athlete. Even though it might be easier to grab a donut while running out the door to school, taking the time to make a healthy breakfast to nourish your body and keep up a good level of energy at school is worth the extra five minutes.
While we all would like to believe that our metabolisms are going to be able to keep up with us forever, they simply cannot. Eating a nutritious diet can make it easier to maintain a healthy weight, and prevent certain diseases. A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy can help to reduce your risk of heart disease by maintaining blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Only 2% of teens eat the recommended amount of vegetables every day. The eating habits we develop as teens stick with us as we get older and can be hard to break.
Eating a healthy diet also keeps teens eating enough food throughout the day. Majority of the time teens do not eat full meals during the day and usually get by eating snacks full of processed ingrediants. It is important to take the time to make healthy meals to keep your body healthy internally. Keeping a balanced diet is worth it in the long run and will help you live a long and healthy life.
Some people like to argue that it is important for teens to enjoy the years that they do not have to be constantly worrying about what they are putting into their body. To keep a balanced diet it is also ok to not eat perfectly healthy all the time. However there still needs to be a balance of healthy and unhealthy foods in a teens diet.
It is important for teens to know what they are putting into their bodies and to try and keep a healthy diet. Although way easier said than done, students should take into consideration this new mindset so they can live their life to the best of their ability.
