6. Eat less fat and foods, which are high in fat. There is no doubt, that fried foods taste great, though practically none of them is good for health. The reason of its “unusefulness” is that fried foods are extremely high in fat. Instead of consuming deep – fry food, it would be better to bake, steam, boil, grill, barbeque the products. As for the oils, to prepare food with, those, which are less saturated, such as olive and canola oils, should be used. Those, who like butter and margarines, should keep in mind, that it would be more useful to switch to reduced – fat margarine or even use some jam / jelly on the bread, bagels, buns, etc.
7. Eat more fruits and vegetables. It is widely known that all kinds of fruits and vegetables are the best vitamins sources! It would be very useful to keep bowls of fruits in the kitchen table or counter. Besides, some fruit or vegetable may be taken as a snack between meals, instead of chips or other unhealthy food. As for vegetables, they are perfect practically in any way: raw, as well as cooked ones (however, not every vegetable may be eaten uncooked).
8. Watch those snacks. What is the reason of snacks’ consuming? Of course, they taste great, they satisfy sweet and salt cravings, and, finally, they are fun. Therefore, it should be mentioned, that some snacks are extremely high in fat and salt. This is why it is much healthier to snack not with chips or buns, but with some apple or other healthy kind of food.
9. Drink plenty of fluids. Teenagers need to drink about 1.5 liters, which makes about 6 cups of fluid a day. In case if it is hot, or if someone is physically active, this person needs more. However, not every source of fluid is evenly useful and good for young organism. It is better to choose from unsweetened juices, lightly sweetened drinks, tea, milk, broth, etc. As for soda and coffee, these drinks are not the best ones for teenagers, as they influence the heart and act as diuretics (they draw water from the body).
10. Get on the move. It is obvious that person, who consumes too many calories and who is not physically active enough, can possibly result in weight gain. Moderate physical activity is extremely useful for the heart and circulatory system, as well as for the general health and well – being. In addition, it helps to burn off extra calories (even those, accumulated from “unhealthy” kinds of foods). This is why every teenager should make some part of his / her day physically active. Here are some tips for this:
• Go in for some kind of sport;
• Use stairs rather then elevator;
• If you are a driver, park your car a bit further from your school, home, work, etc;
• Take walks during your breaks.
11. Maintain a healthy body weight and feel good. It is not a secret for anyone that being overweight may result in a wide range of diseases, such as diabetes, heart diseases, etc. excess body fat results when a person consumes more calories than he / she uses up. If someone leads an active way of life, it is possible to eat more; however, for those teens, whose lifestyles are sedentary, it would be useful to keep to the following tips:
a. Cut back on the amount of food consumed;
b. Increase your daily activity;
c. Choose from lower calorie foods.
12. Think before eating. Try to learn to eat slowly. Remember, that it usually takes about twenty minutes before feeling full. In case if the person would eat when hungry and stop when full, this will help to balance the body’s energy needs. Try to eat only when hungry, though not when bored and / or stressed. And remember, that such kinds of food as fruits, vegetables and whole grains increase the feeling of being full.
13. Avoid “Diet Thinking”. It is considered to be a slippery slope for practically every teenager to begin watching their weight and calories counting. However, it is necessary to remind, that there is no “bad” foods, and even the “diet” foods and / or drinks are not necessarily lower in calories. And it is necessary to remember, that trying to loose much weight may influence the growth in height as well.
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