1: Breakfast is so important!!!

Many teenagers these days skip breakfast as they don't have the time or do not think it is necessary but it is so important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Having a healthy breakfast every day has so many benefits, for example, it will boost your metabolism, helps keep your energy levels high and helps you avoid snacking throughout the day. It is very beneficial for people that are trying to maintain a healthy body weight and studies show this.

 

2: Be mindful of what you drink

Water is always the best option and it is said that you should try and aim to have about 6 to 8 cups of water a day. Water is very important for our body as it helps maintain the balance of our body to keep us hydrated, helps with digestion and many more benefits.

Other drinks such as juice, cordials, fizzy, sports drinks and alcohol are all extremely loaded with sugars and contain many extra calories that are not necessary.

 

 

3: Smart snacking

When most teenagers get bit peckish they often reach for things like muesli bars, biscuits, chips etc which are not the healthiest options and have no nutritional value.

If you're hungry between meals (who isn’t!) then you should be trying to have snacks that are healthy and will keep you full. These can include things like fruit, nuts, hummus with crackers and carrots, bliss balls, these are just a few!

 

 

4: Carbs are important!!

Many girls seem to be afraid of carbs but they are so important and should be incorporated into everyone's diet. Many people link carbs to gaining weight or being unhealthy and that is just not the case it's about the amount of types of food your eating. Healthy carbs come in many forms from fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, dairy products ect. They produce glucose and are the main source of our energy. Carbs= fuel

 

 

5: Eat lots of fruit and vegetables

It is recommended for everyone to eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables a day. They contain many minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that our body needs to function properly. It is very easy to incorporate fruit and vegetables into your daily diet for example having a banana with your breakfast, a piece of fruit or veg as a snack. For dinner, it is said by many nutritionists that half your plate should be vegetables

 

 

 

 

 

6. Take time when you are eating

When we are hungry we tend to eat our meals extremely fast and do not take in to consideration how much we are eating. Our brain takes up to 30 minutes to realise we are actually full so it is important to slow down while we eat so that our bodies have time to register it is full. Eat with family and friends, try to not watch tv and stay off your phone and enjoy the food you are eating otherwise you will get distracted and could potentially overeat.

 

 

7. Sugar in our diet

Regularly consuming foods and drinks high in sugar increases peoples risk of weight gain, obesity and tooth decay. Many foods in supermarkets now have a lot of added sugar that we do not realise is present. Sugar can even be found in things that we consider to be ‘healthy’ for example yogurts, healthy muesli bars, juices etc. Products containing added sugars like breakfast cereals, cakes, biscuits, lollies and what people need to be cautious about and need to cut back on. Next time you're shopping check the labels on the back. If a product has more that 22.5 grams of sugar in every 100g it means that it has way to much sugar in it.

 

8. Eating after exercise

After you do any exercise your body tries to repair your muscles. Eating the right nutrients after doing any form of exercise helps your body repair faster. Try to eat something within 30 minutes.

Snacks could include a banana, some nuts or  a protein shake.

 

9. Eat regular meals

It is important that you eat regular meals a day to allow you to have regular energy to help your body be able to perform. Eating regular meals also helps people stay away from overeating and helps prevent hunger between meals. Eating regular meals each day also increases your A metabolism which means throughout the day you will be burning more calories whereas if you skip meals your metabolism slows down a lot.

 

10. Treat yourself

So many people these days are so focused on only eating completely healthy and exercising everyday, there's nothing wrong with that but it is also extremely important to allow yourself to indulge and treat yourself. This could mean taking a day or even a week off from the gym or allowing yourself to eat the food you want. Eating a bit of chocolate before you go to bed at night is not going to kill you, you should not deprive yourself of the foods you love to eat and at the end of the day it's all about balance!

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