Nutrition Tips for Teens

Easy to follow:
1. Be conscious of what you eat. Think of food as fuel for your body. You wouldn’t want to put regular unleaded gasoline into a Porsche. Therefore fueling your body with fast foods, candy, and sugary drinks will diminish performance.
2. Don’t completely eliminate fat from your diet. Fat provides your body with essential fatty acids and important vitamins.
3. Drink water! Stay hydrated. When your body signals thirst, it is already too late.
4. For endurance athletes, sports drinks are recommended to replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates.
5. Eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals. These phytochemicals combined with other nutrients help reduce the risk of certain cancers, slow the aging process, reduce the risk of heart disease and the list goes on!
6. Whether your goal is to gain weight or lose weight the goal should be realistic and obtainable. Consider 2lbs per week, this is healthy and may help with sustaining the desired weight.
7. Eat an easily digestible meal no later than 2.5-3hrs before your athletic event. Stay away from high fat foods. These foods are slower to digest and hinder performance.
8. Do not self prescribe additional vitamins or supplements without speaking to your physician. Excessive amounts of some vitamins and minerals may be harmful to the body.

From Fort Sanders Health and Fitness