COPING WITH CHANGES
With the change in lifestyle, a so-called trend of being “in-shape” has crept in amongst teenagers. This leads them to deliberately avoid an essential portion of their daily nutrition. The first and foremost thing that matters is what parents teach to their children.
If they come from homes where the parents are well informed and have a good body image, the teenagers are in safe haven; but even if one of the parents has been struggling with body image issues and hopping from one nutritionist to another to achieve the impossible, it does have a negative influence on the children. It starts at home followed by pressure from peers. Adolescence is the bridge between childhood and adulthood. Nutrition plays a vital role in this phase of life. Adequate knowledge about the choice of foods and the effect it would have should be a mandatory part of growing up.
REASONS FOR OBESITY IN CHILDREN
- Very low physical activity is one such. All they do is sit through school and tuition classes for hours together and go back home via some transport—they seldom walk.
- Exposure to too much junk food and oother high calories but nutrient poor snacks.
- Parents leading stressful lives can reflect on children and hence their food habits. Going to eat outs, malls or movies have increased instead of playing in the beach or hanging out at the park.
REMEDIES
- 2 hours of some outdoor sport or any physical activity is vital.
- Parents ought to stock the kitchen with nutrient dense foods.
- A session with a nutritionist and a fitness trainer will help you understand the basics.
- The metabolic rate differs in every individual. It is necessary to fathom how their body responds to food so as to keep an eye on consumption that’s best suited for their physique.
- Grass fed cow’s milk is nutritious and helps in reducing fat and increasing lean muscle. But the amount consumed per day varies with age, and physical activities of the teenager. Milk as such is an absolute essential; there are also non diary calcium foods which can be easily incorporated in the meal plan.
THE REWARDS OF WORKING OUT YOUNG
Going to the gym as a teenager is considered unhealthy by some, considering the repercussions that may follow once they get old. But as a sports nutritionist, Shiny says that under the supervision of certified fitness professionals who are highly qualified and design workouts based on scientific principles, teenagers will benefit immensely. And there are young adults who get their fitness concepts right, respect their bodies and treat them with love and care; hence the right guidance is all they need.
SOME COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS
#1 Milk, rice, potato, curd are fattening. But, why? It only comes down to how much you eat in a day plus the physical activity which influences weight gain or weight loss. Portion sizes, methods of preparation, the accompanying dishes are the deciding factors before slamming the above mentioned as a “fattening food.”
#2 Chapattis are better than rice: People, who are intolerant to gluten (a protein present in some grains) end up gaining weight, retain water after eating rotis, oatmeal, barley or rye bread. However, rice has no anti-nutrients and is easier to digest, but the mistake most people do is eat large portions. But, in case of chapattis, it’s easier to quantify and the chew count is more, which definitely helps in eating a lot lesser.
#3 Eating less or skipping meals will help in losing weight: Nobody sees the actual complications this can cause. Your body needs a certain amount of calories to sustain physiological functions. It is important to remember that eating lesser than the daily requirements only pushes the body into starvation mode. Skipping meals will cause a drop in blood sugar levels and affect energy levels and moods. This will eventually lead to you eating a lot more in your next meal. Example: If you skip breakfast, you will end up eating a heavier lunch.
#4 Eating fruits only for meals: Surviving on fruit based diets is not practical and leads to compromising on essential fats, protein, and other micronutrients. In fact, insulin resistant individuals have benefitted from eliminating fruit sugar (fructose).
#5 Fat is your enemy: Fat has a host of important functions in the body. You can’t ignore it. Instead, you have to choose good fats and eat the right amounts.
#6 Eggs are bad for your heart: Whole eggs are a store house of nutrients from biotin, lecithin, lutein, vitamin A, and protein. It’s been proven by research that these don’t have an effect on raising cholesterol.