3 Tips for Keeping Teens Healthy

When I was the mom of two toddlers, I thought that I'd have so much less to worry about as the years passed. But now that my daughters are in their teens, I know that worry still exists – and it's still strong.

I no longer have to worry about them sticking fingers into electrical sockets or drinking something from under the sink. But I do spend time thinking about how their lives will be after they leave the house. Will they be happy? And more importantly, will they be healthy?

I surely hope so, and that's why I took comfort in the results of a European Heart Journal study published this month. The study indicates that teens who are more physically active may be less likely to suffer a heart attack later in life. The study was done on adolescent boys, but I can only imagine that regular exercise in these years is good for the girls too.

My daughters have always played sports and been active in other ways, and they have some good eating habits too. But what can you do if your teenagers seem to be following an unhealthy path? They are on their way to adulthood, so the teen years are a good time to cut off problem behaviors before they begin. [10 Ways to Promote Kids’ Healthy Eating Habits]

But, also because they are on their way to adulthood, it can sometimes be difficult to get through to teens.

Here are my tips for encouraging teens to be healthy:

Encourage fun activities. Remember that physical activity doesn't always mean going to the gym or playing softball. It can be dancing, dirt biking or jumping rope. If an activity gets them away from the television screen and gets them moving, it's probably a good thing.

Don't push too hard. If you have a child who isn't used to working out or playing sports, you may need to ease into a desired activity level. It'll depend on your child, of course, but pushing too hard for fitness and activity could have the opposite effect.

Share the research. "Because I said so," is an argument that usually stops working with kids at a very young age. Instead, share with your teens the scientific evidence that they will be better off with regular exercise, and then let them make the decision. For example, they may not know that exercise may boost brain power in teens, a definite plus during SAT prep. A 2013 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that the more physically active participants were, the better they performed in school.

Healthy Bites appears weekly on LiveScience. Deborah Herlax Enos is a certified nutritionist and a health coach and weight loss expert in the Seattle area with more than 20 years of experience. Read more tips on her blog, Health in a Hurry!

source by : http://www.livescience.com/42967-keeping-teens-healthy-tips.html

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Eating tips for teenagers

Good nutrition is essential for everyone, but it’s especially important for growing teenagers. Unfortunately, many Australian teenagers have an unbalanced diet.

From the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity survey, teenage boys and girls aged 14 to 16 ate only half the recommended serves of fruits and vegetables per day. One in three adolescents buys unhealthy takeaway food every day. If you eat takeaway food regularly, you are more likely to put on weight than if you eat fast food only occasionally. 

It may require some effort to change your eating habits, but even a few simple changes will make a huge difference. You’ll feel better and may find managing your weight easier.

Junk food is poor fuel for your body

Many teenagers eat junk food every day. This might be sugar-sweetened drinks like fizzy drinks and high-kilojoule snacks like potato chips. However, your body can’t run properly on poor fuel. 

Compared to home-cooked food, junk food (which includes fast food) is almost always:

higher in fat, particularly saturated fat

higher in salt

higher in sugar

lower in fibre

lower in nutrients, such as calcium and iron

served in larger portions, which means more kilo joules.

While a mid-life heart attack might seem too far away to be real, it may surprise you to know that you could have health problems already. A poor diet can cause weight gain, high blood pressure, constipation, fatigue and concentration problems – even when you’re young.

Eating tips to improve your diet

Small changes can make a big impact. Try to:

Cut back on, sugary drinks like soft drinks and energy drinks. Sugar-free versions are okay to drink sometimes, but sugar-free frizzy drinks are still acidic, which can have a negative effect on bone and dental health. Water is the healthiest drink – try adding a slice of lemon, lime or orange for flavour.

Keep a fruit bowl stocked at home for fast and low-kilo joule snacks.

Eat breakfast every day so you’re less likely to snack on junk food at morning tea. A wholemeal or wholegrain breakfast cereal that is low in sugar served with low-fat milk can provide plenty of vitamins, mineral and fibre. Other fast and healthy options include yoghurt or wholemeal toast.

Don’t skip lunch or dinner either.

Help with the cooking and think up new ways to create healthy meals. Make those old family recipes lower in fat by changing the cooking method – for example, grill, stir-fry, bake, boil or microwave, instead of deep frying.

Reduce the size of your meals.

Don’t add salt to your food.

Don’t eat high-fat foods every time you visit a fast food outlet with your friends. Many of the popular fast food chains now have healthier food choices on the menu.

Change your meeting place. Rather than meeting up with your friends at the local takeaway shop, suggest a food outlet that serves healthier foods, such as wholemeal rolls with vegetable fillings or sushi.

Change the way you think about food

There are lots of myths about healthy food. Don’t make food choices based on false beliefs. Suggestions include:

Compare the prices of junk foods against the price of healthier food options to see that ‘healthy’ doesn’t have to mean ‘expensive’.

Experiment with different foods and recipes. You’ll soon discover that a meal cooked with fresh ingredients always beats a limp burger or soggy chips.

Try different ‘fast’ options like whole-wheat breakfast cereal, muesli, wholemeal bread, wholegrain muffins, fruit, yoghurt or pasta.

Don’t think that your diet has to be ‘all or nothing’. Eating well doesn’t mean you must be a health food freak. A good diet allows for treats occasionally.

Change your eating environment

Suggestions include:

Lobby your school canteen for healthier food choices.

Ask your school canteen to include a range of low-price healthy food choices.

Help with the grocery shopping and choose fewer processed foods.

Get involved in cooking at home.

Where to get help

Your doctor

Dietitian

Dietitians Association of Australia Tel. (02) 6163 5200

Things to remember

A teenager who eats fast food regularly is more likely to put on weight than a teenager who eats fast food only occasionally.

A diet consisting of healthy meals and snacks will boost your intake of nutrients such as calcium, which is required for strong bones.

Eating well doesn’t mean you must be a health food freak – a good diet allows for your favourite junk foods occasionally.

source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/eating-tips-for-teenagers

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9 Smart Ways to Keep Your Marriage Healthy at Any Age

Each decade will have its own drama, be it child rearing, layoffs, second careers, and middle-aged angst, along with a big helping of the in-sickness-and-in-health stuff. Here’s how to have a healthy relationship every step of the way.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes decades of time together strewn with a minefield of potential relationship wreckers. Its a wonder that anyone ends up walking off into the sunset, hand-in-wrinkled-hand, with a silver-haired mate. What do those geriatric lovebirds know that you dont?

Well, the truth is that even in so-called happy marriages, both partners probably fantasize some of the time—or even much of the time—about throwing in the towel. A new Womans Day and AOL Living poll found that a shocking 72% of women surveyed have considered leaving their husbands at some point. But despite the occasional rocky patch, 71% expected to be with their husbands for the rest of their lives. So how do you make it to the finish line with your relationship intact?

Each decade will have its own drama, be it child-rearing, layoffs, second careers, and middle-aged angst, along with a big helping of the in-sickness-and-in-health stuff. Heres how to have a healthy relationship every step of the way.

1. Watch your waistline

Now that youre married, you can finally relax and skip the gym, right? Wrong. Wedded couples tend to have fatter waistlines, which can spell trouble in terms of sexual attraction and general health. A 2007 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that your chances of becoming obese increase by 37% if your spouse becomes obese. So unless you want “till death do us part” to include chronic health issues like heart disease and diabetes, its important to establish healthy eating habits early on. But warding off weight gain isnt as simple as whipping up a healthy meal together. Eating with anyone—from your spouse to coworker—can cause you to consume 33% more than you would solo.

Being aware of the potential fatty pitfalls of marital bliss may be enough to keep your portion sizes in check. Spend couple time checking out local farmers' markets on the weekends in an effort to consumer fresher, low-calorie fare. Or schedule an exercise date to work off some of your hearty, homemade dinners.

2. Have a financial plan

Nearly 40% of married people admit to lying to their spouse about a purchase, according to a 2004 poll, and money woes can quickly send your marriage south. In fact, money is the number-one reason couples fight, and relationships tend to suffer during poor economies. You should discuss and agree upon some hard financial ground rules, preferably before you tie the knot.

Dont fret if youre a spendthrift and your partner pinches pennies. “Its probably not a good thing to have the exact same philosophy about money, “ says Ken Robbins, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “But financial issues are best to resolve early on. You want to decide who is going to pay the bills, how much discretionary spending is reasonable, and how youre going to keep track of it all.”

source by : http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411836,00.html

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