Eating Healthy

Alright. So I know I already did a post about exercise and diet, but I decided I should do one JUST about eating healthy. Did you know that among children and teens ages 6-19, over 15% (almost 9 million) are overweight? And that another 15% are at risk of becoming over weight? Obesity and general unhealthy eating habits are legendary for America. To be frank, America is known for being fat. A study looking at American youths aged 6-17 found an increase in soft drink consumption from 1978-1998 by 56%. Not to mention that teens hit fast food restaurants much more often than they did when they were younger. This tends to be because of school, sports and work schedules overlapping meal times. And don't even get me started on school lunch. I swear I saw my pizza move once. A diet full of of unhealthy foods like pizza, cheeseburgers, fries and ice cream may lead to weight gain and long-term health problems. Now since we are teenagers going through puberty, we, in general, crave fatty foods. For example, boys increase their craving for protein rich foods (such as a triple hamburger), and girls, because of rising estrogen levels, crave sweets. So what is a a teen to do when we so constantly crave unhealthy, sugar filled foods? Start off right away with drinking MORE WATER. You should have at least 8 glasses a day. It helps regulate your metabolism and purify your body, not to mention keep your hair soft and smooth. Maintain a regular sleep pattern. This does not mean studying until midnight and then waking up at 5:00 to do some more. Doing so can lead to the development of insomnia. The average teen needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep EACH night. You can't "catch up" on a Saturday. Eat breakfast EVERY day. It really is the most important meal of the day. Now a good breakfast does not include a donut or a pop tart either. It does include fruit, eggs, milk, oatmeal, or toast (whole wheat of course :] ), and now for the two hardest of all, avoid junk food and eat healthy snacks. Think of it this way, eating that piece of cake, or that bag of M&Ms is littering your body. Anything healthy as a snack will help maintain your energy throughout the day. I know it can be extremely  hard to resist those chips at a party, or that can of soda. But I promise the minute you begin eating healthier, you will notice a difference. Now I don't know about you, but I hear all the time, "I would rather die fat and happy, than skinny and miserable". The fact of the matter is, you wouldn't be fat and happy. And eating healthy isn't about being the "perfect size" anyway. The point is keep your insides healthy so you prevent any and all health issues. Size doesn't matter, as long as you are as healthy as you can be. I say, as the "future of America" (no pressure right..) we show the world that we aren't just "fat Americans".