Bocabody ? Understanding your teen's Nutritional Needs

For kids, eating habits are all about their parents? lifestyle choices and what?s in it for them. Why put down the Doritos if Dad?s always scarfing up unhealthy snacks? Why go for veggies when vegging out on the couch is the family?s main activity?

Getting a tired, moody, stressed or emotionally troubled teen to improve his or her nutritional intake might be a struggle but, by following some basic guidelines, parents can help their teens create healthy eating patterns that will empower them to feel and look good. Even severe teenage acne can be dramatically improved with special diet plans. The payoff is plenty; teens just have to see it to believe it.

By now, your teenager?s eating habits are pretty set in stone but, if sugary, greasy, and fizzy are their (and your) main menu items, now?s the time for a course correction.

Robert and Jeanne Segal are publishers of?Helpguide.org, an organization that aims to empower individuals to make healthy choices to prevent and resolve life?s challenges. They suggest that the best way to get teens to make dietary changes is to present ideas in terms they get ? that is, with the short-term consequences of chronically eating unhealthy foods.

Explain that better dietary habits and an active lifestyle lead to improved appearance, better sleep, improved athletic ability, better moods, and overall improvement in their enjoyment of life. The Segals suggest saying things like, ?Calcium will help you grow taller during your growth spurt,? and, ?Iron will help you do better on tests and stay up later without being as tired.?

Coax kids to get 60 minutes of physical activity per day with something they enjoy doing. The activity doesn?t have to be a sport; the goal is to get kids moving in whatever makes them happy and active. Walk the dog, jog, play tennis at the park, shoot hoops during a one on one, rollerblade, swim, bike or go to the gym with a parent. Parents should watch how they coax kids into making these changes. ?It?s a fine line between teaching and preaching, but it will pay big health dividends down the line,? the Segals explain in their online article, ?Nutrition for Children and Teens.? Most importantly, when parents eat healthier and get active, the changes become a lifestyle habit rather than a lifestyle ?have to? that kids push against.

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*Written by Laura Owens from SheKnows.com

Source: http://bocabod.com/2012/07/30/understanding-your-teens-nutritional-needs/

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