Nutrition and Teenagers

Skipping Meals?  Then Skip Good Hair, Skin, Mood and Grades too! When Miranda Kerr is asked what the secrets to her beauty, energy, and success as a model and businesswoman, she automatically responds without hesitation: "good nutrition, it is as easy as that".  Good nutrition isn’t about never eating sugar again, it isn’t about being extreme – IT IS about nourishing yourself with good food to become a well balanced, vibrant person. Many teenage girls come to me about how important is for them to have good hair, skin and bodies as well as achieve good results in school. I get this – I was a teenager once too! Self esteem and self like is an essential part of a healthy mind, so let me help you. Good food (healthy, whole foods, real foods, low sugar foods) can lead to better skin, hair and bodies. Lower sugar foods can lead you to jumping off the sugar/mood swing wagon and landing with balanced, grounded health. A key part to eating well is planning what to eat and having it handy, so seek out great recipes for snacks. Think about making a weekly trip with someone in your family to buy things for your pantry are easy for you to turn into a delicious and wholesome meal or snack.

Many young girls have taken to skipping meals at school. Why? If you want good skin and hair; you need to feed it. If you want good moods, energy and brain function; you need to nourish yourself with fruit, vegetables, proteins like chicken, fish, yogurt and eggs and good quality fats like avocados, olives, seeds and nuts. Think of it this way: It's impossible to drive a car without petrol in it. It's impossible to use your phone without a charged battery. If you want to look AND feel your best, then you need to fuel and charge yourself with the right meals throughout the day. Fuelling yourself once a day is not enough for healthy hair, nails, glowing skin and growing brains. They need essential nutrients 3-6 times per day, because without it will be hard to SHINE. Hey - we all want to shine when we look in the mirror, at a party, on the sporting team, amongst our friends or within our family's.

Are you eating your lunch or intentionally avoiding it? If you’re not eating lunch for vanity reasons and you think this will make you slim and pretty - think again. Without nutrients on board, you may lose your hair, lose that healthy summer skin glow, become pale, develop dark circles under your eyes, stop thinking clearly and become moody. Will this get you what you ultimately want? If you are struggling with eating and your body image please confide in a school teacher, counselor, or family friend. These issues are not uncommon as a teenager and if they are talked about early you can regain your confidence in healthy food being a friend and not an enemy. How does this nutritionist know this about me? I know this about teenage girls because this issue is a common concern and can lead to enormous issues, so get in front of this and learn to love healthy food - your body will love you for it!