preeti asks: What should a teenage child eat?
Hi preeti –
Teenage bodies are going through so many changes that it’s hard to tell if what is good for a teen one week is still good the next. What leaves you bright-eyed and gorgeous today might make you break out and smell bad a month from now! What a tough situation!!
But… well, I guess it’s easiest to say what a teenager shouldn’t eat, or at least shouldn’t eat so much of. I’d start with really sugary or fatty foods, and of course things like tobacco and alcohol or anything illegal. None of these are going to do teenagers any good, ever. I also would try to steer teens, especially, away from foods that have lots of artificial chemicals in them, as it’s really hard for any body to deal with those, much less a body that’s already overworked.
Beyond those, everyone’s system is different. Some people have allergies, of course, and should try to avoid those substances (or get them treated if possible). But also there are other things you can learn about yourself that are great to know. Handsome had a friend in high school who figured out that his complexion did not like grape soda! He never knew what it was about the grape soda, but he knew he’d look a lot better if he didn’t have it. Handsome doesn’t eat lots of wheat or dairy, because they make him get a runny nose and a cough. Some people are better off without meat.
But there are two things that I can pretty much guarantee will be really good for any teenager (who isn’t allergic to them): Fruits and Vegetables! It’s really hard to eat too many strawberries or peaches or grapefruits. Maybe it’s possible, but it would take a lot of work to get there. Similarly, the only problem with eating too much kale or broccoli is if you don’t have other things along with it (too much of those without other foods can give you gas. Frankly, I find that very attractive, but most humans don’t!). But there’s just no such thing as eating too much zucchini or other squashes or yams.
In fact, I can only think of a couple of common vegetables that really can mess with you if you overeat them. Beets actually help to detoxify your liver, so if you overeat them you’ll overwork that valuable organ. And carrots aren’t bad for you at all, but if you eat gobs of them, they’ll turn your skin orange!
Frankly, though, I really think the most important part of all I’m saying is the simplest part: Keep Junk Food to a minimum. And even though your face might occasionally sprout zits like a garden, I promise you’re treating your body better than you otherwise would, and it’ll be lots easier to get your system back under control without the donuts, cupcakes, and candybars.
Good Luck! I promise, this weird time will end!!
Shirelle