Hi, I’m back again but this time with something that I had to seriously make a part of my routine. It is very essential for the well-being of the body.
Today’s blog is in two parts; adequate nutrition and the second part is physical activity. Both issues can never be overemphasized, especially physical activity, because in as much as we all try to eat healthy and get adequate nutrition, this can all be useless if we don’t build the habit of physical activity in our lifestyle.
Don’t get me wrong, adequate nutrition is as good as physical activity and non can take the place of the other but we often times forget about physical activity.
Now sit back (with a bowl of fruits of course lol) and read as I enlighten you about what adequate nutrition is, and also physical activity, as both go hand in hand.
Adolescence is a very important stage of a child’s physical as well as psychological transitional development as he/she is maturing and turning into an adult from a teen. So basically, it is a phase of an individual, from childhood to adulthood.
Having a diet balanced in nutrition during adolescence is crucially important as the body of a teen is facing a time of growth spurt, puberty change, as well as mental changes occur at the same time, resulting in an increase in appetite so healthy food should be of high priority for them to meet their needs.
As young people are growing, they are becoming more independent in choosing their meals and making food decisions on their own. They even tend to eat meals away from home and the majority of them are under the influence of their peers.
Manny young people are consuming a variety of wrong types of food, like processed food, fast food and carbonated drinks. The major components of food that are needed to be consumed by a growing adolescent’s body are proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, calcium and zinc. There is a way you can combine these and make it really appetizing and attractive because I know we all don’t like eating boring food.
How about healthy natural drinks in place of carbonated drinks? We can also make healthy snacks with lots of vegetables that won’t cause us any trouble or make us prone to obesity.
Physical activity is an important lifestyle habit but as adolescents progress through their teenage years their levels of physical activity decline dramatically. The state of physical inactivity among today’s 12-17 year olds is alarming
WHO defines physical activity as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure. Physical activity also refers to all movement including during leisure time, for transport to get to and from places, or as part of a person’s work. Both moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity improve health. Popular ways to be active include walking, cycling, wheeling, sports, active recreation and play, and can be done at any level of skill and for enjoyment by everybody.
Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and manage non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several cancers. It also helps prevent hypertension, maintain healthy body weight and can improve mental health, quality of life and well-being.
I hope that after reading this, we are able to imbibe the culture and habit of physical activity and make it a new normal.
