Good Health Basics for Teens

When our body, mind, or spirit is stressed repeatedly, or to excess, it often responds with physical symptoms (probably as a warning indicator that we need to make some changes).  Our response to illness and stress is also made weak when we neglect to maintain general rules of health –regular nurturing of our body, mind, and spirit.  To those dealing with illness symptoms or those wanting to prevent new or recurrent problems, there are some key basics you can focus upon.  Often, physical symptoms or illness diminishes or disappears with attention to these areas.

1)      SLEEP—Get 9 hours of sleep each night.  Avoid repeatedly cutting short your body’s recuperative time.  Children, adolescents and adults all cope and behave better when adequately rested.  Avoid caffeine totally and avoid increased stimulation in the hours preceding bedtime.

2)      Drink plenty of WATER.  Drink a glass or bottle full every couple of hours.  This is especially important for those that suffer from headaches or spells of fatigue or dizziness.  Half of all you drink should be water.  Avoid drinks with sugar or caffeine—your body becomes dependent on these and symptoms occur when your body craves them or has them in excess.  They are not harmless ingredients.  Swings in these chemicals affect coping and behavior greatly—and may destabilize some hormone balance, such as release of insulin in your system.

3)      Regular bowel movements are important for health — constipation or irregular/inadequate BMs cause stomach discomfort, generate headaches, create moodiness and irritability, and makes you feel sluggish.  Each person should have daily movements or generally at least alternate day movements.  The circumference/size of the stool should remain below the circumference of a golf ball, should pass without discomfort or bleeding, and should be softer than clay consistency.  Increasing fruits, vegetables, and fluids helps insure regularity.  If you have persistent problems, please let us know so that we can advise you.

4)      Remove sugar and fructose syrup from your diet as much as possible.  Decrease your carbohydrate intake and use complex carbohydrates instead. (See Jump Start for Weight Loss on our website—if you do not need weight loss, the change in “white foods” is still advised strongly).  Avoid soda and drinks with sugar or calories.  Milk is O.K. and good for you twice daily.  Increase protein, meats, dairy, and fats in your snacks.

5)      Take time to sit down to eat—eat slowly.  Even though it seems simple, it is important to chew your food to release nutrients inside of grains, seeds, meats, etc.  Eat nutritious cooked foods and soups—avoid fast food (maximum of fast food twice a month).

6)      Eat TWO fruits and TWO vegetables daily — eat different colors of fruits/vegs since the different colors contain different anti-oxidants and necessary chemicals.

7)      Exercise 45 minutes daily with continuous activity — enough to raise your heart rate and/or generate a little sweat.

8)      Middle school and high school students should take in 1500 mg of calcium daily –Eat calcium-containing foods daily and take 400 to 800 units of vitamin D daily—this prevents fractures among athletes and dancers and likely prevents osteoporosis in later life.  While growing before and in puberty, this calcium/Vitamin D goal is important.

9)       SKIP NO MEALS!      Make sure you eat three meals a day.  If you do not feel hungry or feel too busy, think of the meal as medicine.  If you eat less, make the quality high—meat, dairy, fat and complex carbs.  Snacks in the afternoon should be quality foods also.

10)   No Smoking --this is obvious to all of us.  If you do smoke, quit or at least cut   back in preparation for quitting.  Nicotine is a stimulant and can stimulate or calm—but is surely addictive.  Smoking often makes a ten day teen viral chest cold a month long serious illness.  Talk to us if you want advice or help.

11)    Wash your hands! - one of your best defenses against acquiring illness.  Keep a polite 6-foot space away from others who are ill if you can.  When you cough, cough into your elbow and not your hand.

12)   Find time to “chill out”  --old folks like me call it relaxation, meditation, quiet

Time -  create a peaceful time for yourself to daydream, dream, leave the day

       Behind - you will feel refreshed after.  Consider learning about meditation, yoga,

      or breathing exercises for relaxation.

13)  Avoid over-extending yourself. Do not encourage this in your child if you are a parent.  Teens are often self-driven to do sports, drama, jobs, chorus, clubs —every day and every minute taken.  We often hear of “burning the candle at both ends”—meaning one is using up their mental and spiritual energy too fast without time to recharge/relax — you must have balance in your life, and this includes stress free and activity free time (no matter how enjoyable).

14)  Limit screen time. Limit media, computers, video games, handheld games, and similar activities to ONE hour per day on schooldays or nights and one and a half hours on weekends and holidays.

15)  Vaccines can prevent many illnesses.  Yearly Flu vaccine is effective and can not give you the flu.  Vaccines to prevent meningitis, hepatitis, whooping cough, and cervical cancer are all worthwhile in middle school years and later.

16)  Get regular physicals (every two years if well, yearly if you have medical problems) allow us to evaluate and advise you about your health.  We also will address issues you wish to bring up at that time.

17)   Adolescence is a time of spiritual exploration — examining belief systems and beginning to decide what spiritual beliefs you will adopt as a part of yourself.  Do not do this passively, take time and give effort to read, study, discuss with people you trust and to ponder.  Studies have shown that people with spiritual belief systems (whatever each chooses) survive longer, do better with illness and quality of life is richer.

18)  Do not forget the values of work—for pay or as a volunteer.  There is a healthy feeling in earning part of one’s own way.   Volunteer activities that help others lift the spirit of the volunteer.  There is an emotional boost to self esteem in either choice.