How about a tougher question: Do you know why we humans eat food?

Just like an automobile or bus needs gasoline to run its engine, food provides us with the energy to operate our bodies.

That means you have a very important job to do each and every day. Your body is counting on you to do the best job you can when providing it with food. Your body is counting on you to give it high quality foods in the right amounts to help it do its many jobs, including growing, getting stronger, moving you where you want to go, learning, playing, and, of course, staying healthy.

Food is Fuel for Your Body

So, you’ve got to make responsible choices when you need to fuel up on food. Responsible nutrition, or what you could call healthy eating, when combined with giving your body regular physical activity and exercise, will help your body maintain the “energy balance” it needs do all its jobs well and stay healthy.

When we balance the amount of fuel (or food) we take into our body with the amount of fuel (or food) our body uses during the day, we’re helping our body perform at its best. However, when we throw off that “energy balance” by taking in more fuel than we need to burn to operate our body, our bodies may not work properly.

Think about snack time! If you are looking for the best fuel for your body’s engine and you had a choice between an apple and a slice of iced chocolate cake, which would you chose for optimum body performance?

If you thought about it and chose the apple you’d be right. If we compared these two snack choices we’d find that a slice of iced chocolate cake would have a greater chance of throwing our energy balance out of whack than the apple. There are in a slice of iced chocolate cake on average over 4 times more calories (and some things you’re body will have a tougher time burning as fuel) than in the apple. It would also take your body about 4 times as long walking or riding your bicycle to burn up that cake in your body’s fuel tank.

When you are thinking about how to fuel your body, you need to think about the foods you choose to eat and make responsible decisions. Your decisions can help your body operate better.

Things You Can do to Help Your Body Operate at Optimum Performance Levels

There are some things you can do to help make sure you’re giving your body the best quality fuel (or food) in the right amounts to help it do its many jobs well:

Click Here to View The New Food Guide Pyramid

1. Food is Fuel: Your body needs food to function properly and grow. To stay healthy and avoid weight gain your body needs to use up the food you take in or stores excess food consumed as fat.



2. Eat a Variety of Foods: give your body a combination of essential nutrients. Your body needs protein, carbohydrates, water, vitamins, minerals and fat to function.



3. Do Not Skip Meals: eating on a regular basis helps avoid overeating. Start the day right – never skip breakfast.



4. Drink Plenty of Water: try to drink 6-8 8oz. glasses of water daily.



5. Eat Whole Grain-High Fiber Foods: Consuming whole grain complex carbohydrates rich in fiber helps your body in many ways. Avoid sugar rich foods, if possible.



6. Eat Real Whole Fruits and Fresh Vegetables: Try to include at least 5 servings of these in your diet by including a serving with each meal and as a great snack. They are also a good source of fiber.



7. Avoid Deep Fried Food and Foods Containing Saturated Fats: Not all fats are bad for you, but avoiding these particular sources of fat can help your body.



8. Eat Only What You Need and Watch Your Portion Size: An average adolescent girl needs approximately 2,000 calories and boys need approximately 2,500 – 3,000 calories. Being physically active helps you maintain the energy balance your body needs to maintain a healthy weight.



9. Avoid Foods and Beverages that Are High In Salt and Sugar: These can deliver large amounts of calories your body does not need for optimum performance and energy balance.



10. Read Fool Labels: Food labels provide useful information about nutritional value and correct portion sizes to avoid overeating and energy imbalance.

If You Get Stuck or Could Use Some Help: Ask The Pro

If you have a question about goal setting or about other aspects of making physical activity a priority in your life, talk to your parents first. If they give you permission you can also go to “Ask The Pro” on this site. Submit questions you have. Chances are that the answer to your question that will be posted at this site will provide help to others.

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