31 ANTON MEDIA GROUP • NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2017
CAMPS&SCHOOLS
17A
Keeping Your Kids Healthy
Essential tips for teen nutrition
BY JENNIFER BERKOWITZ
specialsections@antonmediagroup.com
What does a healthy teen lifestyle consist of? The topic of nutrition has always been a relevant and much-needed area within our schools, particularly at the middle and high schools. Education is proving to be a must in order to understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and it starts right at home. It is important for teens to be aware of the nutrients needed to fuel their bodies. Healthychildren. org states that protein, carbohydrates and fats in food serve as the body’s energy sources. The right vitamins and minerals are also essential. Adolescents in the United States are proven to
get twice as much protein than they actually need. In fact, 50 percent of their body weight is actually made up of protein. Teenage favorites such as beef, chicken and turkey are just some of the foods that are stocked full with protein. Next is a carbohydrate, which gets converted into the body’s main fuel, the simple sugar glucose. Nutritionists recommend that complex carbohydrates make up 50 percent to 60 percent of a teenager’s caloric intake. These complex carbohydrates provide sustained energy, particularly for the teen that is active. This explains why you might see athletes or marathon runners eating big bowls of pasta before an event. Simple carbs, on the other hand, have little to offer besides tasting sweet
and providing a brief burst of energy. Therefore, it should be minimized in the diet. Fatty foods contain cholesterol, a waxy substance that can clog an artery and eventually cause it to harden. Regardless of if a teen is active, a high fat intake will always make them put on weight. It would take a lot of grueling effort to try to burn off excess fat calories day after day. An important tip is to read food labels carefully to see how much fat, sugar, and sodium is in the foods eaten every day. Also, almost all packaged goods that contain fat are likely to have partially hydrogenated fat, because it has a longer shelf life. A well-rounded diet based on the USDA
see TEEN NUTRITION on page 18A
32 18A TEEN NUTRITION from page 17A
CAMPS & SCHOOLS • NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2017
guidelines should deliver sufficient amounts of all vitamins and minerals that are essential. “Teens need a variety of essential nutrients during periods of growth. Adolescents at their peak growth will require twice as much calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium,” said Colleen Farley Cornell, a pediatric nutritionist from Winthrop Hospital. Unless blood tests and a pediatrician’s evaluation show a specific deficiency, it’s recommended to obtain nutrients from food instead of dietary supplements. As far as calories, during middle and late adolescence, girls roughly eat 25 percent fewer calories per day than boys do, meaning they are more likely to be deficient in vitamins and minerals. “Some teenagers reduce caloric intake by skipping meals or cutting out entire food groups. These methods to lose weight are unhealthy and may leave out important nutrients teens need,” Cornell said. For example, cutting out grains or carbohydrates may lead to an inadequate intake of B Vitamins, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine, and Niacin. Another example Cornell provided is cutting out dairy may lead to decreased levels of Calcium and Vitamin D. Cutting out all meat may lead to low iron and B12 levels. The amount of calories a teen needs depends upon age, gender, activity length and period growth. “Adolescents are encouraged to maintain caloric balance to support normal growth and development without causing excessive weight gain,” Cornell said. Teens require the calcium equivalent of about four 8-ounce glasses of milk daily. Some other foods that supply as much calcium as a glass of milk are eight ounces of yogurt and two cups of low-fat cottage cheese. Females aged 13 to 17 have an intake of approximately 1,000 milligrams
per day while the daily recommended intake for this age group is 1300 milligrams per day. Males of the same age meet their requirements at about 1400 milligrams per day. Iron deficiency is common in adolescent females and people who limit meat. Menstruating young women are at increased risk because their diets may not contain enough iron-rich foods to make up for monthly losses. Foods like beef, poultry and pork and good non-meat sources like beans, nuts and vegetables will help them to secure a balanced diet. “Many teenagers’ diets contain too much fat, sugar, caffeine and sodium and not enough nutrient dense food choices such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low fat dairy,” Cornell said. Snacks, if they are done right, can provide the nutrients a child needs. For example, yogurt with whole grain cereal mixed in or low-fat cottage cheese on whole grain crackers can double as a healthy snack and a quick and satisfying breakfast. According to health.gov, in food groups, active teen boys and girls require certain amounts of servings within each group a day. For example, teen girls need four servings of vegetables a day and teen boys need 5. For the non-active teen, the CDC recommends that high school girls eat at least 1.5 cups of fruit and 3 cups of vegetables a day. The right nutrition can change teen lives for the better. The earlier they start a healthy change, the more positive outcome they will receive in the years to come.
177270 C
An Education Where Children Thrive Under the Guidance of Great Teachers in an Environment that Stimulates Creativity and Individual Potential!
• A proven system celebrating over 100 years of practice, research and worldwide recognition • Our fully equipped spacious classrooms offer the most enriched curriculum available for 18 months - 6 years. • Fully affiliated with the American Montessori Society since 1998. • Early drop-off and extended day available.
354 Lakeville Road • Great Neck, NY • 516-466-8422 Visit our website: www.CMSGN.com 177641B
33 19A
CAMPS & SCHOOLS • NOVEMBER 29 - DECEMBER 5, 2017
Toilet Training Toilet training can be a daunting task. We may think of “going to the bathroom” as a one step process; yet, it is quite complicated. Children have to be aware of the need to go. They must stop the task in which they are engrossed and deal with the many steps that can be overwhelming for a young body and mind.
Readiness
Readiness is not tied to chronological age. Some are ready for training at 18 months, and others are not ready until after they turn age 3. Ability and motivation are both needed. Can your child follow simple directions? Can she take off her pants and put them on? Can she manipulate buttons, the toilet seat, and the lights in the room? Does he have the ability to recognize the physical signs that he needs to go, and can he hold it until he is at the toilet?
Model
Having your child watch you use the bathroom is a natural way to have her learn how to appropriately use the toilet. Communicate how you knew it was time to go, and narrate what you are doing step by step. Teach your child the words your family uses for body
PARENTING MATTERS
parts, urine, bowel movements, and bathroom equipment.
Graziella Simonetti
Life Circumstances
It may not be wise to start training during major life changes. Life changes can be stressful; can make children regress; and may be a time when your child needs additional TLC.
Read
Read toilet training books to your children during regular story times and keep the books in the bathroom. Stress the universal aspect of the process.
Stay Calm
A relaxed approach is critical. Train when you will have the time and patience. Remain calm when there are setbacks and do not view them as failure; it is part of the process. Note that boys tend to train a bit more slowly than girls, and the second child may master training more quickly than firstborn.
Communicate
Help your child recognize when they are urinating or having a bowel movement. Communicate what is occurring and emphasize how uncomfortable
wet diapers are and how good it feels to be clean and dry.
Understanding Anxiety
Some children consider bowel movements as part of them and seeing material disappear down the toilet is terrifying. Ask your son if he can tell you what he is feeling and help assure him that the rest of him will not disappear with it. Have him practice flushing safe items down the toilet.
Other Options
Have an Underwear Weekend when you do not have outside obligations. Explain that for the entire weekend, your child will wear underwear. If your child does well with it, you can continue; if not, you can wait a bit. Another option is to put your child on the toilet every 15 minutes for a few hours at a time, and at the end of the session, put a diaper back on. Later on, have another session. A few days later, attempt a full-day session. Consider setting up a reward system. Offer a
sticker, a hand stamp, or small prizes for successful potty attempts. Parents can take children to the dollar store to choose meaningful prizes and bigger prizes for bigger successes such as a full day of staying dry. During training, make sure children are wearing easy to remove clothing. Graziella Simonetti is a parent educator for EAC Network’s Long Island Parenting Institute and works as a social worker for the NYC Department of Education. She holds an advanced certificate in parent education from Adelphi University and is a NYSPEP credentialed parenting educator.
2018 Chair
Teresa Evans Human Resources Director, HR Business Partner Freedom Mortgage
Save The Date
17th Annual Long Island
Go Red For Women Luncheon
NEW DAT E
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 Crest Hollow Country Club Woodbury, NY 9:00am Registration 9:45-10:45am Workshops 10:45am-2:00pm Networking, Auction, & Luncheon Together we will conquer heart disease and stroke To learn more please visit LongIslandGoRedLuncheon.heart.org
2018 Honorees
Doug DeSchutter Charlotte Biblow, Esq., President Partner Broadridge Customer Farrell Fritz, P.C. Communcations The Women of Sterling Risk Evelyne Caloras Angela DeChiara Joanne Krush
Jillian Menna Gina Murphy Maryalice Nazaretian Nationally sponsored by
Locally sponsored by
Donna Raab Erin Sussman Marci Waterman