5 Healthy Snacks For Teens!

Between school, homework, sports, an after-school job, and hanging out with friends, it may feel like there's no time for healthy eating. And when you do stop to eat, it's probably tempting to go the easy route by grabbing a burger and fries, potato chips, or candy. What you don't know is that it is possible to treat yourself to a healthy snack! It's even more important to eat healthy foods that give you the fuel you need to keep going when you have a very busy schedule.

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It is natural to feel hungry a lot during adolescence, when a person's body demands more nutrients to grow. Snacks are a perfect way to satisfy that hunger and get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. But it's important to pay attention to what you're eating. A large order of fries after class may give you a temporary boost, but a snack this high in fat and calories will just slow you down in the long run. To keep energy levels going, while avoiding weight gain, stay away from the foods that contain lots of simple carbohydrates (sugars) like candy bars or soda. Look for foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals and combine them with protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or cheese.

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You can try these five healthy snacks to boost your energy and keep you going throughout the day. Try ants on a log: spread peanut butter on a celery stick and even put raisins on it. Try banana ice: break bananas into 1 inch pieces and freeze them in a sealed plastic bag. Then you can put them in the blender with a small amount of water or juices and even add berries. Ice pops that are unsweetened 100% juice made in ice pop molds or ice cube trays are a great snack to try on a hot day. Try whole-grain pita and hummus: make sure to dip it into a tasty, low-fat hummus. Lastly, try happy trails mix containing 1 cup of whole-grain toasted oat cereal with chopped walnuts.

The Most Influential Person In Fitness, Health, and Happiness

Jillian Michaels is an outstanding fitness trainer. It's hard to turn on the TV, walk into a bookstore, or pass a newsstand without seeing Jillian Michaels. She was born on February 18, 1974, in Los Angeles, California. Michaels endured a rough childhood marred by low self-esteem and psychological issues. "I was a really disturbed kid," she remembers. "You know how kids have night terrors? Mine were really bad. I thought sharks were coming out of the drain in the bathtub. I couldn't sleep at night, every night, waiting for aliens to come. I'm not kidding you: I. Was. Traumatized." Her mother enrolled her in therapy at the age of 5, which Michaels says helped her tremendously. Michaels' parents divorced when she was 12 years old. The breakup lead to her weight gain. By the time she was in the eighth grade, Michaels was 5-feet 2-inches and 175 pounds. When she was fourteen, she was enrolled in martial arts classes which helped to redifine herself and marked the beginning of her fitness career.

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Michaels is  best known for her roles on the reality TV show, The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. She has a household name of "America's Toughest Trainer." She no longer trains contestants on the The Biggest Loser, but continues to help people shed pounds on her own show called Losing It With Jillian. And if her schedule was not packed enough, Michaels recently joined CBS’s panel-discussion show The Doctors. Between her many TV appearances, best-selling books, video games, and more, Michaels is inspiring people everywhere to lead healthier, happier lives. 

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Michaels has earned a reputation as a tough, drill sergeant-style trainer who does not hesitate to use fear as a motivation tactic. The Biggest Loser ran for nine seasons and became a wildly popular program, transforming Michaels into one of America's most famous fitness experts. She is the author of five books: Winning by Losing(2007), Making the Cut (2008), Master Your Metabolism (2009),The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook (2010) and The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter (2010). She has become one of the most popular faces of fitness in America and continues to inspire people to lose weight and live fit lives.

10 Ways to Exercise at Home!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to afford all of that fancy equipment used in the gyms? Well, as nice as it sounds, it just isn’t an option for most people. And since exercise is so important, you need to find exercises that are effective and don’t require any equipment at all. To make these exercises even more fun, you can blast music while you’re doing them. Some you can even do while watching TV.

 

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 If the weather is nice, it’s wonderful to get outside to walk and enjoy the scenery around you while you exercise. However, if the weather has other ideas, you can just as easily get an effective walking workout at home. If you have a flight of stairs, go up and down them a few times.  This will help to tone up your legs, while getting some low impact aerobic exercise as well. Jumping jacks are are always fun, as they bring back memories of being a kid. Pushups are probably not the most favorite exercise of many people, but while they can be hard to do, you can find easier ways to do them. Just do what works for you: do them on your knees, instead of keeping your legs straight. Or, do them standing up against a wall. Crunches are the best exercise for building up and strengthening abdominal muscles. Jogging is a great exercise for your heart. You can jog in place at home while watching TV or listening to music. Squats are wonderful exercises for your legs. You can even just try these by sitting and standing up again from a regular chair, if you’re finding them to be too difficult. Use whatever you can find in your house to do some light weight lifting. Start out with something lighter, such as a can of peas, and work yourself up to heavier items. You can use milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles or even water jugs. Dancing is a wonderful exercise, which is great for your heart. Not only that, but it can lift your spirits as well. Also using the steps in your home, you can do repetitions which will tone your leg muscles.

BIG AND GOOD NEWS! 
On May 5th, exercise science  made an important discovery: that less is best. There is no need to over exercise! Health and fitness writer Gretchen Reynolds says 30 minutes a day is really all you need! When most peole think excercise, they usually imagine expensive workout equipment, personal trainers, and spending their day at the gym. Reynolds proves that strolling, gardening, walking, and even standing up all count as exercise. For most people that tend to rest a great deal and get little excercise, just moving around for 20 minutes will provide them with health benefits. Everyone wants reduced disease risk and a prolonged life, so get moving! Reynolds said, "Just move, because it really can be so easy, and it really can change your life." Naturally you can excerise more if you want to, it will only imporve your health even more!

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This is very interesting news. I agree that over exercising isn't a good thing for your body. It can damage your knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, etc. Just normal everyday activity will keep you in good shape and in good health. As long as it's at least a half hour a day it should be beneficial for your body. I will give you quick and easy exercises that will keep you moving and keep you fit!

Exercise in a bottle!
I did some new exercises today! Check back daily to see fun new exercises you can do to stay fit. I even have some that you can do for a short work out in your own house! You can also check out my quick tips on how to eat a healthy snack or grab a quick healthy dinner. Eating right and exercising with my easy tips will make you feel refreshed and ready to take on your day!

Hey everyone! My name is Taylor and I go to Scarborough High School! I play three sports and love to exercise! The feeling after exercising is unlike anything else and it always makes me feel wonderful. Whether it turns a bad day into a good day, or a good day into a great day, exercise always makes me feel better.