What are some common dieting myths?

A lot of people believe that depends on what time of day you eat a certain food as to how it affects their body weight, and that’s not true: calories are calories. Or that certain types of calories, like carbohydrates, proteins or fats, that one is worse than the other.

What are some quick excercises that can be done by someone who is short on time?

Walking is easy to do, or jogging. Basic excercises like pushups or situps and burpees are good.

What would you suggest to include in an ideal breakfast?

In an ideal breakfast, you’d definitely want some protein as well as a carbohydrate. A bowl of cereal would be fine but you would need maybe a fruit to go with that as well as some protein like peanut butter and toast.

How can lack of sleep affect the physical well-being of teenagers?

It can actually lower your metabolism, which can affect their health. It’s really going to affect their cognative abilities. It also might decrease their motivation to excercise because they get in that cycle of, “I’m tired. I’m too tired to work out.” So they don’t work out and they don’t have any energy; they don’t have any energy so they want to sleep; they sleep too much and it just cycles upon itself.

How can working out affect someones mood?

It can change the chemical makeup of your brain just like a drug can, that’s why they call it a “runner’s high,” and it can cause you to feel that intense feeling of euphoria and satisfaction.

What are the benefits of dietary supplements and protein shakes?

Most people generally don’t need it unless you are participating in a sport-specific activity that you are going to do for a long term amount of time. For example, if you are planning on being a [NCAA] Division I athlete then you might need to do something like that, but the average teenager does not need to take supplements. The best way to get more protein in your diet is just to eat more protein in your diet.

What are some common habits of teenagers that are generally bad for their health?

They skip breakfast, then they don’t eat a snack, so by lunch they eat a larger amount of food than they would normally eat, but yet they’re still in calorie deficit so by the time they get home and eat dinner, they eat a larger amount of food and still dont feel full, so then they snack in the evening, which is the worst thing you can do to your metabolism.

What would you suggest for a midday snack?

Any type of fruit or vegetables or any type of whole grain granola bars or things like that. You should eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner; you should eat five or six times a day.

How often should someone excercise per week?

You’re supposed to excercise three to five times a week, so at least on most days of the week. You’re also supposed to get an hour of physical activity every day, physical activity just meaning movement. For excercise, three days a week is just going to maintain whatever fitness level you currently have. If you want to improve, you’re going to need to go five or six times a week.

Does it matter what time of day you work out?

A lot of people say that you should work out early in the morning. I personally think that you need to work out at whatever time you’re most motivated to work out. If you’re not motivated to work out at 5:30 a.m., you’re not going to do it. If the evening works better for your schedule, I think that’s more important than picking a time of day that might be more beneficial.