Ima major health freak when it comes to looking my best, i need some SUPER health tips! :)

Question

Kk so im 14 and already a MAJOR health freak!

Well being 14 i probably dont know everything..right? Well all im asking is for:

1-what foods are good to eat and what arent

2-what drinks should i avoid or drink more ((juice??))

3-How much should i run ((remembering that i run cross country every day))

4-and/or random tips anyone has for me! :)

you guys/girls would be awesome if u could give me a few tips! thanks!

Answer 1

I think a vegetarian diet is the best thing anyone can do for their body. My friends and I are XC and our 5k's used to be in the 24-26 min. My two friends went vegan and I went vegetarian and now we PR (PR= Personal Record) like crazy! Since they're twins they tend to get the same times and they are racing an average of 20 minutes. I don't think a vegan diet is the best for you, vegetarian or even a minimal meat intake is the best. My PR is 19:53 for a 5k! I am a strict vegetarian and I limit my milk and other dairy intake. As far as drinks, I drink mostly water with the occasional juice or pop. Avoid processed foods and high sugar/fatty foods. Depending on what you are training for or are just maintaining health, I run anywhere from 4-8 miles a day. I give myself a day or two off a week for rest though. Don't forget your strength work! I wish you luck in being as healthy as you can, just try to follow a natural human diet, no processed food. The human diet should be mostly fruits and vegetables with a minority of meats and dairy.  

Answer 2

1. It's as simple as taking a look at what you are eating. Fast food is generally bad, but I'm sure every restaurant has a few okay foods. Some good foods include: Salads, Eggs, Spaghetti, Bananas, etc.

Take a look at the food labels and you can make sure you aren't eating badly. Guessing from your age and activity level, 250g Carbohydrates, 50g Fat (make sure that no more than 20g are saturated fats!), and 100g Protein.

2. Tap water, Gatorade, milk. This is all you can drink. As for the gatorade, make sure you are watching how many servings you are drinking, too much is bad!

3. An XC practice is enough running. Make sure you are running on the days you have "off" like sundays. Saturdays are usually meets, so usually the 5K, so feel free to go a heavy 6 or 7 miles on the next day.

4. Warm up before your runs, 5-10 minutes is enough (about 1 mile), properly do dynamic stretches after that. Then do your workout. After that, cooldown, then finally dynamic stretches. Then eat something high in carbs and protein. Sleep right, tossing and turning, too little sleep, irregular habits, etc, are bad.

Good luck, don't get too wrapped up in the health craze.

Answer 3

1-The goal of nutrition is to provide your body with nutrients that you need for daily activity.  As such, be sure to get a bit of everything, and at proper times.  To be more specific (and more helpful), be sure to get carbohydrates, proteins, vegetables, etc.  Make sure to eat breakfast daily.  eat however you feel best matches your needs, whether that means a big lunch and a big dinner, or smaller snacks throughout the day.  I personally split lunch into two meals, to keep my energy level constant throughout the day.

Foods that aren't good to eat are what are generally called "Junk Foods", they are okay as a treat, and in moderation, but try not to eat much of them.  For example, eating a few cookies won't ruin your running, but eating a box every day surely will.

2-Drinking relates to hydration, and is a VERY important part of any runner's daily activity.  water is a very important drink, and be sure you drink enough so as to be hydrated.  checking the color of your urine (lighter, non-rank smelling is best) is a way to check for hydration.

Juice is good, as it provides nutrients as well as hydrates you.  However, it tends to have high amounts of sugar.  the way to counterbalance the sugar, and prevent a "sugar rush", is to water down the juice.  Do not water it down too much, or you won't have the flavor of the juice.  I tend to do a 60-40 or 70-30 mixture, juice to water.  I find it tastes better because it isn't so strong.

3-You shouldn't need to run more than XC has you run.  Remember, you are running several miles a day on the team, and that in itself will keep you in shape.  If you're looking for distance because you don't know if what you're doing is sufficient, i would need to know more, such as your level of fitness, times, workouts, etc.  It also depends on if you are starting out or are trying to simply maintain fitness.

4-Stretch well, it prevents injury.  Anything here that you'd like help with, along with any running questions, racing, training, or otherwise, you can ask me.  Feel free to email me.

Sorry to be so longwinded.

Hope it helps!

~Abab