Vegetarianism

A person who eats no meat is called a vegetarian. The diet of a strict vegetarian includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereal grains, and

plant oils. The protein that strict vegetarians eat comes primarily from cereals, legumes, and nuts. Other types of vegetarians may add eggs and dairy products to their diets. For these vegetarians, half of their protein comes from milk, cheese and eggs and other half from plants.

Vegetarians are less likely than others to suffer from overweight and heart disease, problems associated with eating too much animal protein and fat. Variety, however, is especially important in vegetarian diet. If your family is not vegetarian, you may also need to learn how to prepare a cheese souffle or a vegetable-bean soup. Using fish and seafood in a vegetarian diet is another way to introduce variety. If a vegetarian diet appeals to you, check your menu plans with your doctor or school nurse to be sure your meals are well balanced.

FAST FOOD

Tom and his friend Dave drop by their favourite fast-food restaurant several times a week for a meal of hamburgers, fries, and shakes. Their parents complain that this food will not provide the vitamins and minerals needed by growing teenagers. Their coach insists that their diet of high-fat, high-caloric food will interfere with their athletic performance. The boys who are active and not overweight, see no reason to change their eating habits.

Fast-food meals like Tom's and Dave's are the cause of much discussions. Diets that continue to be high in fat may be linked with heart disease and certain cancers in later years. High-caloric diets may result in a gradual weight gain, which is difficult to lose once growth has stopped and taste for such foods has formed. A typical meal of a cheeseburger, fries and a shake provides a whopping 1000 calories. This kind of caloric intake when you grow older could cause serious weight problems.

If you enjoy fast-food meals once in a while, consider substituting milk or orange juice for shakes or sodas. Use salad in place of fries. If you form wise food habits now, they will help you throughout your adult years.

FOOD ALLERGIES

Have you ever eaten a shrimp salad and developed an unpleasant rash? If so, you probably have an allergy? A food allergy is a condition in which the body's cells respond to a particular food by releasing substances that cause fluid to leak into the surrounding tissues. Symptoms such as rashes, a runny nose, diarrhea, coughing and sneezing are generally caused by the release of histamine. Histamine, a substance normally released in small amounts, is released in toxic amounts when you eat foods to which you are allergic.

If your doctor does not know for sure which foods are causing your allergy, he or she may refer you to an allergist, a person who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies. The allergist can conduct a series of scratch tests or skin tests. In a skin test, tiny portions of the suspected foods are injected just below the surface of your skin, usually on your back. If your skin swells or becomes red, you are probably allergic to that food.

Once the allergist has identified the foods to which you are allergic, you can eliminate these foods from your diet. Of course this can be frustrating when you crave the foods you should avoid.

Review.

1. Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

2. Why are vegetarians not likely to suffer from over-weight and heart disease?

3. What steps can you take to enjoy occasional fast food meals and get the nutrients you need?

4. If you suddenly developed an allergy to eggs, what would you do to adjust your diet?

Food Affects Appearance

The relationship between body weight and diet is fairly well- known. However the ways in which food affects your height and body built, nails, skin and teeth are not quite so obvious.

When you were a child you may remember being told to drink your milk. The nutrients in milk are important in the building of bones and teeth. How many of you still drink milk regularly? You should because at this time of your life your body still needs the nutrients in milk. In fact throughout life the body needs these nutrients. However a smaller amount is needed as a person ages. These nutrients help you to grow as tall as you can and to keep you strong and healthy. Even after you reach your full height you need milk and milk products to keep bones and teeth strong.

Decayed teeth and red, swollen, bleeding gums are not attractive. One way to prevent these problems is through proper diet. For example, eating too much sugar is one major cause of tooth decay. Not enough vitamin C can cause gum problems.

Skin, hair and nails need certain nutrients to be healthy and attractive. These nutrients can be had by eating a well-balanced diet.

Mental Health

Research shows that what people eat is related to mental health as well as physical health. For example, do you know that what you eat or don't eat can have an affect on how well you do at the University? On your mood? On how well you can concentrate?

Studies have shown that students who are hungry and poorly nourished tend to have more difficulty in learning and concentrating than do those who are adequately nourished.

If you are a breakfast or lunch skipper you may be making problems for yourself in studies. You may feel tired. Constant snacking instead of eating well-balanced meals regularly can affect how well you can learn and concentrate.

Skipping meals may affect your mood or the way you feel emotionally. Inadequate nutrition can make people irritable and quick to get angry. Some people get a headache when you skip just one meal. You know that a headache doesn't make you fun to be around!

Activity

During the last week, have you felt moody? Irritable? Unable to concentrate? Energetic? Happy?

Make a list of what you ate and drank in the last week and the times of day you consumed the foods and beverages. Was there variety in your diet? Did you eat regularly? What relationship do you see between your diet and your moods and energy level? What changes might you make to improve your eating habits?

The Importance of Fitness

Do you think you are physically fit? You may think that a program of vigorous exercise leads to fitness. Certainly it helps you to become fit, but it is not the only factor. Rest, sleep and good nutrients help your body to build and repair itself and prepare you for exercise.

When you are physically fit, your body's systems work as a team allowing you to breathe easily and contract your muscles in coordinated movement.

Physical fitness is the ability of the heart, blood vessels, lungs and muscles to work together to meet the body's needs. Everyone can be physically fit.

There are four components or parts to fitness. They are: cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility.

Cardiorespiratory endurance is the ability of a muscle to exert or resist a force. Muscular strength is basic to all sports and many everyday activities. When you push, pull or lift an object for example your muscles are exerting a force. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle or a group of muscles to apply force over a period of time. When you rake leaves, shovel snow or do sit-ups, you are performing acts of muscular endurance.

Flexibility is the ability to use a muscle throughout its entire range of motion. This means that you can bend, stretch and twist your joints easily. If your muscles are flexible you are less apt to become stiff when

you exercise. You can also improve your flexibility through a program of slow, steady stretching, followed by a brisk walk.

Measuring Fitness

Now that you know the components of fitness, you may want to try to measure your own fitness. Keep in mind that individual differences, such as age, weight, height, bone structure and muscle and fat distribution affect your performance.

You can your cardiorespiratory endurance, or the ability of your heart and lungs to supply your body with oxygen, by using the step test. For this test, you need a partner with a stopwatch and a sturdy box or stair that measures about 20. centimetres high. Before you take the test, count your pulse. Now step up on the box or stair with one foot; then bring your other foot up. Take your first foot down and than the other foot. Continue stepping on and off the step every two seconds for three minutes. Have your partner count the seconds for you. If you experience pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness while taking the test, stop at once. Otherwise complete the test, then count your pulse for 60 seconds. This count will allow you to compare your heart rate before and after exercising. The lower your score, the better your heart recovers from strain.

To measure your muscular strength and endurance, lie on your back with your knees bent. Cross your arms over chest and place your hands on opposite shoulders. Have your partner hold your feet flat on the floor. Carefully curl your back and raise your trunk until your lower back is perpendicular to the floor. Then lower yourself to the starting position. Do as many of these sit-ups as you can in 60 seconds.

Look at the figure below to find your score.

SIT - UPS
RATING	GIRLS	BOYS
Outstanding	40+	45+
Excellent	35-39	40-44
Good	30-34	35-39
Average	25-29	30-34
Fair	20-24	25-29
Low	15-19	20-24
Poor	Less than 15	Less than 20

STEP TEST
RATING	PULSE RATE (30 SECONDS)
Outstanding	50 or less
Excellent	51-55
Good	56-60
Average	61-65
Fair	66-70
Low	71-75
Poor	76 plus

You can determine your general flexibility by taking the sit-and- reach test. Sit with your legs straight and your feet flat against a box. Bend forward from the waist while stretching your arms forward as far as you can. Hold this position for a count of three. Have a partner use a ruler to measure the distance you reach. If you cannot reach or can only reach the edge of the box, your score will be negative. If you reach beyond the edge your score will be positive.

Although there are tests that will measure the fitness of your heart, blood vessels and lungs, there may be some that you cannot perform. This does not mean that you are not physically fit. It does mean that these tests do not meet your particular needs. Perhaps your doctor or gym instructor can suggest alternatives for you.

To stay physically fit you should exercise frequently at least four times a week. To stimulate your heart, lungs and muscles you must work your cardiorespiratory and muscular systems with greater-than-normal effort or intensity. This means raising your heart rate during exercise. Finally you must exercise a certain amount of time during each exercise period. Most research suggests that 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous exercise four times a week will lead to greater fitness.

REVIEW.

1. What are the four components of fitness?

2. List the factors that might affect your performance on fitness tests.

3. Describe two tests that can be used to rate different types of endurance.

Exercise And You

Because your body was made for activity, lungs and blood vessels with regular exercise is as important to your health as getting enough rest and eating nutritious foods. Regular exercise helps you to stay at or move toward the wellness and of the Illness-Wellness continuum.

What happens inside you when you run, swim, hike or enjoy some other form of exercise? As the muscle in your arms, shoulders or legs alternately contract and relax, they burn food to generate the energy they need. Because your muscles are using up energy more quickly than when you are sitting still, they need to be supplied more rapidly with food and oxygen. To meet the increased needs of your muscles, your heart beats two or three times its normal resting rate. You breathe more rapidly and deeply. The flow of blood to your heart, lungs and skeletal muscles increase as your blood vessels dilate or widen. Your blood pressure and body temperature rise and begin to sweat.

Because blood circulates more rapidly through vessels dilated from exercise, it brings oxygen and nutrients to, and removes wastes from,

11