The Care and Keeping of You 2. Cara Natterson

absorbs nutrients

      much better from whole

      foods than from a pill.

      Foods That Can Fool You

      Respecting your body is as much about keeping bad things out of it as it is

      about putting good things in. Junk food doesn’t help you grow in a healthy way,

      and it sometimes leaves you feeling tired or can lead to stomach aches. Some

      junk foods are obvious: candy, cakes, ice cream, and fried foods (such as chips

      and French fries). But the ones that can fool you are usually drinks!

      Soda, vitamin-enriched water, and sports drinks are usually packed with sugars,

      artificial flavorings, and fake colors. They add calories to your body without

      bringing any nutrition. Unless you are an elite athlete, you don’t need a sports

      drink after a game—water is better. Some of these drinks also have caffeine,

      a chemical that can keep you up at night or interrupt your sleep, potentially

      making you moody and slowing your growth.

      Even though you might know which foods aren’t good for you, cravings still

      creep up. The best rule is to keep junk foods to a minimum. This means that

      if you have already eaten something junky, you should be done with treats for

      the day. And when you choose a food that you know isn’t great for you, eat a

      reasonable amount and don’t overdo it!

      In addition to junk food, it’s also important to stay away from cigarettes, alcohol,

      and drugs. Each can hurt your body in different ways and can make you think

      unclearly or act foolishly. If your doctor gives you a prescription medicine, it is

      meant for you and only you—don’t ever offer your medicine to someone else,

      and don’t take someone else’s medicine yourself.

      When in Doubt, Keep It Out!

      When you walk through the grocery store or pharmacy, you will see lots of

      different vitamins and supplements promising all sorts of results. The bottle

      may say, “Take this and lose weight!” or “Build strong muscles!” Or the label may

      have a picture of a person who looks the way you would like to look. Don’t

      believe everything that is advertised! Many of these products won’t do what

      they say they will. Even worse, some are dangerous to a growing, changing body

      like yours. Talk to your parents and a doctor about what supplements are safe

      and healthy for your body. And when in doubt, keep it out!

      Your New Look

      As your body matures, get ready to grow in different

      directions.

      Figure Facts

      You may start to notice new curves where you never had

      them—particularly around your thighs, hips, waist, and

      breasts. Your body may look bigger than it used to, or

      your pants may feel tighter in some places. All of these

      changes are normal. But curves aren’t required! It’s com-

      mon for your body to begin to look more like the bodies

      of other women in your family. So if your mom is long,

      lean, and less curvy, you might shape up the same way.

      Body shapes are meant to be different, and just because

      you’re developing faster than your friend is or slower than

      your older sister did, it doesn’t mean there is anything

      wrong with you. Girls can grow tall before they gain

      weight, or they can gain weight before they grow tall.

      In most cases, in order to grow into a taller, healthy

      teenager, you need to gain weight. And to gain weight,

      you need to increase the amount of food you eat. That’s

      because it takes a lot of energy for your body to stretch

      and grow, and food provides this fuel. Sometimes girls are

      nervous about gaining weight, thinking that it means they

      are becoming overweight and unhealthy. But the truth is

      that healthy weight gain is normal and important.

      Good Growing

      Your doctor will weigh and measure you each year and

      will let you know whether you are gaining at the right

      pace for you. To do this, your doctor will use a mathemat-

      ical equation called body mass index, or BMI, which bases your weight on your height.

      You don’t need to worry about doing the math; that’s the

      doctor’s job. The most important lesson is to know that

      when it comes to your weight, you’re not alone. If your

      doctor has concerns—if your weight is too low or too

      high—then you will work together with your doctor

      and your parents to make a healthy plan. It’s usually

      not necessary to check your weight at home, and for

      this reason most doctors recommend that families get

      rid of their scales.

      Reaching New Heights

      Get ready to grow!

      Ready, Set, Grow!

      Since toddler age, you’ve grown about two inches every

      year. But at some point, usually around age 9 or 10,

      you’ll enter a growth spurt and grow faster than ever

      before. The average girl grows three and a half inches per

      year during this time. And whether it happens earlier or

      later during puberty (the time when the body begins to develop and change), it almost always lasts about two to three years.

      But your body may grow in unpredictable ways. You could

      grow fast when you’re young, and then stop growing

      before other girls even begin their growth spurts, making

      you the tallest girl in elementary school but one of the

      shorter girls in high school. Or maybe you’ll have your

      growth spurt much later, surprising friends in high school

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