The Science of Nutrition / Essentials of Teenage Health

Explore carbohydrates as a macronutrient that breaks down into sugar, starch, or fiber, supplies the body’s main energy, and note that different carbohydrates provide different energy and functions.

Compare simple and complex carbohydrates by chemical structure and digestion, and discover how complex carbs help maintain steady blood sugar, fiber intake, vitamins, and overall health.

Explore complex carbohydrates, especially starches, and how fiber from plants supports blood sugar balance, digestion, and fullness with daily fiber goals of 25–30 grams.

Explore how simple carbohydrates like sugar affect blood sugar spikes, distinguish natural from added sugars, and learn to read labels to limit hidden sugars in everyday foods.

Learn how 45–60 percent of daily calories come from carbohydrates, the body's main energy source, including simple and complex types, and use my plate guidelines—fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—for meals.

The body uses carbs for energy and then turns to protein and fat. Complex carbs limit blood sugar spikes, and daily fiber intake should be 25–30 grams.

Define protein as amino acids, distinguishing essential and nonessential types, and identify animal and plant sources. Learn protein's role in muscle recovery, body functions, and daily intake guidelines.

Explore how fats are built from triglycerides and fatty acids, and how saturated, unsaturated, cis, and trans fats influence health.

Explore the roles of fat as energy, insulation, organ protection, and vitamin absorption, and distinguish trans, saturated, and unsaturated fats with sources and health implications.

Discover how water soluble vitamins, including vitamin c and b complex, are absorbed, not stored, and require daily intake. Fat soluble vitamins a, d, e, k are stored in fat.

Minerals support every cell and keep brain, muscles, heart, and bones functioning while enabling enzymes, hormones, and body-wide communication; macro, micro, and trace minerals meet through a balanced diet.

Learn how water powers the body, supports digestion and circulation, and helps prevent dehydration, while guiding daily intake—about eight glasses a day—and its role in weight management.

Learn to read the nutrition facts label, starting with serving size and calories, then macronutrients, micronutrients, and the 5% or 20% daily value rule.

Boost gut health through regular exercise, a balanced diet of macronutrients and micronutrients, fiber, and probiotics, and stay hydrated to support digestion and overall health.

Explore daily health habits and small changes that support body health, focusing on nutrition, drinking water, and macronutrients for lasting improvements.

Define probiotics as bacteria that confer health benefits when administered in adequate amounts and survive digestion. Support gut barrier, immune function, and metabolic health by producing short chain fatty acids.

Explore how the Hadza's seasonal diets shape their gut microbiota, with dry-season fibrous foods boosting fiber-loving microbes and wet-season sugars from honey reducing diversity.

Teens should prioritize fiber to support digestion, fullness, and heart health. Learn your daily goal of 25–30 g and easy sources like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Discover how the microbiome's 38 trillion organisms inhabit your body and support digestion. Understand how seeding from mom and daily environment shape a unique, half human, half microbial superorganism.