During my years as a competitive high school athlete, I struggled to manage my weight due to changes in practice schedules and tournament participation. I went from being super active during the season to practicing without a rigid schedule during the off-season. Consequently, my weight yo-yo’d up and down. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to programs like we have today, which could have helped me with my health and weight management. (See 10 Things I Know as a Nutritionist That I Wish I’d Known as an Athlete.)

Professional athletes, even those not watching their weight, keep detailed accounts of their daily meals to help with their athletic performance. Thankfully, we now live in a world where smartphones and computers are always on hand to simplify the process. If you want to make sure you are fully supporting your athlete goals or managing your weight, here are three ways that the Figure Facts’ Teens Nutrition app can support you:

Determine Your Basic Nutritional Needs to Be a Champion On and Off the Field.

With changes in your physical activity and sporting event schedule, it’s important to know how to adjust your food intake to meet (and not exceed) your nutritional needs. A program like the Figure Facts’ Teens Nutrition app can help you see the difference in your nutritional needs by adjusting the physical activity factor to match your current level. This should help prevent the unwanted weight gain that is so often associated with an off-season reduction in activity levels.

Identify Nutrient Levels for Optimal Performance.

As a teenager, it’s vital for you to get enough calcium for strong bones; adequate iron to carry oxygen in your blood to meet the demands of your muscles; and antioxidants, Vitamin A, C and E to ensure healthy skin and immune system integrity for peak performance. Figure Facts’ Teens Nutrition app will help you see if you are falling short in these essential nutrients and if you are getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables to fire up your immune system. (Check out Decoding Food Labels to Improve Your Diet and Performance.)

Tap into Your Virtual Registered Dietitian (RD).

Unlike other apps, Figure Facts’ Teens Nutrition gives you a way to contact an RD to ask a question, request that a food item be added to the database or even set up an appointment with an RD in your area. Just click on the guide and then contact us. You can also send your food records and journaled items by email right from the app to your physician or dietitian for their review and comments. If you are managing diabetes or have weight concerns, this is a super cool feature.

I created this program to teach teens everywhere that they don’t have to struggle with decisions about what and how much to eat. Download Figure Facts’ Teens Nutrition app today, and your health management tool will be only a click away. Here’s to your health and peak performance.

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