Sophomore wrestler Ethan looked more energetic when he originally cut sugar and sweets out of his diet. “I feel better especially when I work out in the gym,” he said. Teens have been repeatedly told that sleep is important.  Some go to bed very early and others go to bed really late. 

Studies show that having a better diet can lead to better weight loss, mental health and better sleep. 

“Data shows that eating less fiber, more saturated fat and more sugar throughout the day is linked with lighter, less restorative sleep,’’ according to Sarah DiGiulio, NBC News. 

Local PE teacher Susan Lockhart thinks the best way for a young person to start a diet is to begin an awareness of what is consumed by reading the nutrition labels and understanding what it is in the food being eaten. 

“There’s a lot of hidden sugars in food that people don’t understand about,” Lockhart said.

Even yogurt has hidden sugars that are not good for a diet. Some people avoid eating processed foods at all and eat all natural foods. Some natural foods that do not have hidden sugars are eggs, beans, nuts, apples, and soup. 

‘’Tips on eating healthy are to try to stay in balance, try to stay as close to nature as possible, think back to ancestrally, like how we ate then and again we really come into a time with a lot of manufactured food,” Lockhart said.

Some foods that can provide better sleep are  kiwi, rice, fatty fish and nuts, or there’s even a diet for better sleep that includes eating fish, almonds, turkey, chamomile tea, and passion flower tea. 

We know that caffeine can keep us awake: It’s why many of us start the day with a cup of coffee or regular tea. 

But, “caffeine can be found in a wide variety of foods and beverages,”according to Johns Hopkins sleep expert Rachel E. Salas, M.D. 

Eating healthy can be fun and you can make good healthy food. Just have fun with it and do your best to stay on the diet.