I have another job for you--the Westside Teen Nutrition Clinic receives nutrition questions from the public on our web site. Basically, our teen audience writes in with questions that have them a bit stumped.  We get lots of questions each day, so all of our staff members take turns answering them.

I would appreciate it if you would answer the latest question we received.  I’ve included it here:

>Question from clinic web site:

My mom keeps nagging me to eat healthier these days.  I hear the words “vitamins” and “minerals” tossed around a lot and I know they’re both supposed to be good for me, but that’s all I really know!  I admit, I’m kinda clueless.  I don’t know what they are, or why we need them, or even the difference between them.

- From Kinda Clueless

When you write your reply, keep in mind that we are not just trying to answer the question; we want to educate our teens about good nutrition and how it all works in their bodies. So, be as detailed as you can, and make sure it’s understandable so teenagers can easily digest the information.

I’ve attached an example of a question from the web site that I answered recently.  In my example, you’ll see that I told the teen about the chemical details, using accurate terminology like ion, salt (in the chemical sense), chemical reaction, amino acid, hormone, etc. – basically, all the science behind the nutrition.  You really should go into a similar level of detail when you answer your question.  For example, you’ll want to spell out the differences between vitamins and minerals, mention a couple specific types of each and talk about their function.  Really be thorough.

Thanks,

Pat Niren
Head Dietitian
Westside Teen Nutrition Clinic