Tigger says physical exercise is GGGREATTTT!!!!!

     The Common Curriculum requires that by the end of grade 3 students should be able to identify behaviours that contribute to the maintenance of a healthy body (P28).

     How do we teach children to care for their bodies?  By helping them make healthy eating choices, by showing them the negative effects of such personal choices as smoking and drinking, and even helping them notice how advertising encourages the use of both negative and positive habits.

     Let's first take a look at our how our bodies function:

                         1. HOW THE BODY FUNCTIONS

     Children must demonstrate an awareness that the body must be properly cared for so that they can maintain the level of fitness required for participation in various activities.  Children can help their body function at its best by giving it the proper care.  For example:

1) Eat a balanced diet of nutritious foods each day.  Food supplies us with energy and helps us grow strong.

2) Exercise regularly.  Exercise helps keep our body fit by strengthening our muscles.  It improves the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to cells.

3) Get plenty of sleep.  Sleep restores our energy after a day of hard work or hard play.  It gives damaged cells time to repair themselves.

4) Children need regular medical and dental checkups.

                                                               2. EATING HABITS/STYLES    

     a) Junk Food doesn't do the body good.  

      A newsletter from the Children's Nutrition Research Centre has informed us that 2/3 of children between the ages of 6 and 19 consume food and drink away from home.  Because of this, more kids are making unhealthy eating choices at fast food restaurants because they are quick and easy.

     Our bodies need these five kinds of nutrients to stay healthy:  Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Children need a mixture of these foods.  This is called a balanced diet.  Eating too much fat can make children overweight, and brings a risk of heart disease. Foods that contain lots of fat are eggs, cheese, fatty meats, sausages and salami.

 Let's take a look at what else this article has to say by clicking here:

      If quick and easy meals are the problem, then finding recipes that are manageable and creative seems to be the solution.  There are many fun ways to create meals that children will love to eat during breakfast, lunch and dinner that they can take with them, or snacks during school hours or when children can't be home.  

           Click here for some funky recipes that make eating a treat!

       b) Vitamins    

     To view a current newsletter that talks about the effects of children's development and how not being healthy can effect school performance, click here:  

     Kathleen Motil from the Children's Nutrition research Centre believes vitamins are unnecessary if a child is healthy and consumes a well balanced diet.  

   Healthy Herb has a top 10 worst and best list of foods for children to consume.  His top 10 of the most nutritious foods consists of no-fat ice cream, air popped popcorn, low fat hot dogs, extra lean beef, skim or 1% milk and cheerios.   The worst to eat foods consist of french fries, pizza, bologna, chocolate bars, pop and hamburgers. 

For more to read from a recent newsletter, click here:

   3) PERSONAL CHOICES/LIVING HABITS (social, emotional, physical)

     Almost as much of a concern for the environment is a concern about substance abuse: drugs, alcohol and smoking.  Some people say when persons take drugs they feel like they are on top of the world but when the effects wear off we don't feel that way anymore.  Drug users feel on top of the world because their body took in something new but after a while our bodies get tired of the same stuff every day and soon begins to deteriorate.

     For some effective methods on what to say to children when dealing with drug issues, how you can tell when children are using drugs and reasons why children use drugs, click here  

   4)   EXERCISING

     It is very important for young children to be physically active inside and outside the school.  Teachers must implement lessons that inform students that taking care of their bodies is important because our bodies are with us for our entire lives.

     Playing sports or following a program of regular exercises will help strengthen our muscles.  Always begin with stretching followed by a warmup that will increase the supply of blood to the muscles.  This prepares a child for the activity to follow.

    For some excellent exercise safety tips for children, click here:

   5) GIVING IN TO ADVERTISING

     Children today are being bombarded by advertising on the television and radio, on billboards and during the sponsorship of entertainment and sporting events.   For example, drinking has varied from studies showing its disadvantages to those that promote the heart benefits of drinking a glass or 2 once a day.  A recent newsletter talks about a few different areas where advertising has not ceased to be a negative threat.  Click here to read:                                                                                                It is important that as teachers we are very aware of all the areas that nutrition, fitness and health covers so that we can be informative to our students and promote the best environment conducive to learning.  Our bodies are engines that need fuel to survive.  If we run our bodies down and don't receive regular tuneups we can't expect to have a long life.  But we can't turn our bodies in for a newer model.  With representations such as these, maybe we can ensure that our students will understand the importance of keeping healthy.