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- Weightlifting
-Running
-Yoga
- Playing Sports
- Biking
- Swimming
- Stretching
- Walking
- Skiing
- Rock-Climbing

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Think a vegetable can't teach you anything? Well think again! Try these cool experiments and activities and see what you learn!

Colourful celery experiment

Place a celery stalk in a clear container. Fill it up three-quarters full with brightly coloured water (just add some food colouring). Look at what happens over the next few days. You should see the celery drinking the water.

Try the experiment with other plants - maybe one with a white flower. What do you predict will happen?

Plants draw the water up their stem and send it on to their leaves and petals. Carefully cut the stem. Can you see the coloured water inside?
Like the celery, your body is mostly water. Without water your body won't work properly.
Salty potato experiment

Cut a potato in half. Fill two saucers/dishes with water. Mix salt into one of the dishes and then label them so you which one has the salty water. Place one potato half into each dish with the cut/flat side down - watch what happens after about 30 minutes. The salt water draws the water out of the potato, causing it to shrivel.
Like the potato, salty food and drinks make people thirsty. You should only have these foods occasionally.
Vegetable person drawing

Draw your own 'vegetable person' using real vegetables, photos of vegetables or a combination of both.

The picture of Vegieman may give you some ideas.
It's good to eat a variety of vegetables over the week. Be daring and try some new ones. You'll be surprised how good they taste!
Traffic light fruit kebabs

To make traffic light fruit kebabs, you'll need:

red fruit, such as strawberries or plums

orange fruit, such as rockmelon or mandarin

green fruit, such as honeydew, green grapes or kiwi fruit

wooden skewers or large tooth picks.

Cut the fruit into bite-size chunks or balls. Thread a piece of red, orange and green fruit on a stick to make it look like a traffic light. You might be able to fit two traffic lights on a longer stick - or even more!

The kebabs are now ready to eat and enjoy. What's your favourite colour?

As a special and healthy treat, make a plate of kebabs for your family or friends - but make sure you pull the stick out before you eat them!

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Think a vegetable can't teach you anything? Well think again! Try these cool experiments and activities and see what you learn! Place a celery stalk in a clear container. Fill it up three-quarters full with brightly coloured water (just add some food colouring). Look at what happens over the next few days.

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As you get older, drug use and alcohol consumption can damage your health. Your increase your likelihood of liver damage, heart attacks, and many other physical and emotional issues.

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The Route of Alcohol through the Body

Alcohol travels through the body from the mouth, to the stomach, into the circulatory system, the brain, kidneys, lungs, and liver. As alcohol is consumed and absorbed, the following may occur:

Alcohol passes over sensitive membranes which may become irritated if the alcohol content is high enough

Heavy drinkers run a much higher risk of mouth and throat cancer

Alcohol does not have to be digested as its molecule is very small and can easily pass through the stomach lining

When the stomach is empty, alcohol passes directly into the bloodstream

When the stomach has food in it, particularly food high in protein, the rate of alcohol absorption is slowed but not stopped

Carbonation in beverages that may be mixed with alcohol speeds up alcohol absorption

Alcohol in small amounts stimulates the appetite because of an increase in the flow of stomach juices

Because of the large amounts of stomach juices produced, greater amounts of alcohol dull the appetite and can cause malnutrition

Excessive alcohol consumption stimulates the flow of gastric juices in the stomach and when combined with the high alcohol content causes irritation to the lining of the stomach resulting in ulcers

When the concentration of alcohol and gastric juices becomes high enough and irritation to the lining is increased, the reflex action of vomiting is triggered as the body's way of relieving some of this irritation

20% of alcohol consumed is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach and 80% (the remaining alcohol) is absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine

Circulatory system

Once in the bloodstream, alcohol is quickly distributed evenly throughout the body

Alcohol dilates or widens the blood vessels as it enters the bloodstream causing:

greater flow of blood to the skin surface (blushing)

temporary feeling of warmth

increased heat loss and rapid body temperature decrease

drop in blood pressure

When alcohol reaches the brain it immediately affects the brain's ability to control behavior and body functions

As the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream (BAC levels) increases, the body's functions and behaviors change

At specific BAC levels the effects are:

BAC .02% Judgment, inhibitions, and emotions begin to be affected and results are increased relaxation and excessive talking

BAC .06% Reaction time is decreased, coordination is affected, but neither may be very obvious

BAC .10% Vision, speech, balance, perception and self control are affected

BAC .18% Walking and standing are noticeably affected. (walking a straight line, buttoning a coat)

BAC .20% Memory is impaired, the brain centers for intelligence, emotions and sensory motor abilities are affected; cannot think clearly and become excited or angered easily

BAC .30% The body is thrown into a complete state of confusion and the signs are: slurred speech, double vision, hearing impairment, difficult or impossible to judge distances, no longer able to walk normally and sudden mood changes

BAC .40% The brain can barely function and the nervous system is ineffective ; the person is unconscious or almost unconscious; the body may seem frozen or barely able to move, vomiting or uncontrolled urination may occur

BAC .50% A person slips into a coma; breathing, heart action and blood pressure are decreased drastically to a dangerously low point; the brain cannot control body temperature; death can and often does occur

More info on effects of alcohol on brain.

Kidneys

Alcohol acts as a diuretic which means it increases urine formation

A person will urinate more frequently causing dehydration and thirst

Alcohol in its gaseous state, can be inhaled into the lungs and from there will go rapidly into the bloodstream

Five percent of the alcohol taken into the body leaves through the lungs, kidneys, and the skin; the rest is removed by the liver

Ninety-five percent of alcohol that is put into the body leaves the body when it is oxidized in the liver

oxidation is the converting of alcohol into water and carbon dioxide

the liver can only oxidize about one drink per hour. (This is the reason that only time can sober up a person.)

Alcohol damages the liver when it is consumed on a regular basis. Damage that occurs include:

Fatty Liver

Alcohol interferes with the liver's ability to break down fats which collect in the liver

When drinking stops, the condition is usually reversed

Cirrhosis of the liver

Heavy alcohol use destroys normal liver tissue and it is replaced by scar tissue.

Cirrhosis of the liver decreases blood flow and liver functioning

Progressive cirrhosis (scarring or hardening of liver)

Download diagram on alcohol and body (PDF)

Alcohol and health

Alcohol in low doses reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, with 80% reduced risk at a consumption of two drinks per day (20g alcohol)

Beyond two drinks per day the risk of heart disease increases, being more than the risk of an abstainer

With heavy drinking, any potential benefits are outweighed by greater risks

Anderson, P. & Baumberg, B. (2006) Alcohol in Europe, A Public Health Perspective. A Report for the European Commission.

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Alcohol travels through the body from the mouth, to the stomach, into the circulatory system, the brain, kidneys, lungs, and liver.

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Unhealthy Lack of Sleep, or Too Much Sleep

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Unhealthy Lack of Sleep, or Too Much Sleep

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Oversleeping, or not getting enough sleep can impact your mood negatively, and hurt you in school and in sports.

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How oversleeping and lack of sleep affect your child's mood | Children's National

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It is essential that parents observe and monitor their child's sleeping schedule to ensure they are not suffering from lack of sleep.

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The amount of sleep you need each night depends on your age.

Babies need the most amount of sleep, adults typically need the least amount.

Getting a healthy amount of sleep is a good way to lower your risk of getting sick, allows your body to grow as a child, and will give you more energy through out the day

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Babies, children, and teens need significantly more sleep than adults to support their rapid mental and physical development. Most parents know that growing kids need good sleep, but many don't know just how many hours kids require, and what the impact can be of missing as little as 30 to 60 minutes of sleep time.

One of the reasons it's so hard to know when our kids are getting insufficient sleep is that drowsy children don't necessarily slow down the way we do-they wind up. In fact, sleepiness can look like symptoms of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children often act as if they're not tired, resisting bedtime and becoming hyper as the evening goes on. All this can happen because the child is overtired.

There are some underlying psychiatric conditions, such as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), that can cause sleep loss in children. Researchers and clinicians are also finding that sleep apnea-which most people tend to think of as an adult sleep disorder-is relatively common in children as well. A person who has sleep apnea wakes up many times every hour, very briefly, as they struggle to breathe. Most people do not know they are experiencing these events unless they are told or have a test to confirm sleep apnea. Children who snore may be at risk for or currently suffering from sleep apnea, which is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended that pediatricians ask about and screen for this sleep disorder in children at routine well visits.

If you suspect your child isn't sleeping enough, it's important to talk to your pediatrician. If there is an underlying sleep disorder or another medical condition at play, your doctor may refer you to a sleep specialist to discuss various treatments options. In many cases, though, sleep deprivation in children can be helped with changes to the environment and habits surrounding bedtime. Research shows that an early bedtime (between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. works best for babies and kids through school age) and a consistent, soothing, wind-down routine with no screen time-such as TVs, tablets, and the like-will lead to better sleep.

While every child is slightly different in terms of how much sleep they need, most require the following to be fully rested:

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Babies, children, and teens need significantly more sleep than adults to support their rapid mental and physical development. Most parents know that growing kids need good sleep, but many don't know just how many hours kids require, and what the impact can be of missing as little as 30 to 60 minutes of sleep time.

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A lack of exercise may increase your risk of heart disease, and increase your probability of becoming obese.

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Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness and Council on School Health; Active Healthy Living: Prevention of Childhood Obesity Through Increased Physical Activity. Pediatrics May 2006; 117 (5): 1834-1842. 10.1542/peds.2006-0472

Download citation file:

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Active Healthy Living: Prevention of Childhood Obesity Through Increased Physical Activity

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This Policy Statement was retired April 2016.. The current epidemic of inactivity and the associated epidemic of obesity are being driven by multiple factors (societal, technologic, industrial, commercial, financial) and must be addressed likewise on several fronts.

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"Aerobic activity should make up most of your child's 60 or more minutes of physical activity each day. This can include either moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or vigorous-intensity activity, such as running. Be sure to include vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on at least 3 days per week." (CDC).

Growing children need to eat a lot and exercise a lot to grow into healthy adults. Exercise will lower your risk of future diseases.

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Physical Activity Basics and Your Health

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Benefits, recommendations, and tips for physical activity across the lifespan.

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Try to avoid: soda, sugar packed food and drinks, potato chips, candy, "fatty snacks" and any other foods that will add fat instead of muscle

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Top 12 Most Unhealthy Foods For Kids - Being The Parent

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Your child may be in love with junk food, but you know that this is unhealthy food for kids. Read here about other healthy and unhealthy foods.

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Be sure to drink lots of water, eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lots of protein (side note: some proteins are better than others

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Snacks play a major and growing role in children's diets. Between 1977 and 2006, the number of calories that children consumed from snacks increased by 113 calories per day.

Below are ideas for teachers, caregivers, program directors, and parents for serving healthy snacks and beverages to children in the classroom, in after-school programs, at soccer games, and elsewhere. Some ideas may be practical for large groups of children, while other ideas may only work for small groups, depending on the work and cost involved.
Healthy Eating Tip: serve snacks with fun plates, napkins, cups, or straws or have a tasting party where children can vote for their favorite healthy snacks.
Fruits and Vegetables

Most of the snacks served to children should be fruits and vegetables, since most kids do not eat the recommended number of servings fruits and vegetables each day. Eating fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables also contain important nutrients like vitamins A and C and fiber.

Serving fresh fruits and vegetables can seem challenging. However, good planning and the growing number of shelf-stable fruits and vegetable products on the market make it easier. Though some think fruits and vegetables are costly snacks, they are actually less costly than many other less-healthful snacks on a per-serving basis. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of a serving of fruit or vegetable (all types - fresh, frozen, and canned) is 25 cents per serving. This is a good deal compared with a 69-cent single-serve bag of potato chips or an 80-cent candy bar. Try lots of different fruits and vegetables and prepare them in various ways to find out what your kids like best.

Fruits

Apples (it can be helpful to use an apple corer)

Apricots

Bananas

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cantaloupe

Cherries

Clementines

Grapefruit

Grapes (red, green, or purple)

Honeydew Melon

Kiwis (cut in half and give each child a spoon to eat it)

Mangoes

Nectarines

Oranges

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Plums

Strawberries

Tangerines

Watermelon

Applesauce (Unsweetened), Fruit Cups, and Canned Fruit. These have a long shelf life and are low-cost, easy, and healthy if canned in juice or light syrup. One example of unsweetened applesauce is Mott's Unsweetened Apple. Dole and Del Monte offer a variety of single-serve fruit bowls.

Dried Fruit. Try raisins, apricots, apples, cranberries, pineapple, papaya, and others with little or no added sugars.

Frozen Fruit. Try freezing grapes or buy frozen blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and mangoes.

Fruit Leathers. Some brands of fruit snacks are more like candy than fruit, and should be avoided due to their high content of added sugars and lack of fruit. Brands to avoid include Fruit Rollups, Farley's Fruit Snacks, Sunkist Fruit Gems, Starburst Fruit Chews, Mamba Fruit Chews, Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews, and Original Fruit Skittles. Try Natural Value Fruit Leathers and Stretch Island Fruit Leathers, which come in a variety of flavors and don't have added sugars.

Fruit Salad. Get kids to help make a fruit salad. Use a variety of colorful fruits to add to the appeal.

Smoothies. Blend fruit with juice, yogurt or milk, and ice. Many store-made smoothies have added sugars and are not healthy choices.

Deliveries. Deliveries of fresh fruit or platters of cut-up fruit are a convenient option offered by some local grocery stores.

Vegetables

Vegetables can be served raw with hummus, dip or salad dressing:

Broccoli

Carrot sticks or Baby Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery Sticks

Cucumber

Peppers (green, red, or yellow)

Snap Peas

Snow Peas

String Beans

Tomato slices or grape or cherry tomatoes

Yellow Summer Squash slices

Zucchini slices

Dips. Try low-fat salad dressings, like fat-free Ranch or Thousand Island, store-bought light dips, hummus (which comes in dozens of flavors), bean dips, guacamole, salsa, or peanut butter.

Salad. Make a salad or set out veggies like a salad bar and let the kids build their own salads.

Soy. Edamame (pronounced "eh-dah-MAH-may") are fun to eat and easy to serve. (Heat frozen edamame in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes).

Veggie Pockets. Cut whole wheat pitas in half and let kids add veggies with hummus, bean dip, or dressing.

Ants on a Log. Let kids spread peanut butter on celery (with a plastic knife) and add raisins.

Healthy Grains (bread, crackers, cereals, etc.)

Though most kids eat plenty of grain products, too many of those grains are cookies, snack cakes, sugary cereals, and other refined grains that are high in sugars or saturated fat. Try to serve mostly whole grains, which provide more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than refined grains. In addition, try to limit added sugars to less than 35% by weight 1,2 eliminate trans fats, and keep the saturated and trans fat low.
Note: Cookies, snack cakes, and chips should be saved for occasional treats, given their poor nutritional quality.
Whole Wheat English Muffins, Pita, or Tortillas. Stuff them with veggies or dip them in hummus or bean dip.

Breakfast Cereal. Either dry or with low-fat milk, whole grain cereals like Cheerios, Grape-Nuts, Raisin Bran, Mini Wheats, and Wheaties make good snacks. Look for cereals with no more than 6g of sugars per serving. Here are some recommendations for buying breakfast cereal.

Crackers. Whole-grain crackers like Triscuits, which come in different flavors or thin crisps (or similar woven wheat crackers), Kalvi Rye crackers, or whole wheat Matzos can be served alone or with toppings, like low-fat cheese, peanut butter, or low-fat, reduced-sodium luncheon meat.

Rice Cakes. Look for rice cakes made from brown (whole grain) rice. They come in many flavors, and can be served with or without toppings.

Popcorn. Look for low-fat popcorn in a bag or microwave popcorn. Or you can air pop the popcorn and season it, e.g., by spraying it with vegetable oil spray and adding parmesan cheese, garlic powder, or other non-salt spices.

Granola and Cereal Bars. Look for whole grain granola bars that are low in sugars and moderate in calories, like Barbara's Granola Bars (cinnamon raisin, oats and honey, and carob chip flavors), Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars (cinnamon, oats 'n honey, maple brown sugar, and peanut butter flavors), Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars (fruit and nut flavor), and Quaker Chewy Granola Bar (peanut butter and chocolate chunk flavor). Check out more products here.

Low-Fat Dairy Foods

Dairy foods are a great source of calcium, which can help to build strong bones. However, dairy products also are the biggest sources of artery-clogging saturated fat in kids' diets. To protect children's bones and hearts, make sure all dairy foods served are low-fat or fat-free.

Yogurt. Look for brands that are low-fat or fat-free, moderate in sugars (no more than about 30 grams of sugars in a 6-oz. cup), and high in calcium (at least 25% of daily value [DV] for calcium in a 6-oz. cup). Examples include Danimals Drinkable Low-Fat Yogurt, Go-Gurt by Yoplait, or cups of low-fat or non-fat yogurt from Stonyfield Farm, Dannon, Horizon, and similar store brands. Low-fat or non-fat yogurt also can be served with fresh or frozen fruit or low-fat granola.

Low-Fat Cheese. Cheese provides calcium, but usually its saturated fat price tag is too high. Cheese is the number two source of heart-damaging saturated fat in children's diets. Even with low-fat and reduced-fat cheese, be sure to serve with other foods like fruit, vegetables, or whole grain crackers. Choose reduced-fat cheeses like Trader Joe's Armenian Style Braided; Borden or Sargento Light Mozzarella string cheese; Frigo Light Cheese Heads; Kraft Twist-Ums; Polly-O Twisterellas; the Laughing Cow's Light Original Mini Babybel; or Cabot 50% Light Vermont Cheddar.

Other Snack Ideas

Nuts. Nuts are a healthy choice, but since nuts are calorie dense, it is best to serve them along with another snack such as fruit. A small handful of nuts is a reasonable serving size. Examples include peanuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews, or soy nuts.
WARNING: A small but growing number of kids have severe peanut and/or tree nut allergies. Before bringing in peanuts, peanut butter, or other nuts as a snack, check to make sure none of the children has an allergy.
Trail Mix. Trail mixes are easy to make and store well in a sealed container. Items to include: low-fat granola, whole grain cereals, peanuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and dried fruits like raisins, apricots, apples, pineapple, or cranberries.

Healthy Beverages

Water. Water should be the main drink served to kids at snack times. Water satisfies thirst and does not have sugar or calories. (Plus, it is low-cost for care-givers!) If kids are used to getting sweetened beverages or juice at snack times, it may take a little time for them to get used to drinking water.
Note: Water should be the main drink served to kids at snack times.
Seltzer. Carbonated drinks like seltzer, sparkling water, and club soda are healthy options. They do not contain the sugars, calories, and caffeine of sodas. For an occasional treat, mix them with equal amounts of 100% fruit juice.

Low-Fat and Fat-Free Milk. Milk provides key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D. Choose fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk to avoid the heart-damaging saturated fat found in whole and 2% (reduced-fat) milk. Healthy Eating Research recommends only unflavored milk, especially for children ages 2-4. Flavored milk should have no more than 130 calories per 8-ounce serving to help limit calories and added sugars. Single-serve containers of chocolate or other flavored whole or 2% milk drinks can be too high in calories (400-550 calories) and saturated fat (1/3 of a day's worth) to be a healthy beverage for kids.

Soy and Rice Drinks. For children who prefer not to drink cow's milk, calcium-fortified soy drinks are good choices.

Fruit Juice. Avoid the added sugars of juice drinks, punches, fruit cocktail drinks, or lemonade. Many beverages like Capri Sun, V8-Splash, Tropicana Twisters, Sunny Delight, Kool Aid Jammers, Hi-C, or juice drinks from Very Fine, Welch's or Snapple are easily mistaken for juice. However, those beverages are more like soda than juice - they are merely sugar water with a few tablespoons of added juice.

Serving whole fruit is more nutritious than fruit juice. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ages 1-6 years old drink no more than 6 ounces (one serving) of juice a day and children ages 7-18 years old drink no more than 12 ounces (two servings) of juice a day.
A note about sugary soft drinks (soda, sweetened tea, lemonade, and juice drinks): Children who drink more sweetened drinks consume more calories and are more likely to be overweight than kids who drink fewer soft drinks. Soft drinks also displace healthful foods in kids' diets like milk, which can help prevent osteoporosis, and 100% juice, which can help prevent heart disease and cancer. In addition, soda pop can cause dental cavities and tooth decay.
For more information, contact nutritionpolicy@cspinet.org

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Healthy School Snacks | Center for Science in the Public Interest

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Snacks play a major and growing role in children's diets. Between 1977 and 2006, the number of calories that children consumed from snacks increased by 113 calories per day. Below are ideas for teachers, caregivers, program directors, and parents for serving healthy snacks and beverages to children in the classroom, in after-school programs, at soccer games, and elsewhere.

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Wellness - 2.2.6.B.4 - Apply personal health data and information to support achievement of one’s short and long term health goals

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2.6.8.A.4 Wellness: Determine ways to achieve a healthy body composition through healthy eating,physical activity, and other lifestyle behaviors.

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2.6 Fitness: All students will apply health-related and skill-related fitness concepts and skills to develop and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

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2.1 Wellness: All students will acquire health promotion concepts and skills to support a healthy, active lifestyle.

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What activities are deemed "healthy" ? What activities are deemed "unhealthy"?

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How much sleep should the average person (depending on their age) get per night?

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How much cardio exercise should the average person get per day?

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What foods are healthy? What foods are not healthy?