Health Class: 60 Second Podcast!

In the style of "60 Second Health" podcast by Scientific American, we created podcasts about articles we read for Health class from KidsHealth.org. Then we recorded our podcasts, but you can read the script below.

Hi! My name is Veronica, and this is 60 Second timeout. Close your eyes and imagine yourself on a white sand beach, reading a good book, the sun warming your bare shoulders, the waves lapping at your feet. Did you feel relaxed, floating on air, and happy throughout? This is one of my favorite techniques for relaxation and anxiety relief. Today I will share with you advice from KidsHealth.org, including tips to reduce your stress levels.

            You might think that staying up late with your friends is a good way to connect, and have fun…but not getting enough sleep, nourishment, and exercise just adds onto the stress. Without sleep, nourishment, and exercise, you are lethargic and not fit. These three components can also help create a positive body image. When you feel good about yourself, you are happier. If you are so stressed to the point where you want to scream, then take a calming hike in the woods. The natural serenity helps relax you, while the exercise produces happy hormones called endorphins.

            If you ever feel overworked, then hop in a warm bubble bath, to burn off all that stress. Thanks for tuning in with me on 60 Second Timeout!

What Happens to Vitamins after you swallow them?

For health class, the girls read an article about Vitamin Absorption. Read the "info-mmercials" they wrote below for an audience of children.

Veronica

Jan 17, 2012

Vitamin Absorption Script for Info-mmercial

Advertiser: Have you ever wondered happens after you eat your vitamins?

Little Girl: Uh… ‘scuse me what you talking about?

Advertiser: We chew our vitamins and cover it in saliva to help break it in to smaller pieces. That vitamin moves through the esophagus into the stomach, where stomach acids break it down. The vitamin then moves to the small intestine, (where it is absorbed) the large intestine, the rectum, and finally the anus.

Little Girl: (Plugs ears) AAAAAAAHHHH!!!! YOU SAID BLOOOOOODDD! (Runs away)

Advertiser: (Chuckles) Yes, er… yes. Anyway, when you eat salmon, for instance, all the vitamin D in it gets sent into your blood stream. Since all fat - soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, stay in your body for up to 6 months, you don’t need to eat them everyday.

Little Girl: Eeew… salmon is pink and has big eyes. EEEEEWWWW!!

Advertiser: (Asks manager) Why is she even in this? Oh, hello again. (Waves at camera) Water- soluble vitamins that include, the big B group and the C vitamin need frequent consumption, or else you’ll run out of energy!

Little Girl: Can I go now, please?

The End

                            

More Nutrition: Protein!

Learning About Proteins

By Jessica 

Health Class

           

What is protein? The best sources of protein are found in beef, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as black beans and lentils. Protein makes sure to maintain, build up, and replaces tissues all throughout your body. Your strong muscles, your organs, and your immune system are mostly made up of protein. When your body ingests foods that contains protein the digestive liquids in your intestines and stomachs start going to work. They break the proteins down into basic units called amino acids. The acids can be reused to make the proteins in your body needs to maintain muscles, bones, bloods, and body organs. Of the 22 amino acids, your body makes 13 of them without even thinking about it! Your body can’t make the other nine acids, but you can get them by eating certain foods. It is essential you eat these foods to stay healthy. You can’t get all these proteins from dairy alone, you need to vary the proteins you eat. Maybe have some nuts and milk one day and meat and eggs the next. Certain combinations like red beans and rice will give you one type of acid but alone they just are food. You can figure out how much protein you need a day by how much you weigh. Each day kids need to eat about 0.5 of protein for every pound you weigh. To figure out how much protein you need, multiply you weight in pounds times 0.5 or you just take your weight and divide by two. Now have fun choosing foods you like and offer protein to fuel your body!

Essential Vitamins for Teen Girls

Jessica read an article for Health class about essential vitamins for teen girls. If you don't have much time, you can read a summary of the article quickly below, written by Jessica. 

Vitamins for Teen Girls

I learned that vitamins are essential in someone’s diet, especially in a teen girl’s. Vitamin A helps your body form and maintain skin, soft tissue, and teeth.  You can find Vitamin A in eggs, meat, and dairy products. Vitamins B6 and B12 facilitate brain and nerve communication, helps your body break own proteins and can be found in bananas, beans, nuts, spinach and fish. Other B vitamins helps turn carbs into energy and helps pump the heart, these vitamins can be found in sunflower seeds, almonds, potatoes, rice, beans, whole grains and surprisingly, chili peppers! 

As many people know, Vitamin C helps in healing wounds, help your body grow, and maintains your bones, cartilage, and tissue. All vegetables and fruits contain Vitamin C and citrus fruits, strawberries and leafy greens contain more. Vitamin D helps absorb calcium in your bones and you can find this in salmon, egg yolk, fortified foods, and being in the sun! Lastly Vitamin E protects your cells form damage and the richest sources are in avocado, leafy greens, vegetable oils, and wheat germ.

Backpack Basics: Article Summary for Health

What is the healthy way to carry your books home from school? Veronica read an article on this topic for Health class. 

Check out the article here: 


http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/backpack.html 


Now read Veronica's summary:

Backpacks: Helpful, Right?

Backpacks are something you use everyday, they’re helpful and can carry anything that’s any weight. That’s exactly why they can hurt you too. Although, they are better than messenger bags for carrying books and supplies. The weight is level meaning it is evenly distributed throughout your body. Some of the most important muscles can be at risk when not using something that seems simple like a backpack.

When putting this weight on your back in the wrong way it can cause you to arch or bend at the hips. After a while these minor discomforts can become serious injuries. Doing these things can cause your back to compress unnaturally, round your shoulders, curve your upper back, and can lead to bad posture. Slinging it over one shoulder can make you bend one way.

Also, the straps can pinch nerves and interfere with circulation causing, tingling, numbness, and weakness in your arms and hands. Using a backpack makes it more likely for you to fall especially on stairs.

Symptoms of your backpack being a problem are, when you have to struggle to get your backpack off, you have to lean forward to carry it, and also having regular back pains. If you adjust the weight or the way you’re carrying it and are still experiencing problems, talk to your doctor.

Know how to use and pick a backpack that will help you with these few tips.

1.                    Make sure to grab a backpack with padded straps and make them considerably wide.

2.                    Make it so that the backpack sits snuggly against your back if you feel it bumping on your behind or lower back than you’re not wearing it correctly.

3.                    Try a backpack with wheels. They may not be considered cool, but it’s better than having to wear a brace on your back the rest of the year.

4.                    Your backpack should only weigh as much as 10% or 15% of your body weight.

5.                    When you’re picking up your backpack bend at the knees and lightly put it on your back.

6.                    To prevent a large risk of back injuries, strengthen your core.

All in all, when carrying a backpack it can be helpful when using it the right way.

Nutrition Unit in Health Class

This month in health class, we are studying nutrition. We looked at portion size for different kinds of food as we discussed why we need a variety of foods in our diet, we need proportional amounts, and which foods we should eat in moderation (like oils and refined sugars). 

We looked at the Food Pyramid and the girls kept a daily food log for one day so far. There are a lot of nutrition resources for children provided by the USDA here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/kids-pyramid.html . 

Next, we watched a moving clip of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, a television show where the British Chef Jamie teaches schools how to improve their menu, making fresh food, and teaching families how to cook healthy food. This shows us how someone can take a passion, such as cooking, and use it as a tool to create social change and affect people's lives in a positive way. You can watch the entire first episode on hulu.com!