Welcoming the New Year and a Healthier Life Style
Goodbye 2010 and welcome 2011! Many of us end the out going year reflecting on how the year went and coming up with a resolution of change for the New Year. For some, it is a resolution for personal enjoyment, or a commitment to focus on family more, most often though, New Year resolutions focus on health. A month has gone by now and whether you have stuck by your resolution, let it slide, or never came up with one to begin with, I would encourage you to consider a few of the following life style changes to start or continue in 2011.
1.)   Get Your Heart Pumping – Yes…I’m talking exercise. Children and adolescents should do 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.
2.)  Taste the Rainbow – No, not skittles…fruits & veggies. Eating more fruits & vegetables is a worthwhile goal. Eating a variety of different colors of fruits & veggies every day is a new way of thinking about meeting your daily fruit & veggie requirement and getting a variety of vitamins & nutrients offered.
3.)  Dump the Energy Drinks – Energy drinks are high in sugar, caffeine, and in some cases herbal supplements, and have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms, fatigue, and jittery feelings. Plus it’s just plain empty calories and poor nutrition.
4.)  Toss the Cell Phone/Texting Out the Window – Okay, not literally, but put down your phone while driving. It is more distracting that you think and not worth an accident.
5.)  Buckle Up – Not only is it the law, but it just makes good safety sense.
6.)  Just Say NO! – No explanation needed right? Drugs, alcohol, and tobacco damage our health and have massive impacts on our future.
7.)  Saw Some Logs…ZZZZ…SLEEP! – I don’t mean only on the weekend or through 1st hour. Teens need an average of 8-10 hours of sleep per night…are you getting enough?
Nurse Wendy