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Health Tips

From the Nurse: 
Students, if you wake up aching, with fever, chills, stomach ache, vomiting or diarrhea, PLEASE stay home.  I have several coming to school sick because they did not want to miss a certain class, test or practice.  You are only making it worse for you and all of your classmates.  Most of what we have had here is viral and not the flu.  Just because you do not have a fever, does not mean you are not contagious.  STAY HOME!

Those of you who are here and feeling well, wash your hands frequently; do not touch your hands to your face; make sure you wash your hands before eating.  Do not eat or drink after anyone else.  Take vitamins and get extra vitamin C.  Please cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing.  I have watched many of you not doing that.  You are spreading germs to all those around you.  You may have cough drops so bring them if you need to. 

Health Tip 1:

  • It is important to remember that sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge. The quality and amount of sleep you get affects your mood, energy level, concentration and overall functioning.Drink green tea! It has been found to: Lower cholesterol, relieve asthma, lower blood pressure, guard against infections, fight cancer, and much more. 

  • Every square inch of the human body has an average of 32 million bacteria on it, so remember to wash your hands!

Health Tip: 2

Drink plenty of water.

Your body is 65% water. That shows how important water is to your body. Make sure you drink a total of 8 glasses of water each day. That can include the water from foods such as fruits.

  September is Fruit and Veggies—More Matters Month! Now is a great time to help members of your community get the fruit and vegetables they need to stay healthy.   Only 40 percent of Americans eat enough fruits and vegetables. People who do have a lower risk for heart disease, bone loss, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. A diet high in fruits and vegetables also helps people maintain a healthy weight.   Access to fresh fruit and vegetables is key to a healthful diet. Public health interventions to support a healthier diet can:   • Ensure that people have the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices  • Make healthier options available and affordable 

Why you should include whole grains (fiber) in your diet:

  1. It changes the acidity in the colon,  which prompts the body to produce immune fighting cells. This helps you avoid infections.
  2. It alters the amount of insulin your body produces. This means the energy in whole grain foods enters the bloodstream ore slowly, which helps keep your blood sugar from having wide fluctuations.
  3. It contains phytochemicals, nature’s health promoting helpers.

Whole Grains Benefits #3 Eating a sufficient amount of whole grains will change the acidity in the colon, which prompts the body to produce immune fighting cells. This helps you avoid infections.   Whole Grains Benefits #2 Those who eat more than two servings of whole grain foods a day don't have nearly the amount of circulating insulin and are also 30% less likely to get diabetes in comparison to those who eat few whole grain foods during the day.   "A Case for Whole Grains"
  Tip #1: For every 10 grams of fiber you average per day, your risk of heart attack goes down 14% and your risk of heart disease death goes down 27%.   New Year's Resolutions to lose weight & get in shape are abounding. Here are a few tips: 1- Remember to eat breakfast. Studies show that breakfast eaters consume fewer calories by the end of the day. 2- Control your portion sizes. 3- Read the labels. See WEBMD for healthy diet & exercise ideas. You can visit their website & enter your information to start journaling your weekly weght loss & meal plans as well as a lot of other useful information. Just go to webmd.com click on "Healthy Eating & Diet" on left side of page. Next click on "Personal Food & Fitness Planner" & finally on "Start Today". There you can enter your personal information & create your personal fitness & weight loss plan.  I hope this helps you to meet your goals & stay healthy!   Stress Solution #6   Remember to laugh a little. When you laugh, you send chemicals called endorphins to your brain that ease pain & enhance your feeling of well-being. Laughter also stimulates the heart, lungs, and muscles and boosts your resistance to infection. If you laugh for 20 seconds, your body gets the same amount of beneficial oxygen (good for stress relief) as it does in three minutes of aerobic exercise. Plus, it's nearly impossible to stay tense while you're laughing. Find cartoons, videos, TV shows, writers and comics that make you laugh. Share jokes with friends over email.  

  • Healthy Tip  #5 in the "Stress Solution" series.

Avoid Crowds. To avoid getting caught in the stress of the "rush" plan to leave 15 min. earlier than usual. Avoid high traffic areas when possible. Shop online when possible to avoid the crowds. Make Thursday, not Saturday, your night out. Spend some alone time reading or listening to music.  

  • Healthy Tip #4:

Keep a journal. Writing is a great way to relax and put things into perspective.  

  • Stress Solution Tip #3:

Eliminate last-minute rushes. Leave the house 15 minutes early for school/appointments, set up a system for paying your bills (auto-draft) & completing assignments before they are due, refill your prescriptions a week ahead of time, keep a planner,  and stock up on birthday cards whenever you see ones you like. Make a list each day/week of the things you want to accomplish in order of priority & strike them off when you have completed them. A little advance planning can spare you a lot of headaches.  

  • Stress Solution #2

De-clutter your world. Stop hoarding old magazines, and throw away those old receipts & tax returns you no longer need (or whatever you're hoarding). Clutter-free surroundings will help prevent the frustration of not being able to find something you need, and give you the reassuring knowledge that everything's in its place.  

  • Stress Solution #1: 

Lean on other people. Studies show that social contact can help tone down the body's physical response to stress. It can even boost immunity. So cultivate a network of people you can turn to. Share what's bothering you with a friend and ask for some helpful advice. Avoid people who always need something without giving back or who are constantly moody or depressed.  

  • Try a neti-pot for a systematic nasal rinse. This will flush out nasal passages with a saltwater solution. The result is thinner mucus that drains more easily relieving sinus symptoms such as congestion, pressure & facial pain. Follow package instructions.
  • The human body was designed to move and when it doesn't do what it was meant to do, it can start to be less efficient & break down. For a good cardio workout keep a jumprope & a hoola-hoop handy. These are inexpensive items that can provide a great cardio workout! Combine 10 minutes of jump roping & 10 minutes of hoola-hooping a day. Enjoy!
  • Visit Your Disease Risk - Prevention
    to determine your risk of developing cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes & osteoporosis -
    and get personalized tips for preventing these diseases.