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Healthy Me

Good health is all about striking the right balance between healthy eating and regular physical activity.

It starts from understanding the benefits of being healthy, knowing what is a healthy weight and learning more about healthy eating and physical activity.

Having a healthy lifestyle, eating well and being physically active helps you to:

  • build strong bones
  • grow and develop healthily
  • improve their concentration at school
  • maintain a healthy weight
  • be alert and active

1. Eat a Variety of Foods

You may have a favourite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and old ones you haven't tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, may taste better the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — two fruits and three vegetables.

2. Drink Water & Milk

When you're really thirsty, cold water is the best thirst-quencher. And there's a reason your school offers cartons of milk. Kids need calcium to build strong bones, and milk is a great source of this mineral. How much do kids need? If you are 4 to 8 years old, drink 2½ cups of milk a day, or its equivalent. If you're 9 or older, aim for 3 cups of milk per day, or its equivalent. You can mix it up by having milk and some other calcium-rich dairy foods. Here's one combination:

  • 2 cups (about half a liter) of low-fat or nonfat milk
  • 1 slice cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup (small container) of yogurt

If you want something other than milk or water once in a while, it's OK to have 100% juice. But try to limit juice to no more than 1 serving (6 to 8 ounces) a day. Avoid sugary drinks, like sodas, juice cocktails, and fruit punches. They contain a lot of added sugar. 

3. Listen to Your Body

What does it feel like to be full? When you're eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

4. Limit Screen Time

What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console systems or handheld games), and using a smart phone, tablet, or computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time you have for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school and educational activities.

5. Be Active

One job you have as a kid — and it's a fun one — is that you get to work out which activities you like best. Not everyone loves cricket or football. Maybe your passion is karate, or netball, or dancing. Ask your parents to help you do your favourite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. You might even write down a list of fun things to do, so you can use it when your mum or dad says it's time to stop watching TV or playing computer games!

Speaking of parents, they can be a big help if you want to be a fit kid. For instance, they can stock the house with healthy foods and plan physical activities for the family. Tell your parents about these five steps you want to take and maybe you can teach them a thing or two. If you're a fit kid, why shouldn't you have a fit mum and a fit dad?

Learner Guides

External Link Icon What do humans need to stay healthy?
External Link Icon Eat yourself healthy
External Link Icon Class Clips - Keeping my body healthy
This animation explains the importance of eating well, drinking water, and getting enough exercise and sleep.

How Soap Works

Washing your hands is very important but why do we have to wash our hand with soup? Ben shows Evie a very clever experiment that show you how soap works!

Oral Health Care Resources

 

Colgate                                  

Oral Health Education (colgate.com)

 

British Dental Association

Oral hygiene resources (bda.org)

 

Give Up Loving Pop            

Give Up Loving Pop

 

NHS Choices                        

Take care of your teeth and gums - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

 

Videos / Music / Songs

 

British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) Kidsvids

British Society of Paediatric Dentistry Kidsvids

 

Brush your teeth

Brush Your Teeth - Super Simple Songs

 

Billy Brush's Brush along Song

Billy Brush's Brush Along Song