Being healthy is something we all want to do, but how can we make it happen? It starts with creating healthy habits that make us feel strong and happy. Imagine your body and mind like a car. A car needs good fuel to run well, right? You wouldn’t put soda in a car and expect it to work! Just like a car, we need to fuel our bodies and minds with good foods, thoughts, and actions.
A habit is something you do over and over until it feels natural. Healthy habits can help you feel strong, make good friends, focus better in school, and give you the energy to do all the fun things you love.
One of the most important habits is eating healthy. This means eating fresh and nutritious foods like colorful vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, dairy, and lean meats and fish. Some foods are great to eat a lot of, like veggies and grains, while others like lean meats and dairy should be eaten in smaller amounts. Sugary or fatty foods should be just a special treat because they aren’t very good for us.
And don’t forget to drink lots of water every day! When you eat healthy foods and stay active, you’ll feel great. Did you know kids your age should be active for at least 60 minutes each day?
Another healthy habit is getting plenty of sleep. Sleep helps our bodies and brains rest and get ready for the next day. Try to get about 10 hours of sleep each night, and you’ll wake up feeling fresh and ready to go!
Even if you don’t do the grocery shopping, you can make healthy choices. Drink water instead of soda, choose fruit instead of candy, or add some salad to your dinner. Eating a variety of colorful fruits and veggies is important because they help your body in different ways. Try to eat as many colors as you can every day!
Make sure nothing gets in the way of your sleep. Finish your homework before bed and try to go to bed at the same time each night. Keep phones and tablets out of your bedroom when it’s time to sleep. Your bedroom should be a cozy, quiet, and dark place to help you relax.
Being active is easy and fun! Play during lunchtime, join school sports, ride your bike, or go for a swim. These activities can help you get your 60 minutes of exercise each day. Try to spend less time in front of screens and more time playing with friends.
It’s important to have a balance in everything you do. Enjoy a bit of everything—sleep, play, food, water, school, and time with friends. Finding a healthy balance helps you feel your best.
When you combine healthy eating, exercise, plenty of sleep, and lots of water, you’ll have the energy to be your best self. These healthy habits are important no matter how old you are, so why not start now?
Colorful Plate Challenge: Create a colorful plate for your next meal! With the help of an adult, choose at least three different colored fruits or vegetables to include in your meal. After you eat, draw a picture of your colorful plate and label each food. Talk about how each color might help your body. For example, orange carrots are good for your eyes!
Sleepy Time Routine: Design your own bedtime routine chart. Think about what helps you relax before bed, like reading a book or listening to calming music. Draw or write down your routine steps and decorate your chart. Try following your routine for a week and see how it helps you feel in the morning. Share your experience with your class or family.
Active Adventure Journal: Keep a journal for a week to track your daily activities. Each day, write down or draw the different ways you were active, like playing tag, riding a bike, or dancing. At the end of the week, count how many minutes you were active each day. Did you reach 60 minutes? What was your favorite activity? Share your journal with a friend and talk about new activities you might want to try together.
**Transcript:**
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Being healthy is something we’re always encouraged to do, but how can we be healthy? It all starts with creating healthy habits. Healthy habits can make you feel stronger and happier. Think of your body and mind like a car. A car needs good quality fuel to run well; you can’t put in soft drink and expect it to run smoothly, can you? Just like a car, you need to fuel your body and mind with nourishing foods, thoughts, and actions that will help you function well.
But what’s a habit? A habit is created when you do something repeatedly until it becomes natural. Having healthy habits can help you feel strong, create good relationships with people around you, help you concentrate better in class, and give you the daily boost you need to do all the things you love.
One of the most important healthy habits to have is healthy eating. Healthy eating is all about feeding your body fresh and nutritious foods. This should include colorful vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes, dairy, and lean meats and fish. Even though all these foods are good for us, there are some that we should eat lots of and some we should limit. We should eat plenty of vegetables, legumes, and grains, but we should consume lean meats, dairy, and fruits and nuts in moderate amounts. There are some foods that should only be an occasional treat because they’re not very good for us and have very little nutritional value, like sugary or fatty foods and drinks.
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And of course, we should drink plenty of water every single day. When you combine healthy foods with physical activity, it will help you feel healthy. Did you know children your age should be active for at least 60 minutes a day?
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Another healthy habit is getting lots of sleep. Sleep allows us to restore, repair, and rebuild all the things in our body, including our brain. Make sure you’re getting around 10 hours of sleep a night, and you’ll find yourself feeling fresh and ready to make the most out of every day.
Here are four ways you can build healthy habits:
1. **Eat the fruit and vegetable rainbow.** Even though you may not be in charge of the grocery shopping, you can always make your own healthy choices. Maybe you could choose to drink water instead of a soft drink or juice when you feel thirsty. Buy a piece of fruit instead of sweets from the canteen, or have some salad with dinner. Simple choices like that can make a huge difference to your health. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables that are full of different colors is super important because they all help your body in different ways. Try to have as many colors as you can every day.
2. **Sleep well.** Nothing should interfere with your sleep. Make sure you plan your time well so you can complete your homework before bed. Try to keep a good bedtime routine going; going to bed at the same time each night is great for your body and can make going to sleep easier. Keep any phones, tablets, and other devices out of your bedroom when it’s bedtime. Your bedroom should be a place that feels relaxing to you, which means it should be comfortable, quiet, and dark when it’s time to sleep.
3. **Get active.** It doesn’t require you to change your entire day. In fact, it’s really easy, and you might not even realize you’re doing it. Playing at lunchtime, school sports, riding your bike, or even going for a swim are all examples of exercise that can make up your 60 minutes. If you can minimize the time you spend in front of a screen, you might find yourself spending more time with your friends and moving around.
4. **Find a balance.** Going to extremes, whether it’s with your diet, exercise, or sleep, isn’t necessary. You can enjoy a bit of everything, so find a healthy balance of sleep, play, food, water, school, and social time.
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When you combine healthy eating, physical activity, plenty of sleep, and lots of water, you will have the power and energy to be your best. Plus, you’ll discover that as you get older, you’ll need these healthy habits because they’re important no matter how old you are. So why not start now?
