Thinking Back, Has Healthiest Month Ever Influenced my Health Year Round?

Last year after Healthiest Month Ever was over, for me it was out of sight, out of mind. I didn't carry on with the habits I had created in the month last year and I went right back to using as much screen time as I wanted without caring. Last year I didn't go year round with 'Healthiest Month Ever' and I stopped as soon as the teachers stopped talking about it.

However, this year I hope to continue on with some of the habits that I have created over the past few weeks. I know that the eating habits that I create for myself now will stay with me for the rest of my life, so I want to create good ones. I think that now that I have thought about how much screen time I accumulate, I will try and go on my phone and laptop less to cut down on the time that I am looking at the monitor. I also want to continue running and playing sports year round instead of just in the spring and fall. I know that I enjoy soccer the most, but that isn't a sport that I enjoy to play in the winter so I will have to join a volleyball league or something to make sure that I stay on a healthy lifestyle.

I want to make the healthiest month ever a year round event, but I know that if I want to do this that it will have to all be me and I won't be able to slack off. The Healthiest Month Ever is a great way to remind kids that eating right and working out will help you in the long run of your life. I hope to be able to carry on with eating right and getting in exercise throughout the entire year.

5 Things that we Take for Granted

1. Opportunity to go to school, learn and make friends
2. Having a computer and phone to be able to talk with people even when you're not with them
3. Competing in organized sports
4. Having a pantry full of food to eat
5. Being able to go for jogs without the fear of being attacked on the street

In the news a lot we hear about how people are mistreated and not able to do the same things that I have the opportunity to do. Being apart of Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan has really changed my perspective on some of the things that I take for granted in my life. I have learned form that group that girl and women in Afghanistan don't have the same rights that I do. They aren't permitted to go to school and when they walk alone in the streets they risk having acid thrown in their face by men who don't believe they should have the same rights. Sometimes I think about all of those girl who won't ever get to do the same things that I do everyday. I wish so badly that they could do the same things that I do, but right now I know that it isn't going to happen. However, in the future I hope that all the world will be equal and everyone will be able to experience the things that I experience everyday.

Emotional Well-Being

One thing that I do almost everyday to support my mental health is writing in my journal. My journal is a wonderful opportunity for me to say the thoughts that I didn't say that day and it's also the time to write down things that may have gotten me upset. I also keep a jar in my room that I fill with positive things that have happened in my day. If I feel sad, or upset I read through all of the positive things that have happened in my life to remind myself that everything will be okay.

To ensure the that others have a mental well-being I try and compliment at least one person a day. I find that as we see more and more magazines about how we 'should' look. I find that by complimenting people I make them feel better and I also make myself feel better because I know that I have helped someone feel better.

Physical Activity

In my future I'd like to be able to continue to run and play psychical sports. I know that as I get older it will be harder to stay in shape but I would never want to give up the sports that I love. Throughout the week I tend to skip playing on my phone, or going on Facebook so I can be doing something outside. As I get more and more into playing soccer I find that I focus more time on playing sports than going on my phone. Although I doubt I'll be 'mega toned' I would like to give up at least 20 minutes of screen time a day to continue to stay active. Giving up Facebook and Tumblr won't be to much of a struggle for me because sometimes I will go days without going on and not even notice it. 

In this generation technology has become such a major part of our life that it can be difficult to let go of. However, if you have enough push to do so then you will be able to give up screen time, whether it be for an hour or a day. I think that giving up screen time will help me stay active and not be so focused on what the screen displays.

Screen Time

I find that each day in the week I spend a different amount of time using technology. On the weekend I tend to use less because I am usually busy with friends and sports. Also on the weekends I want to spend as little time doing homework as possible so I won't be on Facebook and doing home work I will stick to the task that I need to be doing. The weekends offer a great advantage because you can be outside all day without a phone and not thinking about your laptop inside. I admit that through the weekend I text my friends, but when I am with a friend then I don't feel the need to text anyone else because I can have face-to-face conversations. On the weekend I would say that I average between 45 minutes and an hour a day.

On school days I find myself spending more and more time on my computer. When I get home from school all I want to do is sit down with my phone and talk to my friends. Then when I pick up my laptop to do some homework I find myself getting distracted on Facebook and other Social Networking sites. I also find myself using my phone a lot on the rides to and from school. I like being involved in sports throughout the week because I find that when I am at a track meet I am having to much fun to even think about using my phone. On a school day I find that I spend between one hour to two hours on the screen of my laptop or phone.

Restrictive Diets

During the Healthiest Month Ever I would like to develop the habit of eating foods that are better for my body. Developing this habit will help lead my life in a healthier direction, the eating habits that we develop now will stay with us for the rest of our lives. If I am able to start to change my eating habits now them it will be easier to stay with in the future. For example, eating foods like Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes will be crossed off of my list of foods that I eat. Developing this habits will be very good for my body and won't give it any negative effect. 

 Other things I can do to be healthy:

1. Eat breakfast every morning
2. Eat filling meals so I won't be temped to snack
3. Put more fruits and vegetables in my diet
4.  Remember to exercise daily, this will keep me feeling positive about my healthy choices

Eating Breakfast

As I'm sure everyone as a child was told, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." But why? Yes, breakfast is the meal that starts off our day and gives us our energy for the morning, but why is it so important?

Having a healthy breakfast starts of your day and a good foot. Having a healthy breakfast, over a sugary one will give you the energy to last longer in the day. When you eat a sugary breakfast, such as Froot Loops, your blood sugar will take a great dip a few hours later in the day. The sugar crash will make a grump, and unhappy person.

When you skip breakfast your stomach will growl for food and you won't be satisfied until you've had your next meal. Being so hungry and waiting until lunch will make you eat more for lunch and leave you stuffed and feeling full. Eating a healthy breakfast can help people lose weight because when they have had a satisfying breakfast then they won't have to have a very big lunch.

I know from my experience with skipping the 'most important meal of the day,' will leave me grouchy and in a very bad mood. I don't like the feeling of being hungry and being hungry early in the morning is the worst. Eating breakfast help put me in a better mood to get through the rest of the day.