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.

My Favourite Meal

My favourite meal is Alfredo pasta with french bread garlic toast on the side. Although this meal isn't the healthiest there are some things that I could substitute to make this meal a healthier choice. 

Some things that I could change:

1. Replace the white pasta with a whole grain pasta

2. Use a light milk instead of a heavy cream in the sauce

3. Exchange the white garlic bread with brown bread and use as little butter as possible

4. Use a less fatty kind of cheese and use a light amount

Although I won't likely give up eating this meal, there are some steps that I can take to make this meal a healthier choice. Making these substations will make me feel better about myself after eating the healthier version.

Super Villain

If I were to be a super villain from a fast food chain, my name would be 'Captain Nuggets.' My costume would be a giant chicken nugget, while my side kick would be dressed in a slimming dipping sauce. As Captain Nuggets I would rule the world. To wreak havoc on the world I would continually force children to eat the nugget that I would shoot from my hands, and if they refused my side kick, Count Sauce, would spray them with a tasty hand full of plum or honey dip sauce.

My great super power would be my ability to shoot chicken nuggets from my hands and also my mind connection that my side kick and I would have. We would know when we are supposed to do our job and we would never lose a battle. Together we would flood the cities with fattening sauce and fill many buildings with processed chicken.

Our arch nemesis is a man who goes by the name of Carrot Man. While we shoot rock hard nuggets, he spirals pointed carrots at our over-filled stomaches. These carrots would burn my oily skin, but if I time it right I would be able to deep fry them no the spot and turn them against Carrot Man.

Together we would eliminate any healthy food from the markets and make sure everyone has an endless supply of chicken nuggets and dip.

Picture of Costume

What I do to Feel Good

Some activities that I do to feel good include soccer, volleyball, track and field, going for runs and basketball. These activities make me feel good because I know that I am staying active and one of my favourite feels is the one that you get right after working out. You're heart is racing and you feel healthier because you have been active for an hour of so. Working out and playing team sports help me keep in shape which makes me feel better about myself. Also with playing in team sports it helps to develop my character and I learn a lot about myself.

Foods that I eat that make me feel healthy are fruits and vegetables. I tend to be a very picky eater and this makes it very hard to always eat the vegetables that my parents will make for supper. Usually if I don't like the vegetables they make I will try and make my own so that I can feel better about myself for making an effort to have a healthy diet. Eating things that I know are good for my body help me feel healthy and better about myself.

Five Ways My Life Would Change if I was Confined to a Wheelchair

If I were confined to a wheelchair my life would face many challenges and changes. The five main things that would change in my life would be:

1. Sports

Everyday I am either playing sports or thinking about playing sports, if I were confined to a wheelchair it would be a drastic change. I think that if I wasn't able to participate in soccer, volleyball and track and field it would really affect me emotionally because those are the things that I love to do. If I didn't have sports to look forward to in a day then I would have to find other things to help keep me busy so I wouldn't be so upset about missing out on what I love.

2. Independence

Being confined to a wheelchair takes away a lot of a persons independence. They can't always get around by themselves and getting out of the house to go do something would be nearly impossible without help from other people. In a wheelchair you would always be dependent on other people to help you, whether it be reaching something in the pantry or trying to cook yourself a meal. In my life I thrive on having independence and not always having to ask people for help and if this were ever take away it would be very difficult to adjust.

3. Self Confidence

When you roll down the street in the mall people are bound to stare at you because you aren't walking like everybody else. Being below everyone else would just draw more attention to yourself and have people look at you and pity the fact that you can't walk. Knowing that people are staring at you and not being able to do anything about it would defiantly affect my self confidence.

4. Hanging out with Friends

Something as simple as going to the mall with some friends would be a daunting task if you were in a wheelchair. Getting to the mall would be hard enough, but rolling around while all of your friends could easily walk would be very hard. Also if you went over to a friends house it would be hard because you might not be able to get around in the house.

5. Volunteering

Many programs that I am involved with require a lot of volunteering. If I were in a wheelchair a lot of the volunteering that I do now I wouldn't be able to do if I couldn't walk. Being in a wheelchair would affect the awards that I hope to get and would also make it hard to keep doing all of the volunteering that I do now.

Story of my Shoes

School Shoes:
My day started out with quite a load of activity. We did yoga in the morning and I could even feel the strain of the stretches. After running up the stairs and almost falling near the top we went to class and sat down for quite for while. For the rest of the day we mostly just walked from class to class and then had a long rest. However, at lunch we got some true excitement, I could feel myself souring through the air. The playground was very fun and I couldn't wait to go on the swings. Our day wasn't very active and I didn't get much running but I today was one of the few days that I didn't fall down. No scratches to add onto my collection. I don't get much action and sometimes I envy the cleats that I'll never get today.

Cleats:
Today was another day of being kicked, tackled and stomped on. We ran a nice warm up and I thought that everything would be nice and calm, but many times shoes can think wrong. When the whistle blew we ran hard and I couldn't even stop to catch my breath. The first hour that we played I got kicked, tackled and I fell a lot. I'm very new so I didn't know I wasn't supposed to give my owner blisters... Oops. The highlight of my day was kicking the ball that ended up in the net, first goal of the season for me! I played hard and I never get a rest, but I enjoy the game and I like sliding around on the grass. My days are intense and I get a lot of action in my game.

My different shoes have different experiences about my day. While my school shoes don't get much action, my cleats get ripped and are exposed to a lot more running and physical contact. The journal of my school shoes would be quite boring to read. However, the journal of my cleats would include a lot of action and running.

Physical Movement Goal

My physical movement goal for the Healthiest Month Ever is to go for at least one jog every week. Since I participate in league soccer, school soccer and track and field I find it hard to have the time to just go for light jogs and not have to constantly be competing. This month has been very busy and stressful due to all of the competition and pressure that has been put upon me from the sports I participate in. I would like to start doing activities that are just for me, and that aren't always a competition. Going for runs around my neighbour hood will help build up my cardio for the season without putting to much stress on my body. I think that the purpose of this month is to help get everybody active and eating right, and I don't want to just continue with doing what I normally do. I think that having the extra jogs every couple of days will help me feel better about this month and what it stands for. Adding on physical movement to my daily schedule will push me to live a healthier lifestyle and remind myself to eat the right kinds of foods. I know that my brother goes on occasional jogs but I think that we can both push each other to job more frequently. After my brother tore his knee he has had a difficult time building the muscle back up, and so I think that if we have a reason to go for the jog then we will be able to do it without it being such a chore. Running with my brother always helps me pace myself and it's always nice to run with a partner so you can chat and you don't get lonely. I think with the help of my brother I can achieve my physical movement goal for the Healthiest Month Ever.

Would people in 2040 admire my health habits?

If in the year 2040 my children are able to look at my life and judge my health habits I think that there are some aspects that are admirable about it. I think that he or she would admire the physical activities that I take part in most days in week. I usually am playing a sport for about two hours six days a week. I am currently making an effort to cut back on any high sugar foods, and replace them with vegetables or fruits. I also have been trying to limit my screen time to assure that my mind can stay active and I will have plenty of time to exercise and do things in my day that are more important. If they looked back on my life today I think they would appreciate the fact that I am trying to cut back on unhealthy foods and live a healthier lifestyle. In my life style I am proud of all the activities I take part in and how participating in the events helps limit the social networking that I take part in. On a day that is filled with soccer I tend to leave my cellular device at home so I won't be distracted, and this helps limit my screen time for that day. The little things in my life that I do to maintain a healthy lifestyle would make the children of 2040 proud.

People With Healthy Lifestyles

Day One. (April 15)
Many people in life live a healthy, and prosperous lifestyle but the people that I consider to be the healthiest are Olympic athletes. When I see them on the television preforming in their events all i can think about is how hard they must have trained to get where they are today. Being an athlete doesn't come easy and there is no doubt that they have to live a healthy lifestyle and workout constantly to keep in shape. Many people don't go to just one Olympics but some go to many, and its amazing to think about how hard they train every year to stay at the top. For example Misty May Treanor and her partner Kerri Walsh Jennings competed in three Olympics together and were gold medalist every time. For over twelve years they trained together and played hard so that they could keep winning in beach volleyball. The dedication that they had for their passion is inspirational. In an interview with Misty she said, "I didn't think I'd be going for another Olympics." And yet, the next year she was out against hard opponents to do what she loved. People don't get to the Olympics by staying at home and watching TV, instead they go and train and maintain the lifestyle that they need to achieve. In my opinion I think that Olympic Athletes have a very healthy lifestyle, on and off of the sport.