Healthy Eating & Exercise
Food: grub, nosh, scran, munch - whatever you call it you got to love it, because without it we wouldn’t exist!
Fact - Eating a healthy balanced diet should be fun & enjoyable, not hard-work / boring / tasteless or any of the other words commonly thrown around. Eating is one of life’s necessities, so lets put the myths to bed, get the facts right and enjoy our food!
Fact 1
Healthy food is not boring!
Newsflash - there’s more to eating a healthy diet than living on lettuce and carrot sticks! Fact - All foods can be eaten as part of a healthy diet; the key is getting the balance right! Check out the link below for more information on the five food groups and the quantities from each that our bodies actually need www.teenweightwise.com/food_groups.aspx.
Fact 2
Healthy food doesn’t need to be hard work!
Whether you’re at school, college, out with mates or just chilling at home you don’t have to make a special effort to find healthy food to enjoy. Fact - healthy food is readily available everywhere you go, it’s just the matter of knowing what to chose and grabbing it! Check out the weblink below which gives detailed info on smart food choices wherever you are www.teenweightwise.com/smart_food_choices.aspx.
Fact 3
Healthy food isn’t a gimmick it actually affects your health!
Changes to laws around school meals and junk food advertising have recently came into place and they’re not just there to make things difficult or annoy you, they’re there to help protect the health of the next generations i.e. you!
Fact – What we put into our bodies affects us not only now but in the future and can have both short and long-term effects on our health! Diet may impact on your appearance, feelings, concentration, general health and well-being.
Check out www.teenweightwise.com/why_bother.aspx to find out more.
Fact 4
Healthy foods don’t have to cost more!
Newsflash – you don’t need to buy expensive food products to eat a healthy diet. Often foods labelled as ’super foods’, ‘pro-biotic’ etc come with a higher price tag, but by simply choosing a variety of foods, this ensures your bodies get all the goodness it needs!
Fact – a piece of toast or scone often costs less than a packet of crisps/bar of chocolate and making your own sandwich is not only cheaper but often more nutritious! Think about making sensible choices when out and about or even preparing your own!
Check out the nutritious snack/meal recipes at www.teenweightwise.com/recipes.aspx.
Fact 5
Portrayal of obesity in media is often hyped!
You may have seen news headlines such as: ‘people getting fatter’, ‘obesity time bomb’, ‘fat tax’ etc.
Fact - The information in the articles are often accurate but reported in a way, which will grab people’s attention, usually focusing on the least favourable aspect instead of the most common. For example it’s estimated ¼ of all 11 -15 yr olds are overweight or obese, this means ¾ or 75% of you are average weight. Therefore although keeping an eye on your weight is important for your health, many of you are worrying unnecessarily due to media hype.
For more general information on maintaining a healthy weight go to www.teenweightwise.com.
If you have concerns about your weight speak to your school nurse (if you don’t know who that is, your receptionist or class teacher can tell you) or pop into your doctor’s surgery and make an appointment with the practice nurse/doctor, who will be able to give you some advice.
Fact 6
Healthy food is cool!
Ok, so you may not see many celebrities advertising healthy foods but one thing’s for sure, a lot more people eat a balanced diet than you might think! Do you think your favourite sports star or singer survives on junk food?
Fact – although you don’t often see these people advertising fruit/veg etc. the majority will eat healthily as they wouldn’t be able to perform well in their sport/concerts/gigs etc. if they didn’t. Looking good and feeling great is not to be laughed at, so next time you’re grabbing some food chose wisely!
More detailed info on healthy eating and well-being can be found at the following links and look out for fun quizzes to find out if u r sorted!
www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/teens
www.teenagehealthfreak.org/homepage/index.asp
www.lifebytes.gov.uk/indexmenu.html
www.youngwomenshealth.org/index.html
Getting active is not only a good way to stay fit and healthy but its also a great way to meet new people, deal with stress and make you feel better about things.
Whether its getting off the bus a stop early, or going for a ride, skate or walk, being active is easier than you think. There are also some great clubs and activities in Portsmouth if you want to be involved in competitive sport or simply meet new people.
Follow this link for more information on sports clubs and facilities in Portsmouth: www.sporthampshireiow.co.uk/sportsresults.htm?ncd=17
Follow this link for organisations in Portsmouth that offer a range of activities: www.inportsmouth.co.uk/community/youth_services/index.htm
You can also access a range of venues in the city which include everything from a skatepark to golf, swimming and gym sessions through to Velodrome (track cycling)!
They are usually a good place to find out more about what’s going on in your area. Follow this link for more information and contact details of facilities in Portsmouth:
www.portsmouth.gov.uk/living/275.html
And if none of this interests you then don’t worry - using your feet is the cheapest way to get around and Portsmouth has some great spots to explore on foot - from Southsea to Ports Down. So why not challenge yourself to do something small every day and see how quickly you are feeling the difference. Why not get your mates involved too?!