As students head into a much needed break, it is important to consider nutrition and movement habits of our young people during this time.

Today's newsletter has been written by a year 8 Healthy World student, showcasing the important work of analysing and being critical of our daily habits to improve our health:

Eating a balanced and nutritional diet is important for my development as an adolescent. Teenagers need a balanced and nutritious diet as this will help them grow and develop properly helping to reduce illnesses later on in life. Teenagers grow quickly and need extra nutrients for bone growth and good development of organs and muscles. According to eatforhealth.gov.au (2023) ‘A healthy diet improves quality of life and wellbeing and protects against chronic diseases… diet related chronic diseases are currently a major cause of death and disability among Australians’. To achieve this, adolescents and families can use the Australian Dietary Guidelines to monitor the intake of foods each day to improve on health and wellbeing. These guidelines provide specific serving sizes of certain foods to outline what young people should be eating each day. They are based on the latest scientific evidence and recommended the best diet to insure a long and healthy life. According to eatforhealth.gov.au "many of the health problems due to poor diet in Australia stem from excessive intake of foods that are high in energy, saturated fat, added sugars and/or added salt but relatively low in nutrients". By making small improvements to eating habits and achieving a balanced and nutritious diet, this will support support adolecent physical, emotional and intellectual growth and development.

It is also important for young people to be active daily to stay fit and healthy. It is recommended that children and adolescents aged 5-17 get at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity throughout the week. According to World Heath Organisation, "lives are becoming increasingly sedentary, through the use of motorised transport and the increased use of screens for work, education and recreation." Children and adolescents should limit the amount of time they are sitting during the day and the amount of time spent on screens. Research emphasises it is important to be active each day to have a healthy growth and development, strong muscles and bones, improved fitness, including coordination and movement skills. Regular physical activity can also help prevent and manage lifestyle diseases such as obesity and heart disease and can maintain healthy body weight, improve mental health, quality of life and wellbeing (World Health Organisation). It is also important to achieve a healthy balance because by overtraining yourself, you can raise the risk of injuries such as muscle strains. Even too much exercise without enough rest and recovery can drain you and wear you out. Being active daily, and achieving balance with rest time, is important as it benefits our health and improves our everyday lives. 

Well done to all students this Semester. Have a happy and safe break.

Mr. Braiden Ruge

Head of Healthy World & Sporting Minds