People are always talking about being healthy. Being healthy means a person eats well, gets lots of exercise and stays a healthy weight. If you're healthy, your body works well, you feel good and can do all the things you want to do.
You can take charge of your health. If you're a person who wants to be healthy, here are five rules to live by. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that on some days (like your birthday) you can eat cake and ice cream. Visit www.kidshealth.org for more information.
Eat a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables
You may have a favourite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and other ones that you haven't tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, taste nicer the older you get. Try to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day – for instance, two fruits and three vegetables.
Drink water and milk most often
When you're really thirsty, cold water is the number-one thirst-quencher. You also need milk because it is a great source of calcium and children need calcium to grow strong bones. You will probably want something other than milk or water once in a while, so it's OK to have 100% pure fruit juice, too. But try to limit sugary drinks, like fizzy pop, juice cocktails and fruit punches. They contain a lot of sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients, to your diet.
Listen to your body
What does it feel like to be full? When you're eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don't notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and, over a period of time, it can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
Limit screen time
What's screen time? It's the amount of time you spend watching TV, DVDs and videos, playing handheld computer games and using the computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time available for active stuff, like running, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than two hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to schoolwork.
Be active
One job you have as a child– and it's a fun one – is that you get to figure out which activities you like best. Not everyone loves swimming or football. Maybe your passion is skateboarding, rock climbing, karate, cricket, dancing or walking. Ask your family and friends to help you to take part in your favourite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. You could even write down a list of fun stuff to do, so you can refer to it when it's time to stop watching TV or playing computer games!
Speaking of family and friends, they can be a big help if you want to be healthy. For example, they can stock the house with healthy foods and plan physical activities for everyone. Tell your family and friends about the things you would like to do and maybe you can teach them a thing or two. If you're healthy, why shouldn't you have healthy family and friends too?
