THINK AND SINK.

What we teach our children today is what they do as adults tomorrow.   It is very important to teach them good habits early on.  When teaching children remember to think and sink.  Have them think about what you are teaching them and than it will and should sink into their brains.  Children's brains are like sponges, they just soak up knowledge. 

This week teach your children what to drink for proper hydration and what hydration really is and the importance of it.  Go over with them some healthy liquids to drink and go over some new vocabulary words with them.  Write them down on a big poster board let it SINK into their brains.

Some healthy drink choices are:

Low-fat/Non-fat milk, 100% fruit juice,

and water are healthy liquids to drink.

The vocabulary for this week are:

Dehydration – Excessive loss of water from the body

Nutrients –

of life and health

Any substance that provides nourishment for the maintenance

Calorie –

Water is the most important nutrient in your body. In fact it makes up 65-70% of your body mass.  Did you know that you can only go a few days without water, but you can live a few weeks without food?  So, it is really important that we replenish our bodies with the proper hydration.

Here is a great visual experiment.  Ask your children some of the other liquids that we drink.  Without knowing them, they will probably say, soda.  Mention to them that in an eight oz. can of soda there is 10 teaspoons of sugar.  Have your child measure out 10 teaspoons of sugar and then try to dissolve it in a glass of water.  It is really hard to do. 

Also, Milk is a really good liquid to drink.  It is filled with calcium for strong bones and does not have the added sugar.  As long as you drink either non fat or low fat milk.

In addition, to learning nutrition it is important for children to become awear of the body.  Teach them to measure how hard they think that they are moving.(Heart is ray, face feels sweaty, out of breath, legs feel tired, etc).  

Here is a rating of a percieveiced exertion chart for children:

0- Sleping.

1-Stting at your desk.

2-Walking through the halls.

3-Walking/playing during recess.

4-Doing relays in the gym.

5-Running as fast as you can.

It is really important to reach out children to recognize how their own bodies feel.  As a parent we can not tell another person what they are feeling.  We all need to teach our children well and remember that our children are the future leaders of tomorrow.   They will be the future Presidents and the CEO's of tomorrow. 

Stay fit.  Stay healthy. 

A unit of energy.