Health Topics

Archive for the ‘Health And Fitness’ Category

One of the most popular outdoor activities has always been water sports. Anything to do with water has an almost magnetic appeal to youngsters. However, the idea of boating usually has connotations of being an expensive endeavor. Once the costs of a boat, a trailer, registration, fuel, and long term winter storage are all added up, it is easy to see why boating is most often only wishful thinking for most families. What the family on a budget needs to keep in mind is that it isn’t necessary to spend a fortune and impress the neighbors just to have some healthy fun with the kids. For the innovative family, alternate ways of engaging in healthy outdoor activities can be found with no more expense than an average outing at the movies.

Breaking down the costs of two different activities over a period of time is a useful way to get a good comparison. Consider a typical family of four who enjoy going to the movies. Assuming they go to one movie a month, their annual expenses might look something like this:

* two adult tickets $20.00
* two children’s tickets $15.00
* drinks and popcorn for four $20.00
* total for 12 movies per year $660.00

A second family, also with a limited amount of disposable income, decides to look for something that is not only a fun activity, but has the added benefit of going outside for some fresh air and a bit of exercise. With just a little bit of internet searching, they find a cheap way to get involved in boating with the purchase of a couple of inflatable kayaks. Once thought of more as a toy, modern advancements in their manufacture have now placed them into the ranks of safe, durable, and most importantly, affordable watercraft.

* TWO 2-person inflatable kayaks $550.00
* Four life vests $80.00
* total cost $630.00

At a quick glance, the two activities look to be very comparable in total cost. However, when looking further, there are more things to take into consideration before coming to a final cost comparison. Most family economists teach their clients a term or concept known as the ‘cost of entertainment’. This is basically defined as the amount of money spent per hour in the pursuit of entertainment or recreation. In the example of the movie family, they spent $660.00 to watch 12 movies that lasted an average of two hours per movie. So attending movies had a ‘cost of entertainment’ for them of $27.50 per hour. When the movie is over, so is the entertainment outing and it’s time to go home.

By comparison, the boating family spent a total of $630.00 to go out on the water anytime they wanted. They also went out 12 times in one year, but they spent an average of 4-6 hours enjoying their newfound water sport and they were able to decide for themselves when it was time to go home. With an average of 5 hours per trip, their cost of entertainment was only $10.50 per hour for the sixty hours they spent on the water. So in this example, water sports, once thought of as being too expensive for the average family, is now cheaper than going to the movies. The benefits don’t stop here though, they have really only just begun. In each of the following years, the movie family will have to purchase more tickets and popcorn for each additional trip. The new boating family already have all of their equipment, which will last them for several more years with no additional costs. They can even get some of their investment back later on by selling their used kayaks.

Enter Super Size Me. This film made waves because of director Morgan Spurlock’s personal dedication to the project: for 30 days, he ate food exclusively from McDonald’s. All three meals, every day, came from the golden arches. If the server/cashier asked if he wanted to super-size the meal, he always agreed. He was tested by doctors before and after his experiment and the results are alarming, but really, what did we expect? The film is so terrific for in-school use that they released a special educator’s version that omits references to sex and brings the rating down to PG.

Super Size Me is an entertaining and relatively lighthearted film. When kids see it without an adult telling them that the science is true and that a diet of fast food is fatal, they don’t see the implications for their own health. But play it in class, add a few statistics, and they’ll never look at fast food in the same way. This film shown as a serious documentary ensures that children (and adults) will think twice about the food choices they make at every meal.

Students can make a difference in their own health.

Instead of a bag of chips at every school day lunch, students could swap in apples, carrots or snap peas three times a week. It’s about breaking changes down into manageable pieces. Like with anything in life, curriculum subjects included. Students are better able to digest (pun definitely intended) information in smaller chunks, rather than being hit with everything all at once. Breaking up the lessons and lectures with this entertaining film is a great way to get students interested. Super Size Me provides teachers with a platform to open up a dialog about making healthy choices for everyone, not just for overweight or obese students.

This film can also be used to study the use and effect of advertising on children. It presents compelling evidence about the “brainwashing” done by fast-food companies with their cheerful and toy-laden commercials that run during cartoons. Super Size Me can be used by science classes to study the effects of chemicals in foods; it introduces the concepts of additives and that a majority of our food is cooked up by chemists in the laboratory.

By creating a safe, judgment-free classroom that raises the issue of obesity as a health problem, you can help curb the epidemic of fat in America.

Open up your classroom to conversations about healthy living, and teach your students that they have the ability to control their lifestyles, even if they can’t control all aspects of it right now. Though it might not feel like it currently, they will eventually be the ones making all the decisions. Giving them the tools to make the best choices they can, will only guarantee their future success.

Laughter really is the best medicine because it stimulates your immune system. There are many documented cases where there power of laughter and positive thinking has helped in the treatment of potentially deadly diseases like cancers. A short, funny mind movie can help keep your spirits up and help with recovery.

If you are generally happy and have a positive out look on life, you are probably quite healthy as well. If you do get sick, your recovery time will be reduced. Positive emotions are a very powerful influence on healthy living. Mind movies can help by giving you a quick boost during your day.

One of the easiest ways to stimulate positive emotions is to watch an inspiring or funny video. It involves your senses of sight and hearing to produce a powerful effect on your emotions. The memory will be easily recalled, especially if you watch the video often.

Mind movies are slides shows or movies with bright catchy tunes that help you visualise your goals. They are usually only a few minutes in long so you can watch them several times a day, when you get a couple of spare minutes. You can use them to attract money, friends, and health, attract a life partner or strengthen family ties.

There are generic movies available for you to try but the most effective ones are ones you make yourself. They are personal to you and your experiences and so stimulate a stronger emotional response.

If you watch your movie several times a day, it can keep you in a positive frame of mind and you will feel great, things will appear to be easier and you will be enjoyable company for those around you.

Mind movies are fun to create. You can get the whole family involved in creating their own personal mind movie. It is a great way to learn more about those close to you. Make it a family event.