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4 weeks ago

HEALTH TIPS

Eat well

Eating well is not about counting calories or having tiny portion sizes. Check out the following tips to help you make decisions that you are happy with when it comes to your diet:

Eat a variety of foods: Each food contains its own unique vitamins and minerals, and in order for your body to have a balance of all the nutrients it needs, it is important to eat lots of different foods. The 5 main food groups, which are all equally as important when it comes to getting the nutrients we need:
Veggies and beans
Fruit
Grain foods, which are foods made from rice, oats, wheat (like bread or pasta) or another cereal grain.
Lean meats (meats without a lot of fat), poultry, tofu, nuts, fish, eggs, seeds and beans.
Milk, yoghurt and cheese

Drink lots of water: The human body is up to 60% water so it is no surprise that drinking lots of water is a really important part of healthy eating. It is recommended that we have about 8 glasses of water every day but the most important thing is to drink as much as you feel you need. Sometimes you will need more, especially when you are exercising.

Don’t fear fat: Fat is okay. Some fats, called unsaturated fats should be included in small amounts in your diet, and are important part of healthy eating. You can find unsaturated fats in things like avocados, nuts and olive oil.

Then there are saturated fats often found in things like butter, fried food and cake, which are okay in moderation. Do not be afraid to eat a piece of birthday cake or have some potato chips if you want a snack, just don’t get into a habit of doing it all the time.

Limit the not so nutritious stuff: It is a little bit heart breaking that hot chips are not nutritious. It does not mean you cannot eat them, just that you should not eat them regularly. Things like deep fried foods, pizza, cakes, pastries, biscuits and pies all fall into this category. If you are looking for snacks, try fruits, plain popcorn or wholegrain crackers.

Don’t forget the drinks: Soft drinks and fruit juices contain a huge amount of sugar and not a lot of the good, nutritious stuff.
Don’t forget about the fish: Fish is particularly excellent for our health. It is recommended that we eat 2 or 3 serves of oily fish each week. This includes fish like salmon, blue mackerel, trout and tuna, which are all rich in Omega-3 and protein (tuna is only rich in Omega-3 when it is fresh and not canned). And then there is the added bonus that fish is delicious.

Eating habits: Do not skip breakfast, eat regularly throughout the day (WHO, Children’s Health, WebMD). ... See MoreSee Less

1 month ago

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”
- Pablo Picasso

Setting goals and targets

Do you feel like you have worked hard, but don't seem to get anywhere worthwhile? Do you often think about unhappy moments when you resolved to make positive changes, but ended up falling back to your old ways after a short period? A reason for this could be that you have not spent enough time thinking about what you truly want, and ultimately, have not set for yourself those formal goals and targets. First, you should consider what you want to achieve, and then commit to it. That's goal setting.

Susan Ward defines goal setting as the process of deciding what you want to accomplish and devising a plan to achieve the result you desire. First outline specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (S.M.A.R.T.) goals that motivate you and write them down, and then plan the steps you must take to realize your goal:

Specific: This is about being clear and unambiguous when setting your goal.

Measurable: Set your goals against concrete criteria. This will help you stay on track. When you can measure your goals progress, you will know when you achieve it.

Attainable: If your goal is not attainable, then return to the drawing board. Goals must be realistic and attainable.

Relevant: Your goal should be of importance and have meaning. The effort at working towards it, must be worth it to you.

Time-bound: Set a deadline and commit to it. There is a tendency to forget open-ended goals.

Finally, talk to somebody about what you are doing, and urge them to hold you accountable. Usually, when you have somebody to report to, you are likely to push through on days when you do not feel like working, but this will eventually see your goals through! Remember, once you have achieved a goal, absorb all implications of the goal achievement, review the rest of your goal plans, and observe the progress that you have made towards other goals. This would help to build your self-confidence. ... See MoreSee Less

2 months ago

Learning in Focus

“Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding.” – Robert John Meehan.

The subject matter in focus for this week is “Understanding and Dealing with Learning Difficulties.”

Challenges of learning disabilities
Learning disabilities present significant challenges to learning. People with learning difficulties are held back in school and at work because they have difficulties in managing information that their brain receive. This can lead to frustration, stress, low self-esteem, depression, criminal behaviour or even drop-out from school.

Furthermore, in people with learning disabilities, one or more of the steps involved in the processing of information are hindered usually resulting from wrong wiring or links in the nervous system.

This often leads to difficulty taking in, organizing, and/or acting on information their brains receive from the senses. This will eventually result to difficulty in:

a. Understanding, remembering or producing language e.g. speaking, writing, reading, listening, spelling and so on.
b. Motor coordination – coordination of body movement.
c. Reasoning.
d. Noticing and remembering social information.
e. Emotional maturation.
f. Processing information.
g. Organization of things, time and/or space and so on.
h. Understanding simple instructions.
i. Limited awareness of interest in print, books, and other sources.
j. Colouring, copying and drawing.
k. Naming objects and colours.

Some pointers to learning disabilities at a glance
Some signs of learning disabilities present themselves in both childhood and adulthood. The following signs should be looked out for.

Early Childhood: Preschool Child (Below 6 years)
Difficulty understanding simple instructions.
Delay and difficulty in understanding or using spoken language.
Slowness in naming objects and colours.
Limited awareness of interest in print, books and other sources.
Difficulty in colouring, copying and drawing.
Problems with physical coordination.
Short attention span – can’t sit long enough to be read a story

Elementary and Secondary School Students (Between 6 -16)
Difficulty pronouncing words, reversing letters or transposing syllables.
Difficulty carrying out sequence of directions.
Doesn’t hear fine differences in words e.g. writes “pin” for “pen’, “tea” for “till”
Has problems stating thoughts in an organised way or describing math problems in word.
Confuses the order of letters in words or numbers in a math problem.
Doesn’t recognize words previously learned.
Spells a word several different ways; doesn’t recognize the correct version.

16 - Adulthood
Difficulty remembering something just read.
Difficulty concentrating when reading or writing.
Unable to tell important information from unimportant details.
Spells poorly.
Difficulty with mechanics of writing.
Problems taking notes or copying math problems accurately.
Difficulty organising and completing written projects. ... See MoreSee Less

2 months ago

Why Time Management is Important

“The idea is to make decisions and act on them — to decide what is important to accomplish, to decide how something can best be accomplished, to find time to work at it and to get it done.”
— Karen Kakascik

Many students often face the challenge of adjusting to classes, completing assignments and allowing enough time for their studies. Learning and maintaining good time management skills, helps to find freedom from deadline pressure and from stress in general.

This is especially helpful for children who may be known for procrastinating. By getting clear on goals, it will be easier for students to decide how to spend their time, and put off easily, other things that might be detrimental to their studies.

Time Management is therefore about monitoring your efforts and actions. The Australian Professional Skills Institute encourages students to adopt the following time management skills:

1. Learn to get rid of anything that is distracting and encourages procrastination. For example, avoid studying around your smartphone. You will be tempted to visit, and spend long hours on social media. Simply turn it off.

2. Always stay focused at the task. When you are totally immersed and involved in reading, you experience a state of 'flow' that makes you feel energized and motivated to enjoy the activity.

3. Adopt a calendar. This will help you to plan your appointments, and stick to your obligations. It will help you plan your entire day which would ordinarily evolve around your study and devotion to different subjects.

4. Use a checklist. A checklist will help you stay on task, by listing your tasks and checking them off one by one once completed.

5. Get organised. Being organised comes with planning your calendar and developing a checklist. This will help you to allocate and manage your time better.

6. Rest (by sleeping). A good sleep will put your body and mind at rest and keep you refreshed for the next day. ... See MoreSee Less

2 months ago

HEALTH TIPS

Why Eat Breakfast?
Breakfast is often described as the most important meal of the day, and rightfully so. It provides important daily nutrients such as protein, fibre, calcium and carbohydrates. Breakfast is the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road. You need to provide enough new energy for your body to get started and to keep you functioning until lunch. If your child feels tired or has difficulty concentrating during the day, consider adding breakfast to his or her routine.

Breakfast improves academic performance and diet
Breakfast helps improve mental performance and concentration during morning activities. Children who skip breakfast will be sluggish, less attentive, and have less energy to carry out their morning tasks.

Weight Maintenance
Skipping breakfast actually makes people more likely to snack throughout the day and eat a larger meal at lunch and dinner. As a result, skipping breakfast may cause weight gain by making them eat excessively later in the day. Kids who eat breakfast are typically in better health. They are less prone to obesity and illness, leading to fewer sick days, which can cause kids to fall behind in schoolwork.

Increased Concentration
Students who eat a balanced breakfast may have better concentration and more positive reactions to difficult tasks than students who don’t eat breakfast. Energy provided by breakfast allows children to fully participate in physical activity at school, including physical education classes; recess; and extracurricular activities.

STUDENTS SHOULD ALWAYS COME TO SCHOOL WITH THEIR BOTTLES FILLED WITH WATER. ADEQUATE HYDRATION IS REQUIRED TO COPE WITH THIS HARSH WEATHER. ... See MoreSee Less