Healthy living Essay

Healthy lifestyle for both adults and children is more important than anything else. Healthy lifestyle habits will reduce your risk of getting diseases; you will feel better, have more energy and prevent the risk of chronic diseases. Living healthy also helping you to feel happy and have more self confidence which results in a better quality of life . in today’s The term healthy lifestyle encompasses several factors that need to be brought together in order to gain the benefits, namely exercise, healthy eating and a body mass index (BMI) in a normal range. Healthy lifestyle, particularly for children is their insurance policy for a lifetime of good health, and as research has shown, may significantly reduce the chance of contracting chronic illnesses and diseases. Regular physical activity is important for a healthy growth, development and well-being of children, the British Heart Foundation has carried out research into the fact of living a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy can stop you gaining weight, which means reducing the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also help lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of some cancers. Chronic illnesses associated with obesity, lack o exercise and a poor diet include the following * Coronary heart disease * Cancer * Stroke * Diabetes * High blood pressure (Hypertension) * Chronic Obstructive pulmonary Disease (COPD) 2. Healthy Eating along with a healthy BMI and exercise is the third element of a healthy lifestyle for children is eating a healthy diet. A healthy diet is again protective against a whole host of chronic illnesses, eating fruit and vegetables everyday helps children’s grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases And children are especially susceptible to behavioural problems due to deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals that are derived from the food that we eat. Educations by example in the young child greatly improve their chances of eating a wide variety of nutritious foods as they move from childhood into adolescence. Children who eat meal around the table with others are more likely to try different foods, therefore lowering the possibility of them becoming picky eaters. In order to eat healthily food should be selected from the various different groups to make up a nutritionally balanced plate. These groups are * Carbohydrates – potatoes, rice, bread, pasta and other starchy food * Protein – meat, eggs, fish, beans, milk, cheese, and other dairy products * Fat – butter, oil, spreads * Fruit and vegetables * Sugars – sugary drinks, sweets 3. Activities for young children, Regular physical activity are important for the healthy growth, development and wellbeing of children and young people Physical play and leisure activities can have a hugely positive effect on children’s healthy living. Even though IT and computer games are becoming more popular with the children instead of traditional exercises, they still need physical exercises into their everyday routines. In 2006 professors in Glasgow identified through a study of 545 nursery school children, that one hour of exercise a day was required for children to maintain a healthy BMI, in addition to eating healthy diet. Play is an essential part of a Childs development and we are focusing here particularly on the physical and mental wellbeing aspects. There are many opportunities in the local community for involving children in physical exercises for example of these * Trips to the local park * Indoor children’s play centres * Specialist activities for children at leisure and recreation centres Creative in add ion to the physical activities as a means of promoting a healthy lifestyle, cookery demonstrations and activities can have a profound effect on children encouraging them to prepare and taste healthy foods that they may not have previously been introduced to. The use of different colours and textures of food in recipes can fuel a child excitement and interest where it may not have previously been held. Games displays and the creation of posters can all assist with the promotion of a healthy lifestyle for young children. 4. Wellbeing is the state of being comfortable healthy and happy. In child it is necessary to evaluate children regularly to identify any children who may be displaying sings of emotional or social difficulties affecting their wellbeing. Children should feel comfortable enough to be able to express themselves in an environment that they perceive as positive and safe, and this should be encouraged. Wellbeing for families there are many public and private courses that run including the triple p programs (positive parents programs) which runs nationwide offering invaluable support to parents. Courses are available for different age groups of children and are delivered by experienced and appropriately trained practitioners. These courses have proved a lifeline for some parents who have been struggling in silence to conquer various emotional, physical or behavioural aspects of their children’s lives. This is a fantastic tool for improving parent’s wellbeing and offers an opportunity for parents to meet in secure non judgemental and confident environment where they can discuss their own issues that they are experiencing with practitioners and fellow parents †¦