“Health is not valued till sickness comes.”
—Dr. Thomas Fuller
Key Wellness Recommendations
• Be active for at least 60 minutes every day.
• Start each day with a healthy breakfast.
• Eat 3 to 4 cups of colorful fruits and vegetables daily.
• Limit soda and other sugary drinks.
• Be size wise – choose small portions of foods.
• Get 8.5 to 11 hours of sleep each night.
• Limit screen time (TV, video games, computer) to less than 2 hours a day.
Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
Nutrition: The Learning Connection
Poor nutrition and physical inactivity not only lead to overweight and obesity, but they also have a negative impact on readiness to learn and academic achievement. A growing body of evidence is showing the connection between good nutrition, physical activity, healthy body weight, and student achievement.
Physical Activity and Academics:
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• Academic achievement improves when kids spend more time in physical education, even when students spend less time in class! Consistently higher math scores were seen after 240 minutes per week of class time was exchanged for physical activity time.
• A 2002 study of over 850,000 5th, 7th, and 9th graders showed an association between physical fitness and SAT-9 test results. Students with the highest fitness scores also had the highest test scores.
• Physical activity has been linked with higher academic performance, improved math, reading and writing scores, better grades, higher levels of self-esteem, reduced disruptive behaviors, lower drug use, and lower levels of anxiety and stress.
• Physical activity increases heart rate, which stimulates increased blood flow and arousal to the brain. This nourishes the brain with oxygen, in effect, boosting its efficiency.