Staying healthy

It can be hard to get a healthy diet especially when there is a lot of temptation to eat sweets and unhealthy food.  It’s important to get a balance in your diet of the right amount of each food group.  These are listed below with a guide to what one portion should look like:

• Carbohydrates - like potatoes, pasta, rice and bread.  A portion should be about the size of a fist.
• Protein from non dairy sources – like meat, fish and beans.  A portion should be about the size of a deck of cards.
• Dairy – like milk and cheese.  A portion should be about a 200ml of milk, a matchbox size piece of cheese or an average pot (125ml) of yoghurt.
• Fruit and vegetables - at least five portions of per day.  For fresh fruit and vegetables, a portion should be about a cupped hand. For dried fruit, a portion should be about half a cupped hand.

You can allow yourself a treat every now and then so don’t feel bad if you do have a sweet tooth and enjoy having some chocolate or crisps occasionally, just not all the time.

Find out me about how to eat the right balance of foods at the Food Standards Agency website.

Your body needs to stay hydrated to keep healthy.  These are some drinks that are good to drink to help you stay healthy:

• Water is the best way to keep hydrated.  About six glasses of water a day is the recommended amount you should drink.  Remember that the human body is made up of between 55% to 78% water.
• Fruit juices are fine to drink in moderation, but they can be high in sugar so it’s best not to drink lots of them all the time.
• Milk is a great source of calcium and keeps your bones and teeth healthy and strong.  Drinking milk before you go to bed can also help you sleep.

Some drinks should only be drunk occasionally as they are not very good for you:

• Fizzy drinks (like cola) are full of sugar and can harm your teeth. Some also contain caffeine which gives you energy, but can also cause problems with sleep stop your body absorbing good vitamins and minerals. and It’s fine to drink them every so often, but you should try to limit the amount of them you drink.
• Energy drinks (like Redbull) are also full of sugar and have high levels of caffeine in them.  They can affect you in the same way as fizzy drinks.
• Alcohol can be very damaging for your body, and if drunk in large amounts it can harm your liver and stomach. 

Taking exercise is a great way to relax after being sat in lessons all day.  You are recommended to take at least half an hour of exercise every day if you can.  You may get some of this through your PE lessons in school, but it’s also good to do more exercise outside school if you can. 

Joining a sports team outside of school is a great way to stay fit and healthy and also make new friends.  Many community centres or leisure centres run team sports at the weekend or after school.

Exercise doesn’t have to mean taking part in a team sport or spending lots of money on expensive equipment. Try doing something you do like such as:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Jogging
• Ice skating
• Skipping
• Dancing around to music you like

These are all great ways to keep fit and can be fun too.  You can build them into your daily or weekly routine and get your friends involved too which will help motivate you.

If you are worried that you are overweight, it’s best to talk to your doctor before starting any kind of diet. They can advise you about how much weight you might need to lose and also give you a sensible eating and exercise plan to help you lose weight.

If you are worried that you are underweight, the best way to gain weight safely is to talk to your doctor first. They will be able to help you plan how to put weight on and  what foods and exercise are right for you.

If you are worried about anything to do with staying healthy you can talk to ChildLine any time.  No matter what your worry is, ChildLine here for you by phone on 0800 1111 or online.