Mental Health

My Health students are encouraged to see mental health as an integral part of their overall health, their wellness. It's a subject that can sometimes be seen as difficult to talk about but it's students of this age that most need to be aware of the issues. 5,000 teenagers take their own life each year and my students immerse themselves in the mental health assignment to go with this topic.
Students have to research a mental illness and produce an informational pamphlet that gives information on the causes, symptoms and possible treatments for those afflicted with the illness. They also have to provide further sources of information including school based, community based and on a national level.
I have used www.youpublisher.com to allow this semesters students to look at just a few of the good examples of work that were produced last semester. If you click on the image above it will allow you to scroll through some pamphlets.

Wise Up This Winter

This is a guest post from a recent graduate from my Health class. Jessica T is now in Journalism and she wrote a health related article for the latest edition of "Crossroads".

Sick and tired of being sick and tired? As the temperature drops, so do our immune systems. Follow these healthy tweaks to amp up during the cold and flu season.

Chicken soup
Chicken soup helps break up congestion and hot chicken vapors have been proven more effective than hot water vapors in clearing out the cold in your nose.

Stay hydrated with water
Our body works best when it is hydrated. "If we lose body fluids due to sickness then it would make sense to drink water", Health teacher Andrew Milne said. "These same fluids might also reduce congestion." Stay away from diuretics such as tea and coffee. Diuretics increase the excretion of water from the body.

Grapefruit
Grapefruits are a good source of Vitamin C. It strengthens the immune system. It can cure a fever and is rich in fiber.
*Try sprinkling it with a pinch of sugar.

Q & A with Health teacher Andrew Milne
Q. Why do people get sick during the winter?
A. There's no real scientific reason as to why this might happen. There is less sunlight, and so we produce less Vitamin D, which may affect our immune system. Another theory is that we spend more time indoors, and so we are exposed to other people's germs more frequently.

Q. How does the weather affect our health?
A. I'm going to be so bold as to suggest that it doesn't. Germs survive less in cold environments so theoretically there should be less germs about.

Q. What can we do to prevent / lessen the risks of colds & flus?
A. I recommend boosting your immune system with Vitamin C and Zinc. Stay away from people that have colds and flu. If you have a cold or flu, sneeze into fabric instead of on your hands or uncovered. Wash hands frequently so that you don't contaminate surfaces. If you are sick - stay at home.
Tip from nurse Kathy Hunter - take a multi-vitamin...it can give your immune system that extra 'boost' needed to stay healthy.

Q. Ways to stay physically fit this winter?
A. Stick to your normal fitness routine. If the weather allows, get outside - fresh air and sunlight are in short supply this time of year! Get a group of friends together so that you can motivate each other to stay fit. And yes - playing the Wii and similar games can help you burn calories.

What do you think of Jessica's article? Do you or your family have any tips for staying healthy during the winter months. Please post your thoughts or give Jessica some feedback.

Why Study Health?

When I was a College student, at Exeter University, studying Physical Education we were encouraged to justify the position of our subject on the school curriculum. Little did I know back then that my teaching career would take me from England, where PE is one of only four compulsory subjects taught in school, to America where there are States that do not require students to particpate in PE at all.

I no longer wear a tracksuit and am now based in a classroom teaching health, a mandatory subject, but I still maintain that ALL teachers of ALL subjects should be confident in justifying the merits of their subject.

My health classes teach students about physical, mental & emotional and social aspects of health. They learn how to embrace healthy lifestyle factors and become aware of things that influence their health. They learn strategies that allow them to maintain and improve not only their own health but also that of friends and family. Students are encouraged to spread the word of health out into their community and advocate for the health needs of others.

One of the early assignments that I set my classes is to write an essay justifying the place of health class on the curriculum and I am always pleased with the responses.

As an extension of that assignment I am now inviting responses to the question "Why should we study health?"

I Couldn't Have Put It Better Myself

Feeling Tired? Me too.

As I made myself a strong coffee this morning at 5am I pondered the words of Benjamin Franklin - "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise".

Recently my students were asked to set health goals and post them on this blog. If you scroll down you will notice that improving their current sleep patterns is a common goal. We ask so much of our students nowadays and it's no wonder that after school, homework, sports, drama, music and social commitments that a recent survey suggested that only 15% of teenagers got more than 8.5 hours on school nights.

The average American gets 7.5 hours of sleep per night which is significantly less than the 9 hours that their Grandparents would have got. Scientists now suggest that we should get 8 to 8.5 hours of sleep, with teenagers needing between 8.5 - 9.25 every night in order to perform to their best.

I did some research to find out the implications of having less sleep than needed. What can my students prevent if they were to catch a few more zzzzz's each night?

• 'A' grade students get 15 minutes more sleep on average than 'B' grade students who get 15 minutes more sleep than 'C' grade students. With sufficient sleep we are more prepared to learn, we concentrate better and solve problems more effectively.
• Tired students are more likely to reach for sugary or fried foods to counteract their drowsiness. They are also more likely to use stimulants, including caffeine or nicotine.
• Our body repairs when we are sleeping. Students who do not get sufficient rest are more prone to developing pimples.
• Tired students are also more likely to report higher levels of depression.

The National Sleep Foundation report that drowsy drivers kill 100,000 people every year.

Latest research is now linking sleep deprivation to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer and impaired immune function! In fact a Harvard study suggested that women with less than 5 hours of sleep were 40% more likely to develop heart disease.

So in order to help my students who are aiming to get more sleep that they do currently, here are my tips to catching the fast train to Sleepville.

• Develop a regular sleeping habit. While I appreciate that other committments might prevent you from getting to bed at the same time each night, if you only spend 6 hours in bed you can only hope to get 6 hours of sleep. Spend more time in bed.
• Large meals eaten within 3 hours of bedtime are likely to interfere with sleep.
• Get off Facebook! Our biological clock misinterprets the blue rays from TV's computers and cell phones as daylight. This then keeps us awake while we are trying to sleep. Try and make your room as dark as possible.
• A quiet, relaxing bedroom, without distractions from music, TV, cell phones and annoying siblings will promote peace and eliminate stress and chaos.

Do you have any sleep tips? Did you set a sleep related goal this year. how successful have you been? Is your lack of sleep affecting other areas of your health triangle? Post a response below or take part in the sleep quiz at the top of this page.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you and your family.

With a new semester upon us, this is a time to reflect upon the best (and worst) of 2010 and to look forward to the fresh start offered to us by 2011.

Just before Advent, the Administration at CCHS gave teachers a book of daily reflections. The reflection for the New Year asked us to consider choosing a theme for 2011. Would this be The Year of Quiet? The Year of Daring? The Year of Healing? The Year of Love?

Whether you decide to choose a theme or not, it is possible that you will be encouraged to set yourself a New Year's Resolution. This will be a commitment to improve your life, attitude or behavior in some way. Popular goals might be to lose weight, gain muscle, improve grades, give more time to charity, be nice to your siblings or improve your school grades. Whatever you choose, this is a time to set a positive goal or improve a habit that you have developed.

In health class we learn that following SMART guidelines we can increase our chances of achieving our goals. SMART is an acronym that reminds how to set the best type of goal.

Specific. Our goal should be specific, not general. Why have you set this goal? Who will help you? When will you work on achieving the goal? What constraints will need to be overcome?

Measurable. You should be able to measure your success, or your path towards achieving your goal.

Attainable. When you plan out the steps, and establish a time frame you are more likely to achieve your goal. Goals that once seemed difficult will become more attainable as you grow and change your behaviors to ensure success.

Realistic. Your goal will be realistic if you believe that it can be accomplished. Are you willing and able to achieve the goal?

Timely. You should set a time limit on your goal. Achieving it 'someday' just doesn't cut it. By putting a time limit on the goal you are preparing yourself to make changes in your behavior to achieve. Once the goal is achieved, you can reward yourself...and set yourself another goal. Remember, people who regularly set and achieve goals are more successful in life.

I wish you all the best in achieving your New Year's Resolution. If there is anything that I can do to assist you setting or achieving your goal please do not hesitate to ask me. If you are setting a goal, consider posting it on this blog as a comment. The more people that are aware of your goal, the more people you have to motivate you towards achieving it.

Consider this question asked in my book of Advent reflections, "What are we doing with the life God gave us?".

Mr Milne's Guide To Surviving Christmas

With the finals (almost) over, and one semester of (good) grades already safely stored on Edline, you can now relax from the pressures of school and look forward to Christmas. Hopefully you will have time to relax, reflect, and refresh yourselves for the challenges that await you in 2011. However, Christmas can be one of the most stressful times for the family and so here is my guide to surviving the holidays. With the house full of family members, perhaps including siblings who have been away at College, it's possible that so many people packed into a confined space can cause a few frustrations. Plus, if your parents are hosting Christmas celebrations, they too might be under pressure to make this a memorable occasion so here are my tips to make things run smoothly:

• Be aware of how others in the house are feeling. If you sense that they are stressed, ask if there is anything that you can do to help. When we do good things for other people we feel happy also, and so here is a great win-win situation for everyone.


• Enjoy the food! Don't worry too much about possible over-indulgence. You don't want to offend the person who has prepared the food and don't feel guilty about gaining weight. Research that I read recently suggested that most people only put on 1lb at Christmas. However, I also read research that said that 10% of Americans gain 5lb in weight when you include Thanksgiving AND Christmas. I say just enjoy the food. Make healthy choices, take the low fat option if possible and enjoy the protein rich turkey!


• Be safe! With ice and snow predicted, the roads aren't the safest of places at this time of the year. The police will be out in large numbers trying to identify those drivers who might have 'celebrated' a little too excessively so be aware of this. Be careful of other drivers, and please don't accept rides from anyone that you think might have been drinking.


• Christmas offers you a great opportunity for reflection. Take time over the next few weeks to give thanks for all of the great things in your life. You can reflect on those who are no longer with us, and include those that are suffering in your prayers. Enjoy all that your faith has to offer you over this time of religious celebration.


• Finally, set yourself some goals for 2011. What do you hope to accomplish over the next 12 months and how do you hope to do so? What steps can you put in place now to ensure that you are more likely to achieve these goals? Share your goals with your family and encourage them to do the same - this gives you a great opportunity to provide support for each other.

I've had a great 2010 and look forward to all that the New Year has to offer.

Have a wonderful, stress free Christmas with your friends and family!