TIPS AND ADVICE FOR A HEALTHY MEAL AND BODY
by: Maria José Cárdenas 10A
A good nutrition is fundamental for a good health, and this includes exercise and a balanced diet. We need the necessary amount of the right nutrients in order to be healthy and full of energy. For these reasons, we are going to give you some tips that can be very useful.
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Try to eat at the same hours every day, and don´t spend too much time without eating something.
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Eat five meals a day, every three hours.
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Eat fruits and vegetables, and try to avoid meals with too much salt.
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Don´t take drinks with too much sugar frequently.
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Exercise at least 30 minutes, four times a week.
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Start your day with a good breakfast, otherwise, you won´t have enough energy for the day.
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Try to eat less candy in the week.
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Don’t arrive to your meal very hungry, or you will try to eat everything you see.
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Drink water, but not in excess.
Follow these tips in order to have a healthy lifestyle. Remember you can eat whatever you want, but in moderate portions. Enjoy every meal you have, and do a physical activity.
MAKING STRESS YOUR FRIEND
by: Valentina Zubieta 10B
Making stress your friend, yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.
― Bil Keane
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Have you been feeling sick and tired over the last months? Or have you ever felt so blue that you could not do your homework or any activity that you used to love? Sometimes it is useful to ask yourself those kinds of questions in order to relax, breathe, or stop your routine. If those questions are frequent, these could become excuses that won't let you live the present. Therefore, you could lose the amazing things that life has for you. Most of the time we are so busy living in the past and designing a future that doesn't exist yet. So, we have to create a new perspective in which the meaning of stress could be changed. There are many ways that you can transform stress, ‘that enemy', into your best ally.
But, how can this be possible? During our whole existence, we have stressful moments. We constantly emerge into a chaotic society. For years, plenty of doctors and psychologists have proven that stress has terrible consequences for our bodies. Also, it makes you have harmful magnitudes for our emotional health. As a result, thinking about stress could be worse than real stress. Although the majority of people consider that problems are the main cause of stress, the reality is, day-by-day we are the ones who control it.
Last week, I was surfing the web and I found an interesting page that it's called TED Ideas worth spreading (for more information: www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend). There, I discovered a video called "How to make stress your friend." That title sounded fascinating for me because I believe that most of my student life is attached to stress. It sounds weird to me to consider "stress" a friend in my life. This talk by Kelly McGonigal, Health psychologist, opened my mind to another point of view. She translates academic research into practical strategies for health, happiness and personal success, and also talks about the importance and the meaning of stress in our lives.
Firstly, it was very important almost at the end of the video the idea "How you think and how you act can transform your experience of stress. When you choose to view your stress response as helpful, you create the biology of courage. And when you choose to connect with others under stress, you can create resilience." It means, that if we change our perspective of stress, we can be able to share with others to think more about life, your friends and your family.
If you have empathy about other's stories, you can be able to get out of your mind. You will be happier because you are not only thinking about how much stress you have or how much homework and responsibilities you have. To understand this, resilience could be a good way to transform your life. This means the ability to get through your problems and get the positive side of the pain as you grow and you learn. It is the process to carry on under certain situations, and stress can be one of them. If you are more aware of your ambiance, for example, if you play more with your sisters or brothers you will be all right.
Secondly, health is not only about eating well. Exercise and drinking lots of water is a fundamental part to live a healthy lifestyle. It also means that you, as a person, are part of a whole. Your body is a temple of many important areas of your life. The mental, physical, spiritual and social areas are the main fields of growth in life. For that reason, you need to save time during the day for yourself. Live the present moment, just with yourself. Quit the media for a couple of hours. No cell phone, Internet, emails, or others. This is a precious time just for you. You can't carry everyone´s problems on your back. Take a seat, breathe, and take care of yourself. There are many coping mechanisms that you can adjust to your life in order to avoid the stress in your life. Take time to relax a little bit. You can take ten minutes, and make some meditations. Breathe, and listen to whatever music you want, taking in mind that your senses are connected with all of your body and your problems are being left behind. Yoga or praying are excellent ways to achieve relaxation. Also, you could watch an interesting film while taking a cup of tea. Once in a while do things that you love.
Lastly, I would like to say - yes! It is possible to eliminate stress from your life. It is possible to be a healthier person without stress if you change your point of view about the meaning of that terrible word. If you shift your thoughts, your body is going to listen to you. Your body is going to be in good shape just by applying the right method against those stressful moments. The key is to be patient with yourself. Don't let your mind start thinking about the harmful consequences of stress. You should take the path of resilience, in the way that you are absolutely sure that you are going to be able to free yourself from any kind of stress and any technological slavery. Later on, your mind and body will be very grateful with the results. Of course! You can still be a healthy person, being a friend of stress!
