UTSW

Attend one of the UTSW sessions this month either on Monday, January 28 to hear from a Pediatric Nurse or on Monday, February 25 to learn about melanoma.  Discuss your thoughts about what you learned and what you thought of the experience of attending a medical school seminar.  Don't forget to RSVP to the event on the class website.

NFL Play 60

The NFL's campaign PLAY 60 encourages youth to exercise and be active for 60 minutes a day.  

"Enter for a chance to win a visit from the NFL PLAY 60 Bus at your school or community center. Tell us what your community needs to help kids from Kindergarten to 8th grade PLAY 60 every day and stay active and healthy - your school or community center may end up winning just what you asked for!"   

Write a brief essay that answers these two questions.  Be creative and original 

What's the biggest challenge facing your school/center's health & wellness efforts? 

How can the NFL and the NFL PLAY 60 Bus make your community a better place for kids to get active and healthy?

Cardio Health Challenge

Can you become heart healthy for 5 days?  Choose one or more of these 5 Day Challenges to improve your heart health.  Try to convince family or friends to join you.  It's only 5 days!

Was it difficult to complete?  What was the most challenging part?  Do you think you will continue?  Why is it necessary for heart health?

Challenge 1:  No fast food or anything FRIED 

Challenge 2:  Replace white flour with 100% whole wheat

Challenge 3:  No processed food! (This one requires some work!)  

You can take any of the mini pledges from the 100 Days of Real Food blog. 

Setting Goals

With the new year right around the corner, set a few goals for yourself for the upcoming year. Discuss why you want this goal, what you are going to do to achieve it, and how you plan to stay motivated. Do you think goal setting is important? Do you usually follow through with your goals?

Brain Food

Why are some foods considered "brain foods"?  What makes them so good for you?  What are some examples of brain food that you could include in your diet?  Try it for a few days and see if you can tell a difference.  Include scientific research to support your decision to try a particular brain food. 

More 5ks!

Run a 5k this six weeks.  One suggestion would be the Nature Park Trail Run on Saturday, December 1. The Sidekick is also sponsoring a 5k in partnership with Taylor's Gift.  You can sign up at lunches for this one which will be held at Andy Brown on Saturday, December 8.  Another suggestion would be the Dallas Jingle Bell Run.  This is a night run on Wednesday, December 19.  As with all runs, write a brief reflection of your thoughts and upload a picture of you at the event to the class Photobucket account.  

Sleep

According to research, your brain needs a certain amount of sleep to perform at its maximum capacity.  It is recommended that adults get between 8-10 hours of sleep each night.  For a minimum of three nights, sleep at least 8 hours.  Discuss your normal sleep habits and how this was different for you.  Explain how you felt, how long you attempted this challenge, and whether or not you could tell a difference.  Support your thoughts with research and scientific information. 

UTSW

Attend one of the UTSW sessions this month either on Monday, November 26 to hear about Clinical Nutrition or on Monday, December 17 to hear from a EMS Paramedic.  Discuss your thoughts about what you learned and what you thought of the experience of attending a medical school seminar. 

Donations

Are you a bone marrow donor?  What about an organ donor?  How does one go about becoming one?  Why do some people choose not to?  What about you?  Would you donate?  Explain your thoughts on the subject and state whether or not you have signed up or discussed organ donation with your family.  Visit Taylor's Gift or Be The Match to learn more or sign up!

Health Challenge

How can you alter your lifestyle to help maintain bone health in your future?  Take this 5 day challenge to become a healthier person.  You can add weight bearing exercise, calcium, potassium, or anything else to your routine or you can remove something such as caffeine.  Explain how the challenge went, what exactly you did, how this was suppose to help the bones, and if you plan to stick with it.