Snacking

What was healthy about the snack you just made?

The snack we made consisted of a quarter apple, peanut butter, and almonds. These foods are low-sugar and low-fat, and have lots of vitamins and nutrients that essentially make up a healthy mini-meal. 

How often to snack?

If we are to snack, we should snack before meals, two to three times a day. Snacks should also not be very big - just enough to evade hunger until the next meal.

What's in a healthy snack?

A healthy snack will generally not be sticky and will not have HFCS, high fat, or artificial ingredients. The foods should be nutritious and natural.

Snacks to stay away from?

Ritz bits, Cheetos, beef jerky - they contain a lot of artificial ingredients, empty calories, lots of preservatives, high sugar or fat content.

What did you like/ dislike about the activity?

I liked that their activity was very interactive and made snacking fun. I also liked the video, it was interesting to watch.

Blood Pressure Lab

A typical blood pressure is 120/80 mm Hg. In our lab, subject 1 had a primary reading of 120/60 mm Hg, and a secondary reading of 110/70 mm Hg. Subject 2 had a primary reading of 90/55 mm Hg, and a secondary reading of 90/60 mm Hg.

To measure heart rate, we can use our fingers for radial and carotid pulse rate, and a stethoscope for the heart. To measure blood pressure, we use a sphygmomanometer. A thumb also has a pulse, so it can be confusing when counting pulse rates.

To use a sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff), it needs to be put on someone's upper arm, fully deflated. The stethoscope then should be put just under the cuff. Squeezing the cuff bulb, the cuff will inflate quickly, cutting off blood pressure in the blood vessel under the cuff. Stop squeezing at around 150 mm Hg. Then, deflate the cuff by slowly opening the valve just above the bulb. Listening through the stethoscope, you will hear a sound starting - note the reading. When the sound ends, note this reading also. The first reading is systolic blood pressure, and the second is diastolic. 

Unit 2 Reflection

Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". I could definitely eat more vegetables and get more sleep, but overall I am quite healthy. I think the majority of people at SHS could get more sleep and have more balanced diets. I see a lot of people who don't eat any vegetables whatsoever, which I find quite scary as they don't seem to realise how detrimental this is to their health. The lack of sleep is also very unhealthy. If people knew how to focus better and procrastinate less, the amount of sleep would greatly improve. Also with nutrition, if people knew how unhealthy they are, they would be more likely to change diets. I also think the cafeteria should offer healthier foods, to encourage people to make better eating choices.

The themes and essential understandings from this unit were that health is the measure of our body's efficiency and overall wellbeing. It includes physical, social, and mental health. Nutrients are necessary to maintain life. Regular exercise reduces risks of many adverse health outcomes, and some physical activity is better than none. Sleep is essential to physical/ emotional wellbeing. We need it to rest and restore the brain. Stress is any event/ demand that causes a predictable physiological response. 

I learnt that the pillars of health is what is necessary to maintain full health. Nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, and social impact our lives and the way we live them. Hormones play a huge role in our health and affect each pillar. The big 4 hormones are insulin, leptin, glucagon, and cortisol. I understand it all, but I would like to learn more about how important sleep is and how it affects the body. I think I'm interested in it because as a teenager, I struggle to get all the sleep I need, even though I know I need it.

Next unit I will improve my relate & reviews and will make sure not to forget to make any notes. Dieticians, like Ms. Kuehn, focus on helping people improve their lifestyles by helping them sort out the nutrition they need. They are experts on what nutrients are necessary for a healthy, balanced life and are very helpful to not only people who struggle with their diet, but everyone. A lot of people could use help improving their diets.