Healthy Foundations –Lesson 1: Your Total Health

WEEK #2

Answer the following on your weekly warm-up:

Self-reflection is an important way to identify areas of strength and areas of improvement. Tell me if you believe this statement to be true, why or why not? Identify two areas in your life where self–reflection is important and how it is beneficial to you.

Overall Message

• “Good health is a product of many factors. Many factors that affect health can be controlled so that good health status is maintained. Practicing life skills enables you to take responsibility for your health.”

• What if you didn’t have good health 10, 15, 20 years from now? What could your life look like?

Taking Charge of Your Health You are responsible for your own health!

Health – Quality of life, including physical, mental-emotional, and family-social health.

• Every day you make decisions that shape your health.

• That’s what this class is about: giving you the knowledge and skills you need to take charge of your health for a lifetime.

The Health Triangle• Health is the measure of our body’s

efficiency and over-all well-being.– What does this mean?

• When you are in good health, you have the energy to enjoy life and pursue your dreams.

• The health triangle is a measure of the different aspects or “areas” of health.

• The health triangle consists of: Physical, Social, and Mental Health.

Physical Health

• Physical health is all about how well your body functions.

• Having a high level of physical health means having enough energy to perform your daily activities, deal with everyday stresses, and avoid injury.

• What are some actions you can take to keep a healthy body or promote physical health?

Physical Health:Exercise

• Engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

• Exercise helps to give you more energy, maintain weight, increase confidence & self esteem, and helps to battle chronic diseases.

Physical HealthNutrition

• Proper balanced meals are essential in leading a healthy life.

• Nutritious meals create a balance between what we eat and the way our body uses the food for energy and growth.

• Make sure to get at least 8 cups of water each day.

Physical Health:Sleep

• It is recommended that the average person get at least 8-10 hours of sleep.

• The human body likes regularity, so try to go to bed and wake up at the same time daily.

Physical Health:Alcohol & Drugs• Avoid the use of tobacco, alcohol, and other

drugs.

• Alcohol and other drugs interfere with messages to the brain and alters perception.

• Use of such substances puts you at risk for accidental injuries, car crashes, trouble with the law, unwanted pregnancies, and fights.

Activity Break

Mental Health

• Mental health deals with how we think, feel and cope with daily life.

• Mental health encompasses learning, stress management, and mental illnesses or disorders.

Mental Health

• People who are mentally and emotionally healthy:– Enjoy challenges that make them grow.– Accept responsibility for their actions.– Have a sense of control over their lives.– Can express their emotions in appropriate ways.– Usually can deal with life’s stresses and frustrations.– Generally have a positive outlook.– Make thoughtful and responsible decisions.

Social Health

• Social Health deals with the way react with people within our environment (getting along with others).

• Your social network includes: your family, friends, teachers, and other members of your community.

• Maintaining healthy relationships is one way of caring for your social health. This involves:– Seeking and lending support when needed.

– Communicating clearly and listening to others.

– Showing respect and care for yourself and others.

Keeping the Balance• When your health triangle is balanced,

you have a high degree of wellness.• Wellness – an overall state of well-being

or total health.• Wellness comes from making decisions

and practicing healthful behaviors based on sound health knowledge and attitudes.

• Maintaining wellness means keeping a balance among the three components of health.

Keeping the Balance

• When one side receives too much or too little attention, the whole triangle can become lopsided and unbalanced.

• For Example:– Think about someone whose friends are the

most important part of her life. She enjoys spending a lot of time with them, but she doesn’t always get the rest she needs. Her social health is fine, but her physical and mental/emotional health are suffering.

Keeping the Balance

• Example 2:– What about a teen who spends all his time

working out? He may be physically fit, but he doesn’t have many friends, so he sometimes feels lonely and depressed. This teen pays too much attention to his physical health at the expense of his mental/emotional and social health.

– What can each of these teens do to balance out their health?

The Health Continuum or“Wellness Scale”

• Your health and wellness are always changing.• Your health at any moment can be seen as a point along

the continuum (sliding scale).• The continuum spans the complete range of health from

loss of health to optimal wellness.• As you mature your position on the continuum continues

to change based on your behaviors and decisions.• Unfortunately, many Americans start moving toward the

lower end of the continuum.

The Health ContinuumPeople on this side

usually are responsible and

disciplined. Accept responsibility for

own health.

One-half of all American

adults live with a chronic disease.

People on this side usually do

not take responsibility

for maintaining their own health.

Many people function below the wellness

midpoint

Health Triangle Activity

• Create a health triangle poster that explains the three areas of health. 1. Divide the triangle into three sections (one for each

area/component of health).

2. Label and provide a definition and examples for each area of health.

3. Provide at least three healthful behaviors that you participate in, in each side of the triangle (i.e., physical health: exercise, physical exams, staying drug free, etc.)

• You may color pictures or write out.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• The Health Triangle consists of what three areas?

• Physical

• Mental

• Social

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• What four areas of Physical Health did we discuss in class?

• Exercise

• Nutrition

• Sleep

• Alcohol & Drugs

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• ____________ is the overall state of well-being or total health.

• WELLNESS

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• Unfortunately, many Americans start moving toward what end of the continuum?

• LOWER