Unit Two Reflection

In this unit we learned about health, and everything that comes together to determine health. We learned about the five pillars of health: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, and social connection. In order to be truly healthy, one must balance all those factors and follow their varying guidelines. Being healthy all in all, means eating clean, nutrias foods, exercising multiple times a week at a moderate or high intensity, getting adequate or amply sleep, managing stress, and have strong social relationships. These factors work harmoniously and each element of health should be given the respect it deserves. The essential understanding of this until was that health is the measure of our bodies efficiency and overall well-being., which consists of mental, physical and social health. I found the information that I learned about handling stress very interesting cause I knew so little about its vast importance. As students we talk about nutrition, exercise, and sleep in class like health, but for me, I had never heard much about stress. I learned how important it is to control stress levels, as to not upset the balance of other hormones such as insulin, glucagon, and leptin. I also learned that chronically elevated cortisol levels encourages insulin resistance and increased leptin. Sleep deprivation is a big problem that Saratoga High students face regularly. It's is something we should all pay attention to and prioritize sleep. Possibly by managing time more efficiently and not procrastinating, not to say that all Saratoga High students procrastinate but I know I do.

In regards to my own health I do consider myself a relatively healthy person. I eat somewhat well according to the nutrition analysis, but could vary my food choices more. I exercise rigorously every day so I'm doing fine in that area. My social connections are strong and bring me lots of happiness which helps me not get too stressed. I definitely do not get enough sleep and I've known that for a while now. I should try to go to bed early when I can because I don't want to carry around a large sleep debt. I understand almost everything in the unit except some of the terms mentioned like, "LDL", and "HDL". I feel like I don't know exactly what those are what their function is. In the next unit I will try to ask more questions when I don't quite understand something or miss the meaning of certain terminology. I will also try to take more side notes in the margins of our lecture notes, not only copy what is on the screen.

During our nutrition unit I was inspired to eat healthy and follow the recommended guidelines for good, clean eating. After about a whole week of eating healthy, non-processed foods I could already notice a difference. I didn't feel as lethargic or tired and was more focused. This allowed to to preform better in my practices and games, it also helped me and school by making me feel alert and full. This relates to our unit because it proves that what we are being taught is accurate, and can have a real legitimate impact on our overall well-being. It made me pay more attention to my eating and sleeping habits and have definitely changed some of my choices.

Here is a  picture of my "Health Goals Sheet"