April 4-8, 2016
I Can Be Heart Healthy!
We're celebrating the most important muscle in our body this month: the heart! We'll get to the "heart" of the matter by learning how to be "heart healthy", how our heart functions, and all about blood and its role in our body! It won't be for the faint-hearted! :D
Last week (sorry for the late blog post!), we briefly discussed what our heart is (the most important muscle in our body), where it is located in our bodies (approximately the center of our chest), and what its main job is (to pump blood to different areas of our body). If you'd like to learn more about the human heart so you can further discuss this at home with your child, check out this link to the Texas Heart Institute. It was a really helpful resource for me while lesson planning this month! Here is a neat infographic from their website:
I also brought along some heart-healthy nibble trays! We sampled oranges (high in vitamin C, which may lower the risk of heart disease), tomatoes (high in potassium and lycopene that reduces bad cholesterol, opens up blood vessels, and lowers heart attack risk), kidney beans (high source of protein, lowers blood sugar levels and risk of heart disease), raisins (reduces high blood pressure and lowers hypertension), bananas (high in potassium and fiber, which reduces risk of heart disease), and dark chocolate (yes, even chocolate can be beneficial: lowers blood pressure, clotting, and inflammation). It was a taste sensation! The children were most excited by the dark chocolate! Surprise, surprise :)! If you'd like to find even more beneficial food for your heart and circulatory system, click here.
