Healthy Eating and Exercising

It is so easy to list off things that may prevent me from eating healthy and exercising but as I list things it becomes more obvious that there really is not anything preventing me form healthy eating and exercising but myself. I started off my list with things such as lack of time, exhaustion, convenience, laziness, and fatigue. Then I began to think about what I do when I actually do have time and it appears I may be making the wrong choices. Making good choices are sometimes easier said than done. I work two jobs (one of which is for LA County and the other in retail) and attend LASC full time as an online student. Without running down my whole schedule I will just say that I am a very busy person. My daily schedule does not even include day to day friends and family issues that may come up. When I am not working I am attempting to focus in school. With all this said I maintain I am the only thing preventing me from eating healthy and exercising. I say this because I am very on and off when it comes to eating healthy and exercising. I get in the mood where I am going to take charge of my life and health and begin to do all the right things like cooking at home and going to the gym and then I sink back into drive thru dining and succumb to my laziness. I found a gym five minutes from work to help me stay motivated but as soon as I get off job number one I speed home to plop down on the couch and enjoy some good junk food and watch my favorite reality shows (Real Housewives). I do a little homework then I’m off to sleep (only if I don’t get called into job number two).

Daily Health Assessments

As a teacher I believe that daily health assessments should occur because it is essential that I know what is going on with my students before the day starts. If I do not know my students then that increases the number of unintentional injuries in the classroom. Assessments also serve the purpose of ensuring the wellness of each of my students by making sure that my students are not contaminating one another. As in the Nutritional assessment I think it is important to know any special health conditions, behaviors, illnesses, etc. Having a reference helps to better tend to my students.

Lena's Childhood Memory of Eating with Someone

Coming from a large family eating alone (unless it was a punishment) was never the case. I am the third eldest of ten children and the oldest girl so when my mother would cook I would assist her, most days. Before meal time we all knew the drill. We would clamor in from playing (which was done only after homework was completed) and take showers and get dressed for bed. When we came downstairs for meal time which was always held in the living room around the television my mother would have the floor lined with newspaper so that we wouldn't make a mess while we ate. My dad would pray over the food and once we were all taken care of he would pop in a movie or turn to HIS favorite show (most likely a western or Bruce lee flick). No talking was allowed. In my home we were not able to drink anything until we finished our food. Once we made a "happy plate" then we got to have our favorite drink "red kool aid!!!" I have to say sometimes we didnt want to watch television we would have rather talk and enjoy one another but for the most part we understood our routine and just went with the flow.

Being that there was never dialogue during meal time even when I was having lunch at school I wouldn't talk. I'd listen to my peers talk but I never spoke a word while eating. Even now as an adult I see meal time as a time to relax, enjoy food, and watch TV. No real dialogue occurs when I am eating. Occasionally I do enjoy a good conversation and a few laughs over lunch with a friend but day to day I find myself sticking to my father's way when it comes to mealtime.

Lena Hawkins

Hello!