Preschool Science - My Body Unit

This month in Preschool Science, we are learning about the theme of healthy foods, healthy bodies and healthy eating/lifestyle habits. For this unit of study, I will be updating and adding projects as we learn and practice new things.

Whole Body Art

We started of by tracing our body on recycled paper. I had my preschooler lay on a large piece of paper that was just a little bit taller than him. I asked him to lay out his hands, and feet flat on the paper, as I traced an outline around his body using a dark colored marker.

After tracing with marker, we did a whole group painting project. All of us (including my nice husband), painted different parts of the whole body outline, using colors of choice. We used watercolor paints and sponge brushes for this painting project.

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After painting, I left the project to air dry.

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Once it dried thoroughly, me and my preschooler cut along the traced line that I had done previously of my preschooler's body. This was the end result:

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I realize that the body outline does not look perfect and it is intended to look like that. For a more child-centered approach, we focus on original art projects and choices made during those projects. I intend on using the front and back of the whole body art, to do some exciting health projects.

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Overall, it was a fun family event. I will be hanging it up on a wall for our next project. Check back for updates, thanks!

Annie

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding....ah...where to begin?

Nursing can be a very overwhelming, tiring and time-consuming experience on a new mom.  At the same time, it can be rewarding, as your breastfed baby builds a stronger immune system than a bottle-fed baby.  There is a lot of research out there to prove my theory but let me try to convince you with my experiences. :)

I nursed my first son for a whole year until he weaned off by himself.  I just recently weaned off my second child off breast milk at the age of 18 months.  It was a tough experience as I found that I was very tired all the time.  But it was worth it! Studies show and confirm my theory that breast-fed babies are less likely to have ear infections, fevers, colds/flu, as compared to bottle fed babies. Not to mention, the endless list of health benefits for the mama (i.e. healthy weight loss, prevention of Mastitis, emotional satisfaction as a mom, reduced risk of breast cancer, cost-effective, and much more.) So I'm proud to say that I did what I could to provide the best possible start for my kids.

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Breast milk provides many benefits and nutrients that your baby needs, as his/her immune system continues to develop even after they are born.  Here is what they get from breast milk:

• Protein - to help repair and build body tissues (like muscles and organs) and helps fight antibodies to fight infection
• Vitamin A - healthy skin and membranes, normal bone and tooth development, and aids in the development/maintenance of night vision.
• Vitamin E - protects fats and other cells in the body from damage
• Vitamin C - helps develop and maintain healthy bones, cartilage, teeth and gums
• Zinc- helps build and maintain tissues

Source: Health CAN

The digestive tract (guts) and the immune system work together to develop and maintain a healthy body.

If you plan on returning to work before the first year, then see if you can invest in a good quality breast pump. I personally love Medela as it helped me with overcoming many challenges of breast feeding as a working mom. But it was money well spent! I also took a few prenatal breast feeding classes that taught me all I needed to know about breast feeding; it was offered as a paid course but again it was money well spent! I encourage all new and experienced moms to take prenatal classes, as they are very helpful and help you face all challenges or new experiences with an open mind.

Overall, breast milk is the best gift that you can give your baby.  It has nutrients to help your baby develop and grow, provides protection against allergies or diseases, and best of all its convenient and budget friendly.

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Take care, 

Annie

Healthy Pregnancy Diet

Eating well is the single most important thing you can do for your body and your baby during pregnancy!

I realized this the hard way, when I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy! I was always under weight (according to the Body Mass Index) and never overate during the period of my life (so far) and had no history of diabetes in my family.

So I asked myself; Why did this happen to me? As I sifted through the years of the life in my head, I realized that I must have done something wrong along the way. I came to the conclusion that skipping meals during the day (i.e. breakfast and lunch) and then eating/overeating during the one meal of the day might be the reason why this happened to me in the first place.  So for my second pregnancy, I ate healthy by designing a meal plan based on the food guide (provided by the local health department) and I kept my diabetes almost non-existent.  I have continued healthy eating habits even after my pregnancy and that has helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle so far.

Here are some great ways to make healthy eating choices (before, during and after):

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1. Add Variety of Foods to your diet - by designing a meal plan for yourself, as this will help you during the preparation of meals (shopping/availability of products) and in maintaining healthy eating habits.  According to the Health Canada's Food Guide, an average adult female aged 19-50 needs 7-8 serving of vegetables and fruits in a day.  A serving is measured in approximation to the size of a hockey puck.

2. Which leads me to my next point; Food Rainbow - adding colorful foods to your diet will not only be healthy for you but make it appealing for your brain, allowing you to enjoy your time eating healthy and (Hopefully) remembering those good times afterwards.  By colorful, I mean Vegetables & Fruits, Grain Products, Milk/Alternatives, and Meat/Alternatives.

3. Smart Snacking - there are many snacking products in the market that claim their product is the best.  But you want to aim for healthier and preferably (natural) snacks such as unsalted nuts, fresh or dried fruits, yogurts, etc.

4. Protein is a very important source of nutrition for your body's and your baby's changing physical needs.  Whether you are a carnivore, omnivore or a herbivore, make sure that you are getting your suggested daily servings of protein.  You have a wide variety of options to choose from such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, soy products, legumes (dried beans, lentils, etc), nuts and seeds.

5. Liquids are so important to keep your body replenished and your bodily fluids restored.  Think of your body as a car, can it run without gas or give off clean emissions without an oil change? No! You need to refill the liquids lost, as I can guarantee that you will be visiting the bathroom a lot during your pregnancy.  Even after birth, you will need to replenish your body for breastfeeding and overall healing of the body.

6. Eat your Multivitamins - Buy one of those pill containers with labels and/or shelves to store your vitamins for the week.  This really helped me stay on top of my medicinal intake of vitamins and such.  It was a great visual reminder and I carried it with me, in my purse, to work.  You really need those multivitamins to grow, heal and replenish your body of the minerals/vitamins lost due to the major changes that your body went through in the past or is going through at the current stage of your life. Vitamins are a girl's best friend!

Its overwhelming to accommodate all these things in your diet and a solid meal plan goes a long way! Best of luck and take of yourself!

Cheers,
Annie N.

(Source: Nestle Baby)