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O Castro British International School

Food, sport, hygiene and sleep: the four pillars of the Healthy philosophy

A balanced diet, an effective sleep routine, the regular practice of physical exercise and hygienic habits are the keys to success in leading a healthy life.

A balanced diet, an effective sleep routine, the regular practice of physical exercise and hygienic habits are the keys to success in leading a healthy life.

And although this may seem obvious, it should not be so, because many adults do not always eat well, do not exercise enough or do not get enough sleep. Probably, explains Dr. Herrera, "because our generation has not internalised this too much; however, this is changing. Fortunately, there is more and more social awareness; we are more informed. We are a generation of parents who are more educated about health habits than previous generations so this makes it easier for health lifestyle to begin taking shape in early childhood".

Teresa Herrera is a neuropsychologist and expert in childhood sleep disorders. She explains that "an effective rest routine will bring us multiple benefits on a physical and mental level. It is necessary, therefore, that children sleep the hours necessary for their age and that these hours of sleep are of quality".

Lourdes Martínez Márquez has a degree in Biological Sciences and is a university lecturer at CES Don Bosco, where she teaches the subject Fundamentals and Didactics of Nutrition, among other subjects. We spoke to her about child nutrition and she is clear about it. "If I could only say one sentence about food for children, it would be: eat a bit of everything.  It is important that children eat everything and that those foods that are usually more difficult to eat, such as vegetables, fish and even fruit, are introduced in small quantities from a very early age. In general, they should eat a variety of foods. With the exception of those with allergies or intolerances, of course".

In this sense, O Castro British International School has its own kitchen where the menus are prepared daily by a qualified cook and supervised by a nutritionist. Our canteen service offers menus adapted to all those pupils with specific dietary needs, whether for health or religious reasons. A vegetarian menu is also available. The educational objectives of our school canteen service are: to encourage good table manners and to develop good eating habits.

In addition, as we have already mentioned, experts also point out the need for children to reduce as much as possible the time they spend on sedentary activities, especially the use of electronic devices. On the contrary, it is recommended that this type of leisure time is replaced by daily physical activity, preferably outdoors.

At O Castro School we are also aware of this and, consequently, we encourage sporting activity from the earliest stages of education.

As Mauro González, Head of Physical Education and Extracurricular Activities explains, at our school "we believe in sport as a necessary educational medium way for the full development of the personality thanks to the values and skills it fosters such as teamwork, leadership and equality. In fact, both in Physical Education classes and in extracurricular activities we offer a fun and healthy practice where pupils can express their talents within the variety of possibilities we offer".

For this reason, our pupils have access to a wide range of sporting activities to complete their physical and mental development. The extracurricular sports provision includes football, rugby, tennis, skating, judo, surfing, horse riding, chess, ballet, Spanish dance, rhythmic gymnastics and psychomotor skills among others.

Finally, it is important to emphasise the need for children to internalise and automate basic hygiene habits from an early age, such as washing their hands or teeth, brushing their hair, showering... "Establishing clear routines helps to systematise them. This is important when it comes to instilling certain habits in children", explains Bárbara López, an early childhood educator who has been working with children from 0 to 3 for more than fifteen years. "Of course, as in so many other areas of learning, leading by example is fundamental... Do you want your children to brush their teeth? Go with them to the bathroom and brush them...".

Thus, and as we pointed out at the beginning, acquiring good eating, sleeping, sports and hygiene habits is fundamental for an integral and healthy development of the youngest children. At our centre we work continuously with the aim of setting an example for them and providing them with the necessary tools to achieve this.

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