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	Friend/Health and Fitness

Requirement 1

Learn the value of good nutrition and water by discussing and/or participating in the activities listed below:

The Choose My Plate guidelines
The daily servings for each food group
The importance of a balanced diet
The importance of drinking a healthy amount of water (these are requirements #1 and #6 of the Nutrition Honor)

For tips and instruction see Nutrition.

Requirement 1 from the Nutrition Honor:

1

Investiture Achievement/Friend/Requirements

The food pyramid guide is updated and published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). They replaced the food pyramid with "MyPlate" in 2011. The food pyramid is no longer promulgated by the U.S. government. If you wish to continue teaching the food pyramid concept, you could use the Loma Linda University Vegetarian Food Pyramid instead. Both are shown below:

2011 Version of the USDA nutrition guide

Loma Linda University Vegetarian Food Pyramid

Requirement 6 from the Nutrition Honor:

6

Investiture Achievement/Friend/Requirements

It is important to drink plenty of water so that you do not get dehydrated. Your body needs water to help eliminate waste and to keep the cells in the body hydrated.

You should drink water whenever you are thirsty. A persistent myth is that a person needs to drink 8 eight ounce glasses of water every day. While following this rule will cause no harm, it is completely unsupported by scientific evidence ^[1] ^[2]. A person should replace the same amount of water he or she loses in a day. Water is lost through urination, bowel elimination, sweating, and breathing. Remember that drinking is not the only way to replace lost water: food contains a lot of water, and your body can absorb water through the skin. Again, the general rule is to drink water whenever you are thirsty or whenever you want some.

Choose My Plate Guidelines

"Choose My Plate" is the current version of the food pyramid as recommended by the US Department of Agriculture. The guidelines can be found at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

Note that the USDA is required to update these guidelines every five years. The My Plate guidelines divides foods into six groups:

Fruits
Vegetables
Grains
Proteins
Dairy
Oils

Daily Servings

Because dietary choices are complex (and somewhat politicized), the USDA provides several charts on their web site for the recommended daily amounts. Total food intake needs to be balanced against physical activity (less activity means less food should be eaten) as well as age and gender.

We recommend that you visit the USDA's Choose My Plate site and look up the charts for the age, gender, and activity levels for the Pathfinders in your unit. If possible, visit the web site with your Pathfinders present so that you can engage them in a meaningful discussion.

Balanced Diet

A balanced diet will give a person all the nutrients needed without providing too many of one type. The majority of a persons food should be nutrient-dense rather than calorie-dense.

Nutrient-dense	Calorie-dense
Green leafy vegetables	Potatoes & other starchy foods
Fruits	Meat & Dairy
Broccoli	Candy
Brussels sprouts	Ice cream
Squash	Cakes & pies

Consuming more calories than you burn will result in weight gain. Consuming less calories than you burn will result in weight loss. When the two are balanced, a person's weight will remain relatively constant. For optimum health, adjust your weight until it is at a healthy level, and then maintain that weight.

Water

Water is an important nutrient, without which life becomes impossible. It is necessary for the elimination of waste from the body, for cooling the body, for the digestion of food, and many other functions. Drink plenty of water. It is difficult to drink more than your body can use.

Note: Teaching this Requirement meets Health and Fitness Requirement 1 for the Guide class. Before teaching this Requirement to a group of Friends, you should coordinate with the Guide unit's counselor.

Requirement 2

Earn the Red Alert I Honor.

For tips and instruction see Red Alert.

Note that teaching this honor meets Health and Fitness Requirement 1 for the Guide class. Before teaching this honor to a group of Friends, you should coordinate with the Guide unit's counselor.

Requirement 3

Complete the Basic Water Safety Honor OR Beginner Swimming Honor, if not previously earned.

See Basic Water Safety and Swimming - Beginner for the requirements, as well as instructions and tips for teaching these honors.

Trail Friend

Requirement 4

Complete Friend requirements.

You must complete the requirements listed above this one on the current page.

Requirement 5

Use a fitness app, pedometer, or the exercise log provided to complete 10,000 steps or 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week for 6 weeks.

The President's Challenge Active Lifestyle Program is a program designed to bring a person's physical activity and dietary habits into a healthy balance. You can download a paper log here: PALA+ Paper Log

Patches for both PYFP and PALA+ can be ordered here: Active Lifestyle Awards Store

Certificate blanks can be found here: PALA+ Certificate

Live Healthy Bermuda is related to Live Healthy America. They sponsor a 10-week Wellness Challenge and other programs.

In Canada the http://www.participaction.com/ ParticipACTION Teen Challenge would be an appropriate program.

The President's Challenge offers several alternative programs. The Presidential Youth Fitness Program (which measures improvement for students in grades 4-12) or the President's Challenge Active Lifestyle Program (PALA+) which requires:

Kids and teens (that’s anyone between 6 and 17 years), your goals are:

Physical activity. You need to be active 60 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (goal: 12,000).

Healthy eating. Each week, you’ll also focus on a healthy eating goal. There are eight to choose from, and each week you will add a new goal while continuing with your previous goals. By the end of the six weeks, you’ll be giving your body more of the good stuff it needs.

Adults (that’s anyone aged 18 and older), your goals are:

Physical activity. You need to be active 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. As an alternative, you can count your daily activity steps using a pedometer (goal: 8,500).