Friday 30 May 2014

Be the tortoise

It’s almost JUNE!

I know that means it’s close to the end of the school year, but guess what it also means? TRACK AND FIELD DAYS! I am so ready.

Well, almost ready. I’ve been practicing hard. In the winter, I ran on the treadmill to keep up my endurance. Now that the roads have cleared, I’m hitting the trails daily, and on the weekend, I’m lapping my Grandpa’s canola field (though some areas are still a bit muddy.)

But if I want to beat my personal best this year, I need to really pay attention to what I eat. Yeah, I know, you know ALL about nutrition. But it doesn’t hurt to refresh your memory. I know I need a good reminder.

The latest Chase “Superman” Duffy comic Cut! To the Chase… is jammed full of tips and tricks for healthy eating. The story is a modern retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare — you know, Aesop’s fable about an impatient hare that thinks he can win the race because he’s FAST. The moral of the story is “slow and steady wins the race.”

Well, in Cut! To the Chase…, the focus is on nutrition. Active kids, like me, should eat six grains, three dairy products, two meats (or meat replacements such as tofu), SEVEN servings of fruits and veggies, and two healthy fats, like canola oil. Sounds like a lot of food, right?

In the story, the hare eats mostly junk — like chocolate bars, chips, and soda, which are full of sugar and the WRONG kind of carbohydrates. While these foods can trick you into short bursts of energy, it’s not healthy overall, and the energy won’t sustain you. The tortoise (that’s me!) follows the advice of the school dietician.

So, who do you think wins the race? I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out. <grin>

Gotta jet! Time for some more practice!

— Chase Superman Duffy

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