Jivin' Healthy Entry Form
Your Name:__________________________________
Reg:____________________
Please answer the following questions based on the article
“Claiming Immunity” (Nutrition Action Newsletter, Nov 2007)
[Article is posted on the Wellness Center Bulletin board in the hallway near Room 120. Completed forms may be turned in to the Wellness Center in T-14A and Room 129.]
1) Are the advertisements believable? Is it possible that a healthy teen’s immune system can be ‘boosted’ or measurably improved by eating a particular food or vitamin?
a) Yes, more vitamins are always better. Believe the ads!
b) No, a healthy person, whatever their diet, cannot measurably improve their immune system by eating particular foods.
2) What about improving the immunity of frail elderly adults? Do extra nutrients help people who are not eating well, who are not physically active, such as people in nursing homes?
a) Yes in the case of frail elderly, extra vitamin E was proven to improve resistance to cold viruses.
b) The elderly are like teens. All people, no matter their age, benefit from buying foods with vitamins added.
3) What can a healthy person do to improve their resistance to illness?
a) Washing hands boosts immunity
b) You need to run at least a mile a day in order to boost your immunity
c) Regular, frequent, moderate exercise is the best way to boost immunity
4) If a sedentary, unfit person changes his ways and starts to walk quickly for 45 minutes for most days of the week
a) there is no measurable immune benefit
b) that person is half as likely to fall ill than if he/she remains a couch potato
5) If a person exercises regularly, the immune benefit (as measured by elevations in ‘natural killer cells’, and ‘neutrophils’ that defend against bacteria, viruses and other invaders) is
a) long lasting, a 45 minute brisk walk shows benefit for the following week
b) lasts for the following three hours before returning to baseline until the next time you exercise
6) T F It is useless to only boost the immune system for hours at a time with exercise. A brief improvement in immunity does no benefit in the long run.
7) T F It is very helpful to exercise for 45 minutes often / daily. It is like having a housekeeper come daily to sweep up. At the end of a month the immune system is in good order. In the long run, the person’s health is measurably better with moderate exercise.
8) T F A healthy teen is wise to rely on exercise, not specific foods and food supplements to boost immunity.
9) T F There is proof that eating a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables does promote health by preventing heart disease, cancer and obesity.
bravenet.com