Hi, this is Uncle Buddy! Welcome to Uncle Buddy’s Corner. This is the first of many informative pieces to come from Camp Redwood. I hope to be able to give you and your parents some useful information about health- Good HEALTH!!
As I have gotten older, I have begun to realize that the most important thing that god gave me was good health. When we are young we think that being in good health is the way it will always be. Most of us never stop to think that our health has the potential to be in poor condition. Thus, we proceed to do things and eat things that are not conducive to good health. When I previously said good-bye to someone who visited me I’d say, “so long and good luck”. I have since changed my good-byes to, “so long and good HEALTH!”
Having taught physical education for many years, I would receive many notes from parents explaining that their children couldn’t participate in gym that day because their children weren’t feeling well. This bothered me because I felt everyone, parents included, should have a chance to do something physical everyday for good health.
It got to the point that I picked up the phone one day and called my eldest daughters husband, Jeff. He is an MD, but he is also a Senior Research Scientist at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. When I got him on the phone, I asked Jeff “what is the best way to prevent kids from getting sick and how much would it cost? Please answer in layman’s English, not 15 syllable words.” His reply was instant and short, “have children and their parents wash their hands with hot soapy water on a regular basis and as often as they can.” My reply was “that’s it!” Jeff responded with “that’s it, and by the way it won’t cost a dime.” It almost floored me! My next question was “how come?”
His reply was, if you or any parent stops to think about how many objects you touch when you wake up in the morning and throughout the day, you touch doors, door handles, door knobs, banisters, telephones, computer keys, toilet seats, stuff stuck in your shoes, and other equipment that’s been on the floors, outside in the ball fields, etc., the list goes on and on. While you do this, your hands are coming into contact with millions and millions of germs and people don’t even know about it, or realize its happening. This contact amplifies the potential for problems in children who are run down and not getting enough sleep or eating proper food. This weakens their immune system and allows the germs to get into their bodies and make them ill.
There are several ways that “bugs” get into your bodies. If you cut yourself and are careless and don’t sanitize the cut and then don’t band aid it for example, this is how germs enter into your blood stream. The primary ways they also enter your body are through your nose, mouth, ears, and eyes. To prevent from getting sick, simply keep from putting your fingers in your mouth and remember to wash your hands often!
Stay tuned for my next blog post with more information on your health!
GOOD HEALTH,
Uncle Buddy
