Salient features of Health and Hygiene Programme to be taught to Group I children in Balvikas class

• Sleep – Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise
• Right amount of sleep helps us concentrate better.
• Chant the night prayer for a good sleep.
• Exercise – Play outside as much as possible.
• Don’t play on the computer or watch TV for long hours.
• Learn Simple Yoga techniques from a good Yoga instructor.
• Eat right – Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
• Do not eat too much of sweets and chocolates and carbonated drinks
• Instead eat fruits and vegetables and drink milk and fruit juices
• Do not skip Breakfast.
• Do not waste food.
• It is important to chew food well and eat
• Table manners is very important – You must eat food without spilling food all around the plate and everywhere around you.
• You must be silent while eating food.
• Never talk with your mouth full of food.
• Never make noises while eating with plates spoons etc.,
• You must eat with your mouth closed.
• Offer food to God before eating as a “Prasad” to Him.
• Water – Drink adequate amount of clean, boiled water
• Keep the body clean – “Deho Devalayam” – Body is the temple of God.
• Have daily bath. If we do not take regular bath, outside dust will remain stuck to the skin with the sweat which will result in a skin disease. Our body will have a bad smell and nobody will like our company.
• Use soap and plenty of water for a nice bath. Also, rub the body while bathing.
• After bath, use a clean towel to dry the body. The Guru must impress upon the children need for taking a bath regularly.
• Prayer – Just as bath is important to clean the body, regular prayer is important to cleanse the mind.
• Hair cleanliness – Wash your hair regularly.
• Keep it neat by oiling and combing / brushing daily.
• Keep hair free of head lice etc.,
• Dental Hygiene – We must brush our teeth regularly in a proper manner.
• The food we eat remains stuck in our teeth. After sometime, it starts decaying resulting in bad breath. Decaying fosters bacteria formation. Soon our teeth get infected and fall off. Without teeth we can’t eat our food. Therefore, we must brush our teeth morning and night to keep them clean and shining bright.
• We should visit the dentist regularly.
• Nails – Trim nails regularly. Keep nails short and clean.
• Do not bite nails.
• Hand Washing – Wash hands before and after eating, after using the toilet and after handling animals.
• Foot care – Do not go out without wearing proper footwear. Always wash legs and feet after playing outside of the house.
• Wear clothes that are washed with soap and water.
• Dirty and soiled clothes should be removed immediately and segregated for washing.
• Eye Care: Keep the eyes clean by washing them with clean water.
• Washing eyes at bed time is very good, as it removes the dirt and dust collected throughout the day.
• Always use a clean cloth to wipe the eyes.
• Do not use saris, dhoti or sleeves of clothes to wipe eyes. These may cause serious infection in the eyes. Infection spreads this way.
• Each person should use a separate cloth, towel or handkerchief for wiping his eyes. If one eye is already infected, use a separate clean cloth for each eye.
• Show any infection to a doctor. Do not use medicine given by road-side sellers. These may not help and may even cause blindness.
• Eat dark green leafy vegetables like Amaranth, Agathi, Spinach, drumstick leaves and fruits like papaya and mangoes. These contain Vitamin A which prevents night blindness and are very good for eyes.
• Children, who complain of headache or eye pain when they read, may need glasses and they have to get their eyes examined by a doctor.
• Do not stay near and look at welding, grinding, chiseling or wood sawing operations.
• A sharp ray of light source, [e.g. Looking at eclipse or welding] without proper glasses also leads to blindness.
• If your eyes are red, you need to see your doctor immediately.
• Do not play with sharp objects which will cause injury to eyes.
• Eyes are gifts from God. SEE ONLY GOOD
• EAR CARE:Allow your mother, father to clean your ears using a clean cloth after bath.
• Ear ache could be due to excess wax in your ear or due any infection. See your doctor if pain persists.
• Ears are gifts from God. HEAR ONLY GOOD
• For THROAT and NOSE related problems such as sore throat, cough, stuffy nose etc, drink warm water and gargle with salted water.
• Steam inhalation also could be effective.
• Cover your cough and sneeze – use a tissue. Put used tissues in the dust bin.
• Meet your ENT doctor along with your parents for persistent throat related problems.