“As a Physical Education teacher one of my main aims is to ensure that all young people's experiences of PE are enjoyable and that participation in physical activity contributes to their personal development, health and well-being. Exercise is only part of their development, healthy eating is also essential. Many people, young and old, are not aware of what makes up a good diet and I truly believe that children should be educated from an early age about diet so that they take it with them throughout their adult life.

I have found that California Raisins help to sustain the children's energy levels, so instead of offering oranges at half time in football matches we now give out California Raisins - we have to fight the children off they're so popular!”

Exercise - it's not just a word!
As we get older, we tend to find more obstacles (or excuses!) to avoid exercising on a regular basis, despite the fact that health experts now recommend that we should take part in 30 minutes of exercise each day.

The simplest way to find time to exercise is to build it into your normal daily routine! Try out some of the following ideas:
• On the way to work, school or the shops, get off the bus one stop early and walk the rest of the way,
_even better still - walk the entire distance.

• Exercise with your child. Take them swimming or play in the park or garden. Pushing a 'buggy' is great exercise!

• Join a local sports centre and try out different activities. If you're a mother with a toddler find one with a crèche
_ facility - you can exercise while your children are being cared for.
• Rather than driving to the shops, plan your week so that you have to walk to the shops frequently. Regular trips
_ mean you only have to carry a few, light bags of shopping home.
• Use your stairs as a means of exercise (step ups), use an exercise bike whilst you watch tv, or work in your
_garden more often.

Remember, exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle! It reduces the risk of heart disease and plays a major role in controlling body weight.

When you play a sport you always make sure you have all the right equipment….gloves, mask, stick, boots etc. So why don't we always make sure we have the right food inside us?

Anybody taking part in sport needs to have a healthy diet as they burn more calories from playing. The two most important nutrients for playing sport are calcium and iron. Calcium builds strong bones, which are less likely to break under the stress and strain of heavy activity and exercise and can be found in milk, cheese and yoghurt.

Iron gives you energy and is therefore important in your diet and especially for sport, iron can be found in meat, eggs and dried fruit such as California Raisins.

California Raisins are the perfect snack to eat whilst exercising as their slow release natural sugars help maintain energy levels.

Water is also essential for a sporting diet, as well as a normal one. Drinking before, during and after exercise is the best way to stay hydrated.