Guidebook on how to eat, sport and live healthy made for youth from youth. Comprehensive list of tips and advises created by participants of youth exchange Youth Olympics of Health organized by PROACTIVE MIND in Vranov nad Dyji, Czech Republic. Project was fully supported by European fund Erasmus+.

1. GUIDEBOOK OF HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Simple advices from young people for young people
on how to eat, live and sport healthy.

2. CONTENT OF THE GUIDEBOOK
Sport and free time
Food and nutrition
Rest and sleep
Mental hygiene
Work/life balance
Drugs
Special thanks

3. SPORT – WHY?
“ Tomorrow you will wish you had started today.”
1. Exercise will make you feel better!
Sport releases endorphins, making you feel happy and positive
about yourself.
2. Self-confidence
When you exercise you can´t help but be proud of your
accomplishments
3. Self-discipline
It helps you to develop the skills of compliance and adherence.
4. New friends
Especially team sports allow you to get in touch with
many new people.
5. Better health condition
Regular physical activity reduce risks of many diseases.

4. SPORT – HOW?
“ The only bad exercise is the one that didn´t happen.”
1. Do what you love
Find the sport you like so the training will be joy and not a torture for you.
2. Morning stretching
Devote 15 minutes every morning for stretching which will give you
energy for whole day.
3. Regular exercise
Train 3 times a week in the same days. Let your body rest as well.
4. Sport buddy
When you will find buddy for regular exercise, you can challenge
Yourselves and it will be way more fun!
5. Choose the harder way
Use bike instead of car, stairs instead of elevator, walk
Instead of using bus. It works like perfect cardio!

5. SPORT – WHEN?
When? Right now!
This is the perfect time
to start your exercise!
The guidebook will wait.

6. FOOD – WHY?
“ We are what we eat. So don´t be junk.”
1. You will control your weight
Eating enough vegetable and less soft drinks will have long term
positive effect on your body weight.
2. You will live longer
Eating healthy helps to avoid especially diabetes, heart diseases
and numerous types of cancer.
3. You will save money
Quality food is not cheaper, however savings on your future
medical bills will pay it off.
4. You will be more productive
Eating balanced meal gives your brain enough energy.
5. Better confidence and relationships
You look better, You feel better. And people see it.

7. FOOD – HOW?
1. Healthy plate
Look at your plates during the day. Does
It contain vegetables, proteins, dairy
and grains? Does your snack contain fruit?
2. Eat clean
Try to avoid foods with preservatives and
Additives. Eat seasonal fresh food
3. Eat lean
Choose rather fish and chicken instead of fatty food. Don´t fry, boil.
4. Reduce fast sugars
Change white bread for whole grain, change sweets for fruit.
Maintain your blood sugar level stable without peaks.
5. Drink plenty of water
Soda doesn´t count. Soda is actually main source of fast
Sugars which cause diabetes in long term.

8. FOOD – WHEN?
“ There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does.“
1. Smaller portions
Eat more smaller portions during the day. Your body will not
experience the energy shock. Try to have at least 5 portions
during the day.
2. Don´t skip breakfast
Balanced breakfast gives you energy for all the morning. Skipping it
means that you will be tired, you will probably eat too much
lunch and than you will be out of energy because of digesting.
3. Eat at home
Not when but where. Occasional dinner in restaurant is OK
But eating at home helps you to plan your food better,
4. Don´t eat before sleep
Your last meal should be at least 2 hour before you go to
Sleep to have some time to digest it in vertical position.

9. REST – WHY?
“ A good laugh and long sleep are the two best
cures for anything.”
1. Lower stress
Having enough rest and sleep reduces level of stress. So take your
sleep to be relaxed again.
2. Sharpen attention
If you won´t sleep enough, you won´t pay attention the next day.
3. Healthy brain function
Brain categorizes all the thoughts overnight. If you don´t
Sleep, your brain will get stuck and confused soon.
4. Control your body weight
People who go sleep early burn fat 56% more easily than
People who go to bad late at night.

10. REST – HOW?
1. 7-9 hours
Most adults need around 8 hours of sleep otherwise they are tired,
unproductive and depressed.
2. Comfortable bed
Keep your bedroom cool, fresh and dark overnight. Buy quality
pillow and good mattress – don´t save on bed.
3. Regular bedtime
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Being consistent
reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.
4. Relax instead of naps
While taking a nap can be a great way to recharge, especially
for older adults, it can make insomnia worse. Relax instead.
5. Heavy meals before night
Don't go to bed either hungry or too stuffed. Your discomfort
might keep you up. Also limit how much and what you drink
before bed. Digesting alcohol takes effort for your body.

11. MENTAL HYGIENE
“ Do what makes you happy.”
1. Find a purpose
Define your mission and goals. It will prevent you from meaningless
spending time.
2. Put first things first
Realize what is important for you and your live and give it
precedence over unimportant little problems.
3. Use positive affirmation
Think positive. Instead of “I can´t” attitude try to think in the way:
“What can I do to make it happen?”
4. Accept yourself
Try to appear to be less flustered by major or minor events,
and soon you will be.

12. WORK/LIFE BALANCE
“ Don´t confuse having a career with having a life.”
1. Limit time-wasting activities and people
Cut off the things which steal you energy and find activities and
people who gives you energy and good mood instead.
2. Change the structure of your life
Instead of trying to do everything, focus on activities you specialize
in and value most. Delegate or outsource everything else.
3. Don´t be workaholic
Keep in mind that working 8 hour per day and 5 days
Per week is enough to stay productive for a long term.
4. Work smarter, not harder
Allow yourself a certain amount of time per task
– and try not to get caught up in less productive
activities.

13. DRUGS – WHY NOT?
“ The best drugs are love, family and friends.”
1. Alcohol and caffeine are also drugs
Keep in mind that not only pills are drug but also alcohol and
caffeine affects your body in a bad way.
2. Smoking kills
Lung cancer is one of the most common death cause in a modern
society. And passive smoking is not better than the active one.
3. Solve stress another way
When stressed and under pressure, try to use relaxing techniques
Instead of escaping to alcohol and drugs
4. Find positive addiction
Instead of using addictive properties which costs money
And harm your family, try to find some activity which you
Really love to do and make this your drug instead.

15. SPECIAL THANKS
This guidebook was created by participants of Erasmus Plus youth exchange
Youth Olympics of Health in Vranov nad Dyji, Czech Republic held between
19.7.2015 and 26.7.2015.
The youth exchange was organized by informal group of young people
PROACTIVE MIND.
The youth exchange was fully supported from the European fund Erasmus Plus
and gave 42 young people a chance to join a healthier journey.
For more information visit yoh.proactivemind.eu or
ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus