Did you know when students eat healthier and exercise regularly, they learn better in school? Implementing healthy behaviors and habits can improve mental and physical health and overall quality of life. According to research observed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is evidence of a strong connection between healthy behaviors and academic achievements like graduation rates, grades and attendance. 
The CDC’s Healthy Schools section delves into various topics regarding promoting healthy behaviors, improving and assessing school health, and much more, with each area supported by data and research. They also share success stories to further validate the importance of involvement of healthy eating and physical activity in a student’s life.
Looking closer at the Promoting Health Behaviors category is a subcategory titled Physical Education and Physical Activity, which discusses how regular physical activity is crucial for preventing health conditions and promoting lifelong health and well-being.
Regular physical activity also has the ability to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, and reduce the risk of developing health conditions such as: heart disease, cancer, type two diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and obesity, according to the same article.
Another CDC study examines Dietary Behaviors according to the academic grades earned by students. The study states that “68 percent of U.S. high school students with mostly A’s ate vegetables (green salad, potatoes [excluding French fries, fried potatoes, or potato chips], carrots, or other vegetables, during the seven days before the survey) one or more times per day, compared to 54 percent of students with mostly D and F’s.” This is just one result out of the multiple tests taken that the survey uncovers. 
It’s important for students to implement a healthy diet, according to Aaron Allaire, Interim Director of Athletics and lecturer in Kinesiology and Public Health.
“The body needs the proper fuel to adequately take on their workload,” he said. “Without proper nutrition, the body will succumb to stress and anxiety much quicker. The stressors combined with a poor diet can lead to much greater physical and mental issues.”
He added that not only does the body need to be fueled properly in order to complete tasks, but with a healthy diet, one may be able to complete those tasks in the most logical manner.
Fortunately, there is also Nutrition research accessible to us completed by Stanislaus State’s Health Education and Promotion (H.E.P.) department. The site mentions how a healthy diet provides the body with enough energy to function efficiently. According to site, the five food groups that serve as the building blocks for a healthy diet include fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods and dairy. Their information on nutritional benefits can be supported through Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPlate.
Changing habits for a healthier lifestyle can be difficult, but Joey Guzzo, Stan State Head Strength and Coordinating Coach, suggests starting simple.
“Find one or two things you know you can improve on and work on those first,” he said. “Once you start creating those good habits, build on them.”
Guzzo added that people often tend to do too many things at once or follow something too complicated.
“Don’t complicate things, build on the things you do well and slowly work to improve the things you don’t,” he said.
Stan State student’s have access to a variety of resources and workshops to help find what will benefit them academically, physically, and for the long-term. Many of these workshops can be found on Stan State’s HEP Wellness Workshops page, with ample research on why eating healthy and staying active is beneficial to our bodies. 
For more information regarding how healthy eating enhances your performance in school, visit CDC Healthy Schools. For more insight, it is encouraged to reach out to Aaron Allaire via email at [email protected] or Coach Joey Guzzo at [email protected].