Learning Objectives

At the completion of this course you will be able to:

• Teach an active game that allows children to learn healthful lifestyle skills.
• Identify 5 eating and exercise behaviors that improve performance.

The Captain Energy program is an entertaining way to teach young children from the first through the fifth grade about healthy eating and physical activity. It is a program that can be used in private schools, health clubs, YMCAs, JCCs, summer camps, and at birthday parties. Captain Energy is a character I developed to make the program fun and energizing for children. The program is about 15 minutes long and includes a game for the children to play. I have performed the program with up to 20-30 children. If you have a larger audience, you can select the first 2-3 rows of children to take part or divide the class into 4-5 lines and increase the number of beanbags. This is how the program is sequenced:

1. Introduction of Captain Energy
2. Play the 5 Secrets Beanbag Toss
3. Explain the Secrets
4. Concluding Remarks
5. Cooperative Learning Activity
6. Healthy Snack Ideas and Recipes

Equipment Needed

• Costume:
• patriotic hat
• sequined, flashy, and comical cape made out of a beach towel (luckily I found one that is red, white and blue with USA on it) safety pinned in front
• lots of medals and red, white, and blue ribbons around your neck
• stars and stripes jockey shorts
• red, white, or blue high socks
• flashy sneakers or hiking boots
• Racing flag to start the "5 Secrets Beanbag Toss" (optional)
• 10-15 beanbags
• 5 clean trash cans or wastebaskets of similar size
• Five 8 x 10-inch signs (1 for each basket)
• Props to put inside waste baskets to illustrate each message (secret) (see below)
• Sounding horn for each beanbag that successfully makes it into a trash can (optional)
• Recipes for quick snacks (printed on 3 x 5 cards or 8 x 11 sheets)
• Giveaways for the group, such as water bottles, jump ropes, visors (optional)

Introduction to Captain Energy (dialogue):
Greetings boys and girls from Captain Energy! Of course you know I am one of the most popular superheros of all time. How many of you have seen my television program? My movies? My DVD? Ha! Fooled you there! I don't have a DVD!! You know, I wasn't always known as Captain Energy, or even recognized as a superhero. But you see all the medals I have won for my physical activities. (Point to medals around neck.) I know you are impressed, but guess what? You can earn medals like mine too. All you have to do is get active and learn the secrets to my success!

Do you know how I got so strong (flex biceps), so fast (assume a sprinting pose), so pretty (point to your face), and so smart (point to your head)? I have 5 secrets that made me so successful and so famous-do you want to know what they are?

First of all, who in the group has a cape? (Acknowledge those that raise their hands with an enthusiastic Excellent!) Capes are very important for being a superhero. (Start prancing around the stage or open area so kids can see your cape.) Capes give you personal power-they allow you to be who you are supposed to be!! Today, when you get home I want each and every one of you to create a cape for yourself. Now, it may not be as fancy as my Captain Energy cape, but do what you can, and when you put on your cape, honor the power-and remember to use it only for good.

5 Secrets Beanbag Toss
I was talking about my 5 secrets to being the best superhero, wasn't I? Do you still want to know them? We'll play a game to discover each secret. I need 4 volunteers to help. The rest of you line up in 2 lines (3-5 lines if the class is larger than 15 and increase the number of beanbags) behind the tape. You see there are 5 trash cans, and you each have a beanbag. Your mission is to toss the beanbag and see if you can get it in any of the trash cans. I'll give you a hint, tossing your beanbag lightly works better than throwing it hard. OK, are we ready?

As the children are forming two lines, coach the volunteers/children to stand on either side of the trash cans to gather up beanbags that don't make it into the cans. One on each side of a can works well ("A" volunteers in the chart), with others between the can and the line of children ("B" volunteers in the chart). The volunteer partner tosses the beanbag to their floor partner, who then tosses the beanbag to the next child in line.

When a child tosses a beanbag into a can, have the volunteers lay the can down, to eliminate it from the game. When all 5 cans are down, gather up the beanbags and have the kids sit close to hear the 5 secrets.

Explain the Secrets
In each can is a sign with one of the secrets written on it. (The signs are available for printing from the PDF version of this article.) The sign inside the can is flipped out when you are sharing the secret with the kids. The kids like to read the message on the sign, so make sure your font size is at least a 75pt (if typed). The 5 messages (secrets) are:

• "Eat more fruits and veggies."
• "Watch portion sizes."
• "Balance energy in and energy out."
• "Drink more water."
• "Eat only when your stomach is hungry."

In each trash can is also a prop to help illustrate the secret to the audience. The sequence is not very important, although I like building up to the stomach hunger secret. A good sequence for explaining the secrets is:

Secret: Drink More Water
Prop: Sports bottle filled with water
Why is water so good for you? (Encourage responses.) When you are really thirsty and your mouth is really dry like a giant cotton ball that means your body needs more fluid. Drinking water gives you energy and makes you less tired. How many glasses of water do we need to drink a day? (Encourage answers.) Eight to ten glasses of water a day. Water is good for you not only because it's refreshing, but it has no added sugar or calories. Water is essential to performing your best. Many times when someone thinks they are hungry, they are actually thirsty, so make sure you are drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day.

Secret: Eat More Fruits and Veggies
Prop: 2 one-gallon plastic bags: one filled with fruits (apples, oranges, bananas) and one filled with veggies (red pepper, carrots, broccoli)
Fruits and vegetables are the secrets to having the energy to keep your going all day long. They are packed with energy, fill your stomach up, and are low in calories and fat. How many fruits and veggies should you eat each day? Do you eat 5 a day? What are your favorite fruits? What are your favorite vegetables?

Secret: Watch Portion Sizes
Prop: A couple of options here, you can use an 8 oz cup and a supersized cup from a convenience store or a small bag of chips and an extra large bag.The following discussion uses a small bag of chips and a extra large bag of chips.
Look what is in the can! Chips! I guess you don't know what these are. Oh, you do? Well, are they good for you? (Responses are mixed.) There are no good foods and bad foods, all food plays a role in your health, but if you want to be strong and fast, you have to pay attention to how much you eat of foods that have more fat and sugar. You don't have to cut out the chips, cookies, and candy entirely, but don't eat them every day. When you do eat them, don't eat the whole bag, just take a couple and enjoy the ones you are eating. Does that sound like a good plan? If you are still hungry, reach for the fruits and vegetables that we just talked about. That way you can feel full and have the energy from the fruits and vegetables to do your best. (Hold up the bag of fruits and vegetables again.)

Secret: Balance Energy In and Energy Out
Prop: Jump rope and dumbbell
What does that mean? Energy in, energy out? It means that what you eat, the fuel you put into your body, contains energy. Energy for physical activity; energy to be your best. When you move around and are physically active, you burn energy. How do you burn calories during the day? (Allow for all the answers the kids come up with: playing basketball, swimming, running, dancing, etc. Then prompt them to think about lifestyle activities, such as "Who takes the stairs when you have a choice of the stairs or the escalator/elevator?) You can burn lots of energy by just being active throughout the day; you don't have to just play sports! Mowing the lawn, cleaning your room, taking out the trash are all good activities. (You may hear some groans from this.) So, energy in, the food you eat, is important, but energy out-burning up food by being physically active and being more active throughout the day, is just as important!

Secret: Eat only when your stomach is hungry
Prop: I use a "diet doll" for this one. It is really fluffy and has a chocolate bar in one hand and a drumstick in the other, with a "the diets starts on Monday" pin on her lapel.
What do you think I mean when I say eat only when you are hungry? Are there other times and situations where you eat when you aren't hungry? What are they? (Prompt if you don't get any ideas.) Have you ever kept on eating when you were full? Have you ever eaten when you were bored? Tired? Angry? Happy? When your stomach wasn't telling you that you needed food? There is a word, HALT, which stands for whenever you are Hungry, Angry or Anxious, Lonely or Tired. It is a lot easier to overeat when you are in one of these moods. So, the secret of this message is to eat when your stomach is hungry and find other non-food ways to deal with your other emotions, like doing a physical activity!!

Concluding Remarks
Ok, now you know the 5 secrets to being your best. Do you think you can practice these on a regular basis? Can you have fun while you practice them?

Best wishes to each and every one of you! You have the potential to do great things just by being who you are and developing the special gifts you have inside. What these secrets will do is take care of your special gifts and give you the energy to put them to good use.

OK, boys and girls, Captain Energy signing off!! Be good! Be strong! Be fast! Be fun!!!

Optional Cooperative Learning Activity
If you have additional time, you can involve the children in a cooperative learning activity. Divide the class into 5 groups, and have each group create their own individual skits. Give each group 1 of the 5 secrets: eat more fruits and vegetables, watch portion sizes, balance energy in and energy out, drink more water, and eat only when your stomach is hungry. Have each group think how Captain Energy would like them to share this message with other children, their parents or friends. Encourage discussion for 10-15 minutes. Monitor each group and offer suggestions if needed. Have each group share their skit with the class. This activity allows for cooperative work and enables the children to better understand the nutritional concepts you've been discussing with them. It also helps you evaluate what they have learned.

Healthy Snack Ideas and Recipes
The following recipes can be photocopied and passed out as they are or put on 3 x 5 cards and stapled together into a booklet and given to each child.

• Chopped raw vegetables and lowfat dip
• Chunks of avocado, cucumber or cooked sweet potato
• Baby carrots and hummus
• Pita chips and black bean dip
• Pretzels or popcorn
• Baked tortilla chips with salsa
• Cheerios, low sugar, wholewheat cereals and milk
• Craham crackers or ginger snaps
• Yogurt and fruit
• Ants on a log(Celery sticks, peanut butter, and raisins. Wash celery and cut into pieces, spread with peanut butter, press raisins into peanut butter.

BIG BANANA ROLL-UP

1 slice bread 1 teaspoon honey 1/2 tablespoon jelly or preserves 1/2 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll bread flat with a rolling pin and trim off the crusts. Spread the honey and jelly on the bread with a knife. Place the banana half on the bread and roll it up. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Roll the bread-covered banana in the melted butter (watch your fingers if the butter is still hot!). Bake banana roll-up in a dish for 15 minutes, until the bread is crisp and banana is hot and creamy. When it's done, sprinkle the roll-up with cinnamon.

SOFT CHEESE NACHOS

4 7-8 inch flour tortillas 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese 1/4 cup salsa or taco sauce Dairy sour cream (optional) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stack tortillas and cut them into 4 wedges. On a 12-inch pizza pan arrange tortillas in a single layer, overlapping if necessary. Bake for 7-9 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle cheeses over tortillas on pan. Return to oven for about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Drizzle with salsa or taco sauce. Add a dollop with sour cream, if desired. Makes 3-4 snack servings.

QUICK BEAN DIP

1 cup fat-free, vegetarian refried beans 1/2-1 cup salsa (you choose the heat) Combine refried beans with salsa. Add more salsa for preferred consistency. Serve this dip with baked tortilla chips or use it as a filling for a burrito.

BLENDER BERRIES

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt 2 tablespoons water 1 cup fresh or frozen berries 1 banana 1 tablespoon wheat germ 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice Combine ingredients in a blender container. Blend until smooth. Serve chilled in frosty glasses.

BETTY ANN'S BEST SUNDAE

1 small (6 ounces) container of your favorite flavor of nonfat yogurt 2-3 of your favortie fresh fruits, such as strawberries, peaches, banana, apples, grapes, and blueberries, cut into bite-sized pieces. Granola or Grape Nuts Get all your ingredients ready to assemble your sundae. Spoon yogurt into a sundae dish or fancy bowl Spoon a layer of your favorite fresh fruit on top of the yogurt. Sprinkle Grape Nuts or granola on top of the fresh fruit layer. Sprinkle a few raisins to garnish your fabulous sundae. Munch away!

SNACKIN' GRANOLA BARS

3 1/2 cups toasted oats (see notes) 1 cup dried fruit 1 cup chopped nuts 2/3 cup margarine (or butter) melted 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg beaten {egg alternative} 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, mix well. Press firmly into well greased 9 X 13 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. Store in a tightly covered container in a cool, dry place. Note: to toast, spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown, about 15 minutes.

MAPLE WALNUT GRANOLA

3 cups roller oats 1 cup wheat germ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup sesame seeds 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons molasses 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Bake, tuning often with a spatula, until mixture is a golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Download the Captain Energy PDF to find these other recipes:

Flying Saucers
Peanut-Packed Munch Mix
Frozen Yogurt Pops
Veggies in a Blanket
Crunchy Banana Boats
Spumoni Celery
Bee-licious Treat
Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Banapple Bars
No-Nuts Cereal Snack
Chili Cheese Popcorn
Spicy Nuts & Trail Mix

References
Metcalfe, Lauve. 2002. Reshaping Your Body, Rethinking Your Mind. Tucson, AZ: Desert Southwest Fitness, Inc.
Willet, Walter. 2001. Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Additional Resources
Queen, Sandy. 1993. Wellness Activities for Youth. Duluth, MN: Whole Person Associates.
Williamson, Bruce. 1993. Playful Activities for Powerful Presentations. Duluth, MN:
Whole Person Associates.

About the Author
Lauve Metcalfe, M.S., is a professional speaker and an organizational health consultant specializing in marketing and program development of health-related information to consumers. Ms. Metcalfe has a professional/faculty appointment at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, where she is a co-investigator on National Institutes of Health wellness research projects.

Lauve is a past president of the National Fitness Leaders Association, she is a clinician for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and a board member of the Wellness Council of Tucson. She is on the board of the Arizona Governor's Council on Health and Fitness and is a past Editor-At-Large for SHAPE magazine. Lauve also serves on the Board of Trustees and is a past National President for the Association for Worksite Health Promotion, the professional association for promotion of employee health and fitness at the worksite. She served as the National Media Spokesperson for Quaker Rice Cakes and V-8 Beverages.

Lauve has over twenty years of experience in developing and marketing health promotion and behavior enhancement programs in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Brazil, Singapore,and Japan. Lauve served as Program Director of the 1992 Great American Workout at the White House for President and Mrs. Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger. She was selected as a Healthy American Fitness Leader, a national award presented by the U.S. Jaycees and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports for her contributions in health promotion. Lauve received her master's of science degree in Administration, Supervision and Curriculum Development of Health Promotion from Florida State University, where her graduate research focused on the effect of exercise on self concept, body image, and job satisfaction in state employees. Her bachelor's of education is in Health and Physical Education from the University of Miami, where she was a member of the intercollegiate volleyball, basketball, and softball teams.

Lauve has completed five marathons, over twenty triathlons, cycled across the mainland of Greece and completed the Swiss Alpine Mountain run and the El Tour de Tucson. Her current physical activities include cycling, weight training, and mountain hiking.

A special thanks to our course reviewers.
Stacey Brown, BS
Physical Education Teacher
Tucson, Arizona

Christine L. Faraci, BS
Owner, CLF Designer Fitness
Scottsdale, Arizona

Copyright ©2005 by Desert Southwest Fitness, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing by the publisher.

Disclaimer This learning guide is informational only. The data and information contained herein are based upon information from various published as well as unpublished sources and merely represent general training, exercise and health literature and practices as summarized by the authors and editors. Care has been taken to confirm the accuracy of the information presented and to describe generally accepted practice. However, the author and publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions or for any consequences from application of the information in this workbook. The publisher of this learning guide makes no guarantees or warranties, express or implied, regarding the currentness, completeness, or scientific accuracy of this information, nor does the publisher guarantee or warrant the fitness, marketability, efficacy, or accuracy of this information for any particular purpose. This summary of information from unpublished sources, books, research journals, and articles is not intended to replace the advice or attention of medical or health-care professionals. This summary is also not intended to direct anyone’s behavior or replace anyone’s independent professional judgment. If you have a problem with your health, before you embark on any health, fitness or sports training program, including the programs herein, please seek advice and clearance from a qualified medical or health-care professional. The publishers have made every effort to trace the copyright holders for borrowed material. If they have inadvertently overlooked any, they will be pleased to make necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.