Tuesday, February 15, 2011

An article I stole from Mr. Vitelli :)

Here is an article that certainly pertains to many of our young students in the Norton School system...buyer beware!
They claim to give you that extra boost, but recent studies have shown that energy drinks containing large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, can actually cause major health problems in children, teens and young adults. In fact, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, of the 5,448 U.S. caffeine overdoses reported in 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19 years. Now a new report in the journal of Pediatrics warns parents, and doctors that these drinks could be especially dangerous to children with ADHD, diabetes, sleep issues and eating disorders.

Tips for managing diabetes

Doctors from the University of Miami School of Medicine say that although caffeine can improve attention spans, it also increases blood pressure and disrupts sleep patterns in young people. And scientists have found the attention span of kids who consumed these drinks on a daily basis eventually decreased. So did their heart rates over the long run, while their blood pressure numbers increased, which could put unnecessary pressure on the heart. Researchers note that could be dangerous for children who are on other medications

"Mixing other drugs with these drinks, could lead to a host of other complications." says Dr. Steven Lipshultz, a pediatric cardiologist and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "The problem is, a lot of young people don't realize what's in these drinks and the combinations could be serious, even deadly."

These drinks should not be consumed after long periods of exercise, or mixed with alcohol, study authors added.

"A lot of young people, especially teens and young adults think they are drinking sports drinks," warned Lipshultz. "So they drink them after practice. But instead of replacing electrolytes in their bodies, they are adding large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which can rev up the body and the heart even more. "

But the American Beverage Association, which represents the manufacturers of these drinks, says there's plenty of caffeine in lots of drinks that are available to a younger age group. "Young adults getting coffee from popular coffeehouses are getting about twice as much caffeine as they would from a similar size energy drink," the ABA said in a reaction statement to the Pediatrics paper.

But doctors warn that many people need to be made aware that these are not just cans of "quick energy," but beverages that contain not only caffeine, but stimulants such as guarana and taurine, that could affect different people in different ways.

What's inside energy drinks?

"Some kids can handle these substances, but others cannot," says Lipshultz. "Kids need to be careful of how much they drink."

Lipshultz and his co-authors stressed that pediatricians need to recognize symptoms and health problems associated with these drinks and should advise parents and young people of their dangers.

"The problem is, when kids come into a doctor's office with nausea, dizziness, racing hearts and even worse, seizures, pediatricians immediately think some form of drug abuse," says Lipshultz. "But in many cases, it could be energy drinks that are causing these problems. And doctors need to be on the lookout for that"

Monday, February 14, 2011

Wow!

Boy have I been slacking posting on my blog!!!! Its been an extremely busy month. We have introduced a multitude of new and exciting units at the middle school. The student participation has been wonderful. It makes my job easy to know that I don't have to worry about student involvement and participation. Here are a few tips back by popular demand.....


  • Try to add Acai Berry to your diet. They have the highest antioxidant count of all fruit. They also come in vitamin form. Consult your doctor before ingestion.
  • Burn more calories by, instead of straight jogging, running hard for two minutes, then jogging for two minutes. Do this for ten minutes total the first time and work your way up. You can burn almost double the calories than your standard jog.
  • Incorporate interval weights instead of standard weight training with rest. This will help your strength and will burn calories at the same time. Cutting down on the rest and lightening the weights will help the functionality of the lift and burn MAD calories!
Hope this helps everyone......Goodnight!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone! Just letting everyone know of a few things on the horizon.....
  • Alternative sport week will kick off on Monday January 10. Things like dance, gymnastics and wrestling will be presented to the classes throughout that week. A great way for the students to gain exposure to different types of activities.
  • Norton Middle is a part of "fuel up to play 60"! Log on an create your username and password to help advocate for our school district and be a part of the program. No cost!
  • The NMS winter classic known as the teacher student facutly game will take place the friday before winter break. We are very excited to have our third annual game this year. Prizes and lancer points to be given out that day.
  • As you know I am a driver's education teacher. We are now offering classes right next to planet fitness! We run our classes during winter, spring, and christmas breaks. We will also be running classes over the summer. Nice large classroom, plenty of student interaction, and taught by myself.  TDA is offering a special for all new signups. 59.99 to take the class. You get a Tshirt, dunkin donuts gift card, and a pizza party on the final day of class. One week intensive course takes you through everything you need to know about your driving experience. Refer a friend, and get a DD card for your troubles. User friendly, easy, and affordable!
Hope everyone has a great new year!

Mr. Brito

Monday, November 29, 2010

Turkey Shoot Results

Congratulations to all grades and our winners: Bret Murphy, Laura Johnson, Nick Botelho, Sarah Jarbeau, Maddie Murphy and Bret Gauvin! Nick Botelho breaks the record for free throws in a minute with 32! The money went to help families in need during this holiday season. We more than tripled last years number! Very proud of the kids and our community.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Little tips on your everyday life......

Many people ask me what the optimal diet is. This is a very tricky answer, because we are all made differently! Some people require less calories to lose weight, while not having to exercise as much, some have to exercise a ton and can eat whatever they want, some have to exercise and diet like crazy. Here are some simple steps everyone, regardless of your body, should do.

Aerobic/Cardiovascular Exercise at least 4 times a week for 40 minutes
Weight/Body weight train 3 times a week hitting each muscle group
Substitute your regular snack food for the wheat or multi grain variety
Eat 5 to 7 small meals instead of 3 big meals
Drink water throughout the day. At breakfast have OJ and at dinner have some milk. NO SODA!
In order to not burn yourself out with a diet, leave one day a week as your cheat day. Mine is usually saturday nights. Reward yourself for good habits!

Those are a few tips that may help you. We compare ourselves to these stars on TV and Movies, but they have a Trainer, Nutritionist, Life coach, Agent, Maids, Butlers, Financial Planners, etc. Us simple folk have to exercise within our own means. So go out and do it!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Turkey Shoot

Every year the NMS puts on the Turkey Shoot inside the gymnasium during the school day. Students get 1 minute for 1 dollar to sink as many free throw shots as they can. This year's Turkey Shoot is on November 23, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. I ask that everyone try and donate to this very noble cause. The proceeds go to, as always, needy families within the community. Last year's mark was considerably down compared to prior, making this hopefully a bounce back year. The goal this year is 1,000 dollars raised. With the amount of staff, students, and parents in our school comunity, I think this is a very "doable" goal. Give to your comunity with a dollar. It can go a long way.....