Will this make you a SuperTeacher?

In every teachers lounge across the country, the same scene plays out every morning.  The tired and weary teachers line up at the coffee machine for that first cup of coffee to provide that first necessary jolt in the morning.  I remember that our coffee machine at school broke down on the first day of school one year and you would have thought the entire was going to become one unending disaster. 

I am a self confessed recovering coffee addict.  As a young kid I would whine and complain until my mom finally relented and gave me a morning cup filled with enough sugar to make it more like pancake syrup than coffee.  I made the switch to green tea a couple of years ago and saw major improvement in my mood and energy.  My students appreciated the change because there was no more hideous coffee breath to deal with.  Sorry, no Altoid can cover up that rank smell.

Like many, at the beginning of the new year I did make some resolutions.  One of which was to eat better and make healthier choices.  Admittedly, I am not the picture of health.  I would love to say that you could bounce a silver dollar off my rippling abs, but that is simply not the case.  I did, however, do 20 push ups before beginning this article, so I guess that is a start.

With all the craze about "green drinks" recently, I decided to give it a try and went through a variety of green based drinks.  I discovered that a majority of them taste like total crap.  I would be better off running out into the front yard every morning and grazing like cattle.  Finally, I have discovered one that tastes decent AND has the added benefit of truly revitalizing me throughout the day.  Amazing Grass, when mixed in with Welch's Lite White Grape Juice is the perfect and more healthy substitute for coffee and even green tea. Do not under any circumstances mix it it with just water.  It's pretty darn revolting that way.

After having been drinking it consistently for a month, I have noticed I simply feel better and have more energy throughout the day.  I have also noticed my skin is even better.  What I usually do is mix up a few batches in a large Mason jar and keep it handy at school.  Yes, it looks like swamp water in the fridge but you are guaranteed that no one will be stealing from you.  I drink an 8 oz glass in the morning before heading to school and then have a a glass in the afternoon.  Students are pretty grossed out by me drinking it, but it has led to some nice discussions about healthy eating.  Some are even drinking it themselves now.

Amazing Grass comes in a variety of sizes and flavors, but my favorite is the ENERGY one.  They also make individual packets for those on the go.  

So much is written about student health these days, but we as teachers also need to take care of ourselves too.  By doing so, we are benefitting our students in a way that is often overlooked.  Alright, time to do more push ups.