Take a Brain Break with the Hypothalamus

Hi guys! I’m the Hypothalamus, cheerleader for the BRAIN POWER team, and a pretty big deal. I’m the one who gets your heart rate going and your emotions all excited for this great game of living a healthy lifestyle that we have going on. But I’m not just a pretty face.

You probably have a lot of energy, right? Me too! What you eat and drink helps me to control how your body acts and reacts whether you like it or not. That’s right! I can make you sweat, shiver, and feel emotions such as fear, anger, calm, or excitement. The next time you have to go to the bathroom—thank me! Feeling hungry or thirsty? Yes—that’s me too!

Speaking of being thirsty, you may be in a situation where you have to make a choice about underage drinking. This BRAIN POWER cheerleader wants you to say NO. Think of little old me! We are still growing and getting to know each other! When alcohol enters your system, I can’t seem to get messages from the rest of my squad—your hormones. When this happens, our human pyramid collapses, and our spectacular routine becomes a big old mess! For YOU, this means your body temperature and heart rate could decrease, your blood pressure can increase, you may have to use the restroom more, and you get hungry and thirsty. Where does this leave you? Dehydrated and constipated—which leads to a headache and an uncomfortable belly. No thanks!

One more great reason to say NO to underage drinking is that if you are under 21 years old, it’s against the law! I’m rooting for you! Say YES to a healthy lifestyle! You can do it! If you have questions about saying NO or need some helpful advice, why not ask your teacher, coach, or parent? They can help you make good choices to keep your body in balance—and before you know it, you’ll make it to the varsity squad! Don’t forget to watch my video, and then test your knowledge with this quick quiz!