5 important ways to supporting your children’s health and mental well-being through diet
Diet plays a crucial role in both the physical and mental development and health of our children!
In fact, a recent published article* provides evidence that a child’s early diet determines the mental health of that child measured 8 years later! So the sooner we start, the better. And the necessity of a good diet continues throughout our lives. So we can put excellent life-long habits in place for our precious kids.
1.Provide a Balanced Diet!
In this case you are the boss, and to are responsible for training your children into good habits!
They need to learn to eat a variety of foods from all food groups These include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy.
When such a diet is provided you give your children the best chance of getting essential nutrients for their growth and brain development.
2. Limit Sugary and Processed Foods.
These should be regarded purely as treats. They lead to sugar spikes, followed by emotional crashes in the short term, and worse still, lay the foundation for metabolic syndrome, weight issues and diabetes later in life.
For something to be a treat it must not be part of the everyday routine!
3. Stay hydrated.
Dehydration can affect both cognitive function, mood and headaches.
We need to teach our children to drink and enjoy water!
Keep flavoured drinks to a few times a day (as treats?) and make sure that they are not packed with sugar and other additives.
Also, be aware that 100% fruit juices are a problem. They are very high in easily absorbed sugar that leads to significant spikes in blood sugar. It’s far better to eat the fruits that to drink their juices as the fibre in the fruit slows the absorption rate of the sugars. And the chewing activity tells us when we’ve had enough!
4. Consistent meals times and appropriate age-appropriate portions.
Consistent meal times help to regulate both the appetite and energy levels of kids (and adults).
It has been shown that over-sized portions are habit forming, and lead to undesirable weight gain in children as well as adults.
Current South African statistics show that 13% of children under the age of 5 are obese or overweight!
These numbers increase to 16% for the 5-9 year old group and 22% in the 9-a8 years age bracket! Imagine where these kids are heading in their adult life!
And the sad truth is that we, as parents, are responsible for setting this process in motion.
5. Kids need Omega 3 fatty acids!
These ideally come from fatty fish (hake and fish fingers are simply not a good source of these all-important oils!). They are essential for the normal development of the brain, and actually play a structural role. And they have also been shown to positively affect mood and mental well-being.
This is a nutrient that is not very prevalent in our average diets and supplementation is strong advised. Having said that, here’s a word of caution: all Omega 3 supplements are not made equal. Some work, and some don’t and some are probably frankly bad for you! If you want my recommendations see below.
And here’s a bonus suggestion: do your best to keep it light and fun. Mealtimes should be family times, not battlefields!
If you want to know what I have used with my own children, and have recommended for over 30 years, please leave a message for on FB, or contact me on WhatsApp, leave a message and I will get back to you. My number is: +27 (0)84 506 3643
Or you can take a look here: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/childrenshealth
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