The teenage years
By the time your children are teenagers they spend more time away from home than in your direct care! So the lessons learned while they were literally still at your knee become profoundly important. Even if they wander away from ‘home values’ for a while these will remain a beacon to which they return whenever they need to take stock of themselves and evaluate the paths they are exploring.
One of the things that easily goes by the wayside for a while is eating wholesome nutritious meals. In fact, you might lovingly prepare lunches for your teens to take with them, but whether they eat them or not is outside of your control, Odds are that they might even exchange their nutritious meals for something that is usually out of bounds for them. The temptation to try all the junk goodies that their peers are familiar with is high, and most youngsters will, and actually probably should, succumb. There’s nothing quite like learning from one’s mistakes and discovering that you feel a whole lot better when you eat well – and that the real thing actually even tastes a whole lot better!
But I believe that there are certain nutrients that are non-negotiable and therefore teaching your kids to supplement might be an equally important lesson for eating well.
Here are some thoughts:
A high quality Omega 3 oil supplement
Omega 3 provides essential building blocks for the brain, the nervous system, balanced hormones and the prostate. All these organs are still not fully developed in teens and need these nutrients to develop to full capacity. They are also natural anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, so must be on board to help your teen cope with the stresses and strains of negotiating the teenage years. Teens are also very stressed in this modern era, and need assistance in dealing with the fall-out. My Omega 3 supplement of choice, hands down, can be explored here: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/product/2672
A really good quality multivitamin – multimineral complex
For younger children I recommended VitaSquares but your teenagers actually need to start taking the adult doses. So that translates into Formula IV Plus. This contains balanced vitamins and minerals in a form that is easily recognised by the body and so it is very well absorbed into the system.
Just a heads up: if your teenager is becoming moody and anxious it might be a sign of a growth spurt and the need for some extra nutritional support. One possibility to look out for is leg cramps and growing pains, mood swings and irritability, in which case extra magnesium could be very helpful
https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/product/2723
In addition it supplies the lipids and sterols that we should be getting from whole grains but are not due to the over refinement and processing that those foods undergo. These are also essential oils and are necessary for organ growth and development, absorption of nutrient from food, proper hormone function and a biggie: energy production and stamina.
The product that I recommend and used for my teens and myself can be explored here:
https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/product/2557
Skin problems are the scourge of some teenagers, and make it very difficult for them to navigate puberty and the teenager years.
Sometimes the solution is really quite simple: Vitamin A&D and Zinc can do the trick! https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/vitaminsminerals
You might also like to explore a really ‘çlean’ skin care regime: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/product/2935
Probiotics!
Strange as it may seem, the health of the gut is the foundation for all health! Amongst others, the hormonal roller coaster of puberty, skin breakouts and teen moodiness might all be due to a less than happy gut. What that means is that the balance of good bacteria and bad bacteria is out of whack. A course of probiotics periodically can make a huge difference for your teenager. https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/product/2791
Supporting your teen’s sporting activity
In addition to the supplements already mentioned, adding a good, muscle-building protein powder to the diet can make a big difference. There are several to choose from but here is the link to Sports Performance Protein: https://neolifeafrica.com/positiveoptions/shop/product/218
It is important to note that none of the supplements recommended here will run your teen foul of misuse of boosting chemicals accusations – they all come directly from the human food chain.
Contact me if you would like to talk about some supplementation to help boost your teen’s health.
084 506 3643
andre.positiveoptions@gmail.com
Start your energy-filled day. Designed for optimal cellular nutrition by giving your body key whole food nutrients and protein, the building block of life.
Contact us today to find out more, book a consultation, or order some of our awesome products.