Like adults, the more we fuel our body with what it needs, the more productive we are; the same rules apply to kids. If you give children the nutrients they need, it allows them to think clearer and absorb more information.
You want your kids to start their school year feeling their best, ready to learn. Here are some simple ways you can do just that.
Make sure your children eat their breakfast. Try to make sure it's a balanced one with good quality fats, protein and carbohydrates. Not only will this give them the energy they need for the day, but it will keep their blood sugar steady – all of which will help keep them focused and able to concentrate all day long.
Lunch is just as important as breakfast; either try to pack your child a wholesome lunch every day or look at the schools' canteen options. This is an excellent opportunity to start discussing healthy food options with your children and encourage them to start thinking about making their own healthy food choices.
Don't forget peer pressure is a problem for children, and unhealthy treats and unfortunately snacks are often considered trendy amongst peers. Your kids can obviously eat these every now and then, but try not to keep these unhealthy treats in the house, and try to avoid giving that extra allowance that your children will use to buy these treats.
Dinner is a time when you can really have an impact on what your child is eating. You can prepare a healthy meal and sit down together to enjoy it. You can encourage discussions about the importance of eating healthy foods. But, you don't want to sound like a broken record, so encourage your children to share with you the foods they enjoy or look forward to.
In a perfect world, our children would eat the foods we tell them to, and they wouldn’t complain one bit! Unfortunately, any parent would attest to how difficult it is to conquer the perfect diet for their children. This is where supplements can help.
Some nutrients are particularly beneficial for children, and these include the following:
Your brain is made up of heaps fat, and much of this fat is in the form of the fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA for short. This fatty acid is required for the growth of the infant's brain and is very important for brain function and learning in children.
A deficiency in DHA is actually linked to defects in learning, which is of particular concern for school-age children. The best source of DHA is from fish and algae, but unfortunately, many children don't like fish or algae. This is a problem because DHA is simply not a nutrient your child’s brain can go without, especially if you want your child to get the most of their time at school. This means If your child is a particularly fussy eater, looking into a supplement may be the best option.
It’s a fact, Kids get sick, and they get sick often! This is because their immune system has not yet fully developed. When your child gets sick, you not only feel frustration for your poor little one, but it also means you will probably have to have a little downtime yourself – downtime that most parents simply do not have time for.
To stop the seemingly never-ending cold and flu symptoms, you need to support the healthy development of your child’s immune system. Two nutrients that are crucial for the developing immune system include vitamin C and probiotics. Vitamin C helps support the production of white blood cells that keep the immune system strong, and probiotics ensure your child’s gut is healthy and armed with the defences it needs to fend off potential viruses and other pathogens.
Life Nutrition Cal-C (orange and berry) and Kids Probiotics and Kids DHA give you the recommended amounts of vitamin C, probiotics and vitamin D to help pick up where your child's diet slacks off and keeps little immune systems and brains strong and ready for the school year.