Family Life: Nutrition For Healthy Kids

Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. (Gen 9:3-4 NIV)

Five Key Focus Areas

Today I’m going to talk about five key areas of focus in a child’s life from birth up to age 18. They include nutrition, brain development, building a strong immune system, maintaining healthy weight, and confidence & happiness.

Birth to 2 years

___Focus on nutrition. “Proper nutrition is the foundation of good health, says Marilyn Tanner, a pediatric dietitian at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. ‘The sooner your children develop healthy eating habits, the less likely they will suffer from obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease,’ she says.”

For more information about breast-feeding, when to offer solid foods, saying no to junk, language development, ear infections, skin care and more click here.

2 years to 5 years

___Focus on brain development. “’Simple choices that parents make early on have a profound effect on their child's brain development,’” says David Perlmutter, MD, FACN, who practices in Naples, Florida. Ensure that your child's brain and nervous system develop fully with these tips.”

For more information about nutrients your child’s brain really needs, bad fats, eating organic, avoiding lead, choosing safer sea foods, engaging the brain, allergies, sun safety, and asthma click here.

5 years to 10 years

___Focus on building a strong immune system. “Colds, flu, and other illnesses are unavoidable, particularly in school-age children—right? Wrong. Although respiratory infections, stomach bugs, and other ailments are a common part of childhood, they are in many cases preventable—provided your child is equipped with a battle-ready immune system, says Baral.”

For more information about immunity-boosting foods, sleep needs, fighting infections, oral health, first aid kits, hyperactivity, and basic hygiene click here.

10 years to 14 years

___Focus on healthy weight. “Obesity is a problem that affects more than 15 percent of all children between ages 6 and 19 living in the United States, according to the American Obesity Association. Those children are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and other serious health problems. Being overweight can also trigger depression and other mental health issues. Fortunately, weight problems in children can be prevented and reversed.”

For more information click here.

14 years to 18 years

___Focus on confidence & happiness. “Poised at the juncture between adolescence and adulthood, teenagers face a barrage of decisions and life choices—from where to apply for college to whom to date and hang out with—that can leave them feeling elated one moment and stressed out or blue the next. In the midst of all of these changes, help her develop confidence, self-esteem, kindness, and other positive character traits.”

For more information click here.

The quotes above are from “Prescription For Healthy Kids” by Carlotta Mast and published by DeliciousLivingMag.com

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Photos: Savannah Grandfather, Ben McLeod, Paul Mayne (Flickr)