Building healthy habits
Natural ways to support children’s health and wellbeing
Children’s lives can be full of activity, balancing school, play, and family time while their bodies and minds develop at a quick pace. Ensuring they have the right support for growth, learning and immunity is crucial for their overall wellbeing.
“Your child’s health is their wealth,” says Bex Seligman, a naturopath and herbalist, (@healthforwealth_bexseligman). “But constant exposure to bugs in the classroom, ever-developing minds and bodies, and the demands of family life and extracurricular activities can all add up. Left unsupported, these can often tip the balance and negatively impact your child’s mental and physical wellbeing.”
Taking a holistic approach that focuses on good nutrition, quality sleep, movement and time to recharge, can help children to thrive. Bex adds: “A multipronged approach often works best. This will help to improve their performance at school, and they will reach the sweet spot of ‘life wealth’ where they are happy, healthy children who are loving life.”
Here are some key nutrients to support children’s health:
Vitamin D – for bone health
“Vitamin D is important for children’s bone, muscle, and teeth development and their immunity,” says Bex Seligman. “It is recommended as a daily supplement in the UK from October to March due to the lack of sunlight in the autumn and winter months. Include vitamin D rich foods in their diet, such as oily fish (salmon, mackerel), egg yolks, mushrooms and spinach. Look for supplements that provide the recommended daily amount.”
Magnesium – for restful sleep
“Magnesium is an important mineral,” says Bex. “It supports muscle and nerve function, energy production and optimal brain function. Magnesium-rich foods include bananas, nut butters, dark green leafy vegetables and avocados. Look for supplements containing Magnesium bisglycinate for the added benefit of achieving better sleep due to its combination with glycine, a sleep-inducing amino acid. This is a great supplement before bedtime to assist children in obtaining restorative sleep.”
Omega-3s – for brain health
“A good breakfast that combines protein and complex carbs, such as eggs or beans on wholemeal toast, will help to keep concentration levels high throughout the day,” says Alison Cullen, a nutritional practitioner with A.Vogel (avogel.co.uk). “Omega-3 essential fatty acids are also important, with studies showing improvements in children of primary school age in just two terms. Oily fish is of course a good food source of omega-3s, as are walnuts, pumpkin and flax seeds, but none of these is likely to make it past your average five-year-old’s discerning palate. In which case, a fish oil or flax oil supplement for children can help.”
Multivitamins – for balanced blood sugar
Alison adds: “Keeping sugary snacks and drinks to a minimum (to keep blood sugar levels stable), will also help to boost concentration levels in children. A sharp drop in blood sugar can be a reason for poor concentration, low mood and sometimes aggression. Nutrients that help to support healthy blood sugar levels include chromium, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B3. A good children’s multivitamin and mineral will help you to keep them topped up.”
Vitamin C – for immune health
“Boosting your child’s immunity and keeping them safe at school and in the playground is always high on everyone’s list of priorities,” says Alison Cullen. “Germs on a child’s hands can be easily passed to other children by direct touch or indirectly by touching contaminated objects. Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly to help stop the spread of germs, especially after every visit to the toilet and before eating food. Vitamin C is really important. There are plenty of delicious ways to get vitamin C into your child’s diet – think oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit, broccoli and other green veggies; and if they won’t eat them whole, you can always blend these vitamin C powerhouses into a delicious fruit and veg smoothie.”
Nutrition tips for good gut health
“Children use lots of energy and it is essential that their gut is healthy,” says Adrienne Benjamin, a nutritionist with ProVen Biotics (provenbiotics.uk). “This is necessary to support their growing bodies and activity levels, as well as hormonal and brain changes as they move into their teen years. Our gut is central to health for several reasons. It digests and absorbs nutrients from food, thus supporting energy, mood and other bodily functions. It also plays a key role in immunity, brain and skin health.”
Adrienne recommends that parents encourage children to eat “a nutrient-dense diet that includes a balance of healthy fats, protein and complex carbohydrates, to provide the building blocks for supporting the cells in their gut.” She also suggests: “Drinking water to support regular bowel movements and maintain the protective mucosal lining of the gut.” Getting plenty of sleep, exercise and time outdoors, in nature where possible is also vital. Another tip for parents is to “include vegetables and fruits in their diet every day to support stool consistency and regularity, and including vegetables that provide food for the trillions of bacteria that live in their gut”. Lastly, Adrienne recommends “eating foods or taking supplements that contain friendly live bacteria (probiotics) to support existing gut bacteria and their essential functions, such as breaking down food, producing vitamins and energy, and supporting immunity.”
7 ways to get your child to eat well
Tips by Sandrine Olmi, a registered nutritional therapist and certified mind, body and eating coach (www.savoirfayre.co.uk)
1. Be a role model: lead by example by eating a wide range of foods.
2. Encourage children to take part in the food preparation and making it fun. The more exposure they get, the more willing they will be to try different foods.
3. Offer healthy snack options after school like cut up vegetables and a dip or apple slices with nut butter for when the children are very hungry. It will then become routine.
4. Offer all the food groups (protein, healthy fats, fibre and healthy carbohydrates) in a way that the child can choose what they wish to eat. Some children don’t like mixing everything on their plate.
5. Include vegetables in baked goods, such as carrot cake, courgette muffins or black bean brownies.
6. Make smoothies together with the children, including vegetables. For example, lettuce does not have any taste in a smoothie.
7. Keep sweet treats as a treat and preferably after a meal. The body tolerates the sugar better when protein, fibre and healthy fats have been consumed beforehand.
Top tip!
“Elderberry is a helpful herb for children as they are rich in powerful anthocyanins known for their antioxidant activity,” says Bex Seligman. “Elderberry can strengthen the immune system and be useful to support through coughs, colds and viral illnesses.”
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