Keeping kids and teens healthy can be a challenge during the busy school year. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that nearly 22 million school days are lost annually due to the common cold alone. Fortunately, there are some simple, and natural, things parents can do to help kids stay healthy and energized for all their activities.
Hygiene. The CDC says that the single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands. When there’s not sink and soap around, use natural hand sanitizers—wipes or gel—with 100 percent pure essential oils.
Nutrition. Growing bodies and brains need fiber and nutrients to stay healthy. A child’s health can suffer from too few of these good things and too many sugary, highly processed foods.
The USDA Food Guide Pyramid recommends nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day. One serving size of fruits and veggies for children equals one of the following:
• 1/2 cup juice
• 1 cup raw leafy salad greens
• 1/2 cup chopped raw, canned or cooked fruit or other vegetable
Essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, are crucial for development and health of the brain, heart, nervous system, tissues, skin and immune system, especially for school-age children. DHA can be found in fatty cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna, and in DHA-enriched products like eggs and milk.
What about nutritional supplements? If kids and teens are actually eating nine servings of colorful fruits and veggies—plus foods containing all the other recommended daily nutrients—every day, then they probably don’t need them. But with picky eaters, tight schedules, food allergies and more, they don’t often get what they need. In these cases, supplements might be a good idea. But be careful. While it’s easy to find a fun and fruity multivitamin that kids don’t mind taking each day, it’s the nutrients they need, not loads of sugar or artificial colors and flavors.
Rest. Rest, relaxation and sleep are key for handling stress. While moderate stress is normal, the demands of school life can cause stress overload for youngsters and adolescents—and their parents and teachers! Be sure to schedule in downtime and allow for adequate sleep when you’re planning the week.
Kids need more sleep than you might think.
• 3–6 years old: 10 3/4–12 hours per day
• 7–12 years old: 10–11 hours per day
• 12–18 years old: 8¼–9½ hours per day
Stomachaches, nervousness, trouble sleeping, anger flares or infections may be signs of stress. Fortunately, there are plenty of safe, effective ways to handle it. Breathing deep, exercising, stretching, physical play and homeopathic remedies may help.
If you would like to know more about natural ways to help your kids stay healthy, the Whole Body Team Members at Whole Foods Market are well educated about all of the products they offer and are happy to answer questions.
You can also visit WholeFoodsMarket.com for educational podcasts and more information.
Courtesy of Family Features, information provided by Whole Foods.
With so much of fast food available in the market, its tough to keep kids healthy…..
This is so true! I firmly believe that a lot of behavior issues are caused by poor nutrition and lack of sleep.
I know not all, but most. My brother’s ADHD was controlled through diet. It didn’t go away, but was made more manageable.
I see it with my kids. When they are well rested and eating healthy, they are happier. Happy kids = happy parents.
Great info Elizabeth!
Yes, kids need a ton of sleep. If my son(2 years old) doesn’t get 12-13 hours of total sleep in a day he is miserable.
I did not know, that kids needed so many hours of sleep. But that is good to know. Fantastic good informations and tips you are giving.
Thank you for sharing :)
Thanks for sharing all the great tips. I’m always on the lookout for helpful tips, new info etc to teach my kids.
My homeschooled son wants to focus more on better nutrition this year, so this article will come in handy. I think that once he writes down how many servings of fruits, veg, etc. he needs each day and compares it to what he actually eats, it will be eye-opening for him.
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My Son is ADHD I try to get him to eat healthy He did when he was littier but it’s had to get him to eat better now. Getting him to brush his teeth is my biggest chanellge with him right now. thanks Kim
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The topics you bring up here about how to make sure the kids eat healthy is just perfect in my opinion. I knew a few kids once that were eating terrible and after a huge diet change and a detox they were healthy again and it was great thing to see.
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It’s amazing how many people neglect basic nutrition when feeding their kids. Great post.
You certainly make a lot of sense. Glad you’re sharing these thoughts and your experience freely. I often think there’s no such thing as junk food, but junk attitude about food.
thanks for the tip.