Feeding children with stamina

We all want our children to feel their best, thrive at school and be well-nourished. But some days are very busy, and convincing your child to eat their greens (or any vegetable for that matter) can be quite a challenge.
By Health First
4 min read
nourrir des enfants qui ont de l'endurance

We all want our children to feel their best, thrive at school, and be well-fed. But some days are busy, and convincing your child to eat their greens (or any vegetable for that matter) can be a challenge. Whether your child is a picky eater or eats everything you put on their plate, it can be difficult to ensure they get all the nutrients they need daily for healthy brain development, good gut and digestive health, and a strong immune system. For this, natural supplements can really save the day and alleviate some of your parental guilt about your child's eating habits.

I recommend three specific natural health supplements to optimize your child's nutrition and help them thrive: omega-3, probiotics, and superfoods.

Omega-3s

The human brain is composed of about 60% fat, 15% of which is DHA, an essential omega-3 fatty acid. Even though there is about 200-300 times less EPA than DHA in the human brain, it is still important for brain development.

The brain develops at an exceptionally rapid rate from birth to 5 years old. In fact, it doubles in size in the first year and continues to grow until it reaches its adult size at 5 or 6 years old. Ultimately, a child's experiences and eating habits contribute to their brain development. In fact, omega-3 supplementation, both DHA and EPA, has been shown to reduce clinical symptoms and improve cognitive performance in children with ADHD.

Omega-3s are essential for memory, learning, behavior, and depression prevention, and they have also shown positive effectiveness in reading. Given the importance of omega-3s in brain development, it is shocking to note that nearly 84% of children consume less than one serving of fish/seafood, a rich source of omega-3s, per week!

As essential nutrients, we must get DHA and EPA from our diet. Our brain requires a constant supply of omega-3s because the turnover of DHA, in particular, is rapid. Supplementation can therefore be extremely beneficial. Genuine Health's omega3+ D3 for kids comes from wild-caught and sustainably sourced fish. It contains 600 IU of vitamin D, which is essential for the development of the brain, eyes, nerves, bones, and teeth.

Due to increased exposure to blue light from screens, omega3+ D3 for kids also contains 5.5 mg of lutein, an essential component for brain and eye health from early life and throughout aging. As a parent, you'll be reassured to know that it has undergone third-party testing for oxidation and contaminants.

Probiotics

The microbiome plays a critical role in a strong immune system. Research has shown that low levels of bacteria called bifida and lactobacilli are associated with the development of allergies, eczema, and asthma in children.

A child's microbiome begins to develop in utero and continues to do so rapidly after birth, forming and housing the immune system and helping to protect against diseases later in life. Various factors can promote or hinder microbiome development, ranging from breastfeeding to antibiotic use and the home environment. Due to the sharp increase in allergies and asthma and the number of children with digestive problems, it is essential to look at ways to positively support our child's microbiome and, consequently, their immune system.

Genuine Health's super delicious chewable tablets, advanced gut health probiotics for kids, are an excellent choice for this reason. It is a multi-strain formula of third-party verified human strains, including Lactobacillus rhamnosos GG, L. acidophilus, and L. reuteri. Many studies have shown that multi-strain formulas are more effective for children's health. Moreover, unlike most children's probiotics currently on the market, Genuine Health's chewable probiotics' "alveolar" technology actually protects individual bacteria, preserving their structure and function all the way to the gut! As an added benefit, chewable probiotics have been shown to reduce pathogenic (problematic) bacteria in the mouth and throat, thus providing increased immunity and reduced sick days.

Phytonutrients

A variety of fruits and vegetables in children's diets is absolutely essential to help them grow. However, in reality, only 10% of Canadian students in grades 6 to 12 meet Health Canada's recommendations to fill half their plate with plant-based foods. Plant foods are rich in phytonutrients, incredible nutrients that give foods their beautiful color, taste, and texture. Thus, children need to eat a variety of them. But, unfortunately, currently, 40% of fruit and vegetable consumption among Canadian children and adolescents comes from two sources: juice and white potatoes.

Genuine Health's fermented organic superfoods+ for kids' gut health makes things easier! With 22 polyphenol-rich organic superfoods, from cabbage to beets to apricots, pomegranate, and much more, your child gets a variety of superfoods that may be missing from their diet. Its delicious grape flavor is one your child will ask for again and again!

In addition to the love and support you give your child, consuming omega, especially with omega3+ D3 for kids, offers positive effects throughout life, as well as probiotics like advanced gut health probiotics for kids and phytonutrients like fermented organic superfoods+ for kids' gut health can help protect your child from autoimmune diseases early in life and promote the development of a healthy immune system, both during childhood and adulthood!

By Joy McCarthy

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