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It all starts here...you are what you eat ? that is not just another familiar quote ?it has real depth to it.
What a child eats has a very large impact in every aspect of their lives. Illness, infection, behaviour, physical activity, grades and performance in school, attitude and mood are all affected by diet and nutritional values (or lack of value) of food stuffs they consume.
Conception to adulthood as your children grow it is important to have proper nutrition and exercise for meeting needs of their developing bodies and minds. Food and attitude are very powerful healing tools that we can give our children.
They are powerful preventative measures as well. Natural, alive and good quality fresh vegetables, fruits, wholesome grains, and enough good proteins are all essential in great health and strong immune systems.
Keeping their system strong is essential in prevention of illness and sickness.
Think of every meal and snack as another opportunity to provide life-building nutrients which ensures a lifelong journey of wellness and optimal health.
It is sometimes hard and it takes a conscious effort to eat well.
It starts with educating yourself on what healthy conscious eating look like?
What do I need to know about the food I eat?
What are my better options and choices?
With our food being mass produced and everyone trying to make a buck our industry has compromised our farming practices have been taken over with pesticides, fungicides, hormones to genetically enhance the look, size and colour of our vegetables and fruits ? due to this practice our soils are depleted of essential natural minerals and enzymes to create a rich, nutritious natural food. And with laboratories interfering with nature we now have GMO (Genetically Modified) foods which mean that the large blemish free perfect ripe dark red tomato you chose at the store could be genetically altered down to the DNA level you maybe eating a tomato with a another gene in it.
What has North American come to? What are the big commercialized, industrialized companies spoon feeding us?
Genetically modified, chemically contaminated mother nature
Commercials that sell fast food claiming they are good, healthy, natural
Eat 2 for 1 ? eat large sizes (over indulgence creates imbalance ? dis-ease: diabetes, high blood pressure etc...
Cereals claiming nutrition with preservatives that cause liver damage
Confusing labels ?( you need a degree in food chemistry to understand some of it) most or many of the processed, packaged foods lack real nutritional value and are the major contributors to disease taking over our youth
Is it time for you to get serious about what nutritional choices you are making for your family?
It can be quite simple if you desire and will are there.
Children are the most adaptable they will respond to small changes you make on a daily basis.
Start young Pre-pregnancyPregnancyPost pregnancyInfantToddlerSmall childTeens
Five step approach to optimal health of your children and family: Attend one of my seminars or make an appointment for a consultation today!
How to Help Children Who Feel Nervous or Worried
Many children are worriers and feel anxiety; it can start at an early age. Some common things for small children are:
Imaginary monsters, thunderstorms, the dark, bullies in school, making mistakes, not fitting in at school, being away from a parent, being along. Dentists, spiders, etc...
Older children and teens:
Being popular, being rejected in school, leaving home, finding girlfriends/boyfriends, world problems, pollution, crime etc...
Where do they come from?
Fears and worries are not all bad, they exist for good reasons – it can help you when you need to act fast...fight or flight response in an emergency situation. You release adrenaline which is a hormone that when released can give you cold hands and feet, break out in a sweat, butterflies in stomach, can’t think straight, rush of blood to face, goose bumps
These are normal reactions to have, they go away when the adrenaline stops flowing.
Your brain plays a big role in all of these body changes. Your brain has a fear centre called the amygdale – when your eyes or ears sense danger, your brain gets a message
Your thoughts and feelings are connected:
Even though your body had the built-in fear response, you DO have some control over your next move – so changing how you think about a certain thing is a clever way of telling your brain and body to react differently
Example: If you are afraid of the sight of blood – look at it and ASK yourself why you’re afraid of it. If your brain tell you something like, ‘bleeding means you are dying’ the of course you’ll be scared. – BUT try to change your thought – bleeding is a way of cleaning a cut and repairing itself. – that thought can help calm you down. – This is called using your thinking power part of your brain to handle worries or fears!
You may not know you are worried; your body will give you signs and symptoms:
Headache, stomachache, tense shoulders, inability to sleep well.
The handle worries or fears, remember that these feeling are sending you a message – listen to them, figure out what you’re afraid of and why, then decide what to do.
Here are 10 Fear and Worry Chasers to help cope and overcome them:
1) Write your fears down, admit they are there – get them out in the open
2) Flip the negative switch – learn to switch thoughts from negative to positive – your body reacts – you will start to feel calmer / ask yourself what is the worst that can happen? Usually it is not as bad you think (Dancing recital example)
3) Get your mind off worries – focus on something else, instead of fretting about a spelling test – change your thoughts – use the flip switch, or give yourself a break and do something fun – take a bike ride, read a book, play a game – laughing always helps.
4) Get active – exercise is a healthy way of using your adrenaline or extra energy. – it releases tension – work your body and it will clear your mind.
5) Be aware of what you eat – eating a balanced diet which includes plenty of fruit and vegetables. A balanced diet helps you feel stronger and more energetic. When you are scared it wares you down
People what are scared tend to skip meals, overeat to get their mind off of the worries, and they reach for the junk food because they think it will make them feel better.
Balance is key to a healthy diet
Eat nutritious snacks throughout the day
Junk food like chips, pop, donuts, candy will only add to feeling stressed.
Try and eat a healthy, whole foods diet with plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Try and include foods that are rich in the B vitamins, such as whole grains, nuts, green vegetables, eggs and fish.
To help lift moods and help calm anxiety, keep away from processed foods and eat more natural products.
Avoid fizzy drinks loaded with sugar, instead drink plenty of water. Avoid caffeine, which can make you feel nervous and jittery, try a herbal tea if possible.
Below is a small list of foods to avoid and which foods to keep on your side when you are feeling anxious or stressed. A treat now and again is fine, any amount of changes will help you see the benefit.
Foods to Eat:
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Whole grains, especially brown rice, barley, millet, corn, and wheat (sometimes) |
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Apricots |
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Asparagus |
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Avocados |
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Bananas |
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Broccoli |
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Blackstrap molasses |
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Brewer's yeast |
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Brown rice |
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Dried fruits |
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Figs |
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Fish (such as salmon) |
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Garlic |
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Green leafy vegetables |
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Kasha |
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Legumes |
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Dulse |
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Raw nuts and seeds |
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Seaweeds |
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Slightly salty foods |
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Soy products |
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Whole grains |
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Yogurt |
Foods to Avoid:
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Coffee |
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Chocolate |
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Alcohol |
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Strong spices |
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Sugar |
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Highly acidic foods, such as tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers, which are injurious to spleen
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6) Practice deep breathing – breath all the way into your belly is relaxing, it helps oxygen get to your brain, muscles, when helps them work better and you will feel calmer. – feeling nervous you breath quicker only filling in the top part of your lungs not getting enough air and it will make you feel jittery. (Breathing and yoga)
7) Relax your muscles – notice how tense you may become when you are worried. Muscle relaxation is something that can be done every day – helps you feel calmer, standing up or sitting and lying down. (Tighten and release whole body exercise)
8) Write or talk about feelings – it will give you a chance to understand them better. (Journal fears and the exercises that helped them)
9) Be Aware of your biggest fears – Red alerts, and know there are things you can do to help get your mind off of them. Talking to friends and family, think positive focus on something else, build your confidence, etc... No matter what the fear you can make efforts to help handle them.
10) Share with other what you have learned – some people may just see you as always upset or tense. Share with them and explain sometimes your brain is too quick to think that something is scary or dangerous. You may need to work harder than most people to overcome fears, say your amygdale switches on too quickly, remind people that everyone has things they are scared of and worry about.
Excepts from What to do when you’re scared & worried.
Recommended Books: The Anxiety Cure for Kids - Elizabeth DuPont Spencer
What to Do When You’re Scared & Worried – A guide for kids – James J Crist PhD
Don’t Pop Your Cork on Monday! The children’s anti stress book – Adolph Moser...Dav Pilkey
What to Do When You Worry Too Much – A kid’s guide to overcoming anxiety – Dawn Huebner PhD
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