Nutrition

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Nutrition Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle...

Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activity, your diet can help you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and cancer), and promote your overall health.

Plan meals with your kids to make sure you all get enough of the ABCs:

  • Vitamin A is essential for growth, development and a healthy immune system. Pre-formed A, called retinol, comes from animal products (liver, whole milk). Carotenoid A is found in certain colorful fruits and veggies, and is transformed into retinol in the body.
  • B vitamins are needed for energy, brain function and stress management. Do you eat a lot of processed foods and refined carbohydrates? If so, you better boost your B intake!
  • Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant for a healthy inflammation response and is crucial for immune and brain function.
  • Vitamin D plays a major role in bone development, so deficiencies in this vitamin can impair growth. The good news: exposure to sunlight causes the body to produce D — and kids love to play outside! Just remember that in winter, when living in northern climates or if you just don’t spend much time outdoors, you might need to supplement.
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Eating a Rainbow of Foods:

  • Gives you vitality and energy for life
  • Helps you stay at a weight that's right for you
  • Boosts your immune system
  • Improves sports performance
  • Delays the effects of aging
  • Keeps you active and fit into old age
  • Helps beat tiredness and fatigue
  • Protects teeth and keep gums healthy
  • Enhances your ability to concentrate and possible alter mood
  • Wards off serious illnesses like heart disease, certain cancers, mature-age onset diabetes, and gallbladder disease

Are You Eating Omega-3s?

Essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3s, are crucial for development and health of the brain, heart, nervous system, tissues, skin and immune system. The omega-3 DHA is especially important for school-age children. Cold-water fish (salmon, tuna), flaxseed, dark leafy greens and walnuts are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Consider supplementing if these foods are not part of your diet. Child-friendly omega-3 supplements are available.

Don't Forget About Water!

Life can not exist without water. We must constantly be adding fresh water to our body in order to keep it properly hydrated. Water can be a miracle cure for many common ailments such as headaches, fatigue, joint pain, and much more. We can go for weeks without food, but only 3 days without water!