Healthy Kids
Healthy kids
As parents we want nothing more than to raise happy and healthy kids. Health goes far beyond just not getting sick all the time but extends to their energy, mood, health, and overall well-being. Raising healthy kids is not always easy. We are up against so much screen time and technology, over-scheduled lives that leave little room for free-play, meal prep, or let’s face it, enough sleep. Finding a balance between our work schedules, school, after-school extra-curricular activities and family time is key for happy healthy kids and parents.
Basics for keeping your kids healthy:
1. Exercise. Exercise needs to occur daily to keep our kids’ metabolisms up, help them burn off their excess energy, and let them be kids. If your kids are in school they are likely getting P.E. but exercise a couple times a week is not enough. Studies have shown that increased recess time at school actually improves kids focus and decreases the symptoms of ADD/ADHD. So get your kids moving regularly with a variety of activities.
o Organized sports are a great way to help them develop the foundation for teamwork, cooperative play and following rules and structure.
o Outdoor free play allows them to use their imagination and be creative while exploring the outdoors in their own way.
2. Outdoor play. This is a great way to get physical activity in their day, a way to disconnect from screens and social media, and get fresh air and vitamin D. Outdoor time is a great reset for kids’ bodies and minds, and can provide a good opportunity for uninterrupted family time. Get your family out for an after-dinner walk or play basketball or soccer in your backyard, plan outdoor activities on the weekends like hikes, trips to the park, bike rides, or other favorite outdoor activities. Get your kids involved in your physical activity and the activities that you can all enjoy together to make it enjoyable for everyone.
o This isn’t always as easy in the Pacific NW where we get rain for months out of the year but get outside while it’s dry, or grab that rain gear and get outside even when it’s wet. Get those rain boots on and go puddle jumping!
3. Limit screen time. While it would be nice if we could do days without screens for our kids to give their eyes, minds, and bodies a break, it’s not very possible in today’s society.
o The recommended amount of screen time depends on your child’s age as younger kids should be exposed to less screen time than older school age kids. I highly recommend no screen time before age 2, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) agrees. Kids between 2 and 5 years should limit their screen time to one hour or less per day.
o There is not a specific time limit recommended for kids 6 and over but making sure that screen time is not replacing social interaction, active play and exercise and family time is key. It’s all about balance.
o Create a family media plan. Setting limits and sticking to them is important when it comes to screen time and your kids, especially since screens are so readily accessible. It is also important to discuss media with your kids and set boundaries regarding what they are allowed to do on their screens and on their internet and what activities are off-limits. Set up parental controls and monitor your kid’s screen time and computer use. Keep your computers and screen time in family areas and maintain an open dialogue with your kids.
4. Nutrition. Proper nutrition is a huge part of kids’ health. Making sure that they are getting all of the nutrients they need to grow and flourish is essential.
o Proper nutrition is especially important for kids. They need nutrients as their brain, bones, and bodies grow and develop.
o One of the best ways to get a variety of nutrients in your kids’ diet is to offer them varied foods. It can take kids trying a certain food multiple times (up to 20!) to develop a taste for it so if they don’t like it on the first try (or fifth), keep offering it. Don’t force them to eat anything, but if they continue to see something on their plate, they will often try it eventually, and may even like it!
o Kids need a variety of vegetables (and fruits), healthy fats, and protein. Our brains need healthy fats and a developing brain needs even more. Healthy fats include olive oil, avocados, avocado oil, olives, fish, fish oil, and animal protein. Animal products (eggs and meat) also help provide protein and essential amino acids necessary for proper cell, muscle, and overall growth and development.
o A high-quality multi-vitamin can be a helpful addition to your child’s current diet to make up for any vitamins, minerals and/or nutrients that they aren’t getting from their food. However, this isn’t a substitute for a well-balanced diet. Getting nutrition in through whole foods in their diet is going to be more beneficial as they are more easily absorbed and utilized by the body than supplements.
o If you have trouble getting a variety of foods in your kids’ diet, check out our article on Picky Eaters.
5. Eat dinner together.
o Eating dinner together provides family togetherness time, an opportunity to provide your family with good nutrition, and a chance to discuss your day and connect with each other.
o Kids from families who eat dinner together tend to do better in school and studies have shown that adolescents who ate family meals five to seven times per week were more likely to get A’s in school. Dinnertime conversation can help boost young kids’ vocabulary as well.
o Family dinners also help promote healthy eating and kids who participate in family dinners eat more nutritiously than those who don’t, and are less likely to be obese when they grow up.
o For successful dinners together, make sure that as parents you are engaged with your children and that there are no screens or TV on. You don’t have to have dinner together every night to get the benefits from them, but the more often you do family meals together, the better.
6. Sleep. Sleep provides our bodies with a chance to recharge and rejuvenate. Without proper sleep, our bodies and brains don’t get the rest and reset that they need. Kids need more sleep to help them process all of the things they learn and experience throughout the day and to be rested and ready for the following day. Creating a schedule that allows for your kids to get enough sleep is important. If they are constantly struggling to get out of bed in the morning or getting tired and irritable well before their bed time, it’s likely that they aren’t getting enough sleep at night. If this is the case, move up their bedtime by 15-30 minutes (slowly over a few nights) until they are waking up rested and making it to bedtime without a struggle.
7. Immune support. Kids are exposed to germs everywhere – at school, public play areas, friend’s homes, the grocery store, and pretty much everywhere they go. Help boost their immune system to help keep them healthy and develop a strong immune system. Kids’ immune systems are not fully developed when they are young and our job is to help cultivate and grow their immune system to allow them to combat all of the germs they encounter without getting sick.
o General immune support includes the basics like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Zinc. These can all come from their diet and can be supplemented when extra is needed, like during cold and flu season or when starting a new school year. Bonus: Vitamin C also helps support adrenal glands which can help boost the immune system and optimize the body’s stress response.
o Probiotics can help develop the beneficial flora in their digestive tract that they need to keep their immune system strong and to help them digest their foods and properly absorb the essential nutrients that they need. Probiotics can be eaten in naturally fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi as well as taken as a supplement.
o Don’t forget the basics, like frequent hand-washing. Get your kids in the habit of washing their hands when they get home from school, the grocery store, and before every meal.
o During cold and flu season, supplements designed specifically for the immune system can provide the extra immune support that they need.
§ Some examples of immune-specific supplements include: Cataplex C, Cataplex A-C, Cataplex A-C-P, Congaplex, Echinacea-C, and Immuplex. *Always check with your physician before starting any new supplements.
Support your kids’ health from the inside out so that they continue to be enjoy being a kid. healthy, strong, and ready to take on the day.
Resources:
Effects of a Classroom-Based Program on Physical Activity and On-Task. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 38 no12 D 2006 PAGE(S): 2086-94.
Myles S. Faith, Kelley S. Scanlon, Leann L. Birch, Lori A. Francis, Bettylou Sherry. Parent‐Child Feeding Strategies and Their Relationships to Child Eating and Weight Status. 06 September 2012. https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2004.212
Jerica M. Berge, PhD, MPH, LMFT, CFLE; Jerica M. Berge PhD, MPH, LMFT, CFLE; Melanie Wall, PhD; Tsun-Fang Hsueh, MS; Jayne A. Fulkerson, PhD; Nicole Larson, PhD, MPH, RD; Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, RD, MPH. The Protective Role of Family Meals for Youth Obesity: 10-Year Longitudinal Associations. February 2015 Volume 166, Issue 2, Pages 296–301.