Kids need calories, protein, fiber, and some sugar and some fats in appropriate portion sizes. It is best to avoid an overabundance of "bad fats" and "empty carbs". To help busy parents who may not have the time to plan sufficiently to ensure that the kids are getting the essential nutrients required every day, I offer the following as a starting point.
QUESTIONS
1. Who prepares the child's meals? A parent? The child? The grandparent? Other?
2. Does any adult know what or how much the child is eating? Is there a limit on what the child eats? Who makes this determination? How often does your child get "seconds" at meals?
3. How many times per week does your child watch TV while eating a meal?
4. How many meals per week does the whole family sit down at the table together?
5. How many servings of vegetables and fruits does your child eat daily?
6. How many times a week does your child eat out? Eat home?
7. Does your child wake up on the middle of the night to eat?
8. What type of activities does the family do for fun?
9. Are there any issues related to your child's food habits or diet that you are concerned about?
TIPS
1. Monitor your child's weight regularly. Ask the doctor what weight and gaining patterns would be healthiest for your child.
2. Offer your child water, skim or 1% milk and diet beverages only. (applies to 4 years old and up)
3. Limit juice intake to no more than 4 oz per day.
4. Include at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits daily into your child's meal and snacking plan.
5. Eat at home more often.
6. Eat family meals together WITHOUT WATCHING TV.
7. Increase your child 's physical activity to 60 minutes a day while decreasing "screen time" e.g. computers, videos, TV, handheld games to LESS THAN 2 HOURS PER DAY.
8. If your child eats in reaction to emotional triggers such as boredom, anxiety, stress, loneliness, you may wish to address these issues with solutions that DO NOT include food.
PORTIONS
1. If you are not in full control and knowledge of how much your child is eating, keep a food diary for 1 week to record the portions your child is currently eating. During this week, measure the portions as you prepare the food and write it down. If other measuring methods don't fit or make sense, then actually count the french fries or snack pieces.
2. Away from home you may consider sharing portions between children or taking home half of the serving. Avoid supersize meals. Share desserts.
3. Use smaller plates and bowls at home to help control portions.
4. Create or purchase "100 calorie" snack packs.
UNDERSTANDING SERVING SIZES BY USING YOUR HAND
1. A fist or cupped hand = 1 cup
1 serving = 1/2 cup ceral, cooked pasta or rice
1 serving = 1 cup of raw, leafy green veggies
1 serving = 1/2 cup of cooked or raw chopped vegetables or fruits
2. A Thump TIP = 1 Teaspoon (the nail area of your thumb)
Measure servings of fats such as butter, peanut butter, and mayo with your thumb tip to keep serving size to a minimum.
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
3. A Thumb = 1 oz of cheese
1.5 oz of low-fat cheese counts as 1 of the 2 - 3 daily recommended servings for dairy.
Measure by using your whole thumb down to the base.
4. Palm = 3 oz of meat
2 servings or 6 oz of lean meat (poulty, fish, shellfish, beef) should be part of a daily diet for adults and most older children.
One palm size portion = about 3 oz or 1 serving for your smaller child.
5. Handful = 1 to 2 oz of snack food such as nuts, trail mix, dried fruit
PORTIONS BY FOOD GROUP
1. PROTEIN
3 oz meat is about the size and thickness of a deck of playing cards.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter is about the size of a golf ball
1 oz nuts is about 1 handful
2. VEGETABLES
1 cup of mashed potatoes or broccoli is about the size of your fist
3. FRUIT
A medium size apple is about the size of a tennis ball
4. DAIRY
1 oz cheese is about the size of 4 stacked dice.
1/2 cup of ice cream is about the size of a tennis ball
5. GRAINS
A 4" pancake is about the size of a CD.
1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta is about the size of an ice cream scooper
6. FATS
1 teaspoon of butter is about the size of the tip of your thumb.
YOUR CHILD'S PLATE SHOULD BE:
25% protein
25% whole grains
15% fruit
35% vegetables
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/childspecific-nutritional-guidelines-for-healthy-and-active-kids-581012.html
Showing posts with label Child Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Child Health. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Child Obesity Facts and Treatment
Now day’s parents are worried because of their child obesity problems and number of over weight children is increasing day by day. Fattiness in children not only makes them to feel inferior but also causes many harmful diseases in small age like diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, and many more diseases can be gathered around them. Access weight can bring them in depression also. Children’s always take a tension that they are fatty.
Major Causes of Child Obesity
Children take junk food, specifically food with low nutrition and high calories. The physical activities of the children have also reduced as they misuse more time with computers, playing video games and television.
Facts of childhood obesity :-
* Carelessness in food, alarming increase in the number of children and teenagers developing Type-2 Diabetes (also termed as adult-onset diabetes) due to being overweight.
* High levels of cholesterol and high blood pressure, that are some main risk factors for development of heart diseases are found in most of the obese children.
* Sleep Apnea is considered as the most severe problem faced by obese children. In the sleep apnea (interruption of breath while sleeping) may lead to other problems like difficulty in learning and memory.
* Overweight children are on higher risk of developing liver diseases, orthopedic problems and asthma.
* 70% oboist teenagers retain their overweight and obese condition even during their adulthood.
Treatment Options
Some of the treatment options of Child Obesity include:
* Healthy eating – Nutritional diet makes your child healthy not fatty. Be supportive to him to make them take care of their diet and physical activities.
* Less Overeating – Avoid high calories food and low nutritional food for your children.
* Participate in Physical Activities – Encourage your children to participate in physical activities rather than engaging themselves in entertaining activities that result in overweight condition in childhood which may also follow during adulthood.
Help your child
Parents have to play active role in ensuring that their child does not become overweight.
* Never neglect overweight child. If you accept your child the way he is, the chances are more that the child will accept the condition and feel good about them.
* Never ignore you child. Let his express his feelings about his overweight condition. They can assess their overweight condition better than anybody else.
* Help your child loose overweight.
Most Effective option to get rid of Child Obesity
One of the most effective methods of treating and preventing child obesity for the parents is to encourage their child for engaging in physical activities
* Encourage your child to participate in sports activities like, cricket basketball, dance or gymnastics and many more
* Give time to your child to do active tasks like vacuuming, watering plants, making beds etc Also plan active outings like visit to zoo or walking through parks
Children are first-rate learners and pick up quickly what they see. You must project yourself as a role model by adhering to healthy eating habits
and regular physical activities. They will surely follow you.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/child-obesity-facts-and-treatment-356985.html
Major Causes of Child Obesity
Children take junk food, specifically food with low nutrition and high calories. The physical activities of the children have also reduced as they misuse more time with computers, playing video games and television.
Facts of childhood obesity :-
* Carelessness in food, alarming increase in the number of children and teenagers developing Type-2 Diabetes (also termed as adult-onset diabetes) due to being overweight.
* High levels of cholesterol and high blood pressure, that are some main risk factors for development of heart diseases are found in most of the obese children.
* Sleep Apnea is considered as the most severe problem faced by obese children. In the sleep apnea (interruption of breath while sleeping) may lead to other problems like difficulty in learning and memory.
* Overweight children are on higher risk of developing liver diseases, orthopedic problems and asthma.
* 70% oboist teenagers retain their overweight and obese condition even during their adulthood.
Treatment Options
Some of the treatment options of Child Obesity include:
* Healthy eating – Nutritional diet makes your child healthy not fatty. Be supportive to him to make them take care of their diet and physical activities.
* Less Overeating – Avoid high calories food and low nutritional food for your children.
* Participate in Physical Activities – Encourage your children to participate in physical activities rather than engaging themselves in entertaining activities that result in overweight condition in childhood which may also follow during adulthood.
Help your child
Parents have to play active role in ensuring that their child does not become overweight.
* Never neglect overweight child. If you accept your child the way he is, the chances are more that the child will accept the condition and feel good about them.
* Never ignore you child. Let his express his feelings about his overweight condition. They can assess their overweight condition better than anybody else.
* Help your child loose overweight.
Most Effective option to get rid of Child Obesity
One of the most effective methods of treating and preventing child obesity for the parents is to encourage their child for engaging in physical activities
* Encourage your child to participate in sports activities like, cricket basketball, dance or gymnastics and many more
* Give time to your child to do active tasks like vacuuming, watering plants, making beds etc Also plan active outings like visit to zoo or walking through parks
Children are first-rate learners and pick up quickly what they see. You must project yourself as a role model by adhering to healthy eating habits
and regular physical activities. They will surely follow you.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/child-obesity-facts-and-treatment-356985.html
Is your Child a Fussy Eater?
If you have a child that?s a fussy eater, it?s setting you up for your child being a fussy eater for their entire life. That means it is up to you to do eliminate picky eating at mealtime. Your child turning up their nose is more than just annoying, it means your child is missing out on a wide range of foods that are brain boosting nutrients, covered earlier in the book.
Start at an early age to ensure your child enjoys eating a wide variety of foods that are healthy for them, because if you wait until they are older their habits will be more and more ingrained and you?ll be dealing with a nay sayer, and it gets a lot harder to change their mind as they get older.
My Child Will Only Eat.......
Which is it? Spaghetti hoops? Chocolate yogurt? Potatoes? Baked beans? If you haven?t said it yourself about your child, you?ve likely heard another parent, desperate that their child will only eat?.
If you didn?t nip your child?s fussy eating when he/she was an infant, there may still be some hope, but you shouldn?t wait any longer ? act now. Start by taking a tour through your fridge and cupboards and remove all those items that are so desired by your child. Once you do that, when they ask for them you have the perfect reply ? there isn?t any. Replace those items with healthier alternatives. For example, if they love chocolate yogurt you could add carob powder to make it healthier. If they love spaghetti hoops you could cook up whole wheat spaghetti and serve with fresh tomato sauce. Replace soda and fizzy drinks with orange juice and sparkling water. You?ll need to make the changes gradually, and be patient and sneaky if necessary. Oh yes and be persistent ? don?t give up.
Your attitude to food is very important. If you don?t like your greens, how do you expect that your child?s going to be fond of them. When you are serving different foods watch the expression on your face, so that it?s not giving your child any hints. If veggies don?t? excite you, it?s time you retrain your brain so that you can show the necessary enthusiasm for your child.
No Punishment, Reward, Or Bribe
If you have a fussy eater, try removing emotion from mealtime. Most food fads are actually emotionally driven. It?s often a method your child uses to assert their independence, so the fewer emotions you can bring to the table the better it will be. For example, don?t look hurt if your vegetable casserole isn?t the hit you hoped it would be, or if your child eats everything on their plate don?t go crazy with emotion. You should also never punish, reward, or bribe your child to eat a certain food[s], nor should you ever force a food upon them. That?s a sure way for rejection.
From the earliest age, eating needs to be something your child does to satisfy their appetite not to please you. It also doesn?t need to be a tidy activity. Don?t let your need to feed your child govern their eating. Rather it should be governed by their appetite. It?s normal for them to want to eat more food one day than the next.
Eating should be an activity that?s independent. As soon as your child is able to use their hands or spoon, whatever is easiest, and yes messy is good, in fact, encourage them to do so. Don?t worry about manners at an early age. Let eating be fun and then you can teach then tidy eating later.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/is-your-child-a-fussy-eater-320999.html
Start at an early age to ensure your child enjoys eating a wide variety of foods that are healthy for them, because if you wait until they are older their habits will be more and more ingrained and you?ll be dealing with a nay sayer, and it gets a lot harder to change their mind as they get older.
My Child Will Only Eat.......
Which is it? Spaghetti hoops? Chocolate yogurt? Potatoes? Baked beans? If you haven?t said it yourself about your child, you?ve likely heard another parent, desperate that their child will only eat?.
If you didn?t nip your child?s fussy eating when he/she was an infant, there may still be some hope, but you shouldn?t wait any longer ? act now. Start by taking a tour through your fridge and cupboards and remove all those items that are so desired by your child. Once you do that, when they ask for them you have the perfect reply ? there isn?t any. Replace those items with healthier alternatives. For example, if they love chocolate yogurt you could add carob powder to make it healthier. If they love spaghetti hoops you could cook up whole wheat spaghetti and serve with fresh tomato sauce. Replace soda and fizzy drinks with orange juice and sparkling water. You?ll need to make the changes gradually, and be patient and sneaky if necessary. Oh yes and be persistent ? don?t give up.
Your attitude to food is very important. If you don?t like your greens, how do you expect that your child?s going to be fond of them. When you are serving different foods watch the expression on your face, so that it?s not giving your child any hints. If veggies don?t? excite you, it?s time you retrain your brain so that you can show the necessary enthusiasm for your child.
No Punishment, Reward, Or Bribe
If you have a fussy eater, try removing emotion from mealtime. Most food fads are actually emotionally driven. It?s often a method your child uses to assert their independence, so the fewer emotions you can bring to the table the better it will be. For example, don?t look hurt if your vegetable casserole isn?t the hit you hoped it would be, or if your child eats everything on their plate don?t go crazy with emotion. You should also never punish, reward, or bribe your child to eat a certain food[s], nor should you ever force a food upon them. That?s a sure way for rejection.
From the earliest age, eating needs to be something your child does to satisfy their appetite not to please you. It also doesn?t need to be a tidy activity. Don?t let your need to feed your child govern their eating. Rather it should be governed by their appetite. It?s normal for them to want to eat more food one day than the next.
Eating should be an activity that?s independent. As soon as your child is able to use their hands or spoon, whatever is easiest, and yes messy is good, in fact, encourage them to do so. Don?t worry about manners at an early age. Let eating be fun and then you can teach then tidy eating later.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/is-your-child-a-fussy-eater-320999.html
Is it Possible to Increase Child
The nutrition your child receives from infancy through his or her formative years is essential not only to building a strong body, but also to achieving optimal mental and intellectual ability as well as emotional health. This is why the way you feed your child is generally considered an important part of good parenting.
Recent advances in nutritional neuroscience show that particular nutrients have certain affects on the development of the human brain, which influence intelligence, mood, and behavior.
The brain of a human fetus grows rapidly from the 10th to 18th week of pregnancy. During this time the fetus develops thousands of brain cells, called neurons, every minute. Moreover, these neurons begin to develop into a system of interlocking connections, forming essentially a network of specialized nerve cells that can have long-term effects on the child?s development. Therefore, it is important for the mother to eat nutritious foods during this time.
This process of rapid growth and development of the brain continues for about 2 years after birth. Just as a car needs fuel, proper nutrition during this important developmental stage is essential. As a matter of fact, malnutrition, or shortages of essential nutrients, during this period can have devastating effects on the nervous system and neurological development as well as physical growth.
Although the total number of neurons doesn't increase much beyond the age of two, the number of connections that take place between them continues to develop dramatically over time. When a baby is born, every neuron in the cerebral cortex ? the outermost layer of the brain ? can connect with about 2,500 other neurons. By the time the child reaches the age of two or three, that number has increased to 15,000.
The connections formed within a child's brain are vital to memory, cognition, and learning. These connections are the conduits along which the electrical impulses that make up our thoughts travel. During the most prominent learning years, children are literally hard-wiring the ways in which their brains work every minute.
For example, as very young children develop language skills repeating words again and again, they literally hard-wire the images they see in the world around them with the sounds they make. Every thought a young child has is represented by a 'ripple' of activity across the network of neurons within his or her brain. Repeated thoughts and actions, whether related to speech or movement, reinforce and strengthen neurological pathways. Moreover, as the child develops more advanced skills, like crawling and walking, the connections from infancy that are no longer needed weaken dramatically. Unlike other organs in the body, the brain is constantly renewing and restructuring itself.
The connections that form within the brain, called dendrites, are very important to a child?s physical, mental, and emotional development. The places where one dendrite meets another are similar to the gaps in a spark plug. As dendrites bridge these gaps, synapses are created. In other words, as dendrites ?spark? across these gaps in synapses, messages are sent from one neuron to another. The way in which these synapses traffic information?a process called neurotransmission?within the brain is crucial to the healthy functioning of the body as well as the development of the intellect.
The parts of the brain that send and receive messages are made up of essential fats, such as those found in fish and seeds; the phospholipids present in eggs and organ meats; and amino acids, which make up the raw material of protein. The message itself, known as a neurotransmitter, is in most cases made up of amino acids. Different amino acids make different neurotransmitters. For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps a child to feel happy, is made from tryptophan. Adrenalin and dopamine, which keep children motivated, are made from phenylalanine. However, turning an amino acid into a neurotransmitter is no simple task. Enzymes in the brain, which depend on vitamins, minerals, and special amino acids work to accomplish this task. These vitamins and minerals also control the steady supply of fuel? blood sugar or glucose?that powers each neuron. From all this, you can see how the food your children eat does more than build their bodies. It also helps to develop their brains, from the neurons themselves to the synapses that transmit information throughout the mind and body. Thus, food plays a vital role in determining how your children think and feel. Although the basic structure of your child's brain is determined by genetics, the nutrition they receive and what they learn helps develop that structure, and ultimately their intelligence and ability to learn. It also affects how they adapt, and whether they have happy and fulfilling lives. While you can't change genes, you can control your child's nutrition and learning environment. For this reason, one of your main tasks, as a parent, is to ensure that your child receives optimum nutrition and a stimulating environment that encourages his or her capacity for learning. In the context of the development of your child's brain, optimum nutrition is all about ensuring that your child gets sufficient quantities of five essential foods, while avoiding some others.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/is-it-possible-to-increase-child-313354.html
Recent advances in nutritional neuroscience show that particular nutrients have certain affects on the development of the human brain, which influence intelligence, mood, and behavior.
The brain of a human fetus grows rapidly from the 10th to 18th week of pregnancy. During this time the fetus develops thousands of brain cells, called neurons, every minute. Moreover, these neurons begin to develop into a system of interlocking connections, forming essentially a network of specialized nerve cells that can have long-term effects on the child?s development. Therefore, it is important for the mother to eat nutritious foods during this time.
This process of rapid growth and development of the brain continues for about 2 years after birth. Just as a car needs fuel, proper nutrition during this important developmental stage is essential. As a matter of fact, malnutrition, or shortages of essential nutrients, during this period can have devastating effects on the nervous system and neurological development as well as physical growth.
Although the total number of neurons doesn't increase much beyond the age of two, the number of connections that take place between them continues to develop dramatically over time. When a baby is born, every neuron in the cerebral cortex ? the outermost layer of the brain ? can connect with about 2,500 other neurons. By the time the child reaches the age of two or three, that number has increased to 15,000.
The connections formed within a child's brain are vital to memory, cognition, and learning. These connections are the conduits along which the electrical impulses that make up our thoughts travel. During the most prominent learning years, children are literally hard-wiring the ways in which their brains work every minute.
For example, as very young children develop language skills repeating words again and again, they literally hard-wire the images they see in the world around them with the sounds they make. Every thought a young child has is represented by a 'ripple' of activity across the network of neurons within his or her brain. Repeated thoughts and actions, whether related to speech or movement, reinforce and strengthen neurological pathways. Moreover, as the child develops more advanced skills, like crawling and walking, the connections from infancy that are no longer needed weaken dramatically. Unlike other organs in the body, the brain is constantly renewing and restructuring itself.
The connections that form within the brain, called dendrites, are very important to a child?s physical, mental, and emotional development. The places where one dendrite meets another are similar to the gaps in a spark plug. As dendrites bridge these gaps, synapses are created. In other words, as dendrites ?spark? across these gaps in synapses, messages are sent from one neuron to another. The way in which these synapses traffic information?a process called neurotransmission?within the brain is crucial to the healthy functioning of the body as well as the development of the intellect.
The parts of the brain that send and receive messages are made up of essential fats, such as those found in fish and seeds; the phospholipids present in eggs and organ meats; and amino acids, which make up the raw material of protein. The message itself, known as a neurotransmitter, is in most cases made up of amino acids. Different amino acids make different neurotransmitters. For example, the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps a child to feel happy, is made from tryptophan. Adrenalin and dopamine, which keep children motivated, are made from phenylalanine. However, turning an amino acid into a neurotransmitter is no simple task. Enzymes in the brain, which depend on vitamins, minerals, and special amino acids work to accomplish this task. These vitamins and minerals also control the steady supply of fuel? blood sugar or glucose?that powers each neuron. From all this, you can see how the food your children eat does more than build their bodies. It also helps to develop their brains, from the neurons themselves to the synapses that transmit information throughout the mind and body. Thus, food plays a vital role in determining how your children think and feel. Although the basic structure of your child's brain is determined by genetics, the nutrition they receive and what they learn helps develop that structure, and ultimately their intelligence and ability to learn. It also affects how they adapt, and whether they have happy and fulfilling lives. While you can't change genes, you can control your child's nutrition and learning environment. For this reason, one of your main tasks, as a parent, is to ensure that your child receives optimum nutrition and a stimulating environment that encourages his or her capacity for learning. In the context of the development of your child's brain, optimum nutrition is all about ensuring that your child gets sufficient quantities of five essential foods, while avoiding some others.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/is-it-possible-to-increase-child-313354.html
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