We all want what=s best for our children, including good health.  Giving your child the gift and knowledge of good health is priceless in a world with ever increasing sickness.  Getting nutritional foods into your child is challenging as the world around them advertises fast and denatured foods.  Friends and family can also be an unhealthy influence. Starting them on the road to health when they are young gives them a great beginning, but health at any age is better than not starting at all.

    So how do we go about this complex goal?  Studying and changing your health patterns are the first step; children learn best by our examples.  Educating yourself on a more natural diet, drinking more pure water and then eating that natural diet, are the places to start.

     As you begin to lead your family into the world of health, you will find you might have to get creative in getting the nutrition into your children. Forcing nutrition on a child might make him rebel more, especially if he sees you are not doing it.  Explain, in terms he can understand, why this way of eating and living is important and how it will benefit him and the whole family.  Talk about eating the whole fruit or vegetable as opposed to the juice.  The whole food contains fiber and other important nutrients that juice does not; juice, even natural juice, will raise the blood sugar, as there is no fiber to balance the release of the fruit sugars into the blood stream.  Make sure you get them used to reading the label to see what is really in the foods we eat; juice is often only partially from fruit and the rest of it from sugar and chemicals.  As you get more educated yourself, it will become a way of life and will get easier to make healthier choices and to explain them to your children. 

     Water, is the first substance to get into your child.  Some symptoms  that show you are deficient in water are:  fatigue, constipation, unable to handle the heat, confusion and finally thirst.  Remember that young children become dehydrated so much faster than adults; fever, diarrhea, vomiting and sweating can seriously dehydrate a child in a short time.  So how do we get them to drink more water? Their own water bottle seems to help a child to drink more water, just make sure to clean properly between uses and buy new bottles periodically.  Try these tips to liven up the water:  a squeeze of lemon or lime, some watered down natural juice, ice cubes and cooled down fruit teas.  Playing the ACheers Game@ is a great way to make water fun.  After you have filled everyone=s water glass, gently clang them together and says ACheers@, then have a drink.  Fruits and vegetables have high water content, so eat foods like:  cucumber, lettuce, melons and others.  Drink very little while eating; most fluids should be consumed in between meals as water slows down the digestion with meals.  Never drink tap water, it is full of Chlorine and other chemicals always drink purified, reverse osmosis and spring water. 

     The next challenge is fruits and vegetables, especially vegetables  Give them variation, cook the vegetables in different ways:  stir-fry, grilled, steamed, soups, stews and in sauces.  Also give them raw vegetables; my daughter mostly prefers raw over cooked vegetables. Use dips to make the raw vegetables more fun.  Also getting creative with the vegetables:  radish roses, carrot curls, etc, is another great way to make vegetables fun.  Ask your child what he/she wants to try, to give them the decision making power that they love. Take them out for Chinese Food and order Chop Suey, just ask for no MSG; Chop Suey is full of vegetables. Juicing your fruits and vegetables is also healthy; carrot juice is actually quite sweet.  Making appealing salads with either fruits or vegetables is also a good idea, you just never know what your child will like and at times it seems to change from day to day.  There are now fruit and vegetable bars on the market; Rebars have become so popular because they contain two cups of fruits and two cup of vegetables in one little bar.  A good portion of our diet should be fruits and vegetables, with raw being the healthiest way to eat most of them, so start to include more in your family=s diet.

     Whole Grains are also important because of the fiber and other nutrients they contain.  When the grain is refined, the fiber and most, if not all, of the vitamins and minerals are removed.  White flour products turn into sugar in the bloodstream, once again, the fiber is not there to slow the release of the sugar into the bloodstream.  Sprouted Grain Breads are becoming more and more popular because they are more easily digested for most people and they are good.  Buy whole grain pancake mixes and frozen waffles and cereals, remember to read the ingredients. Beware of sensitivities and allergies to wheat and other grains; have your child tested if you suspect these problems.  There are many wheat-free and gluten-free products on the market now.

    Never underestimate the importance of Fats; good fats surround every cell of your body and they make up 40-60% of the brain. These EFA=s (Essential Fatty Acids) will nourish and calm the brain, nerves and body.  They are needed for all children, especially for children that are hyper and have learning problems.  So how do we get them into our children?  Older children can swallow the capsules containing: Flax, Salmon, fish, Evening Primrose and other oils.  For younger children you can put the oil in a protein blender drink; mix it with milk (or Soya milk), bananas, berries, protein powder and any other healthy substance that can be given to children. Please make sure the protein powder is not a weight loss product, as the herbs are not appropriate for children.  Read the EFA bottle for the amount to give each child or follow these directions:  1 tablespoon for an adult a day, half this for a child half the size of an adult (5-10 yrs), 3 the dose for a child 2-5 yrs old and half this again for a baby. A breast feeding mother can consume the oils in her diet.   Never heat or cook with these oils, as the heat will turn them into a bad fat and remember to keep them in the fridge or freezer. Other sources of EFAs=s are:  raw nuts and seeds, nut butters, extra virgin olive oil and avocadoes. 

     Proteins are also very important, but they are much more than meat.  Other sources of proteins include:  beans, peas, legumes, eggs, dairy, Soya products, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Peas and brown rice make a nice complete protein.  Add a natural soup cube to the water when you cook your rice to give it great flavour. Make sure your child is getting some form of protein every day.

     Give your child the gift of health; by teaching them about health you are empowering them with knowledge for their futures.  This knowledge will last them a lifetime and they will pass it on to their children.  Do not expect to change things overnight and to learn what=s best for your family in a few days.  Make a goal to learn and practice one new thing a week, mark your progress and goals in a journal. Each accomplishment will lead you and your family to a new level and soon in time, you will find you have succeeded in becoming healthier. Remember every family and every person  is unique, so what works for one family, or for one person, may not work for another. Reward yourselves and your children when you reach a goal; don=t be too rigid on always eating healthy.  A child will rebel if they are totally kept away from junk food, so everything in moderation.  Just teach them that cake, fries and pop are not an everyday menu item, just a treat once in a while.