The age for heart attacks, strokes and diabetes has decreased dramatically. Originally children who suffered from these problems were because they had inherited a congenital heart. Today, obesity is the cause.
Pregnancy is an exciting time for mothers. It’s a time to set up the baby’s room, pick out names and an excuse to eat for two.
That’s in most scenarios, but recently women have been watching the scale nervously-completely forgetting that they have a baby growing inside of them. This case where pregnant women then become obsessed with exercise and dieting has been called “pregorexia.”
On average, women should gain 25-35 pounds during their pregnancy. This is needed so that the fetus can grow into a healthy baby.
According to Dr. Holly Phillips on the Early Show,
“calorie restriction is linked with growth retardation (and) birth defects, and (with) vitamin deficiencies, both for the mother and baby. What’s interesting about vitamin deficiencies is, say, for instance, with calcium deficiency: The baby will probably get what he or she needs, but that’ll be at the expense of the mother’s bones. So, you really have to be careful with that” and take in more calories overall than you ordinarily would.”
As your child goes through their teenage years they begin to experiment and develop a mind of their own.
Sometimes your free-thinking teen will decide to become a vegan or vegetarian. As a parent this could be worrisome. The questions of a healthy diet and what to cook will quickly come across every parent’s mind.
The good news is that according to both the Dietitians of Canada and Health Canada, “properly monitored vegan and vegetarian diets can be just as healthy as an omnivorous diet—even for children. However, a few known pitfalls exist. Ensuring your teen gets enough protein, calcium and vitamin B12 is essential to keeping him the spry and vivacious pain in your backside.”
Beware that your child is not using their new diet as a cover for a serious eating disorder. According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, “eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness in adolescent girls. And some recent studies have suggested that some teens may use vegetarianism or veganism as a thick veneer to mask harmful eating habits.”
Continue reading for some tips to making easy meals with all the nutritional value.
Women who eat little or no meat or animal-based foods, are likely to suffer from a B12 deficiency.
According to the joint study by Trinity College, Dublin, the Health Board of Ireland and the US National Institutes of Health, “babies whose mothers had low levels of vitamin B12 just before and after they were conceived could be up to five times more likely to be being born with a congenital defect.”
“The results of this study suggest that women with low levels of B12 not only may risk health problems of their own, but also may increase the chance that their children may be born with a serious birth defect,” said said Duane Alexander, director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
All parents want their kids to excel in school, well now parents can help out by packing “smart lunches.”
There are certain “brain foods” that have been shown to improve focus, increase academic scores and optimize brain function. Read on to find out which foods can make your children smarter.
Pregnancy can be uncomfortable for mothers to be when they’re suffering from morning sickness and heart burn.
The good news is that most of these discomforts can be solved through nutrition!
Continue reading for ways you can make your pregnancy a joy.
So you could go one of two ways, in respect to your kids and junk food: 1) You could never have it in the house, and tell them they are strictly forbidden from eating it, or 2) You could teach them moderation and self-control and have some in the house sometimes. Check out this discussion, where readers sound off on either side of the argument.
Approximately 691,000 children went hungry in 2007 in the United States. This was more than 50 per cent above the previous year, and the worst record in the ten past years. AND this was before the sharp economic downturn of 2008. Read more…
Don’t let the fact that your child is young fool you: anyone is a possible candidate for anorexia. Read Jackie and Bryony Flicker’s story:
Shortly before her daughter Bryony became ill, Jackie Flicker had been at a talk where someone described the typical anorexic. “Perfectionist, intelligent, artistic - I remember thinking Bryony ticked all the boxes,” she says.
And at the time, Bryony was beginning to cut back on “unnecessary” foods - biscuits, crisps and other snacks. Yet her mother didn’t make a connection.
Like many people, Jackie thought anorexia was an illness that struck in the mid-teens; it didn’t occur to her that her pre-pubescent daughter could - and would - fall victim.
At 11, Bryony wasn’t worrying about boys or clothes, nor was she yet reading the teenage magazines in which celebrities are continually criticised for carrying a few spare pounds.
Kids across the country are about to head back to school–which means parents are about to resume lunch-packing duty. Chances are they aren’t looking forward to it, because as much as moms and dads would like to pack a brown bag full of healthy foods their kids will devour each day, it doesn’t always work out that way.
1- Serve Up Salad - Read why
2- Clean Up Your Sandwiches - Read why
3- Cut The Juice - Read why
4- Snack Smarter - Read why
5- Fake It - Read why
6- Leftovers - Read why
7- Sweet Tooth - Read why
According to Allison Van Dusen
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