Children and teen health

Children and Teen Health

Children and teens are most concerned with growing up and learning how to succeed in this world and give little thought to health, prevention and diseases - until they are struck by one.  They are also notorious for ignoring or disobeying the advice of their elders.
However - these are the foundation years and the seeds for a long and healthy life, or a sickness torn life can well be sown in the first 20 years.

Currently we are breeding possibly the most unhealthy young generation of all time.  One third of all children born after the year 2,000 will develop diabetes unless we do something about it, more children will die before their parents than at any other time in history.
So how can we encourage our children to develop good health in a way that they will accept and follow for the long term.

• First we need to set an example ourselves - "dad why shouldn't I smoke if you are doing it"
• Make their diet healthy from the very start ("Mum's cooking is always best"). Encourage healthy foods (fruit and vegetables), don't give them a sweet tooth, avoid cordials and fruit juices except as a special treat - have a jug of pure filtered water in the fridge for them to drink, avoid processed foods (sugar and trans fats) as much as possible. 
• Avoid toxins as much as possible - smoke, preservatives, sprays, radio waves (minimal use of cell phones), 
• Feed them as well as you can with good wholesome food, realising that today's food is deficient of many nutrients, and also that it is unlikely that our children and teens will eat the best when we are not around. 
• Take supplements to make sure their growing bodies have all the nutrients to build strong cells and tissues, to fight against disease and prepare for a long life of health.
  
  Don't give them handfuls of pills or horrid supplements ( many of us remember grandma giving us a tablespoon of codliver oil, and shudder!).   What they need a child and a teen's multivitamin and multimineral, and omega 3 fish oil.   Maybe in growing teens additional calcium and magnesium. (see supplement's page tab at the top, for my suggestions).