It’s that time of year already! Can you believe summer‘s over and it’s time to send your children and grandchildren back to school? After a fun & relaxing summer filled with outdoor adventures, it might take a little effort to keep your children focused and motivated when it comes to school work. Once the initial fun of teachers, new and old friends wears off your children’s attention may begin to grow thin. Is there anything we can do to help our children learn better ?
Both my daughters are teachers as well as LiveWell Consultants and they have made a number of observations to me throughout the school year. You can meet my youngest daughter, her husband and my first grandchild who is now a healthy active 1 year old in the picture above.
1) Get Moving!
We all know the value of exercise for adults when it comes to overall health and our keeping our waistlines small but there is even greater benefit that has nothing to do with weight loss when it comes to the health of our children and their ability to focus and concentrate on a daily basis. Did you know that, at the very least, children need on average , 1 hour of exercise 4 days a week, at the least! I suggest a minimum of 30 minutes EVERY day. Exercise in children can actually “turn on” the parts of the brain that control things such as sequencing, memory, prioritizing and maintaining attention. If your child has ADHD, exercise will help them become more focused and less impulsive.
Exercise also stimulates the release of endorphins, which work the same way in children as they do in adults, regulating their mood, reversing depression and increasing the key focus-chemicals in the brain: dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. Children who suffer with ADHD have less of these endorphins.. These endorphins also allow children to have improved focus with attention that is more regular and consistent. The key is to get your children out playing and away from their video games or favorite TV shows . Just get them active and moving!
You can get them involved in recreational children’s programs (see our Northridge Fall schedule www.northridgefitness.com for some fun ideas),You can sign your children up for after-school sports programs, or have them bike to and from school every day. Just make sure they get some form of 30 minutes of exercise into their daily routines.
2) Brain Food
All my health and weight loss programs talk about the importance of eating balanced, low G.I. meals throughout the day and this is equally, if not more important for children, especially getting in that healthy breakfast. Not only do children need to eat regular, balanced meals, but the TYPE of foods they eat plays a large role in their overall mental and physical health. Research with groups of 9 and 10 year old gave 1 group a high glycemic breakfast and the other group a low glycemic breakfast. The group that ate the high glycemic breakfast ate 80% more calories throughout the day. This clinical trial was so shocking that the scientists reversed the group over the next month but the results were the same, even with different children. High sugar foods, such as pop, cookies and desserts, can cause a post-meal “crash”, where the body is almost cutting down in order to process all the extra sugar, impairing a child’s ability to focus and function in class.
On the flip side, food deprivation and malnutrition is just as bad! When we think nutrition, not eating breakfast plays havoc with focus and concentration in children. In addition, foods that lack nutrients to fuel the brain are just as bad. Even an obese child can be considered malnourished, as they may be lacking essential nutrients needed to grow and develop. Malnutrition can actually result in long-term issues with brain development, leading to impaired responses to stress and even learning disabilities. A recent study found that “malnourished” children actually have delays in vision, language, motor and social skills.
So, help your children focus, by giving them foods that fuel, instead of hinder, their brain development and function.
3) Nutritional Supplementation
Nutritional Supplementation can go a long way in keeping your children healthy and focuses. A properly balanced children’s pharmaceutical grade multivitamin, will help to keep their nutrient levels high and optimize growth and development. Nutrient deficiencies, such as magnesium, B vitamins and zinc, make it difficult for children to focus and maintain consistent attention during the day. We know kids are fussy eaters and aren’t getting everything they need on a daily basis, so make sure you give them their multivitamins!
A children’s pharmaceutical grade Omega 3 source is another great option to help children grow properly and maintain their focus. Recent research at The University of South Australia found that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids, high EPA, was actually more effective than the leading drugs used to improve behavior and attention. Omega-3 fatty acids are powerful brain foods. There are powerful children’s pharmaceutical grade gel caps for your with your growing children or double distilled pharmaceutical grade gel caps for when you are pregnant.
As parents and grandparents we love our children and want them to grow into healthy , happy adults with strong immune systems and brain function. it is our job to make the right choices for your children as well as ourselves
Would you like to know about the top recommended children’s multivitamin and Omega 2 sources?
Just shoot me an email to info@livewellconsulting.ca and I would be happy to give you the information you need.
Yours in health, Carolyn.
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