In today's hectic world parents don't have time to create a
healthy menu for their children. Their children only have tastes
for high fat, low nutritional, junk food items. Feeding them
healthy vitamin rich food needed for proper growth and
development has become an issue. Vitamins are very important
for children. They help them to grow, develop, learn, talk, see,
walk, and run. The body needs vitamins to create energy, to form
hemoglobin, and develop a strong immune system that helps in
fighting disease.
There Are Two Types Of Vitamins:
1. WATER SOLUABLE:
These vitamins dissolve in our body. They flow in our body with
the blood and any unused vitamins come out with in the body's
waste. Vitamins C, B2, B12, B6, are all water soluble.
2. FAT SOLUABLE:
These vitamins get stored in fat tissues of the body and stay
there unless needed and called upon by the body. Vitamins A, B1,
B2, B6, B12, D, E and K are all fat soluble.
Parents should focus maximum attention on fruits and raw
vegetables as they help in meeting nutritional requirements of
children and help them to grow and develop properly. Juicy fruits
are an excellent source of vitamin A and C. Bread, rice, cereals,
pastas, when taken at breakfast time help children maintain
energy that can be used all day. Milk and milk products like
cheese, yogurt, and cream help in maintaining strong bones,
improve vision and, help memory.
Children should avoid cookies, chocolates, artificial juices, and
soft drinks; and drink plenty of water.
VITAMINS CAN BROADLY BE CATEGORIZED AS:
* VITAMIN A:
This vitamin helps children to see more clearly, distinguish
between colors, get healthy skin, nails, and bones. It even helps
in forming soft and healthy skin. The deficiency can lead to
night blindness, eye disorder and in worst cases causes' double
vision. Weaker enamel, weak bones, asthma, headache, hair loss
are other common problems associated with deficiency of vitamin
A.
Children should take more milk and milk products like cheese,
curd, milk shakes along with fish, oil, and eggs to avoid
problems that can occur due to lack of vitamin A.
* VITAMIN B:
This vitamin creates energy that is required by the body during
heavy work outs. Vitamin B can be further classified as:
-> VITAMIN B1:
It combines with other vitamins and helps in forming energy
from food that we eat.
-> VITAMIN B6:
It helps in forming liquids that are needed for regulating
mood. It forms hemoglobin in red blood cells that help body
in fighting diseases. Beans, peas, spinach, potatoes,
yogurt, juicy fruits are all sources of vitamin B.
* VITAMIN C:
Its deficiency can lead to scurvy. Children should eat more and
more juicy fruits and vegetables to meet the requirement of
vitamin C.
* VITAMIN D:
Helps in forming calcium needed for strong bones. Milk, milk
products, fish and other seafoods are all rich in vitamin D. But
of all the sources the best source is sunlight. Parents should
make sure that children get sufficient sunlight. Its deficiency
leads to weak muscles, kidney disorder, weak bones, and high/ low
blood pressure.
* VITAMIN E:
It takes care of our body tissues, helps in increasing immunity.
Grains, wheat, nuts, yogurt all provide body with vitamin E.
* VITAMIN K:
It helps in proper blood clotting. Green leafy vegetables and
dairy items are rich in vitamin K.
Vitamins are very critical for the body. Today by the time a food
item reaches the store and finally to the house of the consumer
most of its nutritional value is lost. So to provide children
with all the nutrients and vitamins, supplements may need to be
given to children by their parents. Vitamin supplements should be
used along with food items as a complement to the diet. They
should not be a replacement for fresh green vegetables, fruits
and other nutrition rich food. Children should always be given
supplements along with the meal. Taking them before or after the
meal can cause stomach problems.
Supplements with higher prices do not mean that they are better
or more efficient than lesser priced brands. Sometimes pills that
cost the least are the ones that are providing maximum nutrients
to the body.
Always check the box for a list of ingredients. This will help in
ensuring that you are buying the very supplements for your
child's needs.
The makers of a children's vitamin and nutrient product called
EssentiaLean helps fights the problem of obesity in children by
providing better nutrients. The makers of this product tell us
that if children receive better nutrients they will crave junk
food less. Essentialean was created by a well respected doctor
and can be found at http://www.essentialean.com or www.amazon.com.
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