Children’s Health II

We are in a series about Children’s Health and today I want to address two important NEEDS that children have.

High Nutrition
As we’ve been considering children’s health this month, we must address their nutrition. Children need much more nutrition than adults, because they are growing. What they take now will greatly impact their health as they get older, and it is nearly impossible for children to get all  the nutrition they desperately need without supplementing. 

A former veterinarian, and now a Naturpathic doctor, Dr. Joel Wallach strongly advocates supplementing. Based on the results of the agricultural industry that eliminated 900 diseases in animals and doubled animal lifespans, Dr.Wallach is on a mission to do the same with people. According to Dr. Wallach, there are 90 essential nutrients that are needed for optimal health. He states that 98% of all birth defects in children could be eliminated by properly supplementing the mother during pregnancy. Furthermore, other childhood diseases could be avoided altogether if children are given the nutrition they need. 

Supplements 
It can be a hassle trying to find what would be best for your children, so here are some pointers, and below are some top quality products that we recommend.

• Make sure your child gets adequate calcium, as their bones and body are growing. Some signs of needing calcium are: nosebleeds, easy brusing, cavities, painful teething as a baby, (varicose veins for women), muscle cramps. 
• Whole food nutrition is best. The body absords and utilizes plant sources better than rocks, shells, chalk or chemicals.
• Healthy fats/oils for brain development.
• Make sure the source is good.
• Stay away from artificial colors, flavor, and sweeteners.
• Get something that is high in antioxidants.

I recommend Juice+ as it is whole food nutrition that has an excellent track record, in fact, it is the most clinically researched nutritional product on the market world-wide! 

The NEED of Sleep

Before the light bulb, people slept an average of 10 hours a night, especially during the winter when nights are longer. Now, with the availability of artificial light, we sleep an average of about 7.5 hours per night, and some do not even get this much sleep. Children are not getting the sleep that they need as well. The problem is that too little sleep greatly impacts our health in many ways, and over time, it can lead to serious health issues, such as:

• Brain damage
• Depression
• Accelerated aging
• High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of diabetes
• Weight gain, especially around the abdomen
• Increased risk of cancer by altering the balance of hormones in your body
• Weakening of the immune system
• High blood pressure
• Increased risk of heart disease and stroke
• Speed up tumor growth (tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions)

Research has found that sleep deprivation alters levels of important hormones that are linked with appetite and eating behavior which leads to eating more sweet and starchy foods. These cravings put our body into a pre-diabetic state, and makes us feel hungry, even if we have already eaten. Research has also shown that a lack of sleep leads to an increase in abdominal fat, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. During sleep, the body does most of its repairs, so not getting enough sleep can impair the immune system and make us less able to fight off diseases of all kinds.

Here is a guide for how much sleep is recommended:
     Newborns                         14 – 17 hours
     Infants (4-11 months)     12-15 hours
     Toddlers  (1-2 years)       11 – 14 hours
     Preschool  (3-5 years)     10-13 hours
     school age (6-13 years)   9-12 hours
     Teens (14-17 years)          8-10 hours
     Adults  18+                         8-9 hours    [1]

For more information about sleep, see my August 10, 2020 newsletter about sleep.

I hope this has been helpful.  I will continue this series on Children’s health.  If you have any questions or would want me to cover a topic, please send us your request.  Also, we will have FREE Botanical Medicine Consultations for children for the rest of August.

We’re here to help YOU!
Amy Willis MH, CTN

SOURCES:
How Much Sleep Do You Need by Age? Chart (medicinenet.com)