| Eating a nutritionally-balanced diet is good advice for | | | | essential vitamins and minerals the body needs, it is |
| children as well as adults. In fact, teaching children to | | | | capable of producing just a few on its own. The rest |
| make the right food choices is one of the best tools | | | | must come from food. |
| you can arm them with. Unfortunately, many children | | | | |
| today aren't taught how to make good food choices | | | | From the first days of life, a child needs Vitamin D. |
| because their parents don't know what the 'right' food | | | | Vitamin D is crucial to the development of healthy, |
| choices are. | | | | strong teeth and bones. Rickets, a disease thought to |
| | | | | be under control, is once again becoming a serious |
| There's no denying that the vitamins and minerals | | | | health issue. Its symptoms include bones that are |
| children need to grown are found in fruits and | | | | deformed and that are soft and brittle. The skull, for |
| vegetables. They're also found in lean meats and dairy | | | | example, is supposed to be thick and hard. One of the |
| products, foods that children generally pass up when | | | | first notable signs of rickets is a skull that is thin and |
| given the choice. Why eat those foods when the | | | | soft. If the shape of the head doesn't form properly, as |
| world has so many others to offer? | | | | can happen with Rickets, teeth may not grow in |
| | | | | properly. And from there, it's getting worse. Wrists, ribs, |
| Take a look at food through a child's eye. What do | | | | knees, ankles all may experience abnormal growth. |
| you see? Pizza, ice cream, corn dogs, hot dogs, | | | | |
| French fries, potato chips, sugary fruit drinks, energy | | | | Deficiencies in other vitamins may not produce such |
| drinks, caffeinated soda, cake, cookies, candy, | | | | obvious effects, which is why many parents may not |
| processed portable lunch 'kits' and of course, the | | | | even realize problems exist. Vitamins provide the |
| all-important, readily-available, drive-thru fast food. | | | | instructions for all bodily functions including vision, |
| | | | | production of red blood cells and growth hormones |
| If you've ever taken a look at the food pyramid, you | | | | and proper development of every major system |
| know that these types of foods are represented, but | | | | including the immune system, circulatory system and |
| only by a tiny sliver. That means these foods should | | | | digestive system. |
| make up just a fraction of a person's daily food intake. | | | | |
| They shouldn't be eaten at each meal, and in between, | | | | If your child's diet consists of the foods listed above, |
| as snacks. But they are, all too often. It's obvious just | | | | you need to take immediate action. Try to introduce |
| by looking at children that many are not eating properly. | | | | more vitamin-dense foods into the diet. In the |
| | | | | meantime, encourage your child to take a daily vitamin |
| Not only are the wrong food choices causing children | | | | supplement that has been formulated for children. It will |
| to be dangerously overweight, they're also the reason | | | | provide the nutrients your child needs to develop |
| why many children are not getting the vitamins and | | | | properly, it'll taste good, and it'll be easy to chew or |
| minerals their bodies need to function properly. Of the | | | | swallow. |