The Benefits of Having a Well Nourished Child

You are what you eat. This applies to children just as it does to adults. The benefits of making sure that your child eats properly straight from age 0 to 19 are many.

Here is what you can accomplish for your child if you try to bring them up right and teach them to shop well and eat well —

• An emotionally balanced individual who is less likely to suffer from mood swings or depression because the proper nutrition has allowed their brains to develop correctly
• A physically healthier person who is less prone to diseases of all kinds (this is especially true of kids who were breastfed and not fed bottled milk all of their lives.)
• A person who is not likely to develop allergies or other disorders (also the result of being breast fed instead of bottle fed)
• A person who is less prone to obesity (because they have not been exposed to sugar at a young age)
• An individual that has a healthy self-image and does not need to resort to behaviors like bulimia or anorexia (because he or she has not grown up in a household where food is used as emotional blackmail or as a punishment or a reward)
• A calm productive person who does well in school (because a well nourished brain is one that is able to focus and does not develop problems like ADD)
• A richer adult who does not blow money on expensive junk food or impulse purchases at the grocery store (because he or she does not experience cravings)

• A person who can cook healthy nutritious meals and pass good lifestyle habits through to the next generation

Above all you will be raising an individual who is accountable for himself or herself and who is less likely to be a burden on the medical system! Obesity costs Canadians and Americans millions of dollars each year. The system is overloaded with people who think that food comes from a restaurant, box or package. Possibly the best thing you can do is teach your child to buy healthy produce and cook it. Teach them about the evils of too much salt, sugar and fat earlier in life so they do not develop a taste for it.

Furthermore any children that your children have are likely to be healthier as well – good nutrition is a gift that keeps on giving onwards through those who descend from you!

Parenting Tips
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Foods You Should Avoid Feeding Babies

Between the ages of four months and one year there are some foods that should be avoided. This is true of these foods regardless of whether you are buying them commercially or trying to puree them while making your own home made baby food.

Eggs
Babies from 1 month to a year old should ONLY eat egg yolk as eating egg white is highly allergenic. Babies need the B Vitamins in egg yolk to develop healthy eyesight, skin and hair.

Cow's Milk
Your baby cannot digest the protein in the cow's milk in the first year. Feeding your child cow's milk can damage his or her kidneys. Feed your baby breast milk which is much easier on their developing systems.

Soy Milk
Introducing soy milk to your child in the first year can create a soy allergy. It can also damage his or her kidneys. Breast milk is the answer. If you absolutely have to be vegetarian and can't breast feed then rice or almond milk is okay but make sure you consult your doctor to see if vitamin supplementation is needed to make up for the lower protein and vitamin content of these milks.

Honey
Honey sounds like a health food but it is exactly the opposite for an infant.
Honey can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism. An adult’s intestinal tract can prevent the growth of these spores, but in a baby the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.

Also remember to stay away from foods that have mold, bruises or decay as they could have toxins in them that could harm your child and even cause food poisoning. • Look for locally grown produce. Fruits and vegetables that are grown far away require after-harvest pesticides and waxes to help them survive the long trip to the grocery store.

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