Understanding healthy eating has become a huge challenge in our society. Our ancestors living thousands of years ago did not have this challenge. They ate what grew and what they could catch. Before the advent of agriculture, people ate what was naturally supplied.

While I have been studying nutrition for 46 years, I am not an expert, since I am not a scientist and have not done my own research. What I share with you comes from my personal experience with my children and grandchildren.

Rather than laying out a specific way of eating, I am going to write about what I have learned about what NOT to eat.

Below is a partial list of things not to feed your children:

Sugar
Corn syrup
Glucose syrup
Wheat syrup
Rice syrup
Potato starch
Modified food starch
White foods – white bread, white rice, rice milk, white pastas, white wheat flour
Processed grains
French fries
Sodas
Trans-fats
Vegetable oils other than coconut and olive oil
Preservatives and food colorings – or anything that you can’t pronounce!

You might not think you are feeding your children many of these, but if you look at the labels, you will find many of these non-foods in packaged and refined products. In fact, most refined foods will contain one or more of these items.

For your children to be healthy, they have to be eating foods that are nutrient dense. Not only do none of the above items have any nutrient value, they rob the body of nutrients, creating the weight and health problems that are endemic to our society.

What are the nutrient-dense foods- The most nutrient dense foods are organically grown vegetables. Next are fruits, followed by beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds – in moderation. If you are not a vegetarian, highly nutritious forms of animal protein are organically fed grass-finished beef and lamb (grain-finishing beef and lamb changes the composition of the fat and causes many health problems), free-range organic poultry, and organic free-range eggs. Mercury-free fish is very healthy, as the oil provides the important omega-3s.

Regarding dairy products: pasteurization kills the enzymes in dairy and can cause problems such as asthma and allergies. Pasteurization also causes milk and other dairy to become difficult to digest, also contributing to illness. Unless you can get very clean, raw organic milk and cheese from grass-finished cows, it is better to avoid dairy. Due to the difficulties in absorption of pasteurized dairy, it is not a good source of calcium – despite what the dairy industry claims. My children were brought up on raw Alta-Dena dairy products and did very well on them.

The right kinds of fats are also important. Coconut oil is the best to cook with and olive oil is the best in salad dressings.

How do get your children to eat like this- The only way I know of, which is what I did when my three children were growing up, is to eat this way yourself. I chose not to have anything in the house that I didn’t want them to eat, so everything they ate was healthy while they were in the house. I never insisted that they eat. I just put the healthy food out and they ate as much or as little as they wanted to eat.

It is also important to determine you own and your children’s metabolic type, which you can do by reading William Wolcott’s ” The Metabolic Typing Diet.” This will help you to know if your child does better on animal protein or vegetable protein. While it is important to have healthy choices in the house, it is equally important not to insist that your child eat the way you do. You might be a rapid metabolizer who needs a lot of meat, while your child might be a slow metabolizer who needs more vegetable protein.

If you want to be healthy and have healthy children, the very best thing to do is read as much as you can about healthy eating, and then decide for yourself what you want to do for your family.

Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including ” Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You-” and ” Healing Your Aloneness.” She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her website for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.inner bonding.com or email her at margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone sessions available.

In today’s times, health problems like diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure are not restricted to adults, but have become a common phenomenon among children too. The main culprit for this can be attributed to their inclination towards fast food and also lack of activity. Kids love to gorge on fast foods like burgers, pizzas etc., and with the introduction of video games and a host of interesting kid’s programs on television, they are more than happy to watch television instead of playing outdoor games.

Due to this lack of activity and no control on the food they eat, many children suffer from the problem of obesity at a very young age, which further leads to other serious diseases or illnesses. Hence, it becomes the responsibility of the parents to teach children important ways to remain healthy. Here are some health tips for children that will ensure that your child is protected from serious health problems. Read more on kids health.

Healthy Tips for Children

The three most important factors that are necessary for the kids to remain healthy include a healthy diet, regular exercise, and proper rest. As the habits that we learn during our childhood stays with us throughout our life, it is necessary that parents teach these three factors to children as soon as possible. However, you do not need to force them to learn these habits, rather set an example for them by following these things yourself. Let us look at each factor in detail. Read more on healthy habits.

Nutrition Tips for Kids – Healthy Diet
At a very young age itself, teach the kids to eat all types of food, like fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, diary products, etc. Their meals should be divided into five to six small meals throughout the day, rather than just three meals. Cultivate the habit of eating breakfast as it is said to be the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast, helps their body to develop energy for the physical as well mental activities of the day. It has been reported that children who eat breakfast regularly gain good scores in school and do well in extra curricular activities too. Read more on healthy eating and importance of breakfast for children.

Parents should also see to it that children have a healthy lunch while they are at school. Though there are many schools which provide lunch, the nutritious value of these foods is a topic of controversy. Hence, it will be best to pack them foods that are high in vitamins and minerals. Other than lunch, also make sure that you provide them with a healthy after school snack, as this is a time where they are likely to indulge in junk food. Dried and fresh fruits, yogurt, cereal bars, etc. are good choices for a healthy snack. Next comes the dinner, or evening meal, which should be converted to time spent with the family. Eating together at least once in a day will help the parents interact with their children and also to keep control on their eating habits. Talking to them about the nutritional facts about healthy foods is also a good way of instilling healthy food habits in children. Though too much of junk food does harm to the child’s body, there is no need to restrict them completely. You can actually make it a reward, where one week of healthy diet can be rewarded with a treat of their favorite foods. Read more on healthy snacks for kids and healthy foods.

Fitness Tips for Kids – Exercises
One of the most important health tips for children, after a healthy diet, will be to stay physically active. Now, children do not need to sweat it out at the gym like adults to maintain their body weight. Rather just playing with their friends will be more than enough. Parents should see to it that their kids do not spend their entire time in front of the television or playing video games. They should encourage them to take part in sports and other physical activities like aerobics, dancing, etc., so that their body gets the required exercise. Arranging games for them and their friends regularly at home in which they have to run around and play is a good idea. Making them do some simple and fun exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling at least for an hour in a day will also help to prevent childhood obesity. Read more on effects of television on children and effects of video games on children.

Health Tips for Kids – Proper Rest
Rest and sleep are two most important factors to keep the child healthy. Children require 9-13 hours of sleep as per their age group. Lack of sleep in children can cause some problems like lack of attention at school, feeling sleepy during the day, poor academic performance, etc. Hence, parents must ensure that children receive sufficient sleep, as well as afternoon naps in the case of very small children. It will be a good idea to fix sleeping and waking times for the kids and also make sure that these are followed strictly. Read more on importance of sleeping in human life and lethargy in children.

You may like to know more about:

• Importance of Physical Activity for Children
• Important Values to Teach Children
• Effects of Fast Food on Children

These are some of the health tips for children that have been pointed out by experts. Other than these, it is important to teach kids proper hygiene and cleanliness like regular washing of hands, brushing their teeth, etc. so that they are not affected by any kind of diseases. Explain to your kids about the importance of eating the right food and exercising, and I am sure that they will understand and practice them too. Remember that by doing this you are not only providing them a hale and hearty childhood, but also are ensuring a healthy future life.