All parents out there will agree: getting your finicky little eaters to have steamed broccoli for lunch is a feat. Skipping their veggies once is no big deal, many will say, but it’s not about forcing your kids to muscle through each healthy meal. It’s about building healthy habits that will set the stage for equally healthy and resilient adulthood.
Chronic issues like atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergies, and the like, are all on the rise. While traditional medicine might treat the discomfort and symptoms with steroids and topical remedies, the functional medicine approach targets the potential underlying factors and prevention. Functional medicine practitioners focus on building healthy habits, which includes vitamin-filled nutrition for kids to minimize and prevent health issues today and in the future.
Here are a few tips you can use to get your little ones to consume a balanced diet filled with the right macro and micronutrients every day!
Vitamin D for strong bones
For a beautiful, pearly white smile, and strong and healthy bones, your kids need calcium, right? Absolutely, but many people don’t realize that for proper calcium absorption, your kids also need optimal vitamin D amounts every day. Now, if your kids play outdoors in your sunny California backyard or on the beach, that might not seem like an issue.
Still, many little ones still don’t produce enough of this crucial vitamin, because sunscreen, which is essential in preventing skin cancer caused by too much harmful sun exposure, can inhibit the synthesis of vitamin D. The best solution? Healthy supplementation based on your physician’s recommendations, and consuming vitamin D fortified foods!
Multivitamin blends
As your little ones are still developing, they really crave optimal nutrition and vitamin and mineral consumption. When you have picky eaters on your hands, you can supplement with vitamin and mineral combos like the Kids Fab 4 Bundle that has everything a child over the age of three needs for proper growth and development.
That means you’ll have a supply of chewy and delicious vitamin-loaded supplements that your kids will love – but make sure you keep them out of your kids’ reach and explain that these little treats aren’t candy, and that they aren’t a replacement for their daily dose of veggies! These blends help keep your kids’ vitamin intake in check and reduce the risk of chronic conditions in childhood and later in life, but they aren’t a substitute for a diverse diet.
Probiotics for gastrointestinal health
The gastrointestinal microbiome is a key component to a strong immune system, greater resilience in kids and adults alike, and the prevention of various illnesses, including Celiac disease. The sooner your little ones build healthy eating habits that support their microbiomes, the better their chances are of disease prevention and better immune health. What’s more, only if your kids have a strong microbiome can they actually absorb and use all those healthful vitamins from food and supplements.
- Dairy products like yogurt, cheese and kefir are loaded with good bacterial strains perfect for boosting your kids’ GI health.
- Supplements can be extremely helpful if your child is being treated with antibiotics.
- Probiotics also help protect your child’s mental health, which is another preventative factor supporting the healthy intake of these healthy micronutrients.
B vitamins for your kids’ energy
From managing brain and muscle development, helping in producing energy, all the way to producing red blood cells – B vitamins are indeed essential for every child. Since they dissolve in water, your body cannot store them, and it’s necessary to consume enough of these crucial vitamins every day. There are eight of them, and each serves a unique purpose, connected to many metabolic functions within your child’s body.
Food diversification is often all it takes for optimal intake of these vitamins. But if your kids are picky with their menu and they have a hard time eating greens, fish, nuts and seeds, then supplements are another great option to help amplify their quality of life.
Taking a holistic approach to a healthy life starts with optimal nutrition, and your kids can benefit from embracing these eating habits early on. Should you need any help devising the right nutritional approach for your family, you can make an appointment with us today, and we can structure the best strategy for your child’s needs!
