Children: return to health school

Here is the ABC for your child to stay healthy this year and come back home with the right answers.

A) Dodo

There is a lot of evidence to support the widely held belief that a lack of sleep increases the chances of getting sick. In a 2013 report in the Pediatric Infections Disease Journal, the results of studies on animals and humans have shown that lack of sleep has harmful effects on the immune system and can be linked to an increase in the risk of obesity and heart disease. How much sleep does your child need?

Research shows that a lack of sleep increases the probability of getting sick. Children need about 10 hours of sleep per night, and adolescents about 8.5 hours. Answer: in bed earlier for healthy children.

B) Play outside

Playing outside gives children the possibility of exercising, reducing their stress and exploring nature: many studies on children and adults bind physical activity outside with a more stress rate down. In addition, playing outside offers the body the vitamin D it needs. According to a study published in the Autoimmunity Review, the vitamin D supplement, or a reasonable sun exposure, seems to have a protective effect against infectious diseases. Answer: Children need 60 minutes of exercise per day; preferably outside.

C) Wash wash

Good personal hygiene can keep microbes away that causes the little morveux noses and stomach aches that often affect children. Answer: Start hand washing routines to changes in activities; Try to sing a fun song to promote a good hand washing, long enough. And, to avoid skin irritation, avoid using too invasive personal care products (for example that contain artificial perfumes, sulfates, parabens, etc.).

D) Avoid junk food

When children are present during purchases at supermarket, parents spend 60% more. According to a search for Berkeley Media Studies Group, children develop long -term emotional links with brands. What is scary is that the emotional link with junk food occurs at a time when children and adolescents are establishing eating habits and behaviors that will remain with them all their lives. Answer: Teach your children the importance of making healthy food choices when they are with you at the supermarket.

E) Eating health, it starts at home

Obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer and arthritis in children. And eating habits are established early in life. Answer: Start at home by offering your children a lot of fresh and whole foods, and give the example.

F) health lunches that your children will eat for real

Healthy lunch is one that nourishes both the body and the mind. Protein is an important element for small growing bodies because it contributes to the children to feel satisfied and energized: offer hard eggs, hummus or a legume salad. Omega-3 promotes the health and brain health; Try linseed oil instead of canola oil, or add seeds to their lunch box. How to prepare a lunch that your children will eat? Answer: You don't. You let your children do it. The children to whom we let what to put in their lunch box are more inclined to want to eat their dinner.

G) Snacks to satisfy superheroes and divas

Small reusable and fun containers with a mountain mixture, small cubes of cheese or cut Cantaloup, small carrots or peppers are absolutely irresistible for children in dinner or snack. Fill up on reusable containers that will appeal to your children, fill them and place them in the refrigerator so that your children have access to healthy snack as soon as they are hungry. Answer: Helping children to eat healthy is as simple as preparing healthy foods that are easy to find and fun to eat.

Tips to avoid illness this year:

• Sleep with enough
• Eat fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds
• Stay well hydrated
• The "junk" should be an occasional treat only
• Wash one's hands
• Take probiotics, omega-3, vitamin C and zinc

Visit Healthfirst.ca for a full guide of children's supplements.

"Health" and "health +" version of a lunch box:

Do you want to prepare even healthier lunch boxes? Try these simple modifications to increase the nutritional value of their content.

Written by Allison Tannis BSC MSC Rhn, nutrition expert, author and chief-cooker and lunch box designer for two young. Allisonannis.com to know more.

To read the full article with more health advice for returning to school, visit Healthfirst.ca.

Sources: Vitamin D Effects on Musculoskeletal Health, Immunity, Autoimmunity Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, Fertility, Pregnancy, Dementia and Mortality - A Review of Recent Evidence. Autoimmunity Reviews, August 2013; 12 (10): 976-898

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997213000402

Sleep and infection: No Snooze, You Lose? Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, October 2013; 32 (10): 1135-1137.

http://journals.lww.com/pidj/Citation/2013/10000/Sleep_and_Infection__No_Snooze,_You_Lose_.23.aspx

Shields M. Measured Obesity: Overweight Canadian Children and Adolescents. In: Nutrition: Findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey; volume 1; 2005 (# CAT 82-620-MWE2005001). Available: www.statcan.ca/english/research/82-620-MIE/2005001/pdf/cobesity.pdf

Article - The New Age of Food Marketing, Bmsg - 1^er October, 2011

http://www.bmsg.org/resources/publications/the-new-age-of-food-marketing

Statistics Canada

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2012003/article/11706-fra

Wells, Nm and GW Evans. Nearby Nature: A Buffer of Life Stress Among Rural Children. Environment and Behaviour, May 2003; 35 (3): 311-330.

http://eab.sagepub.com/content/35/3/311.short

Aspinall p, et al. The Urban Brain: Analyzing Outdoor Physical Activity With Mobile Eeg. BR J SPORTS MED, March 6, 2013.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23467965