Ask a parent what they want for their child and the same response will be heard, parents want their children to be happy and healthy.  Most parents want the best that life has to offer their children and good health is the best gift you can give a child. 

Jamie Oliver has highlighted the need for good nutrition with his ‘school dinners’ campaign and parents are now more aware than ever of the need to feed their children a healthy and balanced diet.

Children need healthy and balanced nutrition whilst growing.  These will be the building blocks of their future physical and emotional wellbeing.  Each child deserves to develop into a strong, happy human being.

How can we keep our children balanced?  The elimination of additives will play an important part.  The Dirty dozen is a list of additives that have been shown to have a harmful effect by the Organix ‘carrots or chemistry’ report.  Artificial colourings are linked to hyperactivity, mood swings and poor concentration.  Artificial Colourings and Sulphur preservatives are linked to asthma and skin rashes.  Artificial sweeteners and MSG have been linked to headaches, dizziness and seizures. Eliminating these substances from your child’s diet will have an impact on their health and their mood.

The main additives to avoid are listed below. 

Monosodium Glutamate                     E621 (flavouring)

Sodium 5 ribonucleotide                     E635 (flavouring)

Aspartame                                          E951 (sweetener)

Acesulfame K                                     E950 (sweetener)

Saccharine                                           E954 (Sweetener)

Sodium Benzoate                                E211 (preservative)

Sulphur Dioxide                                  E220 (preservative)

Colourings to avoid are:

Quinoline Yellow                                E104

Brilliant Blue                                       E133

Sunset Yellow                                     E110

Carmoisine                                          E122

Ponceau                                               E124

Indigo Carmine                                    E132

It is also best to avoid:

Mechanically recovered and separated meat

High salt foods (more than 0.5g sodium or 1.2g salt per 100g)

Hydrogenated fats and saturated fats

Refined sugars

Adding Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) or good fats to your child’s diet can also improve general health and brain function.  These are fats that cannot be made by the body but are essential, we can only get them from our diet.  Foods that contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are especially important and can greatly improve concentration and learning skills.  Foods that contain Omega 3 fats are oily fish, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Foods that contain Omega 6 fats are nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.  You may find it easier to give your child a supplement.  These are now available in flavoured oils or capsules and can be found in your local health store.

Your child may even have sensitivities to certain foods. Getting your child tested if they are suffering from diseases such as eczema, asthma, psoriasis or behavioural problems and then eliminating the foods can make a real difference to the problem.  Food Sensitivities can trigger many different reactions in children.  Once the foods are eliminated there can be huge improvements in a child’s health. There are many different types of testing from blood tests to medical dowsing, it is best to find one that you feel most comfortable with.  From my experience they all work.

Overall, cutting out the junk and providing your child with healthy food, giving them a good Vitamin and Omega Oil supplement and lots of love are the best ways to provide your child with a healthy future.

For any further information please contact
Samantha Hurst N.C. at samanthahurst@naturopathy.wanadoo.co.uk or to book an appointment please call 01268 741000.

This health advice is intended to guide parents and is not to be treated as a substitute for medical advice.  Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your child’s diet.