Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation. – C. Everett Koop

 

5–12 years old: The Nutritional Needs of Our School Children

 

Starting school: Age five is a very demanding time for the immune system. Now developed enough to operate efficiently and create antibodies to any viruses it encounters, it will come under great pressure due to stress- a key immune system enemy.

At school: Then new and challenging pressures come- learning to read and write, making friends and obeying new rules. Exposure to a plethora of different bacteria and viruses strains the immune system. A healthy diet will keep the child energetic and well equipped to cope with these new and exciting experiences. The child’s eating habits are fairly well established by now. Balanced diet includes plenty of B-vitamins to cope with the demands of the school day. The B-vitamins, also called the “stress vitamins,” trigger the production of calming and mood-enhancing hormones.

Exposure to processed, junk and fast foods: Make sure your child has plenty of antioxidants found in colourful fruits and vegetables. These help protect against the free-radical damage from fast foods. Free radicals steal atoms that attack cells in the body, causing disease. Some are produced by the body’s normal metabolic processes or by an immune system assault on a virus. Excessive free – radical production has been linked to environmental pollution and eating deep-fried or burnt foods, such as chips, chicken nuggets, barbecued meat or burnt toast. Antioxidants help mop up free radicals. We all need the extra ammunition provided by eating antioxidant – rich foods.

Long day at school: Feed the child a diet that will help sustain his energy throughout the day. Being tired leads to lowered immunity. Most school food is of poor quality, both in terms of taste and nutritional value. If school lunch is compulsory, focus on breakfast and supper as the nutrient-rich meals of the day.

School-age meal: School-aged children should have three meals and two to three snacks a day. Breakfast should combine both protein and complex carbohydrates. Protein helps keep children alert by lowering levels of the sleepy hormone serotonin. Complex carbohydrates release energy slowly, helping to keep blood sugar levels balanced. Offer a boiled egg and wholemeal toast, homemade muesli and nut butter sandwiches, smoothies, or when speed is essential, muesli bars with carrot + fresh pineapple juice.

Have some good snacks ready. Always have fruit in bowls around the house that they can help themselves to as they feel like it. Fruit and vegetable juice provides plenty of important antioxidants and beneficial phytonutrients.

Supper should contain a lot of complex carbohydrates to balance blood sugar levels and help children unwind after a long day. Avoid sugary snacks in the evening, as they will not only suppress your child’s immune system but are also likely to excite rather than calm before bedtime.

 

13–18 years old: IMMUNE BOOSTING FOODS FOR OUR TEENAGERS

 

Teenage years: These are called the “turbulent years.” They are going through many changes – their bodies are changing; they have the pressure of important exams; and stress. Common stressors are: school work, bullying, recurrent infections (such as tonsillitis) or an unhappy home life. A good diet helps arm bodies and minds with nutrients required to keep them in optimum health.

The teenage diet needs to support the body through puberty, and, in particular, needs to address the rise of sex hormones occurring at this time. Juicing for our teenagers will help balance their hormones and give them the nutrients they need to develop a healthy body naturally.

Our Teenage Girls: The beginning of menstruation and increases in their levels of estrogen mean that they require a significant supply of iron. Iron enables red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body. Supplies are often found to be low in teenage girls. Good sources of iron are dried fruit, green leafy vegetables, poultry, red meat, lentils and eggs. Low levels of magnesium affect antibody production and essential fatty acid metabolism, worsen PMS and increase allergic reactions. Foods rich in magnesium are nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks, whole grains and dried fruits.

Our Teenage Boys: Need increased levels of zinc, which is concentrated in their semen. The only way to replace their zinc is through their diet. Zinc is an immune-boosting antioxidant, which is also important for reproductive and skin health. Low levels will result in more frequent colds and infections. Good sources of zinc are poultry, shellfish, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

All teenagers: Need a good, all-round supply of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to help protect them from pollution and increase resistance to disease. Foods high in antioxidants contain any of the vitamins A, C and E and the minerals selenium, copper and zinc. Vitamin E is especially important for teenagers. It helps maintain healthy skin, often a problem for this age group. Please refer to Part II (August 19 issue) for complete list of the key immune-boosting nutrients and their STAR food sources.

Meanwhile, here is the Green Secret’s “Super Immunity Juice” for our teens with low tolerance to vegetables. (Make sure to scrub and wash all vegetables and fruits well before juicing). It is a MUST to use organic vegetables only.

• 4 carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 1 lemon or 5 calamansi (juiced)
• 1 cup (s) malunggay, kale or spinach
• 1 apple (peeled if not organic)

Juice all ingredients with your masticating juicer. Remember… a green juice a day keeps the doctor away.

Thank you IAJ WELLNESS CORPORATION for making this information public. For questions and/or concerns email me at [email protected].

 

 

Christine E.V. Gonzalez is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and holds PhDs
in holistic nutrition and natural medicine. LLM (MS Environmental Laws & Labor)
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