Nutrition and Healthy Eating for Children

Good health is directly linked to ’good’ nutrition. Children need to get the right balance of all necessary nutrients: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals on a daily basis.

If there are insufficient nutrients then growth, development and immunity may all be affected.

As young children begin to socialise in daycare, school or simply group play, these new environments can challenge their immune system as they come into contact with new and different germs. The result can be frequent runny noses and colds, as well as stomach bugs and diarrhoea. At the same time young children can be fussy about what they eat, due to tiredness, being unwell or simply being too busy to bother with meal times.

Children are physically, mentally and emotionally growing at a rapid rate. Ensuring both pre-school and school-aged children consume appropriate levels of essential nutrients may assist in supporting the development of essential “tools” for their schooling. These include behaviour, concentration, vision and brain function, as well as growth and development.

Tips for getting children to eat more fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods!

• Set a good example - when it comes to eating fruits and vegetables, the actions of older family members will definitely influence how kids react. If you eat and enjoy fruit and vegetables every day, your children may eventually follow your lead.

• Offer variety - offer children a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. Choose different coloured fruit and vegetables, particularly yellow, green and red.

• Offer choices - when it comes to serving fruits and vegetables, offering kids two to three fruit or vegetable choices at each meal is a smart idea. Choosing between baby carrots or celery sticks allows children to make decisions and exercise power.

• Add fruits and vegetables to favourite foods - adding fruits and vegetables to favourite foods is an easy way to get a child to eat more fruits and vegetables. e.g. if bread is the favourite, offer different types of bread and play around with different toppings. Put sliced bananas on top of cereal or add extra vegies to spaghetti sauce.

• Involve your child in food preparation and planning - kids are more likely to try something they've helped prepare. To get your kids interested in making fruit and vegetable recipes or have them help find recipes to try.

• If a food is rejected don’t make a big deal, try it another time. Children may need to taste a new food a number of times in order to decide whether they like the taste.

• Make mealtimes sociable and enjoyable rather than a chore. Eat together as a family as often as possible.

• Don’t give children new food when they are tired and fussy. They are less likely to try it or enjoy it.

• Make it easy - keep a bowl of fresh fruit handy, and vegetables such as peas, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots and mushrooms in the fridge to grab for a quick snack.

• Don’t offer snacks close to meal times. This will help ensure your children are hungry and will more likely eat what is on their plate.

• Make meal times fun: capturing the imagination of kids can make eating fruits and vegetables more exciting. Present young kids with cut up fruits and vegetables, and then let them create funny faces or animals. While creating their masterpiece, they're likely to snack on the tasty building blocks.

• Consider giving the child a naturally sweetened multi-vitamin designed specifically for children to cover the gaps.

Seabuckthorn: A Miracle Plant

SEA BUCKTHORN - A Source of alternative medicines, diet supplements, natural vitamins and herbal antioxidants

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) is one of the important natural resources of the mountainous regions of China and Russia. The plant grows naturally in sandy soil at an altitude of 1,200-4,500 meters (4,000-14,000 feet) in cold climates, though it can be cultivated at lower altitudes and into temperate zones.


This plant is primarily valued for its golden-orange fruits, which provide vitamin C, vitamin E, and other nutrients, flavonoids, oils rich in essential fatty acids, and other healthful components. Sea Buckthorn is a well recognized source of traditioanl herbal medicines and modern vitamins and nutrients. It have been used around the world in anti-aging and medicinal skin care products and dietary supplements with nourishing revitalizing, and restorative action


Sea Buckthorn biology and chemistry

Studies conducted in 20th century confirm numerous beneficial nutritional properties of Sea Buckthorn. The berries appear to be an unsurpassed natural source of vitamins A and several other carotenes, vitamin E and several other tocopherols. Sea Buckthorn berries are second only to Rose hips and Acerola in vitamin C content. They are also rich in several other vitamins, including B1, B2, K and P as well as in numerous flavonoids. Furthermore, the berries have remarkably high content of essential fatty acids and phytosterols.

Biological studies suggest that the restorative action of the Sea Buckthorn oil may be in part due to its high content of essential fatty acids (EFA), carotenes, tocopherols and phytosterols, which are all important for the maintenance of a healthy skin.

The EFA content in the Sea Buckthorn oil extract is 80 - 95%. Major EFAs are oleic (C18:1) and linoleic(C18:2). Others are pentadecenoic (C15:1), palmitoleic (C16:1), heptadecenoic (C17:1), linolenic (C18:3), eicosenoic (C20:1), eicosadienoic (C20:2), erucic (C22:1) and nervonic (C24:1).

Among the carotenes found in Sea Buckthorn are alfa- and beta-carotenes, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, taraxanthin and phytofluin. Tocopherols are mostly represented by vitamin E and gamma-tocopherol. Phytosterols of Sea Buckthorn include beta-sitosterol, beta-amirol and erithrodiol.

About the name

Sea Buckthorn is spelled sometime together as Seabuckthorn or SeaBuckthorn. The correct English spelling is Sea Buckthorn. The name might be related to the fact, that in England the spiny shrubs and trees (it can grow either way, depending of the soil and climate) of Sea Buckthorn used to grow on sand dunes along the sea beaches. Similarly, the German name for Sea Buckthorn - Sanddorn may be translated as sand thorn or sand spine. In recent years, due to the expansion of Sea Buckthorn products into many new markets, the combined spelling: Seabuckthorn or SeaBuckthorn became quite popular as well. It is also worth mentioning that Sea Buckthorn has nothing in common with regular Buckthorn. These are two different plants from different families.

Sea Buckthorn is well recognized around the world due to its health beneficial effects.

Sea Buckthorn is called:

• Oblepikha in Russia
• Sanddorn in Germany
• Argousier in France
• Espino Armarillo in Spain
• Finbar in Sweden
• Tindved in Denmark
• Rokitnik in Poland
• Yashildoo Chatsargana in Mongolia
• Homoktövis in Hungarian
• Star-Bu or Dhar-Bu in Tibetan
  

For a healthy bodily system

• Infection prophylaxis:reinforces the body's defenses
  Sea-Buckthorn oil is very rich source of vitamins and minerals, especially in vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotenes, flavanoids, and other bioactive compounds. Sea-Buckthorn oil increases the capability of the body's immune-system and can prevent vitamin A deficiency in the body. Also has an antibacterial action; inhibits the growth of staphylococci and other bacteria. These effects are especially valuable at the end of a long winter, in the treatment of colds, febrile conditions, exhaustion, also during periods of convalescence.






• Promotes healthy arteries
  Retards the development of atherosclerosis and cardiac disorders. Sea-Buckthorn oil are also a fairly good source of essential unsaturated fatty acids, that is important for regulation of prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins regulates blood pressure and water-salt balance. Their role was emphasized in many scientific researches. Sea-Buckthorn oil contains 35-60% of Palmitoleic acid, 5-35% butyric oil acid and 0-15% linoleic acid. So high content of essential fatty acids is fairly uncommon for a fruit. Usually oils, animals fats and fish oils have these acids.
  



• Anti-Cancer activity
  Anti-tumor activity of Sea-buckthorn was demonstrated in many scientific works. Just mention one of them. Chinese scientists Li Y and Liu H from Shanxi Medical College, Taiyuan, China published an article (IARC Sci. Publ. 1991; 105, 568-70) in which three group of rats were fed a diet containing carcinogens: First group (control) drunk a tap-water, second group drunk water with Vitamin C and the third group drunk water together with sea-buckthorn juice. The result were intrigues. The average life span of rats in a group given sea-buckthorn juice was 270 days, when given ascorbic acid - 220 days and in control group only 195 days. Moreover microscopic examinations of the liver (main target of carcinogens) showed that sea-buckthorn juice can prevent tumor production more effectively comparing with ascorbic acid solutions and pure water.
  



• Regenerative effects

These were discovered during experiments on patients with skin defects. Promotes recovery from colitis, healing of erosion of the cervix, of stomach and duodenal ulcers, and of burns affecting the mucous membranes. Also speeds recovery from external wounds and sores, e.g. bedsores.

For healthy skin - a valuable external nutrient and ointment

• As a skin nutritive and restorative

Such anti-oxsidants like vitamin E and beta-corotene effectively combat wrinkles, dryness, and other symptoms of aging or of a neglected skin. That is why Sea-Buckthorn oil delays the aging process externally and enternally. Sea buckthorn oil enhances the regeneration of mucus membranes benefiting people from menopausal women to vegetarians who do not have a good level of fatty acids in their diet.

• As a healing ointments
  The oil can be used as an ointment to promote healing of burns (including sunburn), eczema, radiation injury ulcers and small cuts or abrasions. This healing effect is due to the beta-carotene (provitamin-A) that is in Sea-Buckthorn oil. The oil should be applied to the skin after washing and drying, and left for at least 20 minutes before removal. For best results, apply in the evening and leave overnight. However, remember that it will probably leave a temporary slight yellow-orange stain - so try and apply evenly!

Active ingredients of Seabuckthorn berriestypical amounts per 100 g of fresh berries

* vitamin E (up to 180 mg)

* vitamin C (50-900 mg)

* vitamin A (up to 60 mcg)

* carotenoids: beta-carotene, gamma-carotene, lycopene (total 60-180 mg)

* vitamin B1 (up to 35 mcg)

* vitamin B2 (up to 55 mcg)

* folate (up to 80 mcg )

* fruit acids: chiefly malic acid, also acetic acid and quinic acid

* flavonoids: in particular kaempferol, isorhamnetin as well as quercetin tri- and tetra glycosides

* carbohydrates (up to 3.6g)

* essential minerals: K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr and Se

* amino-acids (proteins)

* unsaturated and saturated fatty-acids (in the seeds 12%; in the pulp 9% of total): oleic, isolinoic, linoleic and stearic acids