Did you know that nutrition is important throughout life? Of course you do; however, just as Maria Montessori learned about the sensitive periods, and the importance of tapping into these periods during a child’s early years (from birth to age 6), it is also true that children’s development is “particularly sensitive to the effects of an inadequate diet (Healthy Child Publications, 2013, ¶ 2).
According to Healthy Child Publications (2013), child
nutrition begins before a child is born.
What a mother eats during her pregnancy may directly influence a baby’s
birth weight and brain size.
Furthermore, a mother’s heating habits may ultimately cause behavioral
and cognitive problems, such as language and fine motor delays and lower IQs. What then, can we do as parents after the
birth of our children to ensure proper nutrition? Eat the right foods, and encourage our
children to do the same! Be the
example—as Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the
world.”
There is a relationship between diet and cognitive
development. Studies show that learning,
thinking and cognitive perception is related to proper nutrition. In addition, “links between nutrition and
brain development, cognitive function, curiosity, behavior, and communication
and social skills” is linked (Healthy Child Publications, 2013, ¶ 2).
So what foods should we eat, and which foods do we need to
avoid or leave out altogether?
Generally, eating a well-balanced diet that incorporates all the food
groups is enough. There are some
essential nutrients we should also be aware of, that if eaten in the proper
amounts, will have a positive effect on a child’s cognitive development. These nutrients include DHA (omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids), iron, and iodine. “DHA is
a fatty acid associated with brain and nervous system development during
pregnancy and infancy, and research indicates that those infants with higher levels of DHA in their blood
score higher on tests of cognitive function” (Healthy Child Publications, 2013,
¶ 9). DHA can be found in the following
foods: salmon, cod, regular egg yolks, seaweed, anchovies, herring, sardines,
trout, other oily fishes, canned tuna, crab, shrimp, flax seeds, walnuts, tofu,
Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and winter squash (What to Expect.com, 2014). Foods high in iron include: red meat, egg
yolks, dark, leafy greens (spinach, collards), dried fruit (prunes, raisins),
iron-enriched cereals and grains, mollusks, (oysters, clams, scallops), turkey
or chicken giblets, beans, lentils, chick peas and soybeans, liver, and
artichokes. By the way, did you know if
you eat foods that provide vitamin-C along with iron-rich foods, your body can
better absorb the iron? (Zelman, 2014).
A food packed with iodine is seaweed.
Not only does seaweed provide iodine, it also “offers nutritional
benefits of fiber, calcium, and vitamins A, B, C. E, and K” (Theobald, Mikel,
2014).
Take the challenge from me to eat more healthy, and “be the
change you wish to see in the world!”
~ Denise Standage, April, 2014
References:
“Nutrition Action.”
August-September, 2012, Volume 15, Issue
5. http://www.healthychild.net/NutritionAction.php?article_id=603
“Good Fats vs. Bad Fats During Pregnancy.” 2014. http://.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-29/phat-fat.aspx
The George Mateljan Foundation. 2014. “Omega-3 Fatty Acids,” http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=84
Zelman, Kathleen M. 2014.
“Top 10 Iron-Rich Foods,” http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/top-10-iron-rich-foods
Theobald, Mikel.
2014. “7 Hypothyroidism-Friendly Foods to Add to Your Diet.” http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/thyroid-pictures/foods-to-eat.aspx#/slide-6
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