Page 71 - North State Parent March 2022

NORTH STATE PARENT FAMILY RESOURCE GUIDE SPRING/SUMMER 2022 HEALTHY FOOD RESOURCES
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Nutrition Hacks To Keep Your Kids Calm and Relaxed
By Sandi Schwartz
Our children face a lot of stress, including homework, busy schedules, social pressures and just the normal challenges of growing
up and finding their place in the world. One simple way to help them manage stress every day is paying attention to what they eat and drink.
Drink enough water every day
By simply drinking enough water throughout the day, children can minimize feelings of stress and anxi- ety. All of our organs, including our brain, need water to work properly. According to Calm Clinic, water has natural calming properties and staying well hydrated helps keep stress from building.
On the other hand, if we are dehydrated, our body is strained and we can become tense and edgy. Dehydra- tion can even cause symptoms that feel like anxiety, such as dizziness, muscle fatigue, headache, increased heart rate and nausea. It has also been linked to higher cortisol levels, which trigger stress.
How much water is enough?
The amount of water a child needs depends on factors like their activity level and the local weather, but generally children should drink at least six to eight cups of water per day. Your children will probably need more wa- ter if they are participating in sports; it is suggested that they drink a half cup to two cups of water every 15 to 20 minutes while exercising. For specific recommendations, see the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). To help your children get in the habit of drinking water, carry your own water bottle with you on the go and drink lots of water at home. The more your children see you drinking water, the more like- ly they are to ask for it.
Keep water handy, fun and flavorful
Try boosting their water intake with these tricks:
Keep it handy. Bring reusable water bottles wherev- er you go. Pack water in their lunch box and an additional
water bottle to have at their school desk to sip throughout the day.
Factor in fun. Buy cups and reusable water bottles with your child’s favorite characters on them or in their favorite color.
Add flavor. Add bits of watermelon, pineapple, cu- cumbers, lemons limes. For cooling drinks in hot weather, use frozen fruit in place of ice cubes or put berries in the ice cube trays and add the berry-cubes to their water bot- tles or cups.
Cut Out Caffeine
About 75 percent of children consume caffeine ev- ery day, according to the journal Pediatrics. Caffeine is an addictive stimulant with no nutritional value, and it’s the most popular and easily accessible drug in the world. It takes just 15 minutes to start feeling its effects on our cen- tral nervous system, and it takes about six hours for our bodies to eliminate just half of the caffeine.
Caffeine causes an increase in our heart rate and breathing rate — the same feelings we get during a stressful event when the fight or flight response kicks in. Consuming caffeine when already hyped up from stress only adds fuel to the fire, making it so much harder for the body to calm down and get back to a balanced state. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that chil- dren stay away from caffeine because it interferes with their ability to get a good night’s sleep.
To cut out caffeine and its stress-enhancing effects, don’t serve your children sodas, coffee, tea (herbal teas are generally fine), energy drinks and any drinks with caf- feine. Stick with pure water and experiment with ways to make it their drink of choice. Also, watch out for and limit foods and drinks with chocolate, which also contains caf- feine. Become a food label reader and you’ll be surprised at what you find.
Say Goodbye To Sugar
Doctors and health professionals clearly warn us that added sugar can lead to health problems like diabetes,
heart disease, and obesity. Less well known is the fact that sugar can also trigger anxiety. With effects on the nervous system that are similar to those of caffeine, sugar can con- tribute to symptoms that mimic a panic attack. Our kids can experience blurry vision, fatigue, difficulty thinking and increased heart rate just from eating sugar! These symptoms can cause those who already suffer from anx- iety to be even more worried and fearful, which in turn, worsens their symptoms.
Sugar and its effects can sneak up on us, hiding in some very common foods, such as salad dressings, fla- vored yogurt, smoothies and so-called “health” bars.
Tips to avoid extra sugar
• Retire the cookie jars, candy dishes and gumball ma- chines so sugary snacks aren’t so easy to indulge in.
• Don’t use treats to either reward or punish your kids.
• Instead of giving your kids candy for a special occasion, order or make your own delicious fruit creations like
bouquets, skewers, or fun shapes and characters.
• Prepare in advance for sugar-intense holidays like Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Provide delicious fruit and sugar-free desserts so your kids don’t miss the
sugary snack
• Model good eating habits and expand your food label
reading so you clearly understand which foods have
added sugars.
• If your family has a tradition of dessert after the main
meal, start swapping out store-bought sugary foods for fresh fruit, and explore different spices to amp up the flavor. If you are a home baker, try cutting the sugar in recipes in half.
Making these changes may seem daunting at first, but there are so many resources and creative ideas avail- able to make your transition go smoothly. In many cases, your children will probably not even realize the differ- ence. By forming these important healthy habits early in their lives, your children will benefit in the long run by liv- ing a healthy, calm lifestyle.
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