Health and wellness is important for all ages and the best time to begin a healthy lifestyle is now. Children who are introduced to wise eating habits tend to grow up with the skills and discipline to remain happy and healthy for life. The sooner you introduce your child to making the right food and beverage choices, the easier it will be for them to adjust and make better choices as an adult.
One of the fastest remedies for looking and feeling great is to take away the soft drinks and replace them with a healthy alternative. Soda contains a high level of sodium and chemicals that can zap a child’s strength and mental acuity. The advertising industry and peer pressure may be a stumbling block at first, however the responsible parent will take the time to educate and train their child to move away from soda pop and gravitate toward the healthier juices.
When you shop for a healthy juice drink, it is important to read the labels. Juices that contain a high level of corn syrup is a covert warning sign that the juice brand is high in sugar. Instead, seek out quality juice products that are labeled 100% juice from a company that you know and trust. In addition to shelf juice products, your grocer’s refrigerated section contains a variety of time dated whole juices and vegetable beverages. Carrot juice is a popular choice for children as it is naturally sweetened in the juicing process. Try your youngster with new flavors to include mango, pineapple or guava pure juice extracts.
Although retail juices offer plentiful options for children to get their daily requirement of fruits and vegetables, the cost can add up at the end of the month. The smart and savvy way to get a whole food product into your child is to make a small investment into a home juicer. The juicers come in two models: one that pulverizes the whole fruit or vegetable and those that extract the juice and discard the pulp.
Your juicer recipes should be geared around the fruits and vegetables that your child likes. Typical juice cocktails made in a pulverizing unit will include the sweet foods such as strawberries, pitted peaches, cored apples and blueberries. Add a small amount of water and a dairy or soy based milk for bulk, and in less than a minute you have a home made smoothie rich with anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals. Your tasty homemade smoothie may be on the light side with just natural content or you may opt to bulk up the mixture with a little protein powder or an instant breakfast powder.
No child is born with the craving for high sugar content food and drink. It is an acquired taste and learned behavior when they become addicted to refined sugars. Just as they learned the negative eating habits, they will soon adapt to the new and healthier lifestyle. Whole foods are full of flavor and deliver a burst of energy in a New York Minute. Teaching your child how to be fit and healthy is a gift that will keep on giving for life and there is no time like the present to get started and make it happen.