As the summer draws near, the focus changes from school to camp and vacation for most parents. For many parents this traditionally means shopping for summer clothes and snacks, but in today’s competitive environment, many parents are looking for ways to boost their children’s health and ability to frolic and play and this means paying attention to their children’s nutritional needs. The brain and body of growing children need high quality fuel and nutrients to function at their best and to give them a better chance to succeed in sports and school.

Children today are at risk for nutrient deficiency due to unhealthy diets consisting primarily of sugar-sweetened drinks, processed foods, erratic eating patterns, and fussy appetites. Children are vulnerable because they don’t yet have the knowledge to make healthy dietary choices and they have to rely on what their parents purchase and what the school is serving. Since most schools offer soft drinks and junk food, many kids have a stiff challenge adopting a healthy diet when in school.

It is no secret that an increasing number of children are overweight and suffer from obesity. Today, nearly one in three children is overweight or obese. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) estimated that nearly 27% of children and adolescents aged 2-12 years are obese. Why is this of great concern?  School children have far more than math equations to worry about; children are developing obesity-related chronic diseases that were previously predominant only in adults such as, poor glucose and insulin metabolism, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease. Overweight kids also suffer from sleep apnea, asthma, allergies, orthopedic complications, and negative psychosocial effects & stigma, which can have a negative effect on school behavior and performance.

Parents must take a stance to give kids a fighting chance at succeeding with their health.  We have to help our children adopt a healthier diet by removing junk food and by adding 3 basic supplements: vitamins/minerals, omega oils, and probiotics. Vitamins are elementary to our body’s function; vitamin A is essential and a strong immune system. B vitamins are normally considered the “stress” vitamins because they are vital for a healthy nervous system, which is very important as kids manage peer pressure and the stress of performance and getting good grades. Vitamin C is involved in energy production, immune support, and is necessary for healthy bones and skin. Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption as well as mental wellness which kids definitely need to get their school work done, excel in sports, and participate in extracurricular activities.

While all minerals are important, perhaps the most important to a growing body are calcium & magnesium, as they support bone health, plus trace minerals help keep kids hydrated that they can struggle with due to playing and sweating.  There certainly are a multitude of children’s supplements, but unfortunately many have artificial ingredients, dyes, and worst of all, refined sugar. Young children’s digestive systems are not fully developed and tablets and capsules tend to upset their stomachs, so plant/food-based organic powdered or liquid supplements are the best choice for kids because they are easy to digest and they can be taken alone or in beverages such as juice or smoothies.

Finally, Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria that have adapted to our intestinal tract and known as our microbiome. They help digestion, support the immune system, suppress infectious bacteria, produce vitamins and enzymes that reduce lactose intolerance, fight yeast infections, protect the intestinal wall, and play a role in reducing inflammation.  Initially, we pick up the first probiotics as we pass through the birth canal and then from breast milk and our parent’s skin. Being born by c-section and not breast feeding will create disadvantages that some scientists are associating with allergies, asthma, and autoimmune problems because the immune system may not develop adequately.  Probiotics are important to all of us but they will be even more important for these children. While probiotics might be a staple for keeping children’s immune systems strong and an upset stomach at bay, science is demonstrating that probiotics and a healthy microbiome influence what we eat, weight gain, insulin resistance, and even reducing stress.

Children don’t have it as easy as it might seem these days. There is mounting pressure from demanding parents to do well in school, peer-pressure, rising school and societal expectations, not to mention the awkwardness of an ever-changing body, and growing, up to become a “well-adjusted” young adult. The least of their concerns is probably their nutrition, yet it is probably what will make the greatest impact on their overall development and set the foundation for the rest of their life.

Let the Children Frolic and Play dancing and booging to music or excelling in martial arts.  How you ask; Best to choose a blend that can be easily mixed into their smoothies, juice, oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, popcorn, or many other foods. Adding a complete supplement can also help students and athletes with their stamina, energy, recovery, and overall performance.

Coco Greens plant based nutrient dense multi-vitamin, multi mineral, probiotic rich formula takes the guesswork out of a child’s supplementation and Berri Reds is a berri delicious way to add full spectrum Antioxidants plus Vitamins & Minerals.

Key Benefits:

Coco Greens

• Multi-vitamin and multi-mineral formula
• 3.5 billion healthy probiotics
• Plant Based Vitamins A,C, D & E
• Contains calcium, magnesium, trace minerals and electrolytes
• Alkalizing green food concentrates
• Good source of fiber
• NO high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients

Berri Reds

• A-Z Multi-vitamin and multi-mineral formula
• 1 billion healthy probiotics
• Plant Based Vitamins A, C & D
• Contains calcium, magnesium, trace minerals and electrolytes
• NO high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients

Written by Sylvia Ortiz, Founder of MacroLife Naturals and Mother of SuperFoods