Article by Carie Connell

What Will Best Prepare Your Kids for the Day and Keep Them Sleeping Sweetly at Night? – Health

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Haven’t we always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? While some of society’s favorite pet phrases have no real worth, this one is really true! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and not just for adults – especially for our little ones. What we feed our kids in the morning totally influences how their day – our ours! – goes. Their energy levels, attitudes, and quality of thought and play during the day is all impacted by what fuels their little bodies. And in turn, our day is impacted too! We want the best for their brains and their bodies each day, so we need to pay special attention to what foods are best for them in the mornings.

Conventional breakfasts that we are used to and that kids see advertised on tv promote sugary, processed box cereals, pop tarts, packaged waffles, and overly sweetened yogurts. While all of these might seem like good options, they most definitely are not! Cereals in boxes are laden with high fructose corn syrup, a highly modified sweetener that has no nutritional value, and their long lists of ingredients include many, many preservatives to keep the boxes on the shelves for months. The sugar in most cereals (and yogurts and other packaged foods, for that matter) cause kids’ blood sugar levels to spike unnaturally early in the day, making them tired and lethargic – and cranky. Beyond these mood and attitude aspects, these foods don’t give kids any real energy to play and think and grow during the day.

Instead, we need to make smart choices about good brain foods that come from organic, whole sources without much modification. Organic eggs are a great option – eggs are plentiful sources of choline, a vitamin-like substance also found in nuts, that is absolutely vital for our brains. Choline is key in stimulating the production of memory stem cells which is so important at every stage of growth – but especially for young kids. These particular stem cells help our kids develop strong abilities to remember and to focus. Strawberries and blueberries are two more excellent foods for breakfast. Both are super high in antioxidants which are really important for the brain. Making sure our kids have a diet rich in antioxidants will help improve all of their cognitive functions. If your kids really like cereal, gradually help them to love oatmeal – there is no better breakfast choice. Oatmeal made from organic oats (or even better, stone ground oats….though the texture of the stone ground ones might take a little getting used to!) is high in fiber and plentiful in protein. The slow digestion of oatmeal means that our kids have long energy stores from this super food, helping them maintain proper levels of energy and blood sugar – and preventing energy crashes! – throughout the day.

As moms our attention to the selection and choice of foods we give our kids should not stop at breakfast, however! Foods for nighttime are just as important. The duration and quality of the rest your kids get at night totally impacts how they are during their waking hours. The longer they sleep at night and the more restful and sound that sleep is, the better their attitudes, energy, and focus will be during the day. The length of their nighttime sleep is also directly related to the growth of their brains and muscles. The longer our kids sleep, and the more peaceful that sleep, the better the environment and conditions for their minds to develop and their bodies to grow (this is especially true for infants!!). And we all know how important our kids’ sleep is for us! As parents we need our rest time, too, and it is super necessary that that time is uninterrupted (or with as few interruptions as possible!) so that we can be at our optimal best during the day to meet their needs.

To make sure they get the high quality of sleep they need for their growth, we need to be very mindful of what food they eat for dinner and close to bed time. This is particularly significant for our youngest little ones – as babies need the highest quality of sleep, even more so than our toddlers. Bananas are an excellent food for sound sleep – they contain several wonderful components that make them an ideal natural food choice. High concentrations of magnesium in bananas help relax baby and toddler muscles making it easier for them to fall asleep. Serotonin and melatonin are also found in bananas; both have important effects on the hormone balance in the body and are key things that help soothe the mind and body for sleep.

Honey is another excellent natural choice for prepping for nighttime (though not for those babies under 1 year!). The natural glucose in honey (unlike the sugars found in processed foods, which actually spike blood sugar and raise energy levels) signals to the brain that it is time to calm down and prepare for sleep. Mixing a little bit of warm, raw honey with a mashed up banana is a great way to get our young ones ready for bed. Warm raw milk can have a similar effect (make sure you always, always choose raw, organic milk to get all of the health benefits). Raw milk that has been warmed slightly contains tryptophan, an important sedative for the brain, and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan.

About the Author

Carie Connell
Two Moms on the Go, LLC
WEXY Bags
www.wexybags.com

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Carie Connell

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