Are Vegetarian Diets Optimal For Children's Health?

When someone says I am a Vegan or Vegetarian, what comes to mind first? Let me guess, a person that doesn't eat meat right? Well, part of that is true but there are different types of Vegetarians, such as Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians, Vegans, and Macrobiotic diets. A Lacto-Ovo Vegan doesn't eat meat or fish but eats dairy and eggs. A Vegan excludes all meats, fish, dairy, eggs, and no animal products, this is the type of Vegetarian most of us refer to. Macrobiotic diets are not necessarily vegetarian, but are largely based on grains, legumes, and vegetables. Although I am not a huge fan of vegan diets, I am not one to say they can't work. A well-balanced vegetarian diet should pay particular attention to the following sources: adequate protein intake, essential fatty acids, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamins B and D.

Supplementation may be required in cases of strict vegetarian diets with no intake of animal products. If done right, then there are positive outcomes from vegan diets and at the end of the day if you are a vegan and live a healthy lifestyle, than more power to you. Now, the real question is, are vegetarian diets optimal for children's health? Before we begin with this topic, coming from my biased opinion, I do not agree with parents raising their young children on vegan diets for several reasons. A very important reason is the fact that parents lack giving their children a nutritious diet as it is, let alone a vegan diet which is supposed to be stricter and could lead to more health and deficiency problems down the road if done wrong.

Are Essential Fatty Acids and Amino Acids important for children's growth? Absolutely they are, our body does not naturally produce them and a child is not going to go and buy their selves some fish oil and BCAA's at a vitamin store to supplement with. Since vegan diets exclude animal proteins and fish, where do the fatty acids and Amino Acids come from? That is the biggest problem. They do not come from anywhere because most parents are not aware of how critical these nutrients are for optimal growth and overall health. If parents aren't aware of the importance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 and Amino Acids, than how is a child supposed to know that? The human brain needs the major essential long chain fatty acids known as "DHA" and "EPA," which are found in omega-3 for proper development. There is a handful of research to support that theory.

Do children using vegan diets have Vitamin and mineral deficiencies that can lead to lack of growth? Energy Expenditure, also known as the "Metabolic Rate" can be at risk with restrictive vegan diets, due to the lack of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients being provided. Many vegan dieters become Copper toxic and Zinc deficient, do to not getting the right amounts of animal proteins the body needs. These deficiencies can cause what is known as "Brain Fog," which is a fuzzy feeling you get in your brain from time to time. Eventually this can potentially lead to chemical imbalances in the human body and digestion problems. (1)In a study conducted by Roberts et al. and Campbell et al. states that severe malnutrition has been reported in infants and toddlers fed inappropriate vegetarian diets as well as deficiencies of iron, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D. So, the greater the variety of foods that make up the diet, the better the chances that all the nutrients will be provided. (2) In another study found in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Hebbelinck et al. concluded that a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian diet sustains adequate physical growth and maturation. Some of the vegetarian subjects, however, appear to have had difficulty meeting the energy requirements. Basically if the vegan diet is done the right way, then children can have optimal growth and not have any vitamin and mineral deficiencies, but they may lack energy.

What other deficiencies can potentially occur if a child is fed a vegan diet? Nutrition for kids is more vital than it is for adults, due to the fact they have to grow and mature into adults at some point in time. When children are growing up, they are in such a tender stage of development for their brain, muscles, and bones. Every bit of quality nutrition is critical for proper growth and parents need to understand that, bottom line! There has also been research that when mother's being pregnant and on a vegan diet, the baby can be born with undeveloped brains and their central nervous systems are starving due to not getting the proper vitamins, minerals, and nutrients through proper diet during the pregnancy term. An undeveloped brain can then lead to learning disabilities. Some symptoms to watch out for in the children, if fed a vegan diet are: Short term memory loss, cold hands and feet due to not getting the proper amounts of nutrients from animal fats to support the adrenalin and thyroid functions, and sleep disorders.

Can vegan diets lead to child obesity? Depending on what kind of vegan diet is being provided, sure a child can put on fat through a vegan diet. If the parent's are just feeding their children "High Glycemic Carbs" and no proteins or fats, than that can cause a huge insulin spike and most likely go to your fat cells rather than your muscle cells and then be stored and lead to fat gain. It all really depends on how educated the parents are, if they are keeping a good balance of macronutrients, especially rich proteins high in Leucine content and fibrous carbs than the child should be fine. Also I would hope the child is doing some sort of physical activity and not living a sedentary lifestyle sitting and playing video games all day. Sugar consumption, well we can't leave that out of the equation now can we. Most vegetarians don't even know they are pre-diabetic and continuously eat refined sugars and alternative sweeteners without even knowing it. Well, we should all know by now that sugar is the devil, and does lead to fat gain, and if you are pre-diabetic then you are only going to make matters worse. What do children love the most? Nine out of ten times it's good old sugar, and some more sugar. So, if parents are feeding their children adequate amounts of sugar daily, even through a vegan diet, then the children will gain fat and may lead to diabetes down the road.

With all this said, are vegetarian diets optimal for children's health? In my humble opinion I do not agree with them, but if done properly and the children are monitored for symptoms and are living a healthy active lifestyle, than it should be fine. Someone once told me that vegan diets will become more popular in the future, but I have to disagree respectively do to all the studies and research that show animal fats and animal proteins are the key to longevity and muscle growth. At the end of the day everyone is going to live their life the way they choose too, whether that's through a paleo diet, zone diet, vegan diet, or regular diets. Whatever makes that person happy is all that really matters, but for the sake of children not having control of what they eat is wrong. Parent's need to educate themselves regardless of the circumstances, it doesn't matter if you are a vegan or not, the bottom line is to feed your children the right nutrients their bodies need for proper brain development and overall growth.

References:

(1) Roberts IF, West RJ, Ogilvie D, Dillon MJ, Malnutrition in infants receiving cult diets: a form of child abuse. Br Med J 1979; 1: 296-8.

Campbell M, Lofters WS, Gibbs WN. Rastafarianism and the vegan syndrome. Br Med J 1982;285: 1617-8

(2) Hebbelinck M. et al. Growth, development, and physical fitness of flemish vegetarian children, adolescents, and young adults. American J of clinical Nutrition.

"Live A Dynamic Lifestyle"

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Benefits of Healthy Eating For Kids

Children's growth and development depend very much on the foods they are fed and the benefits of healthy eating for kids is detailed in this article to alert parents to the dangers of neglecting this aspect of the child's development. Balanced, nutritious meals are a must for every growing child because the benefits transcend into adulthood. Poor diet leads to obesity and a host of medical and psychological problems for the child.

For those of us not aware of it there is a good guide pyramid, which can help us better understand the different food groups. All of our food is divided into grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meats, beans, poultry, fish and nuts. Your child gets a balanced diet when all the food groups are covered. There are some groups where the intake needs to be lesser than the others, such as the oils and meats.

The benefits of healthy eating for kids will not be felt if you blindly follow the food groups. For example an apple in its natural state will do more for your child's well being and overall good health than an apple pie with sugar would.

For children to develop healthy eating habits the parents will need to lead by example. It is always advisable to start a child out eating right from a very small age because this becomes habit forming. You should never put a child on a restrictive diet without the approval and supervision of a pediatrician. Overweight children go through quite a lot of trauma as a result of their size and all of this can be avoided if the parents take onus for ensuring that the children eat the right kinds of healthy nutritious foods they need.

Given below are some ideas on how to draw on the benefits of healthy eating for kids:

o You can guide your family's choices by doing the shopping right; never dictate it will not go down well. Make sure your home has plenty of healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, yoghurts and dips that you can turn into healthy meals and snacks for the family. Don't stock up on crisps and other junk food no matter how attractive the packaging and how easy it makes the shopping, to simply load up the trolley with a bunch of pre-packaged foods for kids.

o Make mealtimes a family affair with a lot of happy talk and exchange of ideas. This will help children to eat more slowly. Gobbling food will not help a child differentiate between a full and overfull stomach. When there is fun and laughter at the table you will find your children wanting to stay put and take the meal at a slow pace.

o Take your children with you when you go shopping and when you prepare meals as much as possible. Take the time to learn about their preferences and use the opportunities to teach them about the importance of nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating for kids.

o It is no secret that children enjoy snacking between meals and plenty of low fat milk and fruit should be the healthy alternatives. Try to avoid over eating at any cost. Always remember that what you don't have at home your children cannot eat - so throw out the junk food!

Exercising and being active goes hand in glove with eating right so make use of this article to better understand the benefits of healthy eating for kids.

Galen spends 48 hours on the Internet every day as the Online Marketing Manager of Mediafreaks. He is currently driving the online marketing efforts of various free online adventure games and commercial projects produced by the award-winning 3D animation studio based in Singapore and China. Galen is also known fondly as 'The China Man' by his colleagues as he spent years in China running the Mediafreaks China office.

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Fitness and Nutrition

Our body requires more than 40 different kinds of nutrients to ensure that our heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, brain, etc. are in good working condition. If all the different body parts work in tandem, we remain fit and healthy.

Fitness and nutrition are closely linked, but the question is how to choose the proper healthy diet plan without comprising the well being of our body.

For one, there is no short cut to a fit body. The simple rule is that we need to burn more calories than we consume. To burn fat, we need energy. If you think cutting down on fats and carbohydrates can make you far healthier, you are wrong- you will only end up harming yourself.

Our body needs energy to burn fat. If we don't eat carbohydrates for energy, then our body burns the muscle proteins to create energy to feed our brain and nervous system. In this way, we end up losing valuable muscle mass which is crucial to burn fat. This actually happens when we grow old, because when we age, we tend to gain weight. In the process, we lose muscle mass and are unable to burn adequate fat.

So to burn excess fat, you need to eat properly. Crash diets are just a fad which help you lose weight initially, but eventually end up harming your body. Once you stop the fad diet, the fat just gets piled on all over again.

The foods we must consume are divided into five food groups: fruits, vegetables, cereals, poultry and fish, and dairy products. A healthy diet plan should provide our body with a proper ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. An excess or a deficiency of these will adversely affect us.

If we have less protein, our body will get a lesser portion of amino acids. These amino acids are necessary for protein synthesis, which helps build cells and repair tissues. Our immunity also takes a backseat, because amino acids are required to create antibodies which fight disease-causing viruses and bacteria. Similarly, if our protein intake is high, it creates a stress on our liver and kidneys and also hampers calcium absorption.

Fitness doesn't merely mean being physically fit. It is a holistic lifestyle which includes our mental and emotional state too. If we eat well, we look and feel good. Once we cut out the harmful foods, we can see the change and gain newfound energy and confidence.

Children are also victims of junk, fried, and processed foods. Childhood obesity is on the rise, and teenagers suffer from anorexia and bulimia because they have body image issues.

Make yourself aware of important health issues. Decide what kinds of food are good for you and which ones are bad for your health. Make wise and informed decisions, because once you start eating right, your fitness level will increase, and your body will get more energy to function optimally.

To learn more check out: Healthy Eating/Diet Plan [http://www.chrisedwardshealthfoodandfitness.com] OR

Lose Lower Belly Fat [http://www.lose-lower-belly-fat.com]

Thanks,

Chris Edwards

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Nutrition, Energy, Fitness - The Pillars Of Well-Being

Well-being is all about how we feel. Our happiness, confidence and physical condition all play a part in how we define our well-being. Nutrition, energy and fitness level are key components of our physical condition which, for many people is the foundation of their well-being. Generally speaking if your physical condition is good then confidence and happiness will follow.

Getting into peak physical condition can seem like a challenge to many and a multi billion dollar weight loss industry is testimony to our frequent attempts but simple physics must prevail. If you add more fuel than you need then there will be overspill and in our physical body that overspill is laid down as fat.

One recent report suggests that the average daily calorie intake of Americans is a staggering 3790, for a women that is almost double what is currently recommended. In Europe its better with a suggested average of 2375 but the Europeans should not be complacent.

Britain are the fatties of Europe with one of the highest average BMI (Body Mass Index) figures meaning that the calories that they do consume are not the healthiest and are not promoting general well-being.

Not only should we be looking at calorie intake but what those calories are doing for us. Each calorie consumed should be working towards providing our bodies with nutrition, increasing our energy and generally promoting fitness. In this way we will achieve well-being.

Sound hard? There is a way to reach your peak physical condition thereby starting your journey to well-being with out feeling hungry, deprived or tired.

Replace two meals a day with a Herbalife shake or meal bar, have a snack, drink plenty of water and enjoy one calorie counted 'real' food meal. Keen to find out more? Visit our website today and discover how you can benefit from improving your nutrition, energy and fitness.

Lorna Mclaren is a freelance writer, website designer and user of Herbalife products and invites you to find out more about Herbalife and what it can do for you by visiting www.feelfabfaster.com. Take the first step towards the new you today.

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