Food for thought!
Are Kids getting the breakfast they need for learning?
As we approach the new school term many kids feel nervous about having new teachers, new friends, new subjects and for some of course, a new school. Parents too can feel anxious for them: Will they do well? Will they have good friends? What are the teachers like? Is the school doing well?Parents do have a lot of choice these days like choosing schools and feeding back to teachers but their area of most influence can be at the breakfast table.We highlight some of the food choices that parents can make that can give their children the best opportunity to retain concentration and learn at school. |
Choosing the right cereal
A recent study of ten brands of cereal by the Food Commission found that they contained such high levels of sugar and saturated fat that their nutritional value is similar to that of sweet biscuits or chocolate sponge! I think we can assume that if the government asked parents to give their children chocolate sponge at breakfast most would think they had gone mad!
The sugary cereal gives your children an immediate boost in energy, so don’t be surprised if they are jumping up and down in the back of your car and running around like mad in the playground but then, what you tend not to see, but teachers report, are the carbohydrate crashes your children experience just as they are entering the classroom door – dips in energy caused by the body running out of the quick burn sugary carbohydrates, leaving them feeling irritable, tired, hungry and moody, all considerably affecting their ability to concentrate.
Keeping these sugary cereals away from the breakfast table and replacing with porridge mixed with something like Udo’s Oil, a source of polyunsaturated fats that provide a stable, slow burn source of energy that keeps them feeling fuller for longer and maintains their energy levels in the classroom allowing them to concentrate.
Going to school on an egg As well as being a good source of protein, eggs contain an important nutrient for brain development – Choline. Breast milk has high levels of choline and appears necessary for a particular neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, in the brain. Other good sources of choline include, lean beef, almonds and cauliflower but eggs are the most popular source at the breakfast table. |
A Berry good start to the day
As well as providing a tasty treat and satisfying a child’s sweet tooth without the refined sugar, berries provide a good dose of natural antioxidants and flavonoids. Anti-oxidants help to protect the cells of the brain and flavonoids are said to have beneficial effects on memory and learning.
Omega 3 boost Omega 3 fatty acid sources like oily fish or flaxseeds provide the brain with DHA and EPA (Flaxseeds provide a form of Omega 3 that converts to DHA and EPA). Our brains are made up of 70% fat and the fatty acid, DHA has a significant role to play in brain development whilst EPA is thought to have an effect on our behaviour and mood – both factors in the ability of any child to concentrate and retain information in the classroom. |
Whilst oily fish may not be on everyone’s breakfast menu, and indeed may be something that kids turn their noses up at, at any time of day, many parents have turned to fish oil capsules to boost their children’s Omega 3 intake. Even here parents can find it a struggle to get their kids to take them due to the size of the capsules and the fishy burp and aftertaste.
Cleanmarine Krill Oil for Kids has come to their rescue by providing a more potent form of Omega 3 DHA and EPA to Kids in a very small 200mg capsule with no fishy burp or aftertaste. The Omega 3 in Krill oil is in a form that absorbs more readily into the body than fish oil so your children can take a smaller amount but obtain similar to superior benefits.
By providing your Kids with brain food and where this is difficult supplements that help boost their capacity to maintain energy, concentrate and learn you can turn your attention to helping them with their homework!
For further information contact:
David Gunning
Marketing Manager
Udo's Choice UK
0113 388 5249
david@savant-health.com
About Cleanmarine Krill Oil
Cleanmarine Krill Oil is the UK's first and only Krill Oil certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as being fished from a sustainable and well managed fishery.
Cleanmarine Krill Oil provides the next generation of Omega 3 supplement providing EPA and DHA in a superior form to that of fish oils and in a convenient, small one a day capsule.
Whether you supplement your diet with Omega 3 for heart health, brain function, vision or joint health or are an athlete seeking to obtain superior recovery and mental alertness Cleanmarine® Krill Oil is the smart choice for Omega 3
~ Better Omega 3 absorption and more effective than fish oils
~ Sustainably and ethically fished
~ No fishy repeat!
Tags: