21 Tips To Give Your Children Longer, Healthier Lives

by Dr. Lynn Tan, N,D.

1. If you are planning to have a child, it is advisable to prepare your body six months before conception. Go through the Detoxification and Rejuvenation Program first. This will enable you to remove toxins from your body and to build new and healthy cells ready to make a healthy baby. A healthy and nutritious diet can be maintained by following the Detoxification and Rejuvenation Program. From the moment you are ready for the conception of the baby, it is advisable to take a supplement of 800 mg of folic acid daily. Folic acid supplements reduce the risk of Spina Bifida, heart defects, limb abnormalities, and oral clefts. While the mother is pregnant, continue to eat a nutritious diet because what you eat is what your baby feeds on during gestation and during breastfeeding. Give your child a healthy start!
2. Breastfeed your child. Breastmilk is the only food suitable for any infant at least for the first few months. Cow’s milk and other incompatible foods may build allergic reactions in a child for life. Breastfeeding strengthens the bond between the mother and child, and it promotes a sense of security in the child.
3. Do not be too eager to start the child with solid food too early. Just continue with the breastmilk as long as the child is growing well, putting on weight, and is happy.
4. Mashed tree ripened fruits, fresh, raw vegetables or homemade yogurt are good starters for a solid food diet. Try each new food separately.
5. Maintain a well-balanced diet consisting of lots of raw vegetables, fresh fruits, complex carbohydrates like whole wheat bread, brown rice, rolled oats, and potatoes. I find raw and cooked potatoes to be more easily digestible than the grains.
6. Keep the taste buds clean and sensitive with a saltless diet.
7. As children grow, involve them in exercise at home and outdoors. Preschool children should be given time during the day to run and play freely. It is better to see them sweaty and sticky rather than dry and clean in front of the television. School-aged children should also be given an organized free play at the school. I find having a trampoline at home is very convenient and it is an enjoyable and beneficial form of exercise for the children.
8. Substitute fresh fruits and vegetables for fatty, salty, sugar-laced snacks.
9. Cut down the amount of television watching and computer playing. Exchange the time spent with television and computer for exercises and family interactions.
10. Reduce the amount of meat and refined food you serve your family Always have big servings of salad at every meal.
11. Reduce the amount of caffeine children eat and drink. Caffeine restricts iron absorption. Chocolate, colas, coffee and tea are not the only culprits. Learn to read the labels on the packaging.
12. Besides distilled water, always encourage children to drink freshly made juices, like apple cider vinegar – honey cocktail or Spirulina drink. These are power packed with nutrients. Avoid all soft drinks which are a calcium robbers. Plan your family outings with outdoor activities like picnics and romping through outdoor parks instead of visiting shopping complexes, fast food outlets, and video arcade centers.
13. Yoghurt is a good form of pre-digested protein, calcium, and other nutrients.
14. Make smiles, hugs, and kind words a habitual culture in your home, even when someone drops your favorite glassware or tableware.
15. Be generous with your praises. Genuine praises involve the effort put forth by a child. For example, if you notice your child looks good because he is smartly dressed, you should praise him for his neatness and the effort he made, rather than saying how handsome he is. Being handsome or beautiful has nothing to do with the child’s effort. It is God’s creation that has made the child look handsome or beautiful. Genuine praise would build a healthy child.
16. Bring corrections and discipline to a child with love. Never scold or spank a child in anger.
17. Keep current on the latest news in health, fitness, and nutrition. Read health articles to your child. The more you know and practice healthy living, the healthier all of you will be.
18. The children at school deal with a lot of stress. Talk with your child, have time for him and encourage him to talk to you about his problems and goals without condemnation. A child’s mental and emotional health is an essential part of good health.
19. Make sure your child has enough sleep. Send him to bed early.
20. Pray with your child; build spiritual strength in your child at a young age. Over time, you will realise the importance of spiritual health over emotional and physical health.
21. Above all, set a good example; if you eat the right foods and exercise daily and have a good attitude, your children will too!