Easy BrainBuilders forHealthy Kids

By: Simone Denny

This week we are fortunate to have an article from our friends at Research Nutrition,who kindly shared this article with the Nourishing Hub. Lots of great tips for buildingchildren's mental and physical health.

5 Tips for Improving Your Child's Ability to Learn

Keeping your child’s brain healthy by giving it what it needs is a top priority to ensurethat your child is learning and performing to the best of his or her ability. ExpertLauren Zimet, M.S.,CCC/SLP, NDT-certified Speech Language Pathologist, and BetterBrains for Babies Educator, offers these five suggestions for success!

1. BRAIN FOOD

Your child’s brain will thrive if you design menus around meals prepared from scratchwith natural and organic ingredients. A diet high in fruits and veggies serves the brainand body well and does not contain the artificial colours and flavours used in popularprocessed foods. It may take some creativity to make fruits, whole grains, andvegetables appealing—both in taste and appearance. Invest in a kid-friendly cookbookthat features healthy recipes they can help prepare! Don’t forget to keep the kidshydrated with pure drinking water.

2. DOWN TIME

It starts with sleep. Set up a nightly routine that is rewarding and nurturing. During thehour prior to bedtime, avoid stimulating activities and instead focus on calm, soothing,consistent rituals such as listening to relaxing music, deep breathing, meditation,journaling, drawing, storybook reading, or quiet conversation. Remember that childrenlearn how to relax from watching the adults in their life, so modelling this is important.Our busy world teaches adults and children alike to push beyond our capacity. Thisleads to stress, which can contribute to a number of challenges, ranging from learningdifficulties to digestive problems. These bedtime rituals will become your child’s“toolbox”—relaxation strategies and techniques for self-regulation and self-soothingthey can pull out and use when the going gets tense. These tools will last a lifetime.

3. UP TIME

The brain loves oxygen. One way to get more oxygen is through exercise. Physical andmental stimulation are both important. Engaging in puzzles and playing games thatchallenge the child are better activities than watching TV. Taking music lessons orjoining a chess club are the kinds of activities that help create new neural pathwaysand support brain function. Hone in on what kind of brain challenge your child wouldlike to undertake, and support their exploration and efforts.

4. FAT FOR FAT

Your brain is composed of healthy fats. These need to be replenished through the foodyou eat and through purified dietary supplements. Two omega-3 fatty acids called EPAand DHA are important for proper growth, particularly for neural development andmaturation of sensory systems. Especially important in children, these fats arenecessary for cognitive development. Many families choose supplements to ensure thebrain is getting enough omega-3s. I have witnessed positive changes with the additionof supplementation in both children and adults.

5. REWIRE THE HARDWIRE

Children need help in acknowledging and working through bad, sad, mad, frustrated,and negative thoughts. Demonstrating positive self-talk in front of your child lays ablueprint for how they may handle their own problems. Avoid blame. Negativethoughts and mistakes are opportunities for learning and growth. Teaching your childto label emotions and recognise feelings helps connect the nonverbal and verbalpathways in the brain. Strengthening these pathways can improve a child’s ability totake on another’s perspective. Emotional wellness is key to all types of learningsituations.

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Wishing you a happy and healthy weekend!

Simone @ the Nourishing Hub