Want To Improve Your Kids Academic Performance?
Most people reading this newsletter are aware of the fact that children and teens eat horribly. Kids nutrition is a disaster area. That's hardly news. And we're seeing the epidemiological results of it all around us. Type ll Diabetes used to be called "Adult Onset" diabetes because it never showed up until late adulthood. Not any more. Now we're seeing it in kids younger than 13. And if you happened to have traveled to Disneyworld recently, or eaten at a Las Vegas buffet, I don't have to tell you about the obesity epidemic in kids.
But while everyone seems to understand intuitively the health problems associated with a diet of Happy Meals and McMystery Nuggets, less has been said about the effect on your kids brain. No parent I've ever met doesn't care deeply about how their kid does in school. You want the best for him or her, and you understand profoundly that not getting an education- or not making the best of the one your children are getting- puts them at a deep disadvantage, one from which some kids will never recover.
There's a ton of research showing a consistent low level of omega-3's in kids with behavioral problems, as well as kids with ADHD, and issues with aggression, attention, cognition and the like. It's one of the many, many reasons I'm so passionate about recommending that every pregnant woman in America supplement with fish oil- the brain is made up of about 60 percent fat, much of it a particular fatty acid called DHA which is only found in fish and fish oil. Fish (and fish oil) truly are brain food.
But that's just the beginning of the connection between nutrition and performance. A bunch of research has shown that you can get significant improvements in behavior and grades just by changing what's eaten for breakfast, (or in some cases, just by making sure breakfast is eaten in the first place). Now a new study, published in the Journal of School Health, builds on that existing knowledge by identifying specific dietary factors that contribute to the association between a kids nutrition and his academic performance.
Bottom line: Kids eating the most fruits and vegetables were significantly less likely to fail literacy assessment tests.
This is so not a big surprise. Vegetables and fruits contain a ton of antioxidants and anti-infalmmatories. Kids who eat a lot of them may also be eating somewhat less calories and are definitely eating more fiber. Their blood sugar is more balanced. Their nutrient levels are higher. Though this study didn't investigate it, my guess is that they'd also be less tired.
We've been hearing "fruits and vegetables" so much that the phrase has become a meaningless cliche, with no more power to instruct or demand attention than any other platitude. But although it's not sexy or new, it's important to remember how vital the advice to eat more of the foods that contain major anti-oxidants and anti-inflamatories is. Along with plenty of protein, fat and fiber, vegetables and fruits- and the things found in them- are your kids best protection against obesity and diabetes, and, as it's turning out, one of the best ways you can assure that they don't fall behind in school and are able to fully realize the potential you know they have.
Is your kid not getting enough antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and omega-3's from food? Try one of these kid-friendly supplements.
Make supplementation a family affair!
Buy adult multiple or packets and kid friendly supplements totaling 99.00 or more and get FREE SHIPPING. (or FREE BARLEANS FORTI-FLAX)
But while everyone seems to understand intuitively the health problems associated with a diet of Happy Meals and McMystery Nuggets, less has been said about the effect on your kids brain. No parent I've ever met doesn't care deeply about how their kid does in school. You want the best for him or her, and you understand profoundly that not getting an education- or not making the best of the one your children are getting- puts them at a deep disadvantage, one from which some kids will never recover.
There's a ton of research showing a consistent low level of omega-3's in kids with behavioral problems, as well as kids with ADHD, and issues with aggression, attention, cognition and the like. It's one of the many, many reasons I'm so passionate about recommending that every pregnant woman in America supplement with fish oil- the brain is made up of about 60 percent fat, much of it a particular fatty acid called DHA which is only found in fish and fish oil. Fish (and fish oil) truly are brain food.
But that's just the beginning of the connection between nutrition and performance. A bunch of research has shown that you can get significant improvements in behavior and grades just by changing what's eaten for breakfast, (or in some cases, just by making sure breakfast is eaten in the first place). Now a new study, published in the Journal of School Health, builds on that existing knowledge by identifying specific dietary factors that contribute to the association between a kids nutrition and his academic performance.
Bottom line: Kids eating the most fruits and vegetables were significantly less likely to fail literacy assessment tests.
This is so not a big surprise. Vegetables and fruits contain a ton of antioxidants and anti-infalmmatories. Kids who eat a lot of them may also be eating somewhat less calories and are definitely eating more fiber. Their blood sugar is more balanced. Their nutrient levels are higher. Though this study didn't investigate it, my guess is that they'd also be less tired.
We've been hearing "fruits and vegetables" so much that the phrase has become a meaningless cliche, with no more power to instruct or demand attention than any other platitude. But although it's not sexy or new, it's important to remember how vital the advice to eat more of the foods that contain major anti-oxidants and anti-inflamatories is. Along with plenty of protein, fat and fiber, vegetables and fruits- and the things found in them- are your kids best protection against obesity and diabetes, and, as it's turning out, one of the best ways you can assure that they don't fall behind in school and are able to fully realize the potential you know they have.
Is your kid not getting enough antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and omega-3's from food? Try one of these kid-friendly supplements.
Make supplementation a family affair!
Buy adult multiple or packets and kid friendly supplements totaling 99.00 or more and get FREE SHIPPING. (or FREE BARLEANS FORTI-FLAX)
Jonny Bowden,
I am quite confused now about fish oil. I read your book "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" with great interest and took your recommendation to add fish oil to one's diet to heart. I have come across research that cautions pregnant/nursing mothers (me) on the consumption of cod liver oil, which is what most omega-3 supplements are. Livers are filters for toxins and it would make sense that consuming liver oil could actually be harmful. Also there is a great amount of vitamin A in cod liver oil, which can cause birth defects. Can you shed some light on this topic please?
Siah
Hi Siah
I think you might have misunderstood some of this confusing info. there is some very vague and ill defined
"concern" about extremely high doses of vitamin A being associated with birth defects. That amount isn't even remotely close to what's in cod liver oil supplements. That said, most fish oil ISN"T cod liver oil- some is, but much is not. Try the brands on my website like Vital Nutrients, or Designs for Health. Those aren't.
best
jb
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