The Importance Of Food & Drink For Children

Proper nutrition is a cornerstone of a child’s healthy growth and development. The food and drinks children consume play a crucial role in providing the essential nutrients needed to support their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. As parents and caregivers, it is your responsibility to ensure that children have access to a balanced and nutritious diet that sets the foundation for a lifetime of good health.

Supporting Immune Health

A well-balanced diet contributes significantly to a child’s immune system strength. Nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, and antioxidants help fend off infections and illnesses. Regular consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins provides the immune system with the ammunition it needs to fight off pathogens and keep children healthy.

What Foods and Drinks Are Not Good for Hyperthyroidism?

A person with hyperthyroidism should avoid, first and foremost, eating foods with high amount of iodine. Iodine rich foods can make hyperthyroidism worse by causing the thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone.
Here’s a list of foods high in Iodine content:
• Iodized salt
• Fish and shellfish
• Dairy products
• Egg yolks
• Iodine supplements

Soy is a food that can have negative effects for someone with hyperthyroidism. Sources of soy would include soy milk, soy sauce, tofu and edamame beans. Foods that contain gluten can be bad for people with hyperthyroidism, especially for people who have a condition known as Grave’s Disease. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, oats and rye. Food and drinks that contain caffeine can worsen some symptoms of hyperthyroidism, including, palpitations, tremors, anxiety and insomnia. Regular coffee, black tea, chocolates, regular soda and energy drinks all contain caffeine.

What is Mukbang?

Mukbang is pretty much a trend in many social media sites. This has been ringing a bell in many platforms. What is Mukbang? It is derived from tow Korean words that would mean eating and broadcasting. The host would devour and literally eat large quantities of food in front of a camera while interacting with their viewers and it is done via a web cast. For some people this might be weird but the purpose of this is to entertain and make viewers happy because it would satisfy their food craving. This is very helpful for people on a diet. In South Korea, people often do not like to eat by themselves in public places. For them eating is a social activity just like in some countries like France. So they do not go out in restaurants alone, they usually go in a group. So it explains that if they would stay at home and eat by themselves they would want to broadcast this to replicate social eating. Apparently, in South Korea you can actually send money to support your favorite people who does Mukbang. People who does this can even get sponsorship from restaurants, food and drink brands and fast food chains. They make big money by just performing Mukbang.

Mukbang can be a bit hypnotizing and at the same time relaxing especially for people who are in a diet. It does not necessarily mean that after watching, you would want to get food because you would be satisfied after watching the video. Another thing about Mukbang is its show component. When you’re watching a tiny woman devouring huge calories in one sitting, that would actually be impressive because people cannot usually do that. The different noises like chewing, slurping and swallowing also attracts the viewers. By merely looking someone eating and chewing foods can be satisfying. The disadvantage for Mukbang is that it can trigger some eating disorders. Some may be addicted to watching people eat when you end up not eating yourself, then this becomes a problem.

Foods Rich in Electrolytes

Electrolytes are electrically charged minerals that allow things to move in the body, it allows the muscles to contract and relax, allows the nervous system to communicate and more. Electrolytes have various functions in the body. Examples of electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. It is important to get these nutrients by eating healthy foods with the bioavailable versions rather than elemental supplements which are not easily absorbed. Minerals are important building blocks of the nervous system for the brain, muscles, digestive system, immune system and much more.

Here’s a list of foods and drinks rich in electrolytes:

1. Sodium. This is the main mineral found in salt and is very important for the health of the body. It is involved with holding fluid in the blood outside of the cells in the right balance. The main natural sources of sodium include sea salt, rock salt, celery, beetroot and milk. Note that most people are not deficient in sodium as they are added to almost all commercial foods for flavor and as a preservative.
2. Potassium. A large percent of the population is deficient in potassium which is a vital electrolyte which works alongside sodium. The sodium potassium pump in the cells uses these to generate electrical energy in the nerves and muscles. It is important for preventing conditions like low blood pressure, stroke and bone loss. It also helps the muscles grow larger by allowing more nutrients into the cells. The best food sources of potassium are bananas, beet tops, avocados, bok choy, lima beans, tuna, squash and Brussel sprouts.
3. Magnesium. It is a co-factor which activates over 300 different enzymes in the body. This electrolyte is important to preventing constipation, heart palpitations, high blood pressure and more. The best food sources of magnesium are pumpkin seeds, spinach, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cashews and beet tops.
4. Calcium. This is a strong mineral that is used to grow, repair and strengthen the teeth and bones. This is used in the brain to activate sleep hormones like tryptophan to help restore the body when sleeping. It is important for the prevention of muscle cramps, high cholesterol and cancer. The best food sources rich in calcium are sardines, kale, sesame seeds, collard greens. Grass fed cheese, spinach and cabbage.

Benefits of Drinking Coconut Water

Many people are unaware of the benefits of drinking coconut water. Drinking it is good. This nutritious beverage can keep the body fully hydrated, eliminate aches and treat digestion issues. Professional athletes drink this to enhance their performance. Off and on the field. This is one of the few organic beverages that can offer your body many advantages.

Here are some benefits of drinking coconut water in a regular basis.

1. Aids in weight loss. If you’re trying to lose weight. This is just what you need as it is easy on the stomach and low in calories. This refreshing and light beverage is comprised of bioactive enzymes that enhance fat metabolism and aid with digestion. It is also high in potassium which balances out the level of sodium you consume. Too much intake of sodium can result to water retention that can increase water weight. Coconut water is effective in removing toxins from the body as well.
2. Coconut water is low in calories. There are 46 calories in a cup of coconut water along with several essential nutrients. It is a smart choice rather than processed drinks which are full in added sugar and flavoring which can result in more weight gain. Plain water does not contain the organic electrolytes found in coconut water.
3. Coconut water hydrates your body. Coconut water will keep you hydrated and healthy. Upon drinking it you’ll feel fuller and won’t feel hungry at 30 minutes after you consume it.
4. It lowers blood pressure. To keep the right amounts of electrolytes in the body coconut water regulates your blood pressure. It acts as a balancing mechanism.
5. It controls cholesterol levels. Coconut water regulates the cardiovascular system by elevating healthy cholesterol levels and decreasing bad levels of it in your blood.
6. Encourages cell regulation and growth. Coconut is an anti-aging fruit which contains lauric acids and cytokines which help in cell growth and regulation.

Do I Have to Avoid All My Favorite Foods and Drinks to Lower Down My Cholesterol?

This is not necessarily the case. Before you change your diet, get your Doctor’s approval. If you’re fond of eating meat, you can still enjoy these foods. According to experts, eating six ounces of lean read meat daily, instead of the same amount of skin less chicken or fish makes absolutely no difference in cholesterol levels. Other foods that has gotten the green light are eggs. Although eggs were traditionally taboo for people who needed to lower their cholesterol, recent studies have suggested that its fine to eat eggs in moderation as long as you follow a low-fat diet. Even the cocoa found in your favorite chocolate drink may have benefits, cocoa contains stearic acid, a fatty acid that does not raise cholesterol. Varying amounts of antioxidants that can keep LDL from sticking to artery walls. Unfortunately, chocolate is often found in high-fat foods such as candy, cookies and cake. Enjoying these foods occasionally causes no problems.

Taking Food and Drinks Outside

We’ve all heard tales of mayonnaise-laced dishes becoming foodborne illness factories in warm weather. But its actually fairly easy to keep food safe; the key is to keep food cold and contained.

Here are some suggestions on how to achieve this:

• Make sure all prepared foods have been thoroughly chilled before you pack them.
• Wrap plastic containers in foil or plastic wrap to prevent spills.
• Keep all your perishables in the fridge until the last minute, then immediately ice them in your cooler.
• Arrange food and ice in layers to keep foods equally cold; Don’t rest the food on top of the ice or nestle it underneath.
• Don’t under pack your cooler. A fully packed cooler stays colder than a half empty one
• Wrap sandwiches in plastic wrap to keep them from getting mushy, then put them in a resealable plastic bag.

6 Proven Foods for Sleep

Did you ever experienced trying to sleep but finding yourself lying awake? The food you eat may play a big role in achieving good sleep. Eating these foods may contribute to a good night’s sleep. This is a more natural way to help correct difficulty in sleeping.

6 Proven Foods for Sleep – Foods to Treat Insomnia

These foods and drinks to be sleep-inducing foods:

1. The meat of chicken, turkey, and some fowls contain Tryptophan. It’s a form of amino acid that is only available in the food and drinks we eat. Tryptophan helps the body produce serotonin, a hormone that helps the body relax. Serotonin also helps the body produce melatonin, another hormone that controls the sleep cycle.
2. Eating fish can also help achieve a night of restful and good sleep. Fish is rich in Vitamin B6 that produces melatonin. Eating fish before dinner may be very helpful. 
3. Foods and drinks that are rich in calcium. Yogurt and other dairy products are rich in calcium. Calcium processes sleep hormones like tryptophan and melatonin.
4. Green leafy vegetables like kale. These vegetables are rich in calcium.
5. Potassium-rich foods like bananas contain tryptophan and magnesium which are known to be natural sedatives.
6. Whole grains encourage insulin production that will trigger tryptophan activity in one’s brain. It also has magnesium that is essential to helping a person sleep.
7. Honey is known to be helpful in sleep. The glucose found in honey has the ability to lower down the levels of orexin. This is a neurotransmitter found in the brain that makes a person alert. Eating honey reverses the effects of orexin.
8. Walnuts, almonds, and other seeds can boost the production of serotonin.

Eating these sleep-inducing foods can solve every person‘s problem when it comes to sleep problems.