Childhood Nutrition

Toddlers & Preschoolers

Toddlers and preschoolers grow in spurts and their appetites come and go in spurts, so they may
eat a whole lot one day and then hardly anything the next. It's normal, and as long as you offer
them a healthy selection, they will get what they need.
Calcium, the body's building block, is needed to develop strong, healthy bones and teeth.
Children may not believe or care that milk "does a body good," but it is the best source of
much-needed calcium. Still, there's hope for the milk-allergic, lactose-intolerant, or those
who just don't like milk. Lactose-free milk, soy milk, tofu, sardines, and calcium-fortified
orange juices, cereals, waffles, and oatmeal are some calcium-filled options. In some
cases, pediatricians may recommend calcium supplements.
Fiber is another important focus. Toddlers start to say "no" more and preschoolers can be
especially opinionated about what they eat. The kids may want to stick to the bland,
beige, starchy diet (think chicken nuggets, fries, macaroni), but this is really the time to
encourage fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, which all provide fiber. Not only
does fiber prevent heart disease and other conditions, but it also helps aid digestion
and prevents constipation, something you and your child will be thankful for.
Gradeschoolers
It isn't uncommon for a 6- or 7-year-old to suddenly decide to be a vegetarian once they
understand animals and where food comes from. This doesn't mean your child won't get
enough protein; animal tissue isn't the only place we get protein. Rice, beans, eggs, milk, and
peanut butter all have protein. So whether your child goes "no-meat" for a week or for life, he or
she will likely still get sufficient amounts of protein.

Areas that might be a little too sufficient are sugars, fats, and sodium.
This is a time when kids first go to school and have a little bit more choices in what they
eat, especially if they're getting it in the cafeteria themselves. Cakes, candy, chips, and
other snacks might become lunchtime staples.
The body needs carbs (sugars), fats, and sodium, but should be eaten in moderation, as
too much can lead to unneeded weight gain and other health problems.
Packing your child's lunch or going over the lunch menu and encouraging him or her
to select healthier choices can help keep things on track.
Preteens & Teens
As puberty kicks in, young people need more calories to support the many changes they will
experience. Unfortunately, for some, those extra calories come from fast foodor "junk" foods with
little nutritional value.

Some adolescents go the opposite way and restrict calories, fats, or carbs. Adolescence is
the time kids start to become conscious of their weight and body image, which, for some,
can lead to eating disorders or other unhealthy behaviors. Parents should be aware of
changes in their child's eating patterns and make family dinners a priority at least once or
twice a week.
Like calories, calcium requirements are higher. Calcium is more important than ever during
the tween and teen years because the majority of bone mass is built during this time.

Encouraging kids to have milk, milk products, or calcium-rich alternatives, should help
them get more calcium.
Your child's gender may play a role in whether he or she needs more of a particular
nutrient. For instance, teen girls need more iron than their male counterparts to replace
what's lost during menstruation, and males need slightly more protein than girls.
Although getting your child to eat healthy regardless of his or her age can be a constant
battle, its one well worth fighting. A healthy child becomes a healthy adult, and only with your
support and guidance will your child be both.
CDC Offers New Environmental Health Findings to Improve Food Safety in Restaurants
Food safety programs and the restaurant industry can use these findings to develop effective
interventions to improve food safety in restaurants. All EHS-Net food safety publications are
accompanied by plain-language summaries of the study findings and recommendations.
Ground Beef Handling and Cooking Practices
EHS-Net did the Ground Beef Handling and Cooking Practices study because of the link between
E. coli O157:H7 infections and eating in restaurants. The study describes ground beef
preparation practices that could lead to cross-contamination of other foods from raw ground beef
and to undercooking of hamburgers made from ground beef. Cross contamination and
undercooked ground beef can lead to foodborne illness. EHS-Net found that many restaurants
prepared ground beef in ways that could lead to cross contamination or undercooking. For
example, in 62% of restaurants where workers used bare hands to handle raw ground beef,
workers did not wash their hands after handling it. And about 80% of managers said that they did
not always use a thermometer to make sure that hamburgers were cooked to the right
temperature. This study also found that chain restaurants and restaurants with kitchen managers
who are certified in food safety had safer ground beef practices than other restaurants.
Handling Practices of Fresh Leafy Greens: Receiving and Training
Foodborne illness outbreaks have been associated with fresh produce like leafy greens (such as
lettuce and spinach). Restaurants leafy greens handling practices could contribute to foodborne
illness outbreaks. EHS-Net did the Handling Practices of Fresh Leafy Greens: Receiving and
Training study to learn more about how restaurant workers handle leafy greens. EHS-Net found
that many restaurants safely handle leafy greens. For example, most restaurants met the U.S.
Food and Drug Administrations (FDAs) guidelines for rejecting shipments of leafy greens and for
keeping purchase records for leafy greens. However, most restaurants did not meet FDA
guidelines for refrigerating cut leafy greens at 41F or below.
Food Worker Experiences with and Beliefs about Working While Ill
Sick food workers can transmit germs from themselves to the food they prepare. People who eat
that food can then get sick. This is an important cause of foodborne illness outbreaks. EHS-Net
did the Food Worker Experiences with and Beliefs about Working While Ill study to learn more
about factors that influence restaurant workers decisions to work while sick. EHS-Net found that
20% of workers said that they had worked a shift in the past year when sick with vomiting or
diarrhea, which are symptoms of foodborne illness. Additionally, workers with concerns about
leaving their coworkers short-staffed and losing their job if they did not come to work because
they were sick were more likely to say that they had worked with vomiting or diarrhea.

Explaining the Risk of Foodborne Illness Associated with Restaurants

These four study publications are accompanied by an overview that provides perspective on
EHS-Net study findings and their potential impact. It also talks about EHS-Nets systems-based
approach to evaluating food handling practices in restaurants. Explaining the Risk of Foodborne
Illness Associated with Restaurants: The Environmental Health Specialists Network (EHS-Net)[PDF
- 84 KB]

Drinking plenty of fluids when ill may do more harm than good
Doctors have always advised patients to drink plenty of water if unwell. A new case study reports the risks of
drinking too much water and highlights the need for more research to support this traditional advice. New case
study shows there is such a thing as 'water intoxication.' For generations, the predominant medical advice in
case of flu or respiratory infections has been to drink plenty of fluids. Theoretically, this is considered good
advice; during a cold, the body secretes more liquids through the nose or may be running a fever, which could
lead to more fluid loss. In the case of infections in general, drinking more water is thought to help with
intravascular volume loss, increased vascular permeability, as well as replace the fluids lost in fever and
vomiting. The medical advice to drink plenty of water also rests on the assumption that water consumption is
harmless. A new case report reminds doctors and patients that evidence for the benefits of drinking plenty of
water is scarce, and, in fact, drinking too much water can be dangerous.
Water intoxication in a woman with a simple UTI
A new paper, published in BMJ Case Reports, details the case of a 59-year-old woman who drank too much
water as a result of her urinary tract infection (UTI). The woman started to feel the symptoms of a recurring UTI,
which had flared up several times in her life previously. In the case of UTIs, drinking more water than usual has
been shown to temporarily reduce the number of bacteria in urine, but the reasons for this remain unclear.
Remembering the doctor's advice of drinking half a pint of water every half hour, the woman drank several liters
of water that day, but her UTI symptoms worsened. As a result, she presented herself to the emergency
department at King's College Hospital in the United Kingdom with symptoms of lower abdominal pain and
dysuria. Urine tests confirmed a UTI, but the patient was otherwise healthy. She had no medical history apart
from a recurring UTI, did not smoke or take any medicine or recreational drugs, had no allergies, and was a
moderate alcohol drinker. In the emergency department, the woman was prescribed antibiotics and analgesics
for her UTI. However, she soon started displaying new symptoms, such as shakiness and tremor, vomiting, and
speech difficulties. The patient's Glasgow Coma Scale was 15 - she had an attention deficit, was hesitant in
speech, and had difficulty finding her words. Otherwise, the patient was healthy. Because of her speech
impairment, doctors considered the possibility of a stroke. Blood tests and a computed tomography (CT) scan
quickly revealed this was not the case. However, blood tests showed signs of hyponatremia.
Excessive water consumption may lead to acute hyponatremia
Hyponatremia is a medical condition caused by abnormally low levels of sodium - lower than 134 millimoles per
liter. Acute hyponatremia, which develops in less than 48 hours, is considered an emergency, as it can have
fatal neurological consequences. Critically low levels of sodium can lead to cerebral edema with increased levels
of intracranial pressure and brain herniation. This leads to seizures, coma, and death. The mortality rate for
hyponatremia cases is 17.9 percent. In the case report, the patient's sodium level was 123 millimoles per liter.

The fatality rate for patients with sodium levels lower than 125 millimoles per liter is almost 30 percent. Water
intoxication, which can lead to fatal hyponatremia, has been reported in endurance exercise, in the use of the
drug MDMA, and in psychogenic polydipsia - a disorder where the patient drinks large quantities of water
compulsively, usually as a result of a psychiatric condition. After having her water intake restricted to 1 liter per
day, the patient's condition improved significantly in the following 24 hours. Sodium levels were back to normal,
and the patient was discharged.
Time to question the medical advice to drink plenty of water
The authors of the case study point out that water intoxication, which can lead to hyponatremia, is a rare
occurrence among people with normal physiology. If a patient has normal renal function, it is difficult to drink
more water than the body can excrete. However, if the levels of antidiuretic hormones are elevated, as is the
case in some illnesses, this can reduce the excretion of water. In these cases, the authors ask, how sound is the
medical advice to drink plenty of liquids? The case of the 59-year-old woman is similar to a previously reported
case, where a healthy young female drank too much water while experiencing gastroenteritis. As a result, she
developed acute hyponatremia and died. In both situations, the patients followed the doctor's advice, although
they overdid the recommended intake of water.

The Importance Of Physical Fitness

A person who is fit is capable of living life to its fullest extent. Physical and mental fitness play
very important roles in your lives and people who are both, physically and mentally fit are less
prone to medical conditions as well.
What is Fitness?
Fitness does not only refer to being physically fit, but also refers to a persons mental state as
well. If a person is physically fit, but mentally unwell or troubled, he or she will not be able to
function optimally. Mental fitness can only be achieved if your body is functioning well. You can
help relax your own mind and eliminate stresses by exercising regularly and eating right.
Why is it Important to Be Physically Fit?
People who are physically fit are also healthier, are able to maintain their most optimum weight,
and are also not prone to cardiac and other health problems. In order to maintain a relaxed state
of mind, a person should be physically active. A person who is fit both physically and mentally is
strong enough to face the ups and downs of life, and is not affected by drastic changes if they
take place.
How Can You Become More Physically Fit?
Becoming physically fit requires a change in life style as well. You will have to incorporate a
regular exercise routine in your life and also eat healthier. By avoiding junk foods, fizzy drinks,
bad habits like smoking and alcohol and by getting adequate amount of rest, you will be able to
become physically and mentally fit. Just by eliminating all these food substances from your life,
no matter how temporarily, you will allow your body to detox and become stronger. Make sure
that you spend more time outdoors in the sun, and fresh air and take part in more healthy
activities. Fishing, bicycling, swimming, hiking, and even playing foot ball with your kids should
be a part of your physically fit lifestyle.
What Are the Advantages of Being More Active?

By becoming more active you can increase your bodys fitness levels and also avoid health
problems like diabetes and high blood pressure from developing. Exercise is also good for your
joints and makes your body stronger overall.