Did you know that one in three children worldwide do not get the nutrients they need to survive and thrive in their environments? Vitamin Angels helps reduce child mortality worldwide by connecting essential nutrients, especially vitamin A, with infants and children under five. Today, Vitamin Angels is reaching over 20 million children in more than 40 countries with the nutrition they need to live healthy, productive lives. Vitamin Angels created this video to show the impact of their work. Visit our Vitamin Angels web page to see how your supplement choices make a difference.

Join one of our very own Whole Body team members for an insightful encore presentation about the positive impact of Vitamin Angels not only on children’s health, but also in the hearts of our team members, customers and supplier partners. Susan Oelker is Whole Foods Market’s Southwest Regional Supplement Buyer whose passion for the best products is matched only by her enthusiasm for supporting suppliers who give back to the global community.

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Whole Foods Market team member, Susan Oelker was introduced to the work of Vitamin Angels 4 years ago:

• Vitamin Angels provides team members with an easy way to help others and fulfill their desire to create positive change through their work at Whole Foods Market.

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Supporting the health of a child’s skin is an important consideration for every parent. From baby to teen, discover which ingredients are most beneficial and how to choose better body care for kids. Jessica Iclisoy is the founder of California Baby, a full line of natural skin care products for babies, kids and sensitive adults.

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Choosing better body care products to support the health of a child’s skin is an important consideration for every parent:

• Most conventional skin cleansers include ingredients that are harsh and stripping of the skin’s protective oils, leaving the skin dry and open to irritation. Reading labels is a must.
• Look for glucosides in shampoos, hand cleansers and bubble baths, which are very mild, non-stripping and extremely biodegradable natural cleansers.

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How can you make sure your kids and teens are nutritionally balanced and ready for the present as well as their future? The answer is in being proactive — learn about the nutrients and multivitamins that your kids and teens need on a daily basis. Here are some handy tips to build a healthy foundation.

Know Your Children, Teens and Nutrients

Studies show that many adult conditions including heart disease, obesity, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes often result from nutrition imbalances in childhood. Take it one meal at a time and focus on balancing what’s on their plates.  

• Give them the nutrients they need. Good health and development relies on the broad spectrum of nutrients derived from a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. Plus, the sooner kids learn to love a wide variety of nutrient-rich, whole foods, the better off they’ll be for life. If that doesn’t sound like what your child is eating, supplements may help.

• Know the ABCs. Children literally need the ABCs: vitamin A, the B vitamins, vitamins C and vitamin D — and don’t forget “E” for EFAs (essential fatty acids)!
• Think about whether their food is helpful or harmful. Artificial preservatives, flavors, colors and sweeteners do nothing good for a child’s health, and most processed foods are nutrient-poor.

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With the school year starting, it’s a good time for a quick review of how we can help our kids eat better. This isn’t groundbreaking stuff, but since we tend to set patterns at the beginning of the school year, it’s helpful to think about the year’s intentions from the start.

Preschool to Preteen

For this age group, maintaining positive habits at home is especially important.

• Make sure every bite your child eats is as nutrient dense as possible. Allowing them to fill up on non-nutritive calories (like too much juice) can displace the nutritious foods they would have otherwise eaten.
• Choose whole grains and whole grain products (breads, pastas, brown rice, bulgur, oatmeal) instead of refined grain products.
• Limit access to “junk” foods, but provide some alternative sweet options. Making all sweets forbidden may only intensify a child’s attraction to them.
• Model good nutrition choices. If you choose fries instead of a baked potato, you can expect them to do the same.
• Fill nutrition gaps with a range of healthy snacks. What your child eats between meals is just as important as what is eaten during meals.
• Discourage the habit of eating and watching television simultaneously. Consider limiting television, which has been linked with childhood and adolescent obesity.
• For older children and adolescents concerned about their weight, teach them that physical activity (rather than dieting) is the best route for weight loss. Engage them in physical activities that you can do together so that you have fun and both of you get some exercise.

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Here’s an excerpt from our Be Good to Your Whole Body Pocket Guide for August. Pick one up in store or online.

Diet can affect some children’s focus. Sleeping problems, physical symptoms and mood changes may change with diet. Here are some commonly asked questions about diet that may help you and your child maintain healthy focus this school year.

Is my child getting the right nutrients?

Essential fatty acids (EFAs), zinc and magnesium are among specific nutrients and supplements currently being researched for a possible link to supplementation that supports staying calm and alert.

Are DHA and other omega-3 EFAs really that important?

The brain is primarily composed of these essential fatty acids which also make up the protective membranes around neurotransmitters, vital for the exchange of information in the body. Studies show that some children may be deficient in omega-3s. A specific type of omega-3, called DHA, is necessary for brain function and may support focus in children. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) can be found in cold water fatty fish*, fish oil supplements and seaweed.

Are there herbs that might be helpful?

Chamomile, valerian and feverfew are known for supporting a calm nervous system and are often found in formulas for children.

What about my child’s general diet?

Some experts recommend removing certain ingredients and foods from the diets of some children. Artificial additives, wheat, dairy, eggs, sugar and caffeine are a few, as well as foods with toxic pesticide residue and types of fish commonly high in mercury. (Here’s more information about fish and mercury.)

Learn more about children’s health with our Go Back to School Healthy pocket guide, available in-store or online.

Summer days are dwindling and it’s time to think about going back to school. As you’re purchasing new supplies, clothes and shoes, don’t forget about an important part of your look — makeup! Changing your makeup colors and your routine is not only essential as the season changes, it’s also a fun and easy way to update your entire look for a new school year. Just as I love picking out new dresses in the spring and colorful scarves in the fall, I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to switch out my makeup palate.

As the only girl in a family of five children, I didn’t get much exposure to makeup while I was growing up. Even my mother was unconcerned with appearances, so when I took an interest in makeup at an early age no one could understand why. I’d been drawing and coloring since I could hold a crayon, so I attribute my curiosity in cosmetics to a desire to branch out into a new medium. I put my makeup interest on the back burner for many years while I completed an art degree. Last September I began working for Whole Foods Market as a graphic artist in a Washington, DC area store. Shortly after, I decided to see how I could make a career out of my long-time hobby, so I completed an 8-week course to become certified in makeup artistry. The course taught me the basics, like choosing colors and matching foundation, along with advanced skills I had never attempted — like contouring the face to make it appear differently in photographs.

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Like nutritional supplements, herbs are an effective option to help support immune health, stress and brain function in children. Learn specific recommendations for kid-friendly herbal supplements that can be used all year round. Dr. Mary Bove is a pediatric naturopathic physician, author and formulator of children’s herbal supplements with Gaia Herbs.

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In addition to a multivitamin, herbs can be taken regularly to support a child’s overall health:

• Include an omega-3 supplement and a probiotic to support immune function, mucus membrane health and digestive wellness.
• Choose astragalus root for supporting the immune system and promoting gut membrane health. This may be taken as a tea, tincture or powder depending on the age and preference of the child.
• As a powder, ½ to 1 tsp may be added to foods such as smoothies, apple sauce, oatmeal or yogurt.

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There is a wealth of information available these days on how to keep our kids well, but it sure can be overwhelming! Here we focus on the most common, important questions about kids’ and teens’ health. These are also great questions to ask yourself — good habits are contagious!

The 5 Big Questions to Ask About A Child’s Health, for K-12 and Beyond

1. Is my child getting the nutrients and pure water needed every day? While this may seem obvious, there’s always more to know about how nutrition and hydration affect healthy immune systems, weight, mood and brain function. Find some answers by taking a scroll around our Parents and Kids web pages.
2. Does my child get enough quality sleep on a regular basis? Find out how much sleep is needed for different ages. (Kidshealth.org and the National Sleep Foundation offer some guidelines.) Certain herbs and homeopathic remedies may also help with sleep, and with stress, too.
3. Does my child feel a lot of stress and understand ways to manage it? While moderate stress is normal, school life can cause stress overload for students—even the little ones. Stomachaches, nervousness, trouble sleeping, anger flares or infections may be signs of stress.
4. Is my child physically active enough? Exercise and physical play when we’re young isn’t just important for the present; it helps to create lasting healthy habits for later in life.
5. Are my child’s lotions, soaps, toothpaste and other body care products safer alternatives? Natural ingredients are the best choice for sensitive skin, children and teens.

We’re committed to helping the next generation learn the importance of health and how to be good to your whole body. Get expert info from our Children’s Health pocket guide, available in stores and online.

Don’t know where to start when it comes to products designed for children? Join us as we clear up the confusion and outline the most important nutrients and supplements to support growing kids and teens. Malia Curran, MS, MPH, is a nutrition consultant, speaker and mother of 2 young children.

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A multivitamin is the most important supplement to give to children:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a multivitamin for kids with poor appetite or erratic eating.
• A balanced healthy diet with a variety of whole foods can provide all the nutrients kids need; but children are all different and some eating patterns pose specific problems that can cause nutrient deficiencies.
• Children have special nutrient requirements and therefore need special multivitamins. Additionally, requirements change as they grow – such as calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C – these all have specific recommendations for children and teens.

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