Infant and toddler nutrition
Adequate nutrition during infancy is essential for lifelong health and well being. The first 12 months of life is the fastest growth period in a human’s life. A baby’s weight can triple by twelve months of age. Breast milk is recommended as a sole source of nutrition for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods, while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or more.
During the first 2 years of life, which are characterized by rapid physical and social growth and development, many changes occur that affect feeding and nutrient intake. The adequacy of infants’ nutrient intakes affects their interaction with their environment. Healthy, well-nourished infants have the energy to respond to and learn from the stimuli in their environment and to interact with their parents and caregivers in a manner that encourages bonding and attachment.
At NOURISHIA, feel confident that you are giving your baby the best start with solids in terms of quantity, texture, taste, combinations, teething, cultural aspects, number of feeds, timings and many more.
Children nutrition
The period that begins after infancy and lasts until puberty often is referred to as the latent or quiescent period of growth. These preschool (3-5 years) and elementary school years (6-11 years) are a time of significant growth in the social, cognitive, and emotional areas. These fussy eaters, as they grow, develop their own food preferences and tastes. It is important to focus on the right nutrition before and during the growth phase to maximize the child’s growth potential. Establishing good dietary habits during childhood lessens the possibility of
inappropriate eating behavior later in life. Dietary practices aimed at preventing the degenerative diseases that develop later in life should be instituted in childhood.
At NOURISHIA, customized nutrition plan will be designed for your child as per his/her lifestyle, activity, taste, liking and cultural aspect.
Nutrition for adolescence (teenagers)
Adolescence is one of the most exciting yet challenging periods in human development. Generally thought of as the period of life that occurs between 12 and 21 years of age, adolescence is a period of tremendous physiologic, psychologic, and cognitive transformation during which a child becomes a young adult. The gradual growth pattern that characterizes early childhood changes to one of rapid growth and development, affecting physical and psycho-social aspects of health. Changes in cognitive and emotional functioning allow teens to become more independent as they mature. Peer influence and acceptance may become more important than family values, creating periods of conflict between teens and parents. All of these changes have a direct effect on the nutrient needs and dietary behaviors of adolescents.
At NOURISHIA, get sound nutritional advice on your teenagers’ nutrient requirement, concerns like acne, anemia, hair fall, and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa).
Nutrition for special children
If you are a parent with a special needs child and all revved up for a nutrition plan, you are at the right place. One area, in which you are perhaps hoping to find the solutions you’ve been seeking, is that of nutrition. Many special needs kids have a nutritionist who sets specific guidelines for the challenges they are facing; for others, focusing on nutritional goals is a whole-family effort. Here, at Nourishia, we highlight some of the common nutritional risks special needs children may face and provide suggestions, where appropriate, on how to overcome these challenges. We bear in mind that nutritional challenges are as varied as each individual child and our aim is to provide a general and specific guideline for parents and caretakers.
Many children with disabilities have specific health issues that can impact their nutritional well-being and eating habits. This makes understanding and meeting your child’s nutritional needs even more important. Precise and correct nutrition can make a big difference in the special child’s quality of life.
Very often, a child with special needs may face specific barriers to having a healthy relationship with food. Many children love food and parents feel bad for denying them one of their pleasures but this leads to a lifelong battle of obesity and a bad relationship with food.
Some 75% of kids with special needs take medication; some of the latter, especially antidepressants, anticonvulsants, mood stabilizers, etc., are linked to weight gain.
2010 Study on ages 12-18 with physical, intellectual or behavioural disabilities –
• 67.1% with autism spectrum disorder were either overweight or obese.
• 86.2% with Down syndrome were either overweight or obese.
• 18.8% with cerebral palsy were either overweight or obese.
• 83.1% with spina bifida were either overweight or obese.
• 39.6% with intellectual disability were either overweight or obese.
Overcoming the biggest nutritional challenges of special needs children is a complex issue that is sometimes within and sometimes beyond a parent’s grasp. Yet to the extent we can, it is vital to ensure that our children enjoy the colorful, flavorful, rich-textured world of healthy food, and to get their hearts racing to the inviting rhythm of sport and life. At Nourishia, the diet plan will always be individualized depending on the energy requirements, special needs of nutrients, activity, mechanical issues, behavioral issues, taste, liking etc.