Closing schools has unexpectedly thrust many of us into the role of parent-teacher in our own private schools. So, you might well be looking for every advantage you can get to keep your kids’ noses in their books and off their phones. Keeping your kids focused on learning is hard. It’s even harder with so much uncertainty in the world.
There are lots of things about the current situation that you can’t control. The world is a bit scary right now, and good health is on everyone’s mind. So why not focus on something that you can control, that will help your kids be healthier and may well help with their concentration as well? A few tweaks to their diet is all it takes. Making sure that your kids are getting enough of the omegas in their diet can be really easy and can have a real positive effect.
What Are Omegas?
Three different fatty acids are important for our bodies to growth and development. These are omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9. Omegas 3 and 6 are essential nutrients, which means that we can only get them from our diet, we can’t make them. Omega 9 is not essential but is considered to be a healthy fat, so is a good choice.
You have probably only heard about Omega 3 before. This is because omega 3 is the one that is involved in brain and heart health. Omegas 6 and 9 provide energy, and most of us have too much of these in our diet compared to Omega 3.
To make things even more confusing, there are actually three different types of omega 3 - EPA, DHA and ALA. But, don’t worry about what the letters stand for. They are all just different types of long fatty acids.
How to Get Omegas Into Your Kids’ Diet
The best way to get omegas into your kids is via food. There are found in a wide range of foods, not just oily fish! Although, oily fish do have higher concentrations of EPA and DHA than any other foods so you should try to include them into your diets if possible
Here’s a pretty good list of foods that provide all the omegas in some quantities.
- Beef
- Flaxseeds
- Walnuts
- Chia seeds
- Soybeans
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Mackerel
- Fresh tuna
- Trout
- Herring
- Halibut
- Oysters
- Shrimp.
Another option is to supplement your diets with an omega 3, 6, 9 supplement, like Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil. You really should try to get all the omegas your family needs through diet. But, having a supplement can be reassuring, especially now, when it’s a bit of pot luck as to what will be on the supermarket shelves.
Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil is an easy option. You can add it to any food, incorporate it in dressing and even bake with it! Then, you can feel secure that your kids are getting all the omegas they need.
What Are The Benefits Of Omegas For Kids?
So now you know what Omegas are and how to get them into your kids. The next big question is why you should bother at all. There are three main reasons;
Brain health and Concentration - Omegas are important for brain development. One of the symptoms of a lack of omegas is also a lack of concentration. Studies have shown that people who eat recommended amounts of omega 3 have a better memory than those who don’t. So no matter how hard you and your kids are working, you’re not going to get as far if their diets are lacking in omega 3.
Improved Mood - There is evidence to show that omegas are vital in regulating our moods. That is not to say that an omega supplement is a magic bullet that will make everyone happy. Just that if your diet is lacking in omegas, it can be harder to deal with the knocks that come with life. When it comes to homeschooling, we could all do with a little extra reserve of resilience.
Overall health - For both children and adults, there are numerous areas of health that have been shown improvement by having an adequate amount of omegas in their diet. Who doesn’t want their children to have healthier hearts, livers, and bones? Everything is easier when you have good health, and the same is true for your children.
While your kids are at home, you actually have a lot more control over their diet than usual. So, why not take the opportunity to make some healthy changes and perhaps make something positive of the upheaval?