126 life stages 126 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
(^8)
Life Stage
This chapter is a commentary on the natural development of the human
body, with emphasis on those times when healthy growth and
development may need extra care and attention — be it to ensure correct
hormone balance or suffi cient nourishment of certain organs and systems.
All are aimed toward achieving a healthy and happy mind, spirit, and
body.
Childhood
Children are the new generation and should therefore be given guidance,
love, support, and appropriate protection to enable them to develop into
healthy and balanced adults. Children do not belong to parents but have
their own unique lives, yet parents are fully responsible for the unfolding
and nurturing of their development — some task!
One of the best gifts children can be given is that of good health. Good
nutrition is the basis of good health; it is the fuel that builds and sustains
the physical body and also infl uences emotional development.
Calcium, vitamin C, and magnesium are essential for growing children;
therefore consider food sources for all of these, like citrus fruit, walnuts,
parsley, and sunfl ower seeds. Superfood is pleasant-tasting if made with
fresh fruits and is full of essential nutrients. A daily cup of tea made from
nettle leaf, dandelion root, chamomile fl ower, or hibiscus fl ower will also
support children — in fact, any simple herb tea will be preferable to tea,
coffee, artifi cial fruit juice mixes, and sodas.
If you choose to bring your child up as a vegetarian, you must ensure
that you replace the nutrients that meat would have provided. Chapter 4
gives fuller information on all aspects of food and nutrition.
babies and toddlers
When feeding babies and young toddlers, it is always best to use a variety
of homemade meals. Some nutritious and easy recipes follow.
Breakfast
A good nutritional balance would consist of 50 percent ground organic
millet fl akes (or cooked whole millet) and 50 percent fresh alkaline fruit
or vegetables — preferably organic, including apple, peach, banana,