| Answer: | If you feed your son a wholesome diet that' s rich in nutrients and devoid of any refined or sugary foods, as well as encouraging him to be active, then his weight should stabilise. Start his day with a filling reakfast, for example porridge, millet or quinoa flakes (available from healthfood shops) with fruit and yoghurt, or a boiled egg with wholemeal toast. For lunch and supper, give lean meat or vegetable protein (tofu and other oya products, cheese or other dairy), with wholegrains and plenty of vegetables, and mimimise any fried foods. If he craves something sweet, offer fresh fruit.
If he feels hungry between meals (and children often need frequent food injections to keep their energy levels up), give snacks that balance carbohydrate with protein, which will slow down their absorption and provide a more sustained level of energy. Try giving an oatcake with some peanut butter or hummus; an apple with 10 almonds; a mini- sandwich of free-range, organic chicken on rye.
Instead of sugar and caffeine-loaded fizzy drinks, dilute fruit juice with sparkling mineral water. But don' t deprive your child of all treats you don' t want them to feel as though they are being pun- ished. Just be specific about when and how much they can have. Finally, ensure your child' s diet is supplemented with a good multivitamin and mineral providing all the B vitamins and chromium, which work together to manage how much food is burned for energy and how much is stored as fat. If there' s any deficiency, this process can become sluggish.
If, after following this advice and doing regular exercise, your child' s weight has not stabilised, con sult a nutritional therapist who can work with you to rule out other issues such as food allergy or poor digestion. |
