Health

With winter beginning to set in, people all over the world are going to start having to deal with colder and potentially freezing temperatures. And when this happens, the possibility of slipping and falling gets much higher.

Even for young and healthy people, slipping and falling on the ice can result in bumps and bruises. But for those who might be a bit more fragile, like this who are living in assisted living facilities, it’s vital to their health not to fall on the snow and ice. So to help ensure that this doesn’t happen, here are three ways to avoid slips and falls in icy conditions.

Take Small, Slow Steps

Ideally, you should try to avoid walking on icy and slick ground as much as possible. But when you can’t just stay inside, it’s vital that you know how to best walk across slick surfaces to reduce the chances of slipping and falling.

One way you can do this is to take small, slow steps. If you try to hurry too much across icy surfaces, you won’t be able to maintain your balance as well and can slip on the ground due to not having your foot firmly planted before taking another step. And by taking small steps, you can better maintain your center of gravity. In fact, not picking your feet up too much can make walking on slick surfaces much easier.

Find Ways To Maintain Your Balance

Something else you can do to maintain your balance is to find something to hold onto while you’re walking.

If there are railings or handholds that you can grab onto while walking, even if they aren’t necessarily meant for this purpose, holding onto them can help you stay balanced and support your weight so you don’t have to put so much weight onto your feet directly. Keep in mind, however, that having both of your hands free can also help you to balance better, so weigh your options appropriately.

Wear The Proper Shoes

The shoes that you wear on slick surfaces can make a big difference in how much traction you have and how easily you’ll slip. For example, you won’t want to wear indoor slippers or other indoor shoes outside, as your traction will usually be non-existent.

In winter weather and cold climates, you should seek to wear shoes that have non-slip soles. Additionally, if you know that you’ll be walking on very slick surfaces, having something on your shoes that gives you extra traction, like ice grippers, can be very helpful as well.

If you’re worried about slipping and falling when walking around this winter, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find ways to stay safe on your feet.

 

If you experience heavy legs from time to time, standing on your feet all day and travelling by air may trigger the sensation. No matter when the feeling hits, you will be able to identify the predicament – tightness, discomfort, and the desire more than anything else to lie down and make the feeling disappear. If you’re on holiday in a hot country, heavy legs can stay with you for your entire break, which is far from ideal. Let’s take a look at why and how heavy legs develop and what you can do to treat them.

Understanding heavy legs

When swelling occurs in your legs, it is known as oedema and is a direct cause of the build-up of fluid in the tissues within your legs. While it can occur anywhere in the body, your lower legs are most prone to the problem. This is because the bottom of your legs are furthest away from your heart, which means that gravity plays a role in the way that blood is pumped around your body. As a result, the odds are stacked against your ankles, feet, and lower legs, which is the main reason why lots of women experience the sensation of heavy legs and swollen ankles and feet.

If you experience heavy legs because of hot temperatures, the condition is known as heat oedema, and it is caused by the dilation of blood vessels in the heat. You might also get heat oedema by having too much salt in your body. Heat oedema is most common among older people and pregnant women, but it can also affect people who are unused to the heat.

What can you do about heavy legs?

Thankfully, heavy legs are a temporary condition, and the swelling and puff will probably go down after a few days or weeks. However, in some instances, heavy legs may be caused by lipoedema, which is a chronic form of fluid retention in the limbs and requires treatment. When you’re suffering from heat oedema, it’s so important to stay hydrated and check your sodium levels. You can also turn to the right products to cool your legs while keeping them elevated while seated can also help.

One product that is made for heavy legs is Air-Lite by Legology. As a fluffy cream/gel hybrid, Air-Lite was developed to be a dependable product when your lower legs feel the heat. It consists of a unique Lymphology Complex, which can successfully reduce puffiness while also relieving fatigue, aches, and general pains within your legs. Here are some top tips to ensure that you apply Air-Lite as intended for the best possible results:

• Keep Air-Lite in the fridge in hot weather until you’re ready to apply it.
• Use your body brush on your legs and spray your legs with cold water from the handheld shower – this will encourage lymph and circulation in your legs.
• Apply Air-Lite upward from your feet to your knees and then over your thighs to your hips.
• Use your thumbs to massage the cream around your ankles and up your legs.
• Once applied, lie flat on your back for at least ten minutes, with your legs raised against the wall. This will help the fluid drain from your legs toward your pelvis.

Be sure to check out Air-Lite alongside Legology’s innovative cellulite products, which can help to improve the general feel and health of your legs.

 

If you’re tasked with caring for an elderly loved one that can no longer take care of themselves anymore, you might find that, despite your love and concern for this person, showing the proper respect for them could be hard in this situation.

If this is something that you’re struggling with as a caregiver, here are three ways you can show respect when caring for an elderly loved one.

Allow Them To Make As Many Decisions As Possible

For many elderly people, their ability to take care of themselves physically starts to falter before their mental faculties do. In this case, your loved one might feel embarrassed by the help that they are needing.

One way you can help them retain some dignity and show them respect is to allow them to make as many decisions as possible. Whether it’s a decision about what clothes to wear that morning, when to be given a bath, or what type of medical decisions they are comfortable with, if you’re able to give them more of a say into what path their life goes down and then make good on their decisions and wishes, this can be a great way for you to show them respect.

Don’t Intentionally Bring Them Down

As a caregiver, it’s easy to get stuck in the routines of the service that you’re rendering. But when this happens, you might begin seeing your elderly loved one as a chore you need to complete rather than a person. And when this way of thinking starts, it’s easy to accidentally say or do something that is disrespectful to them.

To keep this from happening while you’re caregiving, try to be very careful about saying or doing things that could bring them down. If they are experiencing dementia, bring yourself into their reality rather than trying to bring them into yours. And if there are sensitive things that need to be discussed, make sure these conversations take place privately.

Show Respect To Other Offering Care As Well

Because caring for someone else can be a very big job, you might need to entrust some of this care to someone else.

Whether it’s the staff at an assisted living facility or another friend or family member, one way you can show your elderly loved one respect is by respecting others who give them care. By doing this small act, you’ll be showing your elderly loved one that you appreciate those who help to care for them and that the act of caring for them is something to be valued.

If you’re worried about maintaining a level of respect as you care for an elderly loved one, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) leads to painful and uncomfortable symptoms that are difficult to deal with. Unfortunately, it’s also a condition that people experience for life, having a significant impact on the digestive system in the process. While there’s no cure for IBS, there are some things you can do to manage your symptoms and feel better each and every day. 

Prepare meals at home 

If you rely largely on processed doos when you live with IBS, your symptoms will worsen over time. Therefore, preparing healthy foods at home that are rich in nutrients will help you feel better. Prepare meals that consist of lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and a range of other plant-based ingredients. Resisting the temptation of turning to junk food will help alleviate your IBS symptoms and leave you feeling much healthier as a result.

Keep track of your symptoms 

Everyone’s gut works in slightly different ways, meaning that you may experience different symptoms from someone else who suffers from IBS. As such, it’s helpful to keep a diary that tracks your diet, as well as times that you notice symptoms arising. You should keep track of everything you eat and when you eat it, as this will help you identify patterns that may worsen your IBS symptoms. As such, you can make the necessary adjustments and stop eating foods that seemingly make your symptoms even more pronounced.

Exercise routinely 

We know it can be difficult to maintain an exercise schedule, but routinely exercising is so important when it comes to managing IBS symptoms. Bloating and gastrointestinal discomfort, in particular, can be alleviated by exercising routinely. Research has also found that regular exercise can inhibit long term symptoms from manifesting. You don’t need to run a marathon or hit the gym every day, either. Just incorporating some simple exercises into your day can be enough to stave off the symptoms of IBS.

Opt for a supplement 

Sons’ Gut Health Supplement – LP299V can help to reduce your IBS symptoms. It also contributes to the overall general health of your gut, ensuring your microbiome can work to its full potential. LP299V is one of the most rigorously tested live bacterial supplements in the world and will help you function optimally from day to day. If you’re sick of suffering from painful IBS symptoms, it’s definitely worth adding the supplement to your daily routine.

Reduce stress 

Stress and gut health are inexorably linked. The gut-brain axis is the main communication system from your brain to your gut and is what causes things like cramps and unusual sensations in your gut when you’re stressed. Practising mindfulness meditation and performing simple breathing exercises are excellent ways to reduce your stress levels and will help you feel much better as a result.

So, if you’re suffering from IBS symptoms, you don’t need to put up with them. The above tips will help you stay in control of your symptoms and alleviate your everyday discomfort and pain from this troubling condition.

 

For around fifty years, scientists have realised that cannabinoid receptors form part of human brains. When you use cannabis, the receptors are sensitive to the compounds found within the plant, which causes various powerful effects in the human body. When cannabis was made legal in various parts of the world, we got a much clearer idea of how these cannabinoid receptors worked. Let’s take a look at the system in more detail now. 

Why is the endocannabinoid system important? 

Found in the brain and other organs, the endocannabinoid system is made up of cells, receptors, and signal molecules. They influence things like our mood, our sleep, our appetite, and even the way we experience pain. Scientists also discovered that they’re responsible for regulating stress, which was a key finding. As a result, many researchers believe that a range of afflictions, from depression to chronic pain, may be caused by an imbalance in the endocannabinoid system.

Found in the ECS, cannabinoid receptors bind and trigger a reaction from their position within these cells. In the brain, the receptors are positioned on neurones that influence things like memory processing, motor function, cognition, and emotional response. In humans, two primary cannabinoid receptors are present – one that deals with pain response and another that is involved with the psychoactive effects of cannabinoids. If you take medical marijuana or products with high levels of THC, your brain has a powerful reaction that can limit the effects of anxiety, depression and physical pain.

An important scientific discovery 

When scientists learned of the existence of cannabinoid receptors, they also found that THC and CBD – two of the compounds found within cannabis – activated them. As a result of its further study over the years, medical marijuana has been legalised in many different countries. Contrary to what people often think, cannabinoid receptors can be found in nearly every part of the brain. CB1 is more prevalent in the limbic system and cerebellum, while CB2 is found in the immune system. Additionally, other parts of the body have cannabinoid receptors.

If cannabinoids activate CB1, they lead to reduced decision making, reduced motor activity, and even impaired memory and learning function. However, when CB2 is activated, the result is a reduction in neuropathic pain and a range of anti-inflammatory effects. Since the receptors were discovered in the seventies, THC has been found to limit the progression of Alzheimer’s and has even been used to treat epilepsy and schizophrenia. CBD has helped to reduce seizures and has even been used as an anti-psychotic.

Cannabinoids and the human body 

The endo-cannabinoid system is capable of a range of effects on the human body. Some of the results include alleviated anxiety, reductions in chemotherapy symptoms, fewer seizures, and less pronunced nausea. Research into the system that started in 1988 found that Anandamide – an endocannabinoid – was able to produce similar effects to THC. Although there are other compounds, further research is needed to discern how they would interact with other cannabinoids in the human body.

Given that the endocannabinoid system was unknown to us until the 1970s, it’s remarkable how far we’ve come in such a short space of time. One of the best ways to enjoy the natural benefits of cannabidiols is to take it in the form of CBD, which can be vaped, used as an oil, or enjoyed in myriad other ways.

 

Is there really a place for pineapple on top of a pizza? We don’t think so, either! Why not try it in Love Struck’s delicious Firestarter instead – a spellbinding mixture of pineapple, coconut, mango, and lime, with a kick of heat from the chilli. And rather than adding apple juice, you can take it one step further by adding a 50/50 mixture of pineapple juice and water to bring out even more delicious tropical flavours. 

Let’s talk about pineapples 

European explorers first discovered pineapples in South America, where they named them after the plant’s resemblance to a pinecone. Frankly, it’s a miraculous fruit. It’s been a stalwart in traditional medicine for generations, and thanks to a remarkably impressive profile of nutrients – Vitamin C and manganese, in particular, (131% and 76% of your RDA, respectively) – few can argue about the incredible properties of this delicious fruit.

Vitamin C is vital for development and growth, a healthy immune system, and enables you to absorb iron from the other foods that you consume. Manganese, on the other hand, maintains healthy metabolism and is valued for its antioxidant properties. Its star role sees manganese fight those dangerous free radicals that can lead to chronic inflammation and a weakened immune system. It’s a crucial nutrient, that’s for sure!

In spite of these wondrous benefits of pineapples, we actually want to focus on bromelain, which helps you recoverr following an intense workout, helps your stomach settle after you’ve gorged on too much food, and even fights cancerous cells. Oh, and did we mention that it also helps your kids recover more quickly from sinus infections? Talk about a superfood! Let’s dive into the details of these benefits now.

Digestion 

Classified as a digestive enzyme, bromelain works as a protease. Its fundamental purpose is to break down protein molecules into building blocks, including small peptides and amino acids. This is important because protein molecules are much easier for your small intestine to ingest once they have already been broken down. This is super helpful for people who suffer from pancreatic insufficiency, which is a condition that means the pancreas is incapable of producing sufficient digestive enzymes.

Another key characteristic of bromelain is the fact that it can break down tough meat proteins. Who knew – maybe adding some pineapple to a meat feast pizza is a good idea after all?

Anti-cancer 

Multiple studies have indicated that pineapple and its compounds might reduce the risk of cancerous cells developing. The reason for this is that they reduce inflammation and minimize oxidative stress.

For instance, in two groundbreaking test-tube studies, bromelain was found to suppress the growth of breast cancer cells and even stimulated the death of the cells. Other non-human test-tube studies have found that bromelain has the potential to suppress cancer in the colon, gastric system, bile duct, and skin, which is extremely promising.

Scientists believe that bromelain is capable of making white blood cells that stimulate the immune system and suppress cancer cell growth while eliminating some cancer cells entirely. Of course, you would need to eat an awful lot of pineapple to ingest sufficient quantities of bromelain into your system (equal to that of a supplement), and it’s perhaps too early to draw conclusions in the absence of human studies, but it’s still a promising start, and there’s no reason not to enjoy more pineapple!

Kids inflammation and immunity 

To see what would happen to their immunity, one study fed 98 healthy children lots (280g) of pineapple, some (140g) pineapple, or no pineapple at all. The study found conclusively that children who ate pineapples had a much lower risk of bacterial and viral infections. Additionally, the children who were selected to eat the most pineapple had up to four times as many disease-fighting white blood cells – known as granulocytes – than the kids within the other two groups.

Interestingly, a separate study discovered that when children were given a bromelain supplement, they recovered much faster from a sinus infection when compared to standard treatment. We hear you – what’s the easiest way to get your kids to eat pineapple? Coco Loco!

It might help with arthritis 

In the United Kingdom, arthritis affects more than ten million adults. And while there are various types of arthritis, most of them result from joint inflammation. Research into bromelain from the 1960s indicated that it successfully relieved joint pain for people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.

More recently, a study learned that osteoarthritis patients who took a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain found it equally as successful in relieving pain as diclofenac – a common arthritic medication.

Post-surgery recovery or intense exercise 

One study indicated that people who took bromelain prior to receiving dental surgery had much less pain and generally felt better than those who didn’t. The study also showed that it provided comparable pain relief to anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen.

Particularly intense or strenuous exercise is known to damage muscle tissue and cause inflammation. This results in muscle aches and pains for up to three days after exercise. But bromelain (and other proteases) are thought to increase the speed at which your muscles can recover, as it targets and reduces inflammation around the muscle tissue that has been damaged by exercise.

To test this theory out, one study provided participants with a digestive enzyme supplement containing bromelain after exercising intensely on a treadmill for 45 minutes. The results were clear: the people who took the supplement had more strength afterwards and less inflammation.

Therefore, pineapple and its star nutrient bromelain are incredible when it comes to improving your health and wellbeing, and we would absolutely recommend you add more of it to your diet.

But we need to end with a quick warning. If you have an existing latex allergy, you might be more at risk of suffering an allergic reaction to pineapples. Symptoms include the swelling of your tongue/throat/face/lips combined with breathing difficulties, intense itching, sinus congestion, constipation, dizziness, fainting, and anaphylactic shock. Please consult your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.

So, all that’s left is to figure out how to cut a pineapple! Or, you can let us take care of the prep for you. In the meantime, stay well and get more pineapple into your diet.

 

Travelling through the bloodstream in our bodies, our hormones act as powerful chemical messengers. They control various aspects of our bodily functions, including our sex hormones. Therefore, ensuring we optimise our diet with the right foods will internally balance our hormones. During a monthly cycle, we can experience a range of disturbing symptoms, including sugar craving, bloating, weight gain, spots, and general sluggishness. Together with Complete Me, we’ve collated a super helpful guide to inform you of the optimal foods to balance your hormones and increase your sense of wellbeing.

Balancing Blood Sugar

As you’re probably aware, sugar is prevalent in so many foods that we enjoy, from the blackberries we add to our morning smoothies to our lunchtime sandwiches. Sugar is volatile, and although it offers a quick rush, we need to manage our intake. It’s common to experience significant crashes when your blood sugar dips after eating in excess, which means you need even more later on. And although it’s not a sex-related hormone, insulin is one of the most important hormones we need to balance. If our insulin levels are too low or too high, they will harm the others. Be sure to stabilise your blood sugar levels by eating at regular intervals throughout the day instead of gorging on lots of sugar in one go. Get into the habit of looking at the GL guide (glycemic load) of the foods you eat – typically, the lower, the better, so try and stick to these types of food. While carbohydrates are undoubtedly key to our diet, eating the correct ones is equally as important.

Healthy Fats

As a result of the demonisation of fats, people have turned to refined carbs, sugar, and processed foods as alternatives. But studies have indicated that fat isn’t as bad as it was once considered to be. Instead, we now know that there are myriad healthy foods that contain high levels of fat – such as avocado – and we now even consider them to be superfoods. Incorporating good fats into your diet and eliminating trans fats simultaneously is a smart move for your health and wellbeing. Good fats are plentiful in avocados, legumes, and oily fish (sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies, etc.) and are an excellent way to boost your overall health. What’s more, healthy fats are essential for producing your hormones!

Fibre

Many of us could do with reducing our intake of added sugars while increasing our consumption of fibre. Eating sufficient fibre reduces your risk of heart disease, strokes, bowel cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. Incorporating whole grain and fresh vegetables into your diet is a great way to increase your fibre intake. Approximately 50% of the UK population misses out on half of their recommended 30 grams of fibre every day. Fibre also plays an important digestive role, and it is necessary for forming our stools. This is one of the primary ways in which hormones are exerted from our bodies after being broken down.

Cruciferous Vegetables

When it comes to hormonal balance, including cruciferous vegetables in your diet is also key. Consider the likes of cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, and kale to get you started. The reason these vegetables are so important is that they enable our livers to excrete our hormones, which is crucial as it’s dangerous to have reused hormones recirculating around our bodies. Cruciferous vegetables are loaded with excellent hormone-balancing nutrients, so be sure to incorporate them into your diet wherever possible! A side note – if you have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism (a low thyroid), you will need to cook cruciferous vegetables in order to break down the goitrogens within. If you don’t, it may interfere with your body’s ability to process iodine.

Hopefully, you now have a better insight into how to enhance your wellbeing while balancing your hormones.

 

Most people can admit that they’d like to live a long and healthy life for as long as possible. In most cases, as long as you don’t have any serious health conditions, living a long and healthy life is completely attainable! It all comes down to prioritizing your well-being. If you’re looking for some of the best ways to prioritize your health, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are some of the best tips for being as healthy as you can be.

Visit the Doctor Regularly

Going to the doctor is a great way to catch any serious health issues early on. Often if you lead to a serious health condition progress too far, then it could wind up being fatal. Planning a funeral for someone too young can be heartbreaking. Instead of letting your health slide, prioritize getting regular checkups and ensuring that you catch problems as soon as possible.

Get Active

Something as simple as 30 minutes a day of basic exercise can make a huge difference in your overall well-being. Rather than seeing exercise as something you have to force yourself to do, try to see it as an opportunity to get your blood pumping and clear your mind. If you start to view exercise as a burden then you’re not prioritizing your health. Try to get up and move at least several times a day, and your body will thank you for it.

Get Sleep

If there’s one thing you can do for your body that can improve everything from your mood to your immune system it’s getting enough sleep. Getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night can significantly improve your health. If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, then you should consider meditating or using some kind of hypnosis. The most important thing is to avoid looking at screens right before you fall asleep. The bright lights and colors can be too stimulating for your brain to be able to fall asleep afterward.

Spend Time With the Ones You Love

Spending time with the people you love can make a huge difference in your quality of life. Try to get plenty of social time in to reap the benefits of a great social life. Studies show that the people who live the longest and healthiest lives are the ones that have the support of their families. This is especially important if you’re a senior citizen.

The older you get, the more help you need getting day-to-day activities done. If you live near your family that means you always have someone to give you a helping hand when in need.

 

CBD is a fantastic compound that offers a lot of benefits to our health and wellbeing. The ability to add this versatile ingredient to your recipes every day is just one of the benefits of using CBD, making harnessing the nutritional properties easier than ever. If you’re curious about how to start cooking with CBD, we’ve compiled our top tips to make it as easy as possible.

How does cooking with CBD drops work?

CBD is like other fat-soluble cannabis substances, and since many recipes have fat in them, from butter or olive oil to coconut milk and nut butters, it’s the perfect addition. It can be added to sauces, dressings and dips, to cooked meals such as stews and curries, and desserts. Just be mindful when you’re adding CBD drops, such as Vitabiotics CBD, not to expose them to a high heat as this can deteriorate the quality of the compounds.

What are the benefits of cooking with CBD?

CBD drops provide a slow, gradual release of this compound into your body, and if you add it to your food, it will be even more gradual which makes digestion easier and allows your body to process it slowly. It’s also a discreet way to take CBD, rather than vaping or using topical treatments, which can be inconvenient when you’re out and about. With CBD drops, you can experiment with different recipes and dosages until you find the balance that suits you best.

What can I add CBD to?

CBD can be added to a wide range of dishes and drinks, so you can play around with your favourite dishes and see which ones you enjoy adding a dose of CBD to. From breakfasts and snacks to dinner dishes and drinks, CBD can work with a variety of cuisines. Why not try adding CBD to your baked goods, such as cookies, brownies and cakes? Or try adding it to ice cream and frozen desserts, such as cheesecake bites or energy balls. CBD can also be added to hot and cold sauces and dips such as guacamole. If you’re looking for a healthy meal idea, you may like adding it to soups and smoothies, which can be tailored to your tastes. For a more laid-back solution, you can even add CBD to tea and coffee.

Final thoughts

When you’re cooking with CBD, it’s important to choose a high-quality, reputable brand so you can be sure of the quality of the product and that it’s been tested properly. CBD is incredibly versatile and it can be added to so many types of food and drink, both hot and cold, that it’s no wonder so many people have gotten into experimental mode when it comes to trying out new and exciting recipes. It offers a discreet way to take your daily dose of CBD isolate and can be a fun way to try out new ways to add this to your routine.

It is perfectly normal for children to prefer some foods to others but when their options become seriously limited, it can put extra pressure on the family come dinner. You want them to eat nutritious food while your little one just wants to eat sausage and chips. To help take the heat out of getting your child to eat, we’ve come up with six ingenious hacks to get your picky eater to love their mealtimes.

1. Get them involved

Your child’s finicky eating could be because they are unsure or not quite understanding what food is all about. So, our first hack is simple but practical – get them involved!

From letting them help you shop and pick their own food to preparing a meal with you in the kitchen (this is also a great way to spend some quality time with your child) may help you to understand their food concerns a little more. And, if your child has played a key part in the food prep and sees what goes into their meal, they may also be more inclined to eat it once it’s on the table.

2. Hide the good stuff

Getting creative with their vegetables can mean your little one will eat their meal if certain foods are not quite in plain sight. Adding extra veggies to their Bolognese sauce, blending leafy greens into their tomato soup or even roasting vegetables under the cover of some delicious cheese, disguising food is a well-known hack for picky eaters that works. And it also ensures they are getting all those important vitamins, such as iron and vitamin D.

3. Make mealtime fun

To help your child build a healthy relationship with food, it needs to be fun and free of fear or anxiety. You can make their mealtimes more playful in a host of ways – from making funny faces on the plate with their food to letting them roll up their sleeves and get baking. And for a particularly problematic meal or ingredient, giving it a new name and dressing it up in a way that draws your child’s attention is a good way to get them open to trying it out.

4. Supplement their diet

While your child’s taste buds and appetite for food develop and mature, you may want to consider supplementing their diet with a multivitamin specifically formulated for younger ones. Many products come in delicious gummy-style sweets that are easy for children to take. And to support energy and reduce tiredness, iron tablets are also worth considering.

5. Make the most of breakfast time

If you can prioritise one meal, then make it breakfast as this gives you the chance to set your child up nutrition-wise for the day. And breakfast is a much more casual affair, with plenty of options to concoct a picky eater-friendly dish. Pancakes, cereal, eggs, sausages, sweet fruit – there are plenty of breakfast ingredients that can be mixed and matched to keep a picky eater happy. And if you put out a selection of food, your child can do their own DIY buffet breakfast, and eat more than they realise.

6. Take the pressure off

And finally, whatever you do, try to avoid a battle over food when it comes to mealtime. And that means taking off the pressure and avoiding bargaining; give your picky eater sufficient choice to create their own dinner instead. Then make all the portions child-sized, ensure your little one has been involved in the food choice and even the cooking before settling down to enjoy your meal. As the experts advise – try not to worry about a single meal but look at the bigger picture and what good, nutritious food your child successfully eats and enjoys over the week.