keep energy LEVELS UP

DIETITIAN KERRYN WUTH ADVISES PARENTS HOW TO PLAN THEIR CHILDREN’S NUTRITIONAL NEEDS TO BOOST THEIR ENERGY LEVELS AND HELP THEM COPE BETTER AT SCHOOL

– to what your child eats, is to provide them with foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. These have a higher nutrient density and do not contain harmful chemical additives. Do not be influenced by marketing slogans on convenience meal or snack options. All chemical additives in sweet and savoury foods negatively affect a child’s concentration, behaviour and energy levels.

Send an extra snack to have on the way to school. Kids leave the house early, so breakfast is sometimes at 5.30am. They then only eat again at school at about 10am. This is far too long for a child to go without nutrition. Narrow this gap, especially if they have early morning sport.

Children do not need a lot of variety and do not get as bored with food as adults do. There are only a handful of snacks that children should have on a daily basis – fresh and dried fruit, popcorn, nuts and nut butters, biltong, white cheese, and plain milk and plain cultured yogurt.

RIGHT: Kerryn Wuth is a registered dietitian who is passionate about good health for the entire family.

Avoid sweetened (or sugar-free) drinks as these will fill your child up and “replace” foods they should be eating. Water is all they need.

If in doubt, consider getting professional, age-appropriate advice and implement it consistently. Having a structured framework to work from will take the pressure off of you when planning meals as well as reassure you that your children are on track.

An established daily food routine that includes fresh, wholesome ingredients, will reward you with energetic, enthusiastic, successful and happy children. *

For More Info

Contact Kerryn Wuth on kerrynnutritioninnovated. co.za; www.nutritioninnovated.co.za

As much a dog’s best friend as a dog owner’s, Emmanuel recounts how he grew up with a single mom on a small farm surrounded by animals. When his grandmother disciplined him for being naughty, he escaped to the nearby Mazarat Kennels. There he not only fell in love with the residents, but also got to watch how handlers trained the police dogs that lived there. He tried out what they did, and has been working with dogs ever since.

Emmanuel worked for various kennels over the years, but in 2015 decided that it was time to open his own business. He says he has never looked back.

A natural entrepreneur, Emmanuel started out by handing out pamphlets offering a free half-hour consultation to potential clients. He now has clients extending from the Upper Highway area to uMhlanga. Although he is active on social media, the adage of success breeding success applies, and he constantly adds to his customer base through word-of-mouth.

He is often called in to deal with problem dogs and says that, just as every situation is different, so is every dog. Even a group of pups that share a single owner will learn differently. They can each have different problems, he explains.

When meeting a problem pooch, he needs to assess the dog and then work at that dog’s level. Then it is a case of also working closely with the owner to change the mindsets of both.

Emmanuel believes that his system of doing house calls and training dogs at home is particularly important. “Dogs are not the problem, the owners are,” he smiles. Home is where the bad habits are and owners usually stop doing the things they have been taught during training as soon as they arrive home.

As a trainer, he says the two most important things are to never use fear and to work with each unique animal, one