A is for Awesome { Vitamin A }

Lately, I’ve become very aware of the major role that Vitamin A plays in our health and wellbeing – from maintaining healthy hair and skin, to assisting with bone formation and tissue regeneration. Contrary to popular belief, children are the most likely to be affected by a Vitamin A deficiencies, and if it goes unnoticed it can slow their growth and development which is hardly a good thing!

As they say – prevention is better than cure! That’s why I’ve recently decided to introduce more Vitamin A into my family’s diet. Here’s how:

• Increase your vegetable intake – especially orange, yellow and red veggies like sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin and squash.
• Dark green veggies are also excellent sources of Vitamin A, so encourage your family to eat more spinach and kale.
• Fruits like apricots, mangoes and cantaloupe are high in Vitamin A.
• Try to eat more eggs and fatty fish – and if the kids are open to it, introduce liver into your daily diets.
• Invest in a good Cod Liver Oil supplement – this is a particularly good supplement as it contains both Vitamin A and D and Omegas and is often recommended for children when suffering from the Measles virus.
• Dairy products like milk, yoghurt and cheese also contain Vitamin A – in fact, a single glass of milk can provide between 10 and 14% of your daily recommended intake.

If you suspect that any member of your family is suffering from a serious Vitamin A deficiency, consult with a nutritionist or doctor so that they can prescribe further supplements.

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