Nutritional Requirements Across the Lifespan

Did you know?...

     That good nutrition starts before you are even born? Yes, it does. What type of lifestyle and how your parents eat, especially six months before they conceive you, is extremely important. Moreover, it is extremely important what your mother eats, drinks and smokes during pregnancy that affects you. But, for the sake of this blog, we'll keep it to food and drinks.

During Pregnancy:

     Your mom needs to eat for two, but that does not give permission to binge eat a bag of Doritos and a Big Gulp followed by a triple scoop banana split from Baskin Robbins. It means that her caloric intake increases because she is essentially eating for two human beings and meeting the nutritional needs for herself and her unborn baby are demanding. Prenatal vitamin supplements are recommended for pregnant mothers. Pregnant mom to be especially needs increased folic acid and Vitamin B12 to form your developing brain and spinal cord and to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. She also needs Vitamin D and Calcium for your growing bones and tooth development. Iron is another essential need as blood volume increases to provide for the placenta and fetal needs. (Sizer & Whitmore, 2013). All alcohol and drugs should be avoided during pregnancy as they can harm the unborn child.

During Infancy and Childhood: 

     Breastfeeding is important for infants and mothers need to keep up on their increased caloric intake and nutrition just as in pregnancy. Breast milk provides huge immunity support to the infant. It is important for mom to drink plenty of water as well. As the infant grows into a child, they start eating solid food in graduated increments. They will need increased calories as the child does a lot of growing these critical years. As a child, there may be times of being a picky eater or not being hungry to being hungry all the time. A lot of this depends on how fast growth is occurring as well as energy output. Iron and Vitamin C are important for immune system and iron. Calcium and Vitamin D are important for growing bones.

Adolescence to Adulthood: 

I have had four kids and I have seen them through adolescence. It may seem like they never eat or they always eat. There are times that they may have one meal a day or six. During these years it is confusing because it does not always depend on energy output, sometimes it is a simple fact that they keep themselves pretty busy and 'forget' to eat. Other times, it is like they always eat and the food goes out of the house as fast as it comes in. During the teen years, there is a growth spurt and iron is essential, especially for girls who are starting menstruation. The teens still need calcium and Vitamin D for bone growth. It is especially important during these years to have good healthy eating habits. What they do now they carry with them through their adult lives. Hopefully mom and dad are being good role models. 

As we age into adulthood, our needs change. If we are more sedentary, we should not be consuming so many calories. 

References: 

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2013).  Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies (13th ed.).  Mason, OH: Cengage Learning