By Dr. David Perlmutter

Children are constantly changing, growing and developing. As a parent, it’s important to support your child’s development by encouraging him or her to participate in positive activities, like making healthy food choices and spending quality and developmentally important time with friends and family. As a neurologist, I especially like to talk to parents about the importance of brain health and development for children. Here are four ways to help your child improve their brain health and build a beautiful mind.

Proper Nourishment

Nutritious foods are important for children as they have key nutrients and vitamins that fuel the mind and help with brain development. A nutritious diet that includes fruits, vegetables adequate protein, low in carbs yet rich in good fats like DHA omega-3 supports brain health and function.

A new study published in PLoS-ONE Journal called the Docosahexaenoic Acid Oxford Learning and Behavior (DOLAB) Trial investigated the effects of algal DHA supplementation on reading and behavior in healthy school children. The DOLAB study reported that supplementation with 600 mg of algal DHA for 16 weeks improves reading performance in children with low reading scores compared to a placebo.

What you can do:

Ensure that your child’s dinner plate is full of color – try new green, red, yellow and purple vegetables each week. Eat fatty fish like salmon or incorporate foods and beverages fortified with brain-supportive DHA from algae to ensure children are getting enough of this important nutrient in their diets.

Physical Activity

Research links regular physical activities with improved cognitive skills. Experts suggest children get at least 30 minutes to one hour of physical activity a day to continue building positive brain health.

What you can do:

Play outdoor games like kickball, tag or hide-and-seek with your children, sign them up to play team sports, take them on a hike or take them to the local swimming pool. Even in the wintertime, kids can bundle up and build snowmen, go sledding or ice skate.

Social Engagement

Evidence shows social connectedness is vital to health and wellness at any age. As they age, a rich social network may also help support brain health, from providing individuals with a variety of resources and support to reduce stress and maintain happiness.

What you can do:

Encourage children to make new friends and build social relationships. Meet with your kids and identify one or two group activities for them to join each semester of school as well as over the summer. Fun activities can include after-school sports, dance, music groups like band, orchestra or choir, chess club, volunteering, Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. Keep track of your child’s friends and help them to build strong relationships.

Mental Engagement

Keeping the brain active helps to create new brain cells, making new connections in the brain. Learning is a lifelong process, but children in particular should be encouraged to love learning to stimulate their brains.

What you can do:

Spend time with your child on challenging, brain-engaging activities like putting together a puzzle, playing word games, reading books together at bedtime or learning a new language.

– By David Perlmutter, M.D., board-certified neurologist, fellow of the American College of Nutrition and author of “Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten”

To learn more visit www.beautiful-minds.com.