Greening for the future of my offspring

Spending a lot of time  outdoors boosts children's spiritual connection  with the Earth and the sense that they need to protect it, researchers report. The small new study included 10 children, aged 7 and 8. According to the authors, a strong attachment to nature was seen in those who spent five to 10 hours a week outside. "These values are incredibly important to human development and well-being," researcher Gretel Van Wieren, an assistant professor of religious studies at Michigan State University, said in a university news release. Peacefulness and happiness "We were surprised by the results. Before we did the study, we asked, 'Is it just a myth that children have this deep connection with nature?' But we found it to be true in pretty profound ways," she added. Read:   5 great tips for the outdoors Children who spent a lot of time outdoors expressed feelings of peacefulness, happiness and a sense of belonging in the world, the investigators

Many a parent has surrendered to the indomitable will of a child who refuses to eat any fruit or vegetable. Other kids go through fads where anything green is considered toxic or the only form of fruit that passes their lips is a fruit smoothie. Surveys show that the consumption of fruits and veggies is dropping to worrisome levels among children. Many kids replace such foods with processed products that have little or no nutrition, such as soft drinks instead of juice. Jane Collins, the medical director of London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, says parents should try any way they can to inveigle children to eat their fruits and vegetables. In her column for The Times of London, Collins describes the necessary nutrients that children miss as finicky eaters: Vitamin C  helps the body to absorb iron and to heal wounds and keeps skin and gums healthy. It is easily destroyed by heat so food is best eaten raw or only lightly cooked. Sources include citrus fruits, ki