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The foundation of beauty should be laid during childhood. Beauty is actually a total impact. It is not merely beauty of facial features, but an all round development of the person and personality. It includes the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects. It also entails inculcating good habits. Indeed, the habits that are inculcated during childhood can last a lifetime. Some of these good habits can play an important role, specially during the teenage years, when hormonal activity gives rise to beauty problems.

If you want your child to have beauty, you have to take some common factors into consideration. These are physical fitness, nutrition, exercise, sleep, as well as some amount of external skin and hair care. The external treatments should mainly be in the form of protective care. Yes, your child does not have to be born a beauty. She can acquire it, because beauty is the outcome of good internal health and regular external care.

Diet

The diet is of great importance to healthy skin and hair. Many parents neglect this aspect and take the easy way out, indulging their children, by allowing them to have too many fast foods, like pizzas and hamburgers, aerated drinks, potato wafers and fried snacks. These can provide calories, but do not give adequate nutrition. They also satisfy the appetite, so the child does not eat properly at meal times. Children should be discouraged from having too many of these foods, by making tasty snacks for them. Give them snacks like fruit chaat. Foods can be made appetizing by adding lemon juice, chaat masala, green dhania chutney and so on. When children want snacks, they can be given fruits, cucumber, carrots, chaat made from sprouted moong or kala chana and so on. It is also much better to give your children fresh foods, rather than canned or processed foods. Make soups out of fresh vegetables, rather than using the soup packets that are so popular nowadays.

The daily diet should be a balanced one, so that the child receives all the essential nutrients. During the growing years proteins are of more importance. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are absolutely essential. There are 20 amino acids and all of them are needed by the body. Some of these occur only in proteins which are derived from animal sources. So, vegetarians can get these from milk and milk products. Apart from fish, meat, chicken, liver and eggs, proteins are available from paneer, curds, milk, lentils (dals), beans, peas, nuts, seeds and sprouts. That is why it is so necessary to have a balanced diet, with a variety of foods.

Good internal health reflects externally, on the skin and hair. A diet for beauty should be high in vitamin-rich foods. Vegetables should be lightly cooked. Fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouted grains and yogurt should be included in the daily diet. Eating such raw and natural foods ensures the adequate supply of nutrients. Ensure that your family has whole grain cereals and discourage foods containing refined cereals (like maida). Children can have freshly extracted fruit and vegetable juices, lassi and soups. After meals, encourage them to have fresh fruits, instead of pastries and cakes.

Exercise and Personality Development

There was a time when the main recreation for children was playing outdoor games with their friends. This helped them, not only in terms of exercise, but in learning to get along with other people. This is so important for personality development. Today, in the age of television and computers, children spend more time gazing at screens. It is not only a strain for the eyes, but they do not get exercise or develop their social skills, which are necessary for an all round personality. Encourage your child to have some form of physical activity, learn games and play with other children. Children can learn outdoor sports like tennis, swimming or activities like dancing or martial arts. These not only help general fitness, but give the body good posture and grace of movement. They also help to build confidence and develop the personality. Regular physical activity builds up stamina and strength and also improves blood circulation to the skin and scalp.

Encourage your child to develop hobbies and interests. Every child has some talent or facet that can be developed. It may be painting, singing, playing a musical instrument, collecting stamps or coins, etc. Hobbies and interests help in making us aware of the world around us. In fact, hobbies and interests are not only relaxing to the mind, but add another dimension to the personality. They also form healthy outlets for children, as they are growing up.

Personal Hygiene

Along with diet, another important aspect is basic cleanliness and hygiene. This is another habit which can last the entire lifetime. Cleanliness is actually the basis of good grooming and looking attractive. It is also a way of avoiding skin and scalp problems. Proper cleanliness not only extends to the body, but to the clothes as well. Pay attention to see that daily baths and change of clothing are not neglected. Children should be helped during the bath, so that the body is scrubbed and kept clean. Use a soft wash cloth for scrubbing. The teeth, nails and feet must be kept clean and well cared for.

Clean, sparkling teeth are so much a part of the total impact that we are talking about. We all know the importance of dental care, yet tooth decay is as common as the common cold. Children may be brushing their teeth daily, but are they doing it the right way? Apart from short back and forth movements, see that the teeth are brushed up and down too. Encourage your children to brush their teeth at night, before going to bed. This is an important way of preventing the formation of mouth acids and tooth decay. Regular dental check-ups are also important, so that cavities and gum disease can be checked. Dental care also includes straightening of protruding or irregular teeth, with the help of braces and this has to be done during the growing years.

To be Continued...

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