Balance your fats and optimize your vitamin D! Even if you eat REAL food, local and organic, it's likely you're still not getting all the essential fat and vitamin D your body requires for optimal health.  That's why we supplement our family's diets with cod liver oil, filled with omega-3 essential fats and naturally sourced vitamin D3.

Read more: Arctic-D Cod Liver Oil

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all infants and children, including adolescents, should have a minimal daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D beginning soon after birth.[1] New data suggest that vitamin D has a potential role in maintaining innate immunity and in reducing the risk for certain chronic diseases including diabetes and cancer. This new evidence may eventually change the definition of vitamin D sufficiency or deficiency.[2]

Read more: Why Is Vitamin D Essential for Health?

Many parents in my practice are focused soley on vitamins. They are discouraged with their child's diet and they want an insurance factor. "What multivitamin can I give my child to ensure his/her body's needs are met?" Parents are often not enthused to hear my answer:  "No vitamin (or mineral) supplement can replace the REAL deal:  a well-balanced, whole foods diet."  No matter how hard we try - we cannot replace what nature so beautifully packaged for us in the form of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. REAL food is naturally packed full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients. 

Read more: Vitamins: Why are Minerals So Important

Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain live beneficial microorganisms; what? Yes. Probiotics are LIVE bugs, usually bacteria, sometimes yeast. Why would I want to supplement my diet with bacteria or yeast? Because these beneficial microorganism keep us ALIVE. The word probiotic comes from pro and biota, meaning "for life".

Read more: Probiotics: The Healthy Bugs

You've tackled your child's diet and she's eating REAL food the majority of the time.  Why would she need a supplement?  Can't she get everything she needs from REAL food? We certainly wish that were true.  If your child is eating mainly REAL food, he is getting a ton of nutrients.  Way more nutrients than if he were eating all the fake foods filled with toxic ingredients.  So why does he need supplements too?  Unfortunately, even a diet full of REAL food can fall short of what our bodies need due to farming practices, soil quality and toxins in our environment.

Read more: 3 Must Have Supplements