Mia asks: How can one grow fast naturally?
Hi Mia –
Well, there are a few ways, but the one most people know about (and don’t want to do) is that if you eat lots of sweets and carbs and fatty foods, and don’t get any exercise, you’ll grow a lot – but only outward, not up! There is a lot of evidence that today’s kids’ bodies are maturing way earlier because of certain chemicals in their food, especially in meats. That’s not really a good thing, though! We like kids to be kids for a while!
I think what you’re saying, though, is you want to grow taller and stronger sooner. And the best way to do that is… just what you’ve been hearing all your life: eat a healthy diet, and get lots of exercise and enough sleep, and try not to get sick too much.
Boring, I know. But the truth is that your body is absolutely programmed to grow as big and as fast as it possibly can, as long as it gets the right treatment. Think of a flower – it already knows how to grow big and bright and beautiful; but if it doesn’t get enough sunlight, or enough water, or enough nutrients in its soil, it can’t do what it wants.
So your job is to do the same for yourself as you would for that flower. Eat healthy foods and not too much junk, play lots and especially play things that involve running and falling and using your whole body; get at least eight hours of sleep a night, and try not to get too many illnesses.
But really the better answer for me to give you would be if you reversed your question: What gets in the way of growing up fast? Well, too much lousy food and not enough good food, sitting around at school and home all day and not using your body to play, constantly getting too little sleep, and being ill so much it stunts your growth.
And biggest of all: smoking anything, drinking alcohol, and even drinking lots of caffeinated drinks. All these deplete the body of oxygen and other necessary ingredients for growth. They’ll keep you from growing today, and they’ll hurt you later on.
Now am I saying that you can never have a donut or a pizza (Me?! Ha! Not a chance!)? Or that you can never have a cola or a cup of tea? Or that a teenager who has one cigarette or tries one beer has ruined their future? Not at all. It’s the excess of these that really hurt growth.
So enjoy your young self while it lasts, Mia. Treat yourself well and you’ll grow just as quickly as your body thinks is right. Because the day will come when you’ll say “Hey, whatever happened to that little kid I once was? I kinda liked her!”
And that day always shows up sooner than you ever thought possible!
Thanks,
Shirelle