Author Azaliya Schulz, releases her new book on Healthy Eating Habits.

Young people’s nutrition and eating habits remain top of the list when it comes to the health issues children and parents face today. There is a big question of how to change the status quo. It is a challenging task for parents to not only understand the nutritional world but also encourage their children to adopt healthy eating habits instead of candy bars, sodas, and burgers.

This task was taken on by Austin-based author Azaliya Schulz, who wrote a book specifically for children on nutrition and healthy eating. Azaliya works in the healthcare industry and sees first-hand how poor nutrition can affect long-term health, longevity, and quality of life. In her book, Healthy Eating with Liam the Smart Rabbit, she aims to address these concerns in the hope that more children will adopt healthy eating habits, therefore preventing many medical conditions down the road. 

Azaliya uses a fun and loveable character in Liam, an inquisitive rabbit who is exploring the world of food with his mother. He discovers an interesting building that he wants to know more about. His mother, in addressing the fact that Liam has his own delicious vegetable garden, takes him on an educational journey about the nutrients in his own garden and many harmful preservatives used in the candies today. This journey focuses on how these nutrients and vitamins, depicted as friends, help develop his health and strength as a growing rabbit.

Healthy eating for children

If you ask any child, he or she will say that she or he wants to grow up big, strong, and smart. Children under 5 reveal their very simple, yet noble desires if you ask them. However, do we as a society provide them with the best opportunity to become “big, strong, and smart”? To achieve this goal, proper nutrition is essential. 

Children’s diet and exercise habits can be directly affected by these settings” and we, as parents have a limited control over the food provided at these settings. It also states that children are at risk for four major health issues when they experience poor nutrition.

These health issues include heart conditions and strokes, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and obesity. In addition, the World Health Organization emphasizes the fact that “poor nutrition stunts children’s growth and cognitive function”.

Having a 4-year-old of her own, Azaliya realized her child was able to understand the importance of nutrition even at a young age. When searching for books to help her little one to explore the subject, she struggled to find comprehensive enough content. As a result of this and her daily exposure to the health industry, working with medical doctors, Azaliya became aware of the importance and real issue of health and nutrition for children.

Many health organizations, including the CDC, have implemented programs to promote healthy eating and nutrition in schools, but Azaliya points out that “proper nutrition, understanding health, and developing healthy eating habits start at home.” It is the best place for children to learn how to choose healthier alternatives and why it’s best to avoid certain foods. She also notes how easy it is to share knowledge with children. 

Azaliya believes storytelling and visual imagery are effective teaching methods. It is much more likely that a child will accept what you are teaching if you explain to them why something is important, it is not enough to just state that they need to eat healthy. They are incredibly intelligent and capable to understand long term effects than we sometimes give them credit for.

Pre-orders of the book are currently available on Amazon for $9.99 (will be $12.99 after the pre-order period ends). With the purchase of the book, you will get access to a variety of fun activities. The official release date is 7th March 2023.

Azaliya plans on releasing the series of books on important topics, such as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with Liam, the Smart Rabbit, Calming your Anger with Liam, the Smart Rabbit and Starting the School Year with Liam, the Smart Rabbit.

More information about the author can be found on this web link: azaliyaschulz.com