
Dr. Riebel is passionate about ensuring everyone from children to adults are healthy from a cardiovascular perspective! Prevention is the key and she is here to work with children, parents, and families to educate and begin a heart healthy diet and lifestyle. Consultations for specialized fitness and nutrition plans including regular follow up are available to everyone of any age.
Infant Nutrition
Starting solid foods is an exciting milestone for babies! But making sure your baby is getting the right foods at the right time can be tricky. Happy Heart Pediatrics is here to help you navigate the world of healthy eating for babies. If you have any questions about your baby’s nutrition―including concerns about your baby eating or drinking too much or too little―feel free to contact our medical team
Toddler Fitness and Nutrition
Fitness
At this age, your child will seem to be continually on the go—running, kicking, climbing, jumping. This yearlong energy spurt certainly will keep you on the go. But take heart—their activity level will strengthen their body and develop their coordination.
Nutrition
You’ll probably notice a sharp drop in your toddler’s appetite after their first birthday. Suddenly they’re picky about what they eat, turns Their head away after just a few bites, or resists coming to the table at mealtimes. It may seem as if they should be eating more now that they’re so active, but there’s a good reason for the change. Their growth rate has slowed, and they really don’t require as much food now.
Preschool Fitness and Nutrition
Your preschooler may seem to be in constant motion much of the time. This is because they use their body to convey thoughts and emotions that they still can’t describe through language. Moving their body also helps them better understand many words and concepts that are new to them. In addition, your child should now have a healthy attitude toward eating and consume food to give them energy, not to demonstrate defiance.
Grade school Fitness and Nutrition
Fitness
As a parent, you need to encourage healthy habits—including exercise—in your children. Physical activity should become as routine a part of their lives as eating and sleeping.
Nutrition
Nutrition is important to normal growth processes, and thus you should make an effort to ensure that your child consumes a well-balanced diet. Your child’s need for calories rises during times of rapid growth, gradually increasing as they move through middle childhood into puberty.
Teen Fitness and Nutrition
Fitness
Getting teenagers into the routine of exercising increases the likelihood that they will grow up to value healthy living and stay active. It will take concerted efforts of parents, schools and communities, however, to encounter the many diversions vying for a youngster’s time and attention.
Nutrition
One of the first ways teenagers assert their independence is by making their own eating choices. So, it may not come as a surprise that good eating habits are often a problem for teenagers. One way to make sure your teen is consuming a nourishing diet is to have family meals together.