CHILDREN'S HEALTH & IMMUNITY
"My child always has a cold".
"My child is always taking time off to recover!" As a parent, you might find these are common thoughts running through your mind. You want your Child to be healthier and have less absent days from Childcare/school. If your child is under constant attack of being run down, you might want to consider building up a healthy immune system.
By building a healthy immune your child will be prone to less sick days and overcome illness quicker. As parents we want to support them through a healthier diet & lifestyle approaches. The following article will help educate yourself with useful ‘Tools’ that will benefit you and your family through the cold and flu season. I will talk about;
The Gut and Immunity connection.
Focus on what essential vitamins, minerals and supportive foods would be beneficial.
Look at lifestyle approaches to healthier children.
Take a look at supportive supplements.
Your gut health and immune system Did you know that over 70% of our immune system live in our gut? With that in mind you can start to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy gut. The Gut from Mouth to Anus is about 10m long and roughly 2-3kg of our gut is made up of our Microbiota (gut bacteria). So why is this important to know? Well a weak sparsely populated gut, will allow opportunistic microbes to enter, which means viruses and bacteria that can make you sick. Did you know that everyone's microbiota is unique to the individual and shaped by your birth, your environment and the food you eat? That's why when you see a holistic health care practitioner they may ask you questions relating to these topics, as it all forms the bigger health picture of a person. Ever heard of the term Prebiotics?
Prebiotics, are food to feed good bacteria. We need to feed them or they will start to eat the mucus lining, resulting in dysfunctional gut. A dysfunctional gut can lead to compromised health. A nutritionist or health practitioner can help with regards to healing a compromised gut.
Prebiotics Prebiotics are types of dietary fibre that feed the friendly bacteria in your gut. This helps the gut bacteria produce nutrients for your colon cells and leads to a healthier digestive system. The following are great sources of Prebiotic food sources:
Asparagus
Artichokes
Bananas
Berries
Flax
Onion
Garlic
Leeks Legumes
Probiotics Probiotics are live microorganisms. They can be taken as a dietary supplement in the form of capsules, tablets or powder. Probiotics can
also be found in many fermented foods including:
Sauerkraut
Kefir
Yogurt
Eating probiotics increases the amount of good bacteria in the gut.
Foods to nourish You may of heard of how important it is to have a healthy gut, but do you know why? When your gut is performing optimally it can absorb all the important nutrients from the food we have ingested. However if the gut showing signs of an imbalance, such as bloating, pain, loose stools, constipation, your child may not feel like eating at all and the vicious cycle continues of fussy eating and nutrient malabsorption. Possible causes for gut issues may include:
Antibiotic use
Over use of medication
Pesticides
Over use of hand sanitises
High sugar/processed food intake
Stress
Food Allergies/Intolerance
It's always best to seek advice if you feel gut issues may be the cause.
Foods to include Garlic: Anti-viral, anti-bacterial, stimulates the immune system & increases antibody production.
Berries: High in anti-oxidants & immune boosting nutrients, including vitamin A & C.
Leafy Greens: High in iron which helps boosts white blood cells & antibodies, high in magnesium needed for over 500 functions in the body.
Other important supportive foods include;
Mushrooms
Bone Broth
Elderberries
Echinacea
Healthy Protein & fats
Supportive Supplements Cod liver oil: Rich in Omega 3, Vitamin A, Vitamin D
Vitamin C: Natural Antioxidant, anti-microbial
Vitamin A: Protects mucus barrier
Zinc: Co-factor to many immune dependant responses Iron: Crucial to healthy immune function
B Vitamins: Cell defences, immune modulators & required for stress.
Lifestyle Approaches
Allow your child plenty of time to relax and sleep and recharge to build a healthy immune. Allow your child to play in the dirt & get dirty. Too much cleanliness and sterilising can do the opposite to your immune system. Expose your child's bare skin to the sun to absorb Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a very potent immune modulator. Information in this article should be a guideline only. Always seek medical advice if you are unsure.
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