What a summer we have had! In our house it has meant a welcome break from all the sniffles and coughs that plague us during the winter. But with the school term upon us again (Lucy went off to Montessori “School” this morning - she was delighted but I was sad!) the chances are that we will be seeing them again soon. So what can we do to boost up our kids so that they throw off the bugs more easily? Obviously eating healthily is key. My sister Rachel and I were delighted to be asked in to The Boys School in Bantry to give a presentation as part of their Healthy Eating Initiative; and doubly delighted to find out that the boys had such an excellent healthy eating plan in place. They all seemed to have grasped the need for eating well and all knew the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. It seemed like they would be the ones teaching their parents how to eat healthily rather than the other way around!
Some ideas for healthy eating (taken from Patrick Holford’s website):
Breakfast – oat porridge, shredded wheat, fresh fruit smoothies (fruit blended with yoghurt and seeds), boiled egg with wholemeal soldiers, rye toast with chopped banana and peanut butter or sugar-free jam.
Lunch – a sandwich made with wholemeal bread with a tasty filling (eg tuna, egg, cheese, hummus, salad), hunks of cheese, cherry tomatoes, vegetable sticks, a slice of quiche for packed lunches; jacket potatoes, soups, scrambled or poached eggs or salads at home.
DInner – fresh (not processed) meat, fish or vegetable protein (soya, beans or lentils) with fresh vegetables, wholemeal spaghetti with a fresh tomato sauce, chilli with brown rice or fresh vegetable risotto. If your child eats a very limited range of vegetables it sometimes helps to get them to go vegetable shopping with you. Let them choose a new vegetable they would like to try and get them to buy into it! If you have a juicer in the house then involve them in making the juices and you will hopefully find it is easy to slip some carrots into their apple juice and they will still enjoy it.
For healthy snacks – fresh fruit (for faddy eaters it often helps to cut into fruit into pieces and they will gradually eat it without noticing!), wholemeal toast with peanut butter, almonds and pumpkin seeds, oat cakes or carrot sticks with hummus, or homemade flapjacks sweetened with dried fruit or honey.
NB – do not give your child peanuts, nuts or seeds if you suspect they have an allergy or if they mix with other children with anaphylactic allergies.
It is widely believed that a healthy gut means a healthy body, and recently a study was undertaken in 3-5 year old children that proved this to be true. The children were given 2 different probiotic supplements and monitored for incidences of fever, coughing, runny nose and antibiotic use. The study showed a reduction in symptoms and in duration of symptoms, and in antibiotic use, in the children taking the probiotic supplements. The best supplement had a combination of Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium. A good product for children containing these types of probiotics and more is called Udo’s (the same as the guy who makes Udo Oil). He also makes a very good probiotic supplement for infants and one for adults too.
Kindervital is an excellent multivitamin tonic for children. It’s made by the same company who make the iron tonic Floravital, and contains all the necessary vitamins as well as some herbs for winter wellness. And as a major plus it’s easy to take! If you have a fussy small person try the fruits flavour, it’s delicious.
The Pukka Elderberry Syrup is a favourite among our customers as an excellent way of warding off viruses. I give it to my daughter morning and evening as many days as I can remember - it tastes pretty OK, it contains Elderberry to prevent a virus catching hold and also Manuka Honey, thyme, ginger and many more ingredients to prevent colds and flues. A good one to have in the house for the first sign of a sniffle!
Another company that makes excellent winter wellness products is Comvita. They are well known for their Manuka Honey products (we will have a special offer on Comvita Manuka Honey this month) but they are also pioneering a very effective Olive Leaf Extract - it is known for it’s excellent immune boosting properties, and is safe for children, but is also being researched for it’s positive effect on Cardiovascular health and Diabetes. So Olive Leaf Extract could be the new tonic for the whole family!
Local honey or Manuka Honey are also both excellent for boosting the immune system. It’s a good time of year to stock up on local honey - it can be hard to find! Manuka honey can be great as an antibacterial also but beware of the fraudulent products out there - unfortunately there are many. Comvita is always trustworthy.
And finally a good way of warding off infections is to keep the nasal passage clean and clear, and Neti Pots are an excellent way of managing this. We have large Neti Pots for adults and also we are just getting in the Nasopure Pot which is ideal for children. They are simple to use - you make up a solution with salt and warm water and just tip your head to the side and let the water run through your nose. We have found that regular use of Neti Pots can can lead to amazing results for someone who gets repeated sinus infections, and teaching your children to use them when they are young will mean much better sinus health later on in life. Neti Pots and Nasopure Post are both safe for use during pregnancy.
If all else fails and your children are still suffering from repeated colds and flues then it can be useful to visit either a medical herbalist, an osteopath or an experienced homeopath. Call in to Organico or your local healthfood shop for contact details.
