How to Raise kids that rarely get sick?
Which foods can you give your child to boost their immune system and raise them into super healthy kids? A question Jessica Donovan naturopath and holistic health expert answers in this in-depth interview with Dr. Kaz on the Mum’s The Word Podcast. Jessica has also created an e-book, ‘5 food secrets of kids that rarely get sick’ to help parents boost their kids immune system with real food. To get you warmed up here are three creative tips to boost the system. Listen to the whole interview via the link below.
Snub the Sugar out of your Kids Diet
We all know that sugar makes our kids crazy but did you know it also affects their immune system? Sugar is like a ‘chill pill’ for the immune system, reducing the activity of white blood cells so they become ineffective at protecting us from the bugs that are rife in winter. Reduce refined sugar in your child’s diet by reducing sugary breakfast cereals, processed sweet snacks and sugary drinks.
Brightly Coloured Food Frenzy for Kids
Brightly coloured real food (we’re not talking smarties here!) contains high levels of antioxidants and phytochemicals which strengthen kids immune systems. Blueberries, beetroot, baby spinach, pumpkin and kiwi fruit are all great sources of antioxidants. Make sure there is lots of colour on your kid’s plates and encourage them to eat superfoods like goji berries, cacao nibs, and acai to give them a super boost.
Get Groovey with the Good Bugs
Good bugs are also known as probiotics or beneficial bacteria and are valuable to our health in countless ways. Your immune system uses the good bugs to help recognize whether it needs to attack an invader and having a healthy colony of good bugs in your gut helps to reduce the frequency of colds and other infections. Babies that are born by Caesarean of fed formula, as well as kids that take antibiotics regularly or have high sugar diets have lower levels of these protective good bugs. To improve your kid’s good bacteria levels incorporate fermented foods such as yoghurt or homemade fermented veggies and supplement their diet with a good quality probiotic supplement.
Listen to the whole interview with Jessica Donovan on Mum’s The Word Podcast right here.