What you must do this winter season for your child

Help boost their immune system

Winters are knocking, and we better get prepared. While it's festival and holiday time in India and the United States, let's also give some thought to living healthy and living natural this winter season and many more to come. Let’s look at some small, everyday healthy practices which can go a long way in making them stronger and their immune system better.

Age three and above

The immune system is everything. In layman’s terms- It’s our defense system to protect us against all kinds of diseases. It detects and distinguishes between pathogens, viruses, and parasitic worms (all that make us ill) and our own healthy tissues. It goes without saying that a healthy functioning immune system can go a long way in keeping ourselves and our children safe.

A newborn’s immune system is not nearly as effective as an adult’s or even an older child’s. Many a time, we see babies and toddlers falling sick more often than older kids and adults. That’s because their immune system isn’t fully developed. It takes good eating habits and a healthy lifestyle to give a boost to our immune system.

Lemon/Lime water early in the Morning

Lemon /Lime are powerhouses of nutrition and flavor. Introduce this in your daily life. A glass of water with half a lemon/lime squeezed first thing in the morning is a very healthy habit for life. Please give it to your children. Of the many benefits, it’s the Vitamin C antioxidant, which helps boost the immune system. Also, during 7-8 hours of sleep, our body would have been without water. When we wake up, giving the body a glass of water with lemon is a great way to kick start your day.

Crushed Garlic

Garlic has always been there in my family. My parents use to have it with water regularly. It has various medicinal qualities. Its antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant. Phewww J. Give a raw clove of garlic to everyone along with water. When it is crushed under our teeth, it produces the compound allicin, a potent antioxidant. My little one has been having half a clove of small garlic ever since he was two. My husband and I share a big clove and drink it with water. One clove of garlic in the United States is equal to 10 cloves in India. I suggest keeping the Indian garlic clove portion in mind while taking this.

Adding garlic to food enhances flavor, but what raw garlic does to the body, a cooked one wouldn’t. J

Probiotics

Buy supplements from the shop or the better option------for a daily dose, have homemade yogurt. If you are buying yogurt, look for plain yogurt with live and active cultures. This pretty much means the presence of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, which help convert milk to yogurt during the fermentation process. Try to avoid artificially flavored yogurt.

Get sleep

A well-rested body helps the immune system to become stronger. Children need more sleep than adults.

2-year-old needs -12-14 hours of sleep with daytime naps.

3-5-year-old need-10-12 hours of sleep with or without naps. However, a short nap is always an excellent practice for the body to rest and refuel.

5-8 years old need at least 9 hours of sleep. They can escape their daytime nap.

Fruits and Vegetables

Kale, Broccoli, Red Bell pepper, Green Bell pepper, Cauliflower are all having a high vitamin C content in them along with their usual other benefits. Cooking them right is important as vitamin C in them is sensitive to heat and storage over time. Kiwi, pineapple, and oranges are fruits high in Vitamin C. All kinds of berries are rich in antioxidants. Go ahead and eat.

Avoid too much sugar

What happens is that food high in sugar content has been shown to suppress the functioning of the immune system. Excess sugar, which children crave and parents surrender to, is never a healthy habit. Make sugar treats more as a reward:  chocolates, ice creams,  and artificially flavored candies.

Physical activity

Unless it really cold or freezing (which can be very risky considering kids can get frostbite or hypothermia), running around, playing, and jumping is good for children. Dress them up well in their woolens and let them get their dose of exercise. Keep the temperature in mind. Children can also try their hands at indoor basketball or volleyball. Remember, cold and flu are caused by viruses and not by being outside.

Fresh air and Sunlight

Let fresh air and sunlight stream in every day in your house. (not possible, though in places that have freezing winters). Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. You may have seen the practice in India to put quilts and blankets out in the sun. Though with pollution, I wonder how effective that method is now. Fresh air is uplifting both for the mood and the body.

Wash hands regularly

Barney says it, Sid the Science kid says it, and so does everyone. Washing hands regularly helps keep germs at bay—separate towels for each family member. Don’t spread the germs from one to another. Maintain hygiene. Using the same towel for the entire family is no sign of love. :)

Coconut oil post-bath for children’s skin

Because after a hot water bath, the body pores behave like a sponge. If possible, make coconut oil a part of your daily regime. Just apply it after a bath and hydrate your skin. The damp body absorbs the oil better. I know it can get greasy, but we are talking about few drops only. This is one of the best practices for children to keep their skin ‘childlike.’ Adults can choose a moisturizer or a cream. I normally pour the coconut oil into a wide container to have easy access to it.

Milk cream for dryness around the lips

This is an old Indian way to keep your skin feeling soft and smooth. For children prone to severe drying around the mouth area, lip or hands, and feet, take the cream out of milk, paste and apply it on the mouth area, and rub gently in a circular motion. Clean the dry crumbs. Leave it for the night.

Turmeric milk 

A great option for a good night's sleep and recovery. Both antioxidants help in preventing or saving us from damage to our bodies.

The wonderful concoction

Typically Indian, but whenever your little one starts sneezing or having a runny nose, try this- lemon, ginger, cinnamon powder, honey, and black pepper. A tablespoon every 3-4 hours to take care of the symptoms. This helps suppress the symptoms, and while the virus may take its own course of 3-5 days, this helps the body fight the virus.

Miscellaneous

·Dust and clean the blankets to get rid of allergens.

·Wipe and clean the germ abundance Surfaces-Door knobs, phones, kitchen counters, and common surface areas.

·We also see kids play a lot indoors with their friends. Children sneeze on toys and pretty much on each other. When kids come to play after playing outside, hand them a sanitizer or ask them to wash their hands before they start playing.

·Ask them to cough or sneeze into the crook of their arms or reach for a tissue.

·Make it a practice to clean the toys or wipe them with a Clorox wipe once every two or three days.

Image courtesy-Pixabay.