Do you think that your child catching every bug out there is par for the course? After all, they’re still developing their immune system, right? If this is true, then how come other kids don’t get sick as often?
Being sick all the time isn’t something you should just accept as a lifestyle, not for you and definitely not for your kids. It would be sad for children to be labeled as sickly, but frequent and recurrent infections would make them just that.
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Immune System Boosters
Being prone to sickness could be genetic, of course, but the good news is that there are plenty of powerful tools that parents can use to safely and effectively strengthen their children’s immune system. What are these?
1. A Wholesome and Nutritious Diet
You may think that you’re feeding your children only healthy things, but lots of bad stuff manage to sneak into their diet. Make sure you cover all the nutritional requirements for their age, but don’t stop there. Be vigilant about keeping out of their bodies or, at the very least, limiting their intake of the following:
- Additives
- Preservatives
- Artificial color and flavor
- Sugar
Find out which foods your children could possibly be allergic to. Food sensitivity isn’t always going to manifest as itching or anaphylaxis. Sometimes food intolerance will just make them feel poorly, so observe if they seem weak, dizzy, dyspeptic, or restless after eating certain foods. The usual culprits are:
- Gluten
- Dairy
- Nuts
- Soy
- Shellfish
- Egg
To cover nutritional gaps that a restricted diet may cause, give them top quality multivitamins for kids.
2. Balanced Gut Flora
You should pay attention to your children’s microbiota. The good bacteria in the gut are beneficial in many important ways: protecting the digestive tracts, assisting in toxin elimination, fighting off bad bacteria and other germs.
When the balance is disrupted, the body’s natural ability to ward off infections weakens. You can help maintain your children’s microbiota by giving them probiotics.
3. Good Quality Sleep
If you feel that some parents are too fussy about bedtime and the length of their children’s sleep, you should fuss right along with them.
Sleep is the body’s natural way to restore itself. Self-repair is most effectively done in deep slumber, so what can you do to make sure your children are getting enough quality sleep?
- Depending on age, let them get 10 to 14 hours of sleep.
- Let them sleep in the dark sans a night light for proper melatonin secretion.
- Keep their bedroom free of electronic devices to avoid interference of electromagnetic frequency.
4. Good Mental and Emotional Health
Your children’s physical health is greatly affected by their mental and emotional state. Love and attention go a long way in stimulating the cells of the immune system.
Let them have plenty of downtime and do what they enjoy. The more they laugh and have fun, the better it is for their immune system and general health.
They shouldn’t be overstressed or anxious. After all, they also have the fight or flight hormones which, when overactive, weaken the immune system. For this reason, you should teach them to relieve stress and tension even while they’re young.
5. A Non-Toxic Environment
Chemical exposures have a destructive effect on the immune system, so you have to make sure that the air quality of your home is good and that the food and water you provide are not contaminated. Organic is always a better option, so keep this in mind when doing your groceries.
You should definitely work to rid your children’s environment of pollutants, starting with secondhand smoke. It contains more than 4,000 toxins and lends children more susceptible to various illnesses besides affecting intelligence and neurological development.
Besides quitting tobacco, you should also rethink the products you use for your home. There are wholesome alternatives to the common pesticides, household cleaners, and personal care products you usually buy at the stores.
6. Regular Exercise
Get them started in the fitness habit while they’re young. Exercise helps flush out bacteria from the airways as well as invigorates disease-fighting antibodies and white blood cells. It also slows down the release of fight or flight hormones.
Active play wasn’t a problem for kids back in the day, but with the emergence of mobile devices, it is seriously threatened now. Make sure that your kids are moving around a lot.
Fight for Immunity
If your children seem to have a natural propensity for falling sick, don’t just, pardon the idiom, roll over and die. Fight to make your children as healthy and as vibrant as possible. Let them fulfill their potential to lead happy and successful lives.