Are chronic childhood illnesses on the rise? It feels like that to me. Over the last 20 years I have seen a rise in allergies, intolerances, obesity and learning disabilities. Some may say we have better diagnostic tools, which means doctors are simply finding more conditions. While others believe there must be environmental, nutritional and stress triggers. Regardless, the result is the same: more and more kids are getting sicker.
Some natural therapies offer safe and effective treatment for common ailments without harsh side effects. However if your child has a chronic illness, speak with a qualified natural therapist or health practitioner before treating them with natural medicine. They’ll be able to assess your child’s symptoms and devise a safe and suitable treatment plan.
Begin with food… wholefood nutrition, a simple and obvious natural solution to overcome many child hood illnesses.
Have you noticed the growing number of packaged, processed foods aimed for children on the supermarket shelf? Food corporations have created a new food category, “kids food” right under our noses and we have given in, because it is after all, convenient. Modern living and its stresses have impacted the way we eat.
I believe children are meant to eat what adults eat. We used to eat breakfast and dinner with mum and dad. This will save you time and energy by not needing to cook separate meals. Aim for three square whole food meals per day with quality fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Children will crave or demand for dissatisfying, processed frankenfoods if their main meals do not satisfy their energy and nutrition levels. These so called foods are high in sugar, refined salt, vegetable oils and artificial additives and devoid of nutrition.
First steps to creating healthier children with whole foods:
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Replace sugar with natural sweeteners such as small amounts of raw honey, sweet spices such as cinnamon and vanilla and green leaf stevia.
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Replace fruit juices and soft drinks with filtered or Spring water, naturally sweet tasting herbal teas such as licorice, mint and fruit teas.
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Replace processed breakfast cereals and bars with real whole food:
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Healthy pastured, open range eggs – any which way
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Additive free healthy pastured bacon or ham
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Organic whole milk cow’s or goat yogurt or try coconut yoghurt if your child is lactose intolerant
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Fresh fruit
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Chopped vegetable sticks and cherry tomatoes or sautéed spinach
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Home made Bircher muesli – made without grains if your child is gluten intolerant
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Vegetable or fruit pancakes (simply grate fruit or vegetables and mix with eggs – add sweet spices or savoury herbs to flavour).
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Best healthy school lunch ideas. Check out my previous article on this topic here
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Look out for processed ingredients and additives in your packaged foods. A simple exercise I recommend to my clients is a pantry and fridge – food audit. Additives appear as numbers or long complicated words. These include emulsifiers, preservatives, colours and flavours. Processed ingredients include vegetable oils, refined salt, yeast, milk solids, soy and sugar. Replace with whole, organic and fresh foods.
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How to find nutrition information you can really trust – read on here
Wholefood supplement – cod liver oil
Many of the great historical cultures had one common supplement, which they relied on to ensure children developed a strong mind, body and spirit and grandma always had a bottle of it in the back of the cupboard. I am talking about Cod liver oil, the good quality kind from healthy fish and traditionally fermented. Green Pastures is my recommendation. It is a good source of vitamins A and D, two nutrients that growing children need as well as omega 3. Cod liver oil strengthens: hair, nails, bones, teeth as well as keep the immune system strong. In light of the current public health concerns about Vitamin A I encourage you to read this story on cod liver oil to make you own informed decision.
Food intolerance testing
Not to be confused with traditional food allergies. An allergy is a defense reaction by the body to a substance. Typical symptoms of allergies include: swelling of the lips, difficulty breathing, sneezing attacks and rashes. Your immune system is designed to protect the body from illness, but in allergic people the body can also exhibit an immune-like response to specific foods.
This usually occurs from eating too much of the same foods – the body reaches a threshold where it no longer tolerates that food and starts to treat it like a foreign invader, producing IgG antibodies to ‘fight off’ the offender. This sets off a low-grade inflammation, which settles in different parts of the body, and, every time the offending food is consumed, an inflammatory response will occur, producing symptoms, which will usually manifest several hours (or even days) after eating the food. It is possible to have intolerance to certain foods and additives without your knowledge; your child may be experiencing any one of a number of symptoms. For a full list of symptoms check out ImuPro300, my favourite lab for testing foods (https://www.imupro.com.au/food-intolerance/symptoms).
Next week I outline common childhood symptoms such as a sore throat, cough and tummy pain and recommend the best natural and holistic therapies for kids on offer – stay tuned!
