Protect your child from viruses — learn the secrets of the macrobiotic diet

Autumn is a dangerous time for the health of the youngest. The constantly changing weather — from higher to lower temperatures means that notorious dressing and undressing leads to overheating or chilling of the body. Less sunlight, which is responsible for the production of vitamin D, also affects our nervous system. It is therefore nothing unusual that autumn brings a second wave of illnesses with various viruses. In order to support the child’s immunity, it is best to look at his or her… diet. Which products should we pay particular attention to?

Health begins in the intestines

Only few people remember that one of the most important centres in the body is the intestines. They are responsible for absorption of nutrients from food, as well as for their proper digestion. When the work of the intestines is disturbed, the whole body feels it. It is extremely important to support them with a proper diet, which will help us take care of the child’s immunity and well-being. Edyta Sicińska, a dietician and an expert in KIDS&Co. kindergartens, suggests introducing a macrobiotic diet.

Populating the body with the right bacterial flora is the basis for a healthy body. In particular, it is worth introducing pickles to the diet, which will provide bacteria from the lactobacillus strain. I also strongly advise to exclude gluten, sugar and milk from the diet of a toddler. These products, often over-processed, do not provide the organism with the right amount of nutrients, and even contribute to the weakening of the intestines’ work — comments dietician Edyta Sicińska, an expert in KIDS&Co. kindergartens.

You should also pay a special attention to the meals your child eats in the kindergarten. It is there, after all, that the child eats its second breakfast, a two-course lunch and an afternoon snack. It is therefore important that what is on the preschooler’s plate is not only tasty, but also provides the right nutrients. In addition, a proper diet from an early age helps to develop healthy eating habits.

In our kindergartens meals served to children are well-balanced and adjusted to the needs of a young organism. Our menu avoids sugar, unhealthy fats and focuses on cooked food, as well as minimally processed food — free from chemical additives and seasonal. Children’s diet is based on complex carbohydrates, such as groats and wholemeal bread, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals, which we give them in the form of freshly squeezed juices — comments the dietician.

What else should we pay attention to when it comes to a proper diet for a child, and what do we often forget about?

It is extremely important, but unfortunately often forgotten, to ensure proper hydration of the young body. Children often drink drinks full of sugar, which are additionally harmful to their health. We forget about the precious power of herbs such as camomile or mint, and instead usually give children some black tea. We also don’t use ‘natural antibiotics’, which warm up the child’s body from the inside. We should therefore introduce products such as ginger, cinnamon, turmeric or garlic into their diet — adds the dietician.

What is the macrobiotic diet?

Composing a child’s daily diet should focus on providing ingredients adjusted to the needs of a young organism — providing the right amount of energy for play, healthy fats for faster learning and the right amount of vitamins and minerals for health and immunity. The macrobiotic diet is based on seasonal fruit and vegetables, wholegrain cereals and healthy fats from fish and natural oils (sesame, corn and mustard).

The nervous system, liver and brain are all nourished by fats, and these should not be missing from the diet of toddlers. Unfortunately, in many processed products, we deal mostly with trans and refined fats, which do not serve the body. The appropriate supply of unsaturated fatty acids — omega 3, 6 and 9 allows to meet the needs of a child and contributes to increased concentration, as well as faster learning — comments dietician Edyta Sicińska, an expert in KIDS&Co kindergartens.

In order to improve the immunity, we can regularly give the child black cumin oil (for children over 1 year old), raspberry syrup or homemade syrup from onion and garlic — just cut onion and garlic into slices. Arrange them in layers in a jar and also layer with honey. Screw it on and put it aside for 24–48h. Just one teaspoon a day will be an excellent prophylaxis for the period of increased colds.

Teach your child to cope with stress

Pay attention not only to what you eat, but also how you eat. Meals should be eaten unhurriedly — pay particular attention to this when eating breakfast in the morning. Allow enough time for this so as not to rush your toddler, who will be finishing his sandwich on the way to the nursery or kindergarten. It is also extremely important to teach children how to cope with stress.

We must remember that a child perceives the world in a completely different way. A toddler is able to transfer emotions from the environment — home, kindergarten, from other children. When we are stressed, our body produces cortisol, which disturbs the work of the intestines and thus, impairs immunity. Then a few-year-old becomes more susceptible to infections — concludes the dietician.

Don’t forget to walk and rest

Another important aspect in maintaining adequate immunity is physical activity and sufficient sleep.

Winter is not fully comfortable to spend time outdoors — we often move by car and limit walks to a minimum. In addition, a common problem among parents is overheating of the child — putting on more layers of clothes, maintaining high temperatures at home, infrequent ventilation of rooms and low physical activity affect the lowering of immunity of the toddler. Meanwhile, it is extremely important to spend even 15–20 minutes with the child every day on a walk. We must also watch the baby’s rest time. Sleep is extremely important, especially for such a young body. It is during this time that the body regulates and nourishes itself — says Edyta Sicińska, a dietician at KIDS&Co.

Adequate nutrition of the young organism, daily physical activity, the ability to cope with stress and rest are the keys to success. If we take care of these basic factors, not only our child’s immunity will improve, but also his or her concentration and ability to learn will benefit.

Try the recipe from nutritionist Edyta Sicinska, an expert at KIDS&Co. kindergartens, which will warm your child from the inside and strengthen his or her immunity.

Warming tea to strengthen your child’s immunity

Ingredients:

• Several pieces of turmeric or ½ teaspoon of powdered spice
• 2–3 slices of ginger
• A pinch of pepper
• Lemon
• Honey

How to prepare:

Pour hot water over turmeric, ginger and pepper. When the drink has cooled down a little, add honey and lemon.

Enjoy!