While its comparably easy for most adults to understand and follow social distancing, hygiene rules and to stay indoor as much as possible, it is not so with little kids. Especially, if a child is under 5, then it is very difficult to say if the little one will remember the new health norms when he/she gets over whelmed with joy on seeing his/her parents getting back from the office.
India’s leading Nutritionist Avni Kaul shares, “to protect kids from getting infection, it is important to take adequate steps to boost a child’s immune system from an early age. While we cannot control many of the factors that affect our immune system, there are some simple measures we can take to keep the immune system up and about.”
In this blog, Nutritionist and Dietician Avni Kaul shares some effective ways to strengthen a child’s immune system.
Child must Sleep and Eat on Time
Sometimes, parents who go through high professional pressure, fail to maintain daily meal and sleep routine which are two most important aspects of child’s growth and good for building their strong immune system.
As a parent, if you have missed developing daily meal and sleep routine for yourself and for your kids, today’s time is ideal to shift your priorities in life for good health. Start by –
- Adhering to Mealtimes: Stick to mealtimes as their body needs nutrients and energy to ward off or fight infections. There is definitely enormous merit in sticking to a routine that your child is used to when in school. Try to follow a similar schedule, be it mealtime, television time, or sleep time, even during the lockdown.
- Stick to the Same Bedtime: A child needs adequate sleep (as per their age group) for their immune systems to thrive. Hence, ensure they go to bed, every day on time. If you find it difficult to ensure this habit in them, start by following routine bedtime yourself. If the child witnesses switching off all lights and electronic gadgets, every night at same time, and his parents going to bed thereafter, developing a sleep routine in kids will be easier.
Restrict Screen Time
When schools are closed and kids stay indoors, they tend to spend more and more screen time to play mobile games, watching cartoons on TV and play on game consoles. But it is found that kids who spend a lot of time in front of a screen tend to go to bed later, take longer to fall asleep, and sleep for fewer hours than those with less exposure to these devices.
According to the studies of Sleep foundation group, for every hour spent using a tablet device, infants and toddlers get 15.6 minutes less sleep, and older kids miss out on an average of 26.4 minutes of sleep nightly.
Children need 10 -14 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day to keep their immune system kicking. That means those little bodies will be better prepared to fight off any germs that come their way. Since screen time may also affect sleep quality, restrict child’s screen time to help them sleep well and strengthen their immune system.
Help your Kid to Stay Physically Active
Even though you can’t let the child go outside, you still can develop engaging and innovative activities to keep your child physically active. Activities like 20-30 minutes of dancing with your child, engaging your child to do daily chores, practicing yoga and free hand exercise with your child will be beneficial.
Diet – Foods Kids Should Consume and What they Must Avoid
A nutritious and balanced diet has a direct impact on child’s immune system. For a growing child, protein is vital to build and repair body tissue and fight viral and bacterial infections. For non-vegetarian family, the requirement for good quality protein, omegas, zinc and iron can be fulfilled with diet that includes lean meat like chicken and fish and eggs. Make sure the child takes one boiled egg daily. Vegetarian families must include milk, soya, pulses, nuts, protein, paneer in their child’s daily diet.
The other key immune boosting food for kids are:-
a. Nuts like almonds, walnuts, and cashews are packed with many nutrients along with vitamin E and manganese, a strong immune-boosting combination.
b. Seeds like pumpkin, sunflower and flax are packed with vitamin E, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids, all of which help boost the child’s immune system. It may be difficult to give a child seed, hence you may add sprinkle the seed on curd, halwas, ladoos and fruits. Infants and toddlers should not be given these seeds without medical expert consultation because as these seeds need good chewing and swallowing capabilities.
c. Sulphur-rich vegetables: Onions, cauliflower, broccoli, as well as dark leafy greens like spinach, are loaded with the B-vitamins that fuel methylation and can help to power up your child’s ability to safely process and eliminate everything from pollution to chemical exposure.
d. Restrict junk food -Junk food for they are high in calories and bad nutrients like saturated fat, trans fat, preservatives, sugar, and salt which should be limited. The sugar and fat can suppress the immune system, and the empty calories contribute to weight gain, resulting in a weaker immune system.
e. Increase water intake. Keep your child’s body hydrated, to help their body have proper metabolism. It is important that your child drinks 6-8 glasses of water in a day.
Special Online Diet Program, Designed for Home Quarantine
Do anxiety, boredom, and stress from home isolation are causing you sleeplessness, fluctuations in blood pressure and sugar levels, frequent indigestions? Are you worried about your immunity level and weight gain due to the homestay and due to the absence of morning walks and Gym?
Join Nutritionist Avni Kaul’s special online diet program, designed to keep you fit, reach weight loss goals and boost your immunity while you stay during the home isolation. To know more and book your online appointment, call 9953228642.
Talk to the Nutritionist Avni Kaul to know more about Special online diet programs for weight loss and obesity management, Therapeutic Diets for people suffering from Thyroid, Diabetes, Hypertension, PCOD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
