35 Ways To Help Your Kids Strengthen Their Immunity And Build Resistance Naturally
We, as parents, seek to ensure that our kids remain healthy and fit all the time. Being aware of the fact that young age requires extra measures to keep the potential infections away, we try to provide our kids with a safe environment. Although it is true that a child is prone to infections more than a fully grown adult, it does not imply that there are no ways available to strengthen your kid’s immunity. This article intends to provide you with a comprehensive list of measures you can take to ensure that your child builds resistance naturally and grows with a strong immune system.
Clean Hygiene
This is imperative for your child to remain healthy and sail through all kinds of seasons throughout the year. Keeping their surroundings clean and washing their hands regularly shall go a long way in ensuring that your kid keeps fit and fine at all times.
Ample exercises
The more your kid will sweat in that park, the more the resistance shall build. Encourage your child to partake in outdoor activities for the maximum benefit. There are a range of activities you can indulge in with your kid as well, which include baseball, soccer, running and cardiovascular exercises such as cycling and swimming.
Lots of Water
Consumption of substantial amount of water throughout the day is one of the most effective ways to eliminate toxins and pathogens from the system. Hence, keep a sipper ready for your child and make certain that they keep taking their usual sips of water. This shall also invigorate their digestion process to the maximum.
Precious Rest and Sleep
This measure is one of the most important ones for your child to stay energetic and lively. Sleep induces the regeneration of brain cells and lack of it can be harmful to the body. Hence, ensure that your child remains away from that smartphone in the night and catch some zzz’s.
Harmless Environment
Children may not exactly care about their environment and surroundings sometimes, but it plays a major role in keeping them healthy. They should be inspired to get those regular baths, keep the bed sheet clean and avoid laptops and smartphones at night. These shall go a long way in ensuring that your kid remains fit physically as well as mentally.
Get the Sun Time
Although it may be unbearably hot in the daytime, spending some time under the Sun every day will help your kid imbibe Vitamin D, which is a natural source of strengthening the immunity.
Good Nutrition
This perhaps is the most basic yet a key to building resistance naturally and strengthening the immunity. Children may sometimes avoid eating those veggies and fruits, for junk and fast foods. Although indulging in the latter once in a while is fine, but your child should be encouraged to keep a balanced diet as a foremost part of the daily schedule.
Breastfeeding
Studies and Researchers have found that breastfeeding your child till 3 years of age aids the growth of antibodies and builds their immunity.
No to Processed Food
Processed food being hard to digest, can upset your kid’s stomach and cause inflammation. It should be avoided in order to keep your child healthy and build their natural resistance.
Timely Meals
The kids should eat their meals regularly and avoid remaining hungry for longer periods. At the same time, overeating should be avoided. Timely meals ensure that the child remains strong internally as well as externally.
Vitamins and Minerals
Including good amounts of vitamins and minerals in your kid’s diet shall bolster their immune system and aid their cellular regeneration. Hence, you can include foods high in vitamins such as whole grains, eggs, chicken, legumes, dairy products and vegetables in their diet to aid their all-round growth and development.
Daily Portion of Vegetables
Consuming vegetables on a daily basis shall aid regenerations of cells of your kid, thereby increasing their immunity in the process.
Vaccinations
It is extremely necessary that you ensure your kid gets regular vaccinations. The list includes vaccinations for potential problems such as polio, Hepatitis A, Influenza, among many others. This shall go a long way in making certain that your child remains healthy and fit for a long run.
Lemons
High in Vitamin C, lemons are known to remove toxins from the body. This aids a healthy body, leading to a fit and active lifestyle for your kid.
Add Spices
Spices such as cinnamon, cardamom pepper, garlic and turmeric aid digestion and cleanse the body of unwanted toxins.
Consumption of Ginger
Ginger is known to be antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. They contain a compound called Gingerol which enhances the resistance of the body and boosts immunity.
Use of Onions
By reinforcing a habit of eating onions along with food as well as in it, you will fortify your kid’s immune system to great extents.
Curbing Screen Time
The longer your kid stays inactive sitting in front of a screen, the more the harm will be caused. Ensuring that your kid spends minimal time before Playstation or video games will prompt a healthy living.
Restrain Smoking or Drinking
Going by the recent studies, there has been a spike in the number of kids that indulge in activities such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Avoiding these shall prove to be a big immune booster for your child.
Washing Hands before Eating
We all are familiar as to how kids can ignore washing their hands thoroughly before eating. This can lead to a number of ailments. Hence, you can teach your kid every single time until it becomes a habit.
Probiotics
Probiotics are useful bacterias that help in digestion. Include yogurts, kefirs, Tempeh and Kimchi in your child’s diet for strengthening their resistance.
Nourishing Teas
Include iced teas such as green tea, black tea and peppermint tea in your child’s diet for daily consumption of antioxidants and flavonoids.
Oral Hygiene
Motivate your kids to brush their teeth every morning and night. Maintaining dental hygiene facilitates the bolstering of the immune system.
Dry Skin Brushing
It is proven that dry skin brushing invigorates immunity and makes the skin glow. Include this as a regularity in your kid’s schedule for building their health.
Avoid Sharing Utensils
Using used utensils can be a breeding ground for germs. Clean utensils shall pave the way for a fit and healthy way of living.
Limit Sugar
Eating foods high in sugar can have a direct bearing on the immune system negatively. Encourage your kid to limit their sugar consumption to the minimum.
Restrict White Foods
White foods such as rice, wheat, breads, and biscuits increase the glycemic index of the body, thereby causing a spike in blood sugar. Avoid these and opt for the whole grain foods instead.
Say Yes to Proteins
Eating Proteins is not only important for strengthening of bones but also removes harmful bacteria and viruses from the body. Include eggs, almonds, chicken, and pulses in your kid’s diet to fulfill the requirement of proteins.
Include Nuts and Dry Fruits
Dry fruits and nuts such as almonds, dates, walnuts, and peanuts are good sources of riboflavin, Vitamin E and antioxidants. Hence, including these in your kid’s diet will definitely ensure a strong immune system.
Dark Green Leafy Veggies
Leafy Vegetables such as cabbage, Broccoli and spinach facilitate cell functioning. Therefore, they build a strong resistance in your child to fight diseases and ailments.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are rich in Vitamin B and Selenium. They play a huge role in the healthy functioning of the immune system. You can include these in all kinds of preparations ranging from pasta to brown rice.
Soups
Serving hot soups to your kid will protect them from catching a cold and flu. Whether it be a chicken soup or a vegetable, it is a delicious way of nourishing the body.
Citrus Fruits
Lemons, Oranges and sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, which remove toxins from the body. Eating them shall ensure that your kid does not become prey to infections easily.
Honey
It is considered to be a good source of antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Including honey in the diet does wonder for the digestive system and is a powerhouse for building resistance.
Immune-booster Refreshment
You can prepare a drink for your kid by adding nourishing ingredients in it. Make a drink combining lemon juice, gingers, honey, turmeric powder and apple juice for bolstering your child’s immune system.
Although it may sound like a task, strengthening your kid’s immune system is trouble-free and simple if you follow the above-mentioned requirements and keeping your home safe. Not only will this comprehensive list help you in keeping your child healthy throughout, it will also facilitate the process of their growth and all-round development.
About the Author:
Jessica, a registered dietitian at Med-Dent, a wellness guru that loves to read, research and write. A fitness freak who believes in healthy living and doesn’t like to miss her yoga. When not reading she can be found relishing her favorite foods. Follow her on her blog.
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom