The basics seem so simple but are often so hard to action! The basics include:
– Healthy eating and reducing sugar intake
– Exposure to the good outdoors, “sun and sand”
– Reducing stress/reducing overfull schedules
– Getting enough sleep
– Avoiding unnecessary medication.
Today we shall only be focusing on healthy eating as it is so important- “we are what we eat!”
1.Healthy eating (food provides the building blocks for a good immunity!)
• Eat as much variety as possible
• Eat as much “whole food” as possible- processed food is often nutritionally poor and pro-inflammatory
• Do not leave out any entire food groups in children- they need them all! A “carb-free” diet, for example, is not appropriate for the vast majority of children.
• Veges and fruits are so important for vitamins and anti-oxidants
• Zinc and protein are important for tissue repair
• Try include some of the “awesome wholesome” foods daily, according to your child’s taste and allergy status: egg, yoghurt, nuts and seeds, fish, lean meat, wholegrain, green leafy veg, fruits.
2. Reduce sugars
• Processed foods with refined sugars usually represent “empty calories”- they are often nutritionally poor, calorie rich and cause swings in blood sugar (and mood!!)
• They take the appetite away from healthy foods which are immunologically meaningful
• Excess sugar is “pro-inflammatory:” we see this, for example, in our eczema kids: excessive sugar and processed foods can lead to eczema flares!
