Keeping your child’s immune system healthy can often be challenging during the winter months. With busy holiday schedules and large family gatherings, this can all be tough on the immune system. In addition, holiday parties with lots of delicious but unhealthy foods can mess up your kid’s daily diet and make it challenging to eat nutritious meals. But, with just five simple tips to support your child’s immunity, it may be easier than you think.
1. Consume a balanced, nutrient-dense diet
Good nutrition is an excellent way to support the immune system. Make sure to serve your children a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to provide essential micronutrients and antioxidants for their bodies. Include plenty of fiber through sources such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. In addition, use onion, garlic, and ginger in your diet for their natural antimicrobial ability.
2. Gut health
Your gut is the place where your body can absorb the essential nutrients from the food you eat and allow it to absorb into the bloodstream and body for important functioning. Over 70% of the body’s immune cells live in the gut lining and are supported by a diverse community of bacteria that live there. A nutritious diet, as described above, is important for the proper functioning of your child’s gut to support immune function. Avoid foods high in refined sugar and high saturated fats; these can damage your kid’s gut’s good bacteria, which can negatively impact immune function.
3. Take probiotics
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that you can get through fermented foods or supplements. Once in the digestive tract, they help digest food, synthesize vitamins, and support your immune system. To maintain this healthy gut bacteria, you can serve probiotic-rich foods or take supplements. For optimal child gut support, try ChildLife Essentials® LiveBiotics™ Immune & Digestive Support which contains four proven probiotic strains carefully formulated for kids’ digestive, respiratory, and immune support.
4. Take Vitamin C, D, and Zinc
These essential vitamins are key nutrients that can help support kids’ healthy immune function. Ensure your child consumes foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, peppers, and broccoli. You can also add vitamin C as an all-natural supplement to support the immune system further.
Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins your child’s body needs for proper functioning and helps maintain a healthy immune system. You can find this nutrient in a few foods, such as dairy products, egg yolks, and certain mushrooms. However, it is important to supplement vitamin D in the diet to ensure you meet the daily requirements.
Zinc is another important mineral that helps keep your child’s immune system strong. You can find Zinc in many whole foods such as grains, nuts, beans, and fortified cereals. You can also supplement Zinc to fill in any nutrient gaps in your diet.
5. Rest
Getting plenty of rest is key to supporting a healthy immune system. Heading to bed at a good time is ideal for the body to help repair any damage. During rest, there is an increased production of cytokines which are associated with inflammation. This inflammatory response can help with recovery as the body works to heal wounds or fight off an infection. In addition, making sure your child gets at least 8 hours of sleep can keep their immune system strong and healthy.
