Are you interested in raising resilient super healthy kids? Resilient and super healthy kids can cope with life’s challenges. Here is what parents can do.
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What Are Resilient Super Healthy Kids
“The first wealth is health.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thus a healthy start into life is one of the most valuable gifts we can give our kids. Super healthy kids have strong immune systems that make them resilient. Furthermore, they are physically, mentally and emotionally balanced.
Easier said than done? Here are some simple and savvy ideas.
Super Healthy Foods For Kids
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Hippocrates
Hippocates was a Greek physician who lived in the Classical Greek Era. He is still considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He believed what many of us seem to know intuitively: that food has a great impact on our health and thus life quality. But super healthy kids are mainly “made”. Feeding them properly is the most important thing parents can do.
Eating well is easy for kids. They naturally feel attracted to fresh food like apples, grapes, bananas and more. And: kids intuitively know what is good for them. Make a deal that they have to try everything but if they insist after a few bites they don`t like it, there can be a good reason for it. A healthy body tells us what we need to eat and drink. Many people have food allergies against gluten or dairy for example. If a kids tummy hurts after a meal, try to find out why. If you respect your kids taste, you help them listen to their body.
A healthy body needs variety. Thus try to serve different tastes: sour, bitter, salty, sweet, spicy food. Trying new and different cooking also teaches them an open mind which will make it easier in life to adapt to new situations.
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Healthy foods kids like
The best way is to find out which healthy foods your kids really like. Fruits and fresh veggies should be the most important foods they need.
Here are some smart and simple rules:
- Two serving of fresh fruit or veggies per day
- One-Two liters of water or no sugar fluid
- Avoid all starchy foods
- Avoid too much meat and fried food.
- Serve fresh fish at least twice a week. Omega 3 is essential for the kids`brains. (try sushi if cooking isn’t your thing. Some kids like it at an early age.
- Probiotic yogurt without sugar helps to build a healthy digestive system. Add some sugar free peanut butter or fruits to give it some flavor.
- keep an eye on refined sugar. There is no science suggesting that large quantities have any health benefit at all!
Raw veggies like carrots have a sweet taste as well and a nice dip made from humus gives a delicious flavor. Buying whole wheat bread instead of white brain is another easy fix to better nutrition. Overall, the best guideline for a healthy diet is to keep a balance and avoid any form of extremes..
Building Immune Systems for Resilient Super Healthy Kids
Resilience in children needs to build. So does the immune system of kids. My family is a wonderful example of what difference it can make. My older sister was highly asthmatic as a toddler. She had a big round face typical for people taking very high doses of corticosteroids. Many times my parents were not sure if they would reach the hospital in time before she would suffocate.
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One day my mum realized that my sibling would either die of asthma or of the side effects of the medication. She confronted the doctor who then suggested that she starts strengthening her immune system in addition to the medication. To cut a long story short, the asthma had disappeared three years later. Here is what you can do to support your child’s immune system to build.
Spending time outdoors
According to Science Daily spending time outdoors has a wide range of health benefits. Lead author Caoimhe Twohig-Bennett, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said “People living near green space likely have more opportunities for physical activity and socializing. Meanwhile, exposure to a diverse variety of bacteria present in natural areas may also have benefits for the immune system and reduce inflammation. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health cold weather outdoors play boosts the immune system.
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Sauna
Regular sauna visits are widely known to increase our overall well-being. The biggest benefit and fun for kids is the combination of cold and hot, also known as hydrotherapy.
According to a study even small children can adjust to heat exposure. Learn more about health benefits of sauna.
Depending on the age of the children and their health condition sauna bathing should always be supervised by an adult. In case of severe health problems, you might also want to consider talking to your pediatrician before applying this therapy.
Resilient Super Healthy Kids Love Being Treated Naturally
Not all symptoms might require a doctor, especially at an early stage. Often kids need special loving care to get back into physical balance. Rest, sleep and drinking plenty of water promotes their recovery. Here are five ideas for coughing kids that are worth trying:
Mentholated rub
For children 2 years and older: Rub a thick layer of a mentholated rub on the skin over the chest. That can make breathing easier.
Use a humidifier
Moist air keeps mucus in the nose from drying up and makes the airway less dry. Use a humidifier or let the shower run with warm water for a while.
Steam inhalation
Steam inhalation is one of the most widely used home remedies to soothe and open the nasal passages. Kids can get a quick relief from the symptoms of a cold or sinus infection. There are two ways of doing it. The cheap way is to use a bowl with hot water and a towel. The downside is the risk of a hot water accident. The alternative and safe way is to purchase an electric steamer also called vaporizer at a local drugstore.
How to inhale steam
You’ll need the following items: a large bowl, hot water and a towel. And here is how to do it:
- Heat up about 10 cups of water to boiling.
- Put 4 teaspoons of salt into the bowl
- Pour the hot water into the bowl. Let it cool down for two minutes.
- Then drape the towel over the back of the head.
- Shut your eyes and slowly lower your head toward the hot water until. The ideal distance is you’re about 8 to 12 inches away from the water. Avoid making direct contact with the water.
- Inhale slowly and deeply through the nose for at least two to five minutes.
Steam for approximately 15-20 minutes. You can repeat it as often as you like.
Ginger wraps
Wraps are very powerful diy remedies. They work especially well on kids as they usually only contain natural products. A warm shower afterwards makes the kids even feel more relaxed and happy. Watch the following link for how to make a ginger wrap to reduce coughing.
Tissue Salts
In 1873 Dr. Wilhelm Schuessler, a German doctor, established the theory of Biochemic medicine. He combined the principles of biochemistry with homeopathy. The idea is that If the blood lacks the necessary quantities of these active, life-giving, inorganic elements then the natural cell rebuilding process cannot proceed in a normal manner.
According to Dr Schuessler, a normal balance of these vital salts can be re-established by administering the deficient mineral salts in a readily assimilated form. These are now known as Schuessler Tissue Salts. Schuessler found that the most effective way to assimilate these salts was through a homeopathically prepared micro dose, which passes rapidly into the bloodstream and therefore into our cells.
When my mum was born she had a very severe form of stomach cramps and had to stay at the hospital. My grandmother would pump milk and take it to the hospital. One morning a nurse came up to my grandmother and whispered: “if you don’t take the baby home, it will die. We are not even allowed to feed her your milk anymore. The doctors have given up on your daughter.” An exciting journey began up in the high mountains of Northern Germany. Someone had recommended her to a physician specialized in natural medicine. The most important part besides loving care and feeding the baby every four hours was dissolving Schuessler tissue salts and adding it to the milk. The fact that I am writing this article today is the best proof why my family has used those salts for decades.
Sleep
Sleep is essential for kids’ physical, emotional and mental well-being. A healthy sleep rhythm is a key to guarantee your kid`s development. Make sure to reduce noises and disturbances to ensure a peaceful sleep. Avoid discussions, exciting movies, heavy meals and drinks containing caffeine at night. The most important thing for kids`s sleep is to give them the feeling of being safe, loved and cared for. You can do that by setting the perfect bedtime atmosphere. Try to always have dinner at the same time of the day, followed by a bath, story time and some cuddling can be comforting and relaxing.
Drinking
Water is one of the most important parts of any diet. Creating the habit of drinking water is very valuable for kids. Water is essential to keep our body functions vital. It is crucial for our digestion, concentration, our lymph system and more.
Especially at school kids tend to forget drinking. Buying a beautiful water bottle and sending it to school every day, increases the chance that kids remember drinking. When kids return home from school with a headache, check how much water they have had. Drinking water can be an easy fix.
The more kids exercise and the hotter it is, the more we need to drink.
Resting
Days can be exciting and very noisy. In our busy world there seems to be little time for breaks. But kids benefit from silence and a peaceful atmosphere. It helps them to refill their energy and calm down.
Exercising
There are many reasons why kids need to exercise. Reducing stress, leaner bodies, lower risk for mental diseases, stronger muscles and bones are just one of them. Exercising is not only fun but a great way of social learning especially in team sports. As adults we should reinforce regular exercises by telling our kids that sports are an important step of a healthy lifestyle. We should also keep in mind that we need to be good role models. The more our kids see us exercising, the more likely they are to join in.
Gut feeling
Naturally, kids have very healthy instincts. They have a sense for danger, a sense what foods might be good for them or who they can trust or not. It is therefore very important for parents to listen carefully when kids mention that they are scared of someone or don`t like special foods. Building resilience in children requires parents to listen and encourage their kids to learn to trust themselves.
If you talk to adults and ask them how often they didn`t trust their guts and later regretted it, you will be surprised. Nearly everyone has a story to share about regretting to trust themselves. Thus we start encouraging our kids at an early age to listen to their bodies. A resilient child has a positive relationship with his or her body. Nature wants us to listen to our bodies and especially our guts. If we understand this basic principle, we will respect if our kids insist on keeping a distance from certain people for example.
A Word From healthylifestyleflorida.com
Resilience in children doesn`t fall from the sky. It needs to be built. Thus parents need to make it a priority. Balancing work and family life certainly isn’t easy. But in the long term a resilient child is a low maintenance child.
Start supporting your kids`health today – It is worth the effort for both of you. Because it is also a chance to strengthen your own well-being.
Get Started – You will love what you will be.
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