By Tim Howden, paediatric naturopath
Autumn brings a unique set of challenges to our immune system such as smoke haze, cooler weather and increased humidity.
I’d like to offer you some excellent tips to help fortify your child’s innate defences, protect them against avoidable illness and prepare for winter.
Keep warm: Babies and children have less body mass to weight ratio compared to adults making them more susceptible to cold.
Ensure their feet, lower back and necks are kept warm.
Wear socks and slippers inside and shoes when playing outdoors.
Jumpers, thermal tops and neck gaiters are excellent at keeping your children warm and toasty.
Encourage adequate rest: When your child is rested they are more resilient at fighting off illness.
In my last article I wrote about sympathetic dominance, or fight and flight overdrive, which results in chronic stress and compromised immune function.
A well-rested child will be relaxed and have better quality sleep.
A significant amount of immune surveillance and repair occurs during sleep and a relaxed child will assimilate more nutrients in their small intestine.
This is important given about 80 per cent of immune function depends on gut health.
Amazing diet: A whole-food diet, rich in plant-based foods that are seasonal and preferably organic will serve your family well.
There is plenty of evidence to support the health effects of whole foods in preventing, treating and reversing illness.
A diverse diet will provide a rich array of phytonutrients and building blocks that support excellent immune development and function.
In my practice I encourage children to eat at least 15 different foods every day with as many colours of the rainbow.
I get them to make a chart and map their success.
It’s best to avoid cold food and drink during autumn and winter, too.
Remember, the body is trying to keep cold out, not invite it in.
Some “my kids are still sick” troubleshooting tips: Sometimes kids are still prone to frequent illness.
In these cases it’s necessary to dig deeper, and address underlying cause(s).
I routinely find that gut dysbiosis, nutrient deficiency, malabsorption, foods sensitivity, and environmental drivers such as mould and biotoxins compromise immune function.
This can be quite a mine field to navigate and should be assessed by a qualified and experienced practitioner.
I have no doubt your kids’ immune systems will better for these tips.
Wishing you all the best for a cosy and healthy winter.
