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The post 7 Health Hacks To Help You Survive The Cold & Flu Season appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

Health & Wellbeing Podcast #7

I’m excited to share with you another video/podcast! In this episode I chat with Kellie Holland from Tonik Health about children’s immunity. We discuss some of the most common infections that children can get such as coughs and colds, molluscum contagiosum, otitis media (also known as glue ear) and glandular fever, and discuss a Naturopathic approach to managing them.
We also answer some submitted questions. (Don’t forget to submit any questions you want answered in future podcasts/videos!)

Kellie is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist based on the Central Coast of NSW where she lives with her husband and daughter. She sees clients in her clinic and via skype consultations and has a passion for working with women and children, inspiring them and promoting healthy eating and lifestyle habits so they can live full and long, happy lives.
Kellie also runs a successful blog on her website at www.tonikhealth.com.au (tonik with a K) where she also has free healthy and delicious recipes available.

Want to subscribe to get podcasts automatically? You can do that here: https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/health-wellbeing-podcast/id1006574743  If you’ve got something nice to say about the podcasts please leave a review, but I’m also keen for any feedback or comments if you want to comment below!

Kid’s Immunity – Podcast #7

Podcast Breakdown

0:00 – Intro and a bit about Kellie
2:21 – What we’ve been getting up to
5:20 – What are some of the most common infections that children can get?
11:00 – What are some common factors that cause the immune system to be low or weak? Diet, food intolerances, stress, nutritional deficiencies to name a few.
13:45 – Stress in children
14:45 – Children have a different detoxification system
15:15 – Nutrients for a healthy immune system
16:59 – Zinc is important for fussy eaters
17:48 – Specific strains of probiotics for immunity
19:40 – Iron deficiency in children
21:41 – Fever
28:39 – Q1: ‘My child is constantly getting ear infections. She has been on 8 courses of antibiotics this year and my doctor is suggesting grommets. Why is she keep getting them so frequently and what can I do to help?’
30:40 – Some tips on getting more veg into children’s diet
38:07 – Q2: My 4 year old child has a lot of brown discolouration on her teeth and she has had 3 fillings. Is there anything I should avoid feeding her to help her teeth?
46:45 – Q3: My son started preschool this year and he has been bringing home a cold every few weeks. What can I do to reduce this?
53:30 – Q4: My 10 year old daughter had Glandular Fever back in March. While she’s basically well now she’s still fatigued, especially at the end of the week, and she seems to pick up every sniffle going around. How can I build her immune system up again?
1:00 – A natural first-aid kit for kids
1:04 – Our favourite immune herbs for kids

The post Kid’s Immunity – Podcast appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

One simple fact is for certain; kids do have special health requirements. Children are not simply smaller versions of adults. Have you noticed that kids suffer different health problems to adults? For example glue ear, or ear infection is common in children, but less so in adults. When was the last time you heard an adult complaining of how annoying their colic or cradle cap was?

There are several issues that could be discussed regarding children’s health, such as the rising incidence of anxiety in children, learning difficulties and hyperactivity, food additives, childhood obesity, and more. However this winter it seems that every second person you speak to has a cold. And this year has brought in some very nasty bugs, with most colds lasting for weeks. With school holidays coming up, now is a perfect time to start building up your children’s immune system.

The Development of the Immune System

The immune system can be thought of as an army, made up of white blood cells with different roles (such as generals and soldiers). They are constantly working to protect us from foreign beings like bacteria and viruses and it is only when a bug is failed to be ‘neutralised’ that we become aware of our immune system. It’s normal to get a couple of colds a year, but it’s when the cold turns into a secondary infection that your immune system isn’t doing what it’s supposed to.

Our tissues, organs and cells are covered in a type of protein which our immune system recognises and knows not to attack. A pregnant woman’s immune system adapts so as not to attack her baby (which is a foreign body) and this is why many women who are pregnant notice their allergies or auto-immune conditions improve, but are more prone to getting infections. The baby’s immune system is not fully developed so as not to reject mum, and stays immature for a while after birth, too.

It can take about two years for baby’s immune system to fully mature, and during this time they will often rely on the immunity taken from mum. They get this is a few ways: from the placenta in utero, by being coated in the beneficial bacteria from the birth canal and then from colostrums first and then breast milk, two to three days after birth.

As your children’s immune system develops it learns to recognise what is foreign. The more it gets to flex its muscles by mounting an attack and winning the battle, the stronger it becomes. If it doesn’t get the chance to practice, then things can go wrong. Hyperresponse, or the immune system reacting to something that isn’t foreign (e.g. a food intolerance) can lead to a constant runny nose as the immune system keeps trying to capture the invader.

There is a lot of debate about the ‘hygiene hypothesis’ contributing to the growing incidence of children’s immune problems. The theory of this is that excessive sterilisation prevents children’s immune system from getting practice which has increased the rate of allergies and chronic infections in children. While hygiene is important, some dirt and germs put the immune system through its paces, increasing its strength each time.

As every parent knows, having a sick child is certainly not fun and on top of that, it can impact on the health and wellbeing of the whole family. Whether it’s due to sleepless nights, sickness spreading through the whole family, or needing time off school or work, sickness can take its toll.

The Digestive System is friends with the Immune System

Over 70% of our immune system lives in and around the gastrointestinal tract; therefore having high levels of good bacteria in the digestive system is essential for building a strong immune system in growing children. The beneficial balance of ‘good bugs’ in the gut is easily upset by many factors, including antibiotics, high sugar diets and stress. This can lead to an increased risk of colds and ‘flus for your kids.

During the first two years of life, the immature immune and digestive systems are still developing. During this time, the integrity of the digestive tract can be reduced (sometimes known as “leaky gut”), and may allow undigested foods and toxins to pass through this barrier and cause an immune reaction. In this way, “leaky gut” may contribute to the development of allergies and poor immune defence against colds and flus. By strengthening the gut barrier, the immune system is able to respond with greater effectiveness.

Boosting the Immune System

Good nutrition is very important to fuel the immune army to encourage the production of the white blood cells. Imagine sending the troops to war without any food!
Below is a list of good fuel for the immune system.

• Bright coloured vegies are rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, which are important or immunity and wound healing.
• Some foods which are rich in zinc and iron include meat, seafood, beans, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, brown rice, lentils, figs, dark green leafy vegies and beetroots. Zinc and iron are needed for healthy immune function and red blood cells.
• Probiotics are supplements containing friendly bacteria that help the immune system in the digestive tract.
• Raw garlic is fantastic for beating colds and ‘flu. Mix a crushed garlic clove with some lemon and honey in hot water and sip on this throughout the day. It’s a good idea to have the rest of the family eat garlic too, to reduce the chance of them getting sick. If you’re home sick in bed, then it doesn’t matter if you have garlic breath!
• Adequate protein is important for a healthy immune system. Protein can be found in meats, eggs, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
• Herbal medicine can do marvellous things to improve the immune system, which can be taken to help prevent infections. If you’ve already got a cold then herbs can be used to reduce the duration and severity of the illness. Children have a different metabolism to adults so require different types and doses of herbs than adult. It is always best to talk to a herbalist or naturopath to get quality herbs prescribed.

Similiarly, the wrong type of food can slow the immune system down. One teaspoon of sugar can suppress the immune system for up to 8 hours. So it’s important to avoid all sugar and junk foods while you’re sick or if a bug is going around.

The whole family can benefit from eating plenty of immune boosting foods this winter. If you think your child has an issue with their immune system such as frequent infections or allergies then try following the tips above and book in for an appointment to get to the bottom of the issue. When given the right building blocks a child can develop a healthy and robust immune system, which is something the whole family will benefit from.

The post Children’s Health – Immunity appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.