The most challenging task in modern times is to provide our children with a healthy environment. These days, children lead a different lifestyle, and their burden is tremendous. Many changes have taken place in the lifestyle, eating habits, and climate in recent years. The immunity of children plays a vital role in this regard. The effect of each of these factors may vary from one child to another, and a lot of it depends on a child's immunity level.
The governing factor in fighting against different infections and illnesses is the immune system, and therefore children's immunity determines their wellbeing, health, and overall growth. In Ayurveda, a separate branch called "Kuamarbhrutya" is dedicated to children's healthcare. This branch of Ayurveda focuses on all aspects of a child's health, including nutrition, immunity, metabolism, and digestion. The in-depth focus of Kuamarbhrutya on children's health can be seen through its emphasis on the mother's health. Therefore, if one believes and follows the Ayurvedic lifestyle and its principles religiously, then children's health will be better from the beginning years of their life. To ensure your child's immunity is strong, there are a few do's and don'ts you can follow.
Do's
1. Massage with oil (Abhyanga)
It is vital to rejuvenate the child's tissues and relax their body's nervous system from the beginning. Ayurveda recommends a simple way to achieve this. A daily massage for a child using mustard oil or sesame oil works wonders, and if the child deals with "pitta prakriti" then it is recommended to use coconut oil. Besides relaxing the nervous system and rejuvenating tissues, a regular massage with oils also helps promote healthy blood circulation in children.
2. Breastfeed your child up to 1 year
Building the child's immunity should be of paramount importance to you. Ayurveda recommends mothers breastfeed their children for up to 1 year at least. Mother's milk is essential in improving immunity levels in children as it is rich in antibodies and can assist in preventing various allergies and infections.
3. Build immunity in children through "Swarnprashan"
Vedas recommend Swarnprashan for enhancing metabolism, digestion, immunity, physical strength, hearing, vision, memory, and intellect in growing children. Swarnprashan is made by mixing swarna bhasma with shankupushpi, ghee, honey, brahmi, and other essential herbs. This natural product helps in not just building immunity and intelligence in growing children but also supporting their overall development and growth. Children between 1 month to 16 years old can be given Swarnprashan.
4. Maintain the gut health of your child
The digestive system plays a crucial role in determining children's overall health. When a child has a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) system, it means that the child is leading a healthy life. According to Ayurveda, a central digestive fire exists in your stomach that generates energy from food to enable different cells' functions in the body. Therefore, whenever a child falls sick, it means something has gone wrong with the child's stomach. Problems in children can arise when toxins and impurities build up in the digestive tract. These wastes are referred to as "Ama" in Ayurveda. When ama gets accumulated excessively in the body, it can cause a lack of appetite, poor digestion, slow growth, weak immunity, etc. To ensure a strong digestive fire in children, parents need to provide home-cooked and warm meals regularly. Also, children need to be kept away from foods containing preservatives and artificial colors. Processed foods also need to be evaded.
5. Make sure your child sleeps well
Your child will be quickly tired when their sleep is disturbed or incomplete. When this happens, the child becomes prone to infections. Newborn babies need to get at least 18 hours of sleep a day, toddlers need to sleep for at least 12 hours a day, and pre-school kids need at least 10 hours of sleep a day to ensure they are active and healthy. Parents can consider setting up a bed routine for kids so that they are fresh and energetic most of the time. Making children sleep between 9 PM and 10 PM is considered ideal.
Don'ts
1. Spending more time in front of screens
Encourage your kids to play outdoors for at least a few minutes every day. Spending time with nature and under the Sun does a lot of good to their health. A survey indicates that children spend only half the amount playing outside compared to their guardians. The blame for this trend can be attributed to online games, TV, or mobiles. Ayurveda recommends everyone spend some time of their day indulging in different physical activities, including pranayama, yoga, exercise, etc.
2. Encouraging junk food consumption
Another crucial thing that determines your child's immunity levels is the diet. With the growing popularity of fast food and its ease of availability, parents are constantly challenged to prevent children from eating such foods. Fast or junk foods consumed regularly affect the digestion process of the body. What's more, these foods are devoid of essential nutrients that facilitate immunity and growth in children.
3. Regular usage of antibiotics
Parents resort to giving antibiotics to children to provide instant relief. However, in the longer run, the ability to fight infections in the future decreases with such a trend. Overusing drugs may also lead to reduced drug resistance and poor immune system in the child.
4. Curbing the expressions of your child
Children should be encouraged to express their feelings and even out emotions that are suppressed. Physical violence or using harsh words with children must be avoided at all times. Also, children must have a homely environment to feel safe and to be able to express their emotions or feelings without any hesitation. When children's emotions are curbed, their psychological health gets affected, which increases the stress levels in children and interfere with their immunity.
Disclaimer:
This content is for information and educational purposes only and should not be perceived as medical advice. Please consult a certified medical or healthcare professional before making any decision regarding your health using the content above.
Add New Comment