It has been the season of cold and flu and this winter. It seems like every mom out there is beyond exhausted trying to survive the many illnesses of this season. Daycare and school numbers are extra-low with children constantly being off ill. Recurring infections, multiple sicknesses, viruses spreading through the whole household seem to be the norm of this season.
I think you can all agree with me that there is nothing more stressful and tiring than when your child is sick. Watching them around the clock, monitoring their symptoms, comforting them when they can’t sleep, the stress of if it getting better or worse, worried they aren’t eating or drinking enough, the list goes on.
When it comes to illness, it seems like the one thing that is overlooked is nutrition. Babies and toddlers are not little adults. When it comes to nutrition, they have different needs and the same goes for their immune system. I know that it’s VERY hard when your child is sick, and your desperate to do anything to make them happier. I know when I was a kid, it was normal to get ice cream or popsicles in bed when I was ill to try and cheer me up. However, the best way to make them happier is to help get them healthier quicker.
Do your best and even if you find it too hard to implement all of these tips, adding in 1 or 2 can make a huge difference to their recovery.
Supporting Their Immune System
A healthy immune system is the best prevention against colds and flu and the best way to reduce the severity and duration of one. Nutrition is the key to a healthy immune system. Once a cold has taken effect, these tips can be helpful in boosting the immune system:
- Eat lightly. Let the body’s energy go towards healing and eliminating the virus instead of digesting food.
- Drink plenty of water, herbal tea, diluted vegetable juice, and soup/broths. Do not give fruit juices, dairy or caffeine. The right fluids help lubricate the throat and thin the mucus along with flush out toxins.
- Remove white foods at the first sign of illness from their diet. This includes grains, sugars, milk, cheese, dairy, sweeteners, etc. These foods suppress immune function and slow the body’s healing ability.
Bone broth is liquid gold for the immune system and one the best thing you can give your child to eat when they are fighting an illness. It’s light and takes no work to digest and contains anti-inflammatory amino acids making it packed full of immune-supporting vitamins and minerals. If your child has a respiratory infection or is filled with mucus, it also helps thin the mucus to support it leaving the body.
Focusing on Cold or Warming Foods
In Chinese medicine, signs of illness usually show up through symptoms in two groups: wind-cold and wind-heat.
Signs of wind-cold:
- Stool with no smell, loose or has undigested food
- Pale face
- Cool hands, feet or cheeks, lack of sweat
- Poor appetite
- Low energy, tired easily, body aches
- Scratchy throat and stuffy nose with clear runny mucus
- A fever with predominating chills
- Sneezing
- Headache
Signs of wind-heat:
- Bad breath
- Dry, hard stool, sour-selling or cries before a bowel movement
- Dark urine with a strong smell
- Red face and sweating
- Hot hands, feet, and cheeks
- Cries easily, loud cries
- Fever
- Stuffy nose with yellow, sticky mucus
- Restless sleep
- Sore throat, swollen tonsils
If your child is showing signs of wind-cold, you can support them by providing warming foods in their diet, this will help their body find balance (hello yin and yang). For example, include warming spices like dried ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, curry, cloves, and fennel seed. Also, focus on cooked foods, starchy vegetables, chicken, and lamb. Avoid dairy, raw vegetables, or chilled foods like ice cream or smoothies.
When you see obvious signs of wind-heat, you can support them by providing cooling foods in their diets such as peppermint, buckwheat, eggs, sauerkraut, seafood, raw foods, and bone marrow. Stay away from warming foods such as spicy foods, chili, black pepper, red meat, sugar, and dairy.
Support Mucus Leaving The Body, Not Entering It
If your child is battling a respiratory infection, cough or runny nose, you want to avoid mucous forming foods such as sugar, dairy, and bananas. Yes, bananas! I know we all grew up on mashed bananas when we were ill, but if you’re dealing with mucous, bananas will add fuel to the mucous fire!
Now keep in mind that mucous is not a bad thing, it’s your body’s natural protective mechanism and so we don’t want to suppress it ( example taking cough medicine), instead we want to support removing it and cleansing the body. The best way we can do this is by supporting the immune system and not making it work twice as hard by adding mucus-forming foods into the mix.
If you can, try adding in foods into their diet that may help reduce mucus production. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants. In fact, antioxidants help support your body’s ability to stay healthy and to heal if you become ill. Berries, citrus fruits, garlic, leafy greens along with warm fluids help break up mucus, so again adding in soups, teas or broths can be very beneficial.
Also, think anti-inflammatory when you think anti-mucus. I know it can be tough to get your child to eat omega-3 rich foods such as fish, nuts, and seeds when they aren’t feeling well. What we do is mix honey with olive oil on a spoon before bed and find it works wonders on suppressing a cough. The olive oil also helps breakdown mucus as it contains oleocanthal, which may produce effects similar to anti-inflammatory medications.
In Summary:
Your nutrition plays a very important role when your child is fighting a cold or flu. Getting them to eat can be challenging when they aren’t feeling well, so smoothies or soups are my two secret weapons. Depending on if you’re trying to cool or heat the body, these both are great for sneaking in ingredients that will help support your child’s recovery.
Nutrition is also ALWAYS an important factor in your child’s lifestyle, not just when they are battling an illness. Nutrition is an important factor in keeping their immune system strong. Because the immune system starts in the gut, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and proteins will keep their body and immune system strong. Adding in foods to support a healthy gut flora (fermented food, kombucha, kimchi, etc.) is also a best practice. Along with improving your child’s nutrition, the immune system relies on sleep to stay strong as the body needs sleep to repair and strengthen. So remember, if you are going to do two things to help get through the rest of this virus-infested winter, focus on a nutritious diet and making sure your child gets adequate sleep each day!