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I continue to pray for you daily, especially in these post-pandemic times…
It’s been a while since my last blog but Coronavirus hit my home hard as well.
My deepest sympathies and condolences to all who lost loved ones during the pandemic and I pray that you are able to find comfort as you continue to rebuild your lives..
Recently, you may have noticed that your child gets sick more often since returning to life as we once knew it.
Well, you are DEFINITELY NOT alone..
In fact, after masks came off and children reconvened at school and daycare centers, their immune systems that were unchallenged during lockdown, seemed to have difficulty adjusting just as we did. Viruses and bacteria revved up and took down their unprepared immune systems. My beloved Child Life parents have so often questioned me about this miserable consequence, that I decided to share a bit of guidance about it.
Here are some tips:
First of all, please recognize that many face the same struggle and you are not alone. We all have faced this, so try to stay positive and do not blame yourself.
Arm your child with sleep. Our bodies go into self repair mode as we sleep so depriving our bodies of this can leave our bodies extremely vulnerable to illness. Proper sleep makes the immune system strong and ready for the challenges of the school environment.
Sleep time recommendations for infants up to age 1 is 14-16 hours per night (including naps)
Children ages 1-4 require 11-14 hours, (with naps included)
Ages 5-13 require 10-12 and 13 to 18 year olds require 9-10..
It may be difficult to ensure that your child gets the sleep that their bodies require because most children don’t willingly dance off to bed at night.
Sleep time routines help to ensure less difficulty at bed time.
This includes powering down electronic devices at least 2 hours before bedtime, as well as dimming the lights, slowing down routines of sports/exercise and putting away homework. Make these adjustments and make the environment tranquil at least two hours before bedtime. For older children, stopping screen time, reading a book, listening to soothing music, prayer, and/or meditation help the racing mind settle down.
Healthy eating which, in this case, means a well balanced diet with plenty of water, fruits and vegetables. Sugar and processed foods elevate blood sugar levels. Sugar is a good source of nourishment for viruses and bacteria. Most germs in the body thrive in a high sugar environment so cutting way down on the sugar laden foods is helpful.
Eat foods rich in Vitamin D, Vitamin C and iron because they are important building blocks for healthy immune systems.
These include but are not limited to the following foods:
Vitamin D and Iron: salmon, sardines, egg yolks, red meat, oatmeal cereals, legumes, spinach, olives, raisins/prunes, apricot, plant milks and fat spreads.
Vitamin C : Citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato juice, potatoes, red and green peppers, kiwifruit, broccoli, strawberries, brussel sprouts, and cantaloupe.
Remember, iron rich foodsshould be consumed with Vitamin C rich goods. Vitamin C rich foods help iron absorb into the gut better.
Another important immune booster is probiotics. Probiotics nourish, sustain and fortify the gut. A great deal of our immunity comes from our digestive system. Therefore, gut health boosts health of the immune system as well.
Yogurt and Kimchi are foods that contain probiotics and can easily be incorporated into our daily diet. Taking a probiotic supplement can also be extremely helpful. Please talk to me at your next visit about healthy probiotic supplement options.
Last but definitely not least, EXERCISE. Regular cardiovascular exercise strengthens our muscles, bones, heart and lungs. It also supports healthy blood flow and digestion. When all of these organs systems are functioning optimally, the immune system also works better too. Three to four days per week of a minimum of 20-30 minutes of exercise should do the trick. But remember, as stated before, avoid exercise one hour before sleep time. Your child’s body requires time to relax and unwind before bed and allow the hormones that promote healthy sleep to kick in.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this list also is what is recommended for optimal growth of my Child Life Pediatric children…This makes sense because if it keeps your immune system healthy, it keeps your body healthy and healthy bodies grow taller !
Many of my Child Life patients have been asking me about growing taller so here it is, kids!
I pray this message helps you. And once again, blessings to you all.
Blessings and love
Robyn Cadet, MD
