|
Back to School
(Keeping your
kids healthy) |
The Importance of Sleep
The Importance of Hand
Washing
Fish Oil makes for
Brainier Children
How to Beat the Head Lice
The Importance of a
Nutritious Breakfast
The Importance of
Nutritious Lunches
Asthma and Allergy
Precautions
Without sufficient sleep
your child will not be able to function optimally. Sleep deprivation,
both in the short and long term, causes serious adverse health effects.
Pre-teenage school children will usually need at least 10 hours sleep,
and teenagers about 9 hours or more.
Avoid giving your child
sugary foods or drinks before bed (or, ideally, at all) and set aside
some time for your child to relax at bedtime. Particularly, exciting
television programmes or computer games will prevent them winding down
to enable sleep.
If your child has
trouble sleeping regularly, he or she may be one of the many
people who have problems sleeping due to anxiety, stress or
other emotional challenges. Try to discover what is causing
their stress, whether it be worries about school, new teachers,
not making new friends, not being good at sports, bullies, and
so on.
Regular exercise
can also help kids get a good night’s sleep.
|
Hand Washing
The Best Defence Against Flu and Gastrointestinal Infections |
Most experts agree
that hand washing with simple soap and water is the single most
important thing kids can do to prevent infections from spreading
in day-care settings, as well as in schools.
Older kids too, and of
course adults, need to wash their hands between various activities, such
as playing outdoors, before and after eating, playing with pets, blowing
their nose, using the toilet, and of course if they sneeze.
Contact with excessive
germs could result in a trip to the doctor who may want to give your
child a totally unnecessary flu vaccine or antibiotics. Many of
the injectable influenza vaccines will contain mercury and are therefore
usually best avoided.
By encouraging your kids
to wash their hands, you can help reduce the risk of common infections
such as colds and flu, as well as more serious infections like as
meningitis.
One research study had
children wash their hands when they arrived at school, before lunch,
after lunch, at break time and finally before leaving to go home. After
a month of consistent hand washing, the study showed the children had 24
percent fewer days off school from colds and the flu. And an amazing 51
percent fewer sick days due to gastrointestinal problems such as stomach
cramps and diarrhoea.
|
Keep hand washing in perspective, especially in the winter |
This huge reduction of
infections was achieved with simple soap and water. There is absolutely
no need to use anti-bacterial soaps and lotions, which may actually do
more harm than good.
Whilst it is good practice
to encourage hand washing between activities, it has to be kept in
perspective.
It is now generally
accepted that children need to be exposed to some bacteria in early
childhood in order to strengthen their immune systems. Children who are
not exposed to common bacteria may be more prone to allergies and
asthma.
Using antibacterial soaps
will kill too many bacteria, and may damage the skin.
In the winter especially,
children need plenty of omega 6 and omega 3 oils to keep their skins
healthy. Kids with eczema and dermatitis may need extra GLA from Evening
Primrose Oil.
|
Eating More Fruit in
Childhood may Reduce Risk of Cancer in Adulthood |
This interesting study followed up nearly 4000 subjects from a
total of 4999 whose diets were analysed during childhood as part of
the famous pre-war survey known as the ‘Boyd Orr cohort’.
The
original families were largely from working class backgrounds in 16
rural and urban areas of England and Scotland between 1937-1939.
Results
published by researchers from the MRC Social and Public Health
Sciences Unit, London and the University of Bristol indicate that
increased childhood fruit intake was associated with reduced risk of
cancer and that further study is required.
M
Maynard, D Gunnell, P Emmett, S Frankel and G Davey Smith (2003) ‘Fruit,
vegetables, and antioxidants in childhood and risk of adult cancer: the
Boyd Orr cohort’ Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
2003;57:218-225
|
Multivitamins and
minerals for children |
BioCare Kids Complete Complex (Powder) in a base of
natural freeze-dried banana. Can be mixed in juice or food. No picture
available at present.
Junior Multivitamins and Minerals (recommended by
the Hyperactive Children's Support Group)
|
"Fish oil
supplements have been found to have a dramatic, and at times almost immediate,
effect - even on children who have not been diagnosed with
learning or behavioural problems."
More than 120 children aged between six and 12
took part in trials, funded by Durham County Council.
Half used a combination of omega-3 fish oil and
omega-6 evening primrose oil and half an olive oil placebo.
The research showed children's learning and
behaviour improved significantly when taking the natural fatty acids.
Children who
were under performing in class experienced an improvement in concentration and
behaviour after taking natural fish oils.
One head teacher said children
with specific difficulties now concentrate more, read better,
and their self-esteem has rocketed.
The fatty acid made "highly significant
improvements" in 12 out of 13 behavioural scales, including inattention,
hyperactivity and impulsivity. Short term memory also significantly
improved.
"The most dramatic improvement
was in concentration and the spin off was children had better
attainments so their reading score improved - some children
improved by as much as four years in the six months trial."
More of a pandemic really! Now that the
kids are back at school, you may need some Delacet.
Healthpol
Delacet
Studies show that
eating breakfast helps with school performance. Very young
children tend to eat some kind of breakfast, whereas older kids
often go without. Perhaps they don't know that
-
kids who don't
eat breakfast had poorer attention and concentration, and
performed less well in tests than those who did eat
breakfast
-
kids who
missed out on breakfast were often more deficient in their
total vitamin and mineral intake which affects their overall
health
Here are a few
ideas:
-
Porridge oats,
with a dollop of yoghurt, and some fresh fruit. Oats give
long lasting energy
-
Scrambled or
boiled eggs on wholemeal toast. Eggs contain lots of choline
which is vital for memory
-
If your kids
MUST eat on the move, spread some wholemeal bread with
peanut butter (better still almond butter found in health
food store) and wrap it around a peeled banana
There are lots of
ideas in our previous newsletter on this subject. Here are a few
of them:
-
Smoothie. Lots of ideas in
Dr Gillian McKeith's books. Also see
Cooking Without by Barbara Cousins which gives
options for the 'allergic' child.
-
Bite-sized oven-roasted potato cubes, oven roasted
carrots. Roast in minimum of olive oil, or better still,
coconut oil. The coconut oil will help release
energy, without making the child overweight.
-
Left-over home-roasted chicken wings or drumsticks. For
very young children, finger-shaped chunks of chicken
breast are easier to eat. Serve with cherry tomatoes,
mini-corn cobs, raw sugar-snap peas, etc. Stored in
fridge overnight.
-
Chopped
fruit, rolled in yoghurt and coconut
Common allergens
include peanuts, tree nuts such as pecans etc., shellfish, milk,
strawberries, oranges, eggs, wheat and soy.
Teamwork between
parents, child, teachers, school nurses and canteen staff is
essential.
Here are a few
tips:
-
Ask for a
meeting with the above staff before the beginning of the
school term.
-
Make sure each
member of the team understands the precautions required at
lunchtimes.
-
Demonstrate
the use of the EpiPen if your child has one.
-
Make sure that
each team member understands the importance of taking the
EpiPen on school trips
-
Provide a list
of names and telephone numbers of several people who can be
contacted in an emergency
-
Before school,
remind your child which foods he or she must avoid, and why
-
Teach your
child the importance of not sharing foods with other
children
-
If reactions
have been severe and quick acting in the past, show both
your child and staff a signal which the child can use if an
adverse reaction is happening
|
