Trying to understand the exact reason why we fall sick is important rather than just blaming the weather. You all must have heard the word ‘immunity’ and it is the keyword that really defines the vulnerability of getting your child sick often or rarely. Climate change is not directly responsible for illness. It does provide conducive environment for the growth and spread of disease causing germs.
Let us understand what is immunity and what really makes your child sick.
Let us look at the dictionary meaning of Immunity. It is the condition that permits either natural or acquired resistance to disease. We have an inbuilt immunity system in our body which helps fight the germs (bacteria and viruses) that get our children sick every now and then these days. This immunity is directly related with the food that we eat, exercise that we do, healthy habits that we inculcate in our children and not to forget the emotional balance of the children. Heredity does play a key role but understanding this we can take precautionary action and build up the child’s immunity.
Due to the busy schedules parents have, kids are often pushed into their (adult) kind of routine, food and exercise. The emotional and social needs are not very well taken care of. Enough time for the children to understand and act is not given to them.
We are over focused about our child’s safety and hence we try to over protect the child. This eventually catches up with the child and turns it into his habits. Making the child wear scarves and sweaters, not allowing natural play in water, rain, mud does not really help the child to keep healthy.
With the increasing pollution in air, water, food there are increasing diseases spread everywhere. Once you get the bacteria or virus, then begins the fight with the disease. If the immunity is good the antibodies in your body will fight and kill the germs and keep you safe. We all breathe in the same air, drink the same water but why only some of us get sick. This is the reason behind it. At this point of time the immune system in the body has weakened and hence cannot fight the germs. The germs then grow into the body and we develop symptoms such as fever, cough and cold. We then say we have caught infection.The weather condition prevailing at that time help growth of these germs and thus we get sick. By wearing scarves and sweaters, not getting exposed to cold air, keeping the kids warm we thus take precaution that the germs do not get a conducive environment to thrive and multiply.
We resort to the quick healing remedies such as antibiotics and similar medication for our children. But mind it that they are a temporary cure. The antibiotics also have a long-term effect on the child’s health. Also keep in mind that usage of anitibiotics often, reduces the child’s power to fight against the disease naturally. This might result into the child getting sick frequently.
Instead of going for medicines resorting to home remedies such as eating tulsi leavesdaily( we relish them in our Thai curry and Pizza toppings in the name of basil), making special herbal soups, including veggies in a delectable form for kids will help them build their immunity.
What are some home remedies you should practice on daily basis-
- Use of turmeric milk
- Use of licorice
- Use of lemon and Vit C rich foods in your child’s diet
- Use of panchamrut( mixture of curds, ghee, milk, sugar, honey)
- Eating almonds
- Avoid sweet foods with sugar
- Early to bed early to rise
- Washing hands with antiseptic soap after the use of play material as well as before and after eating.
Healthy eating + Exercising = Building a Healthy body