In the offseason, the issue of protection against colds, acute respiratory infections and influenza is particularly relevant. This problem is particularly acute in the central and southern federal district, where there is often a sharp change in temperature from minus to plus and vice versa.
It is easiest to get sick at this time because of poor adaptation to the change of weather, and also because of the love of viruses and microbes for the humidity that occurs at this time. Such weather contributes to the rapid spread of viruses, especially in areas of high concentrations of people.
In anticipation of such weather, mothers are especially concerned about the health of their children and try to prevent the disease by choosing ways to improve the functions of the body’s natural defense, the immune system.
How to strengthen the immunity of the child, following the general recommendations of doctors
The immune system helps the body resist viruses and bacteria. A weakened person is not able to repel the attacks of disease-causing creatures, and therefore the incidence is increasing. To keep immunity at the right level, you must follow the following recommendations and apply such methods:
- outdoor activities - sitting in four walls behind a computer does not make anyone healthier, especially children, so it is important to spend time in motion on the street, thereby improving the work of the whole organism, thanks to improved blood circulation and oxygen flow into the cells;
- physical activity - playing sports also serves the same purpose as walking and playing outside, helping to organize the work and metabolic processes in the child’s body, which, in turn, leads to the strengthening of immunity;
- during periods of colds, healthy children (weakened by diseases do not count) in schools and kindergartens are offered to be vaccinated, which helps the body to adapt to certain viruses so that the child can cope and not get sick during an epidemic; many parents are afraid that the child will get sick from the vaccine, which is fundamentally wrong and often leads to illness in the future, although it could have been avoided;
- A balanced diet that nourishes the body with all micro and macro elements and vitamins is a very important moment at any time of the year, and in the cold it becomes even more relevant, as nutrition due to the lack of seasonal vegetables and fruits becomes more scarce;
- vitamin complexes in the autumn-spring periods will be an excellent prevention of colds and strengthen the body;
- Special immunostimulating supplements are great for quickly raising immunity; there are also special complexes, however, only doctors can prescribe them;
- cold tempering is another well-known way to improve the protective functions of the body: acts as an improvement in blood circulation and metabolic processes in the body, and allows you to adapt to temperature changes;
- it is also important to give the child full rest and monitor his regime: a tired and not sleepy child is much more likely to get sick; it is also important that sometimes the baby can just relax, because a huge number of sections and classes do not give the young body a rest, which leads to stress.
Nutrition to improve immunity: foods, vitamins and drugs
When weather changes, epidemics of diseases and a large number of cases around it is important to enrich your diet in order to strengthen the immune system. To all the nutrients are better absorbed, it is best to clean the child's body.
To do this, it is better to include in the diet plenty of fresh vegetables with a high content of fiber, as well as cereals and cereals. White cabbage, spinach and celery, oatmeal, bran, whole grain bread, persimmon and other fibrous foods can be products suitable for this role.
Once the body has become cleaner, nutrients will be more digested. Nutrition must be balanced, as the child's body spends a lot of energy on growth and development. What products can strengthen the immunity of the child?
In the food must be fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as processed, protein in the form of cottage cheese, hard cheese, meat and fish, which is also a storehouse of amino acids and vitamins. Eggs, butter and vegetable oils also cannot be ruled out.
Sweet can be in the form of chocolate, marmalade, pastila, dried fruits, which have a relatively natural and harmless composition and do not harm the body. In no case can one completely exclude desserts, since they are a product involved in the production of serotonin, which is a hormone of joy.
Lowering this hormone in the body leads to a deterioration of mood, sleep, reduced development and also has a detrimental effect on immunity.
In addition to dried fruits, it is important to include in the diet carriers of amino acids and healthy fats - nuts. Dried berries and fruits can also be a useful snack. For breakfast, it is best to eat porridge from cereals rich in minerals and trace elements: buckwheat, oats, barley, millet.
If the kid does not want to eat porridge for any reason, you can offer him muesli, but preferably with a simpler and more useful composition - without glazes, baking and all sorts of harmful additives, but only with a mixture of cereals, dried fruits and nuts.
Dairy products are very important to eat at any time, and especially in the cold season. It can be natural yoghurts, cottage cheese products, kefir, cheeses, milk and other derivatives.
The most useful vegetables and fruits are seasonal, however, in the cold season it is not relevant. Therefore, apples and citrus fruits from the seas will also be better than nothing, vegetables are better to take greenhouse, not imported, as they sang on the way and did not collect useful substances.
It’s better to replace all this with tasty homemade counterparts, which gives you a wonderful reason to learn new dishes.
Of course, with food it is quite difficult to get all the necessary vitamins, minerals and trace elements. In order to understand what the child lacks most in the body, it is best to pass tests at a medical institution, however, not everyone has the time and desire for it.
Pharmacies sell ready-made, balanced vitamin-mineral complexes for children, which contain safe dosages of the necessary substances. It is important to remember that these substances are quite serious, and the uncontrolled intake of them in food can lead to an overdose, which has serious consequences for the body. Therefore, you must strictly follow the rules of admission and dose.
If a child is constantly sick and has a very weak immunity, it is best to visit a specialist - immunologist, who will take the necessary tests and prescribe a regimen and medicines to increase the protective functions of the child’s body.
Also, in times of exacerbation of diseases among people, it is better to observe preventive measures: wash hands as often as possible, do not take up handrails and pens in public places, teach your child to use antimicrobial gels and napkins. It is also recommended to use a protective ointment for the nose, since microbes are easiest to penetrate through the mucous membrane due to the proximity of the capillaries in such places.
National methods of strengthening the immunity of the child
The popular methods include hardening, including, but the majority of the methods of strengthening immunity are based on nutrition. So, for example, traditional medicine recommends to use a lot of onions and garlic during cold seasons.
This is quite understandable and justified by medicine, because of the high content of phytoncides in such products, however, it is worth remembering that they are quite caustic, so eating them is reasonable.
Also traditional remedies for colds include lemon, ginger and honey. From these products make both teas, and a useful drug like jam.
In addition, many people use vitamin C-rich rosehip tea. Other herbal teas, which contain certain beneficial substances and have a warming effect, are also quite effective.
Exercise on the path to strengthen immunity
For children of all ages, including preschoolers from 2 to 7 years old, physical activity is the best way to increase immunity. It can be as simple morning exercises and walks in the fresh air, as well as some sports.
In strengthening the immune system championship, of course, swimming in the pool. This sport is suitable for both children and children of primary school age who can engage in special groups, as well as adolescents, and adults too.
Dr. Komarovsky on this account gives about the same recommendations, in which the emphasis is on physical activity. In addition, both he and other doctors recommend airing the rooms more often and doing wet cleaning, especially if someone in the family is sick.
How to quickly increase the immunity of the child in front of the garden
It is quite difficult to increase the immunity of the baby, as it can harm the young body. Comes to the aid of a balanced diet, vitamins, exercise. This may be gymnastics, outdoor games, swimming. Hardening is also suitable, but very cautious: wiping with a wet towel and a douche with changing warm to cool water and vice versa will do. Finish better with cool water and rubbing a fluffy towel.
And a little more information from Dr. Komarovsky - in the next video.
