Microbes are important for health and prevention of diseases. Researchers suggest it's time for kids (and adults) to get dirty, eat nutritious foods and stop overusing antibiotics.
Diabetes, allergies, asthma, IBS, autism,obesity and autoimmune diseases are at an all time high. The prevalence of these conditions are now being linked to the quality of microbes that are an inherent part of our physiological makeup.
These diseases are largely a consequence of a our lifestyle - modern diet, oversanitisation, excessive use of antibiotics...and they are being diagnosed in more children. We urgently need to find ways to modify our behavior so that our microbes can function properly. Our kids are growing up so cleanly and our diets have lost many of the nutrients due to processing and packaging.
Here's some positive changes we can make as parents:
1. Expose children to a diverse array of microbes by encouraging them to play outdoors.
2. Allow your children to follow their innate impulse to get dirty (microbes help us build our immune system)
3. Encourage healthy eating. The Western diet's highly processed diet is very high in preservatives, artificial colours, artificial flavours and sugars. There is a very strong association between this diet and many diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Focus on a variety of food to ensure a health gut and body. Good foods for children to snack on: vegetables, fruit and nuts. Include a variety of grains such as oats, rice, barley, quinoa. It's important that these are whole grains, not refined ones (such as bread and cereal). Whole grains are higher in fiber and have more nutrients for a growing child's demands. Try adding protein from lentils, beans and peas as well as non-starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, parsnips and yams (nice alternative to potatoes). Older children can benefit from fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables.
For children, eating healthy foods becomes a habit in the same way as cleaning their room does: by doing it frequently.
4. Be restrictive with the use of antibiotics in your children. Upper respiratory tract infections and colds are often caused by viruses, so antibacterials won’t cure them. Most sore throats, especially if the child also has a runny nose and cough, are caused by viruses and don’t need antibiotic therapy. Also, probiotic supplements (with live bacteria and yeasts) can be beneficial if a child is given antibiotics.
5. Avoid antibacterial soaps.
Reference: The Wall Street Journal
