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Increasing resistance in children by working on your immune system

From the moment you discover you are pregnant, you are on it. The health of your child. And for that you have to make a lot of sacrifices. No carpaccio, that just works, but nine months no wine † That is quite a task for some of us, but hey, you have to give something for it, don't you ladies. Maybe an alcohol-free wine from time to time will soften the lack a bit. Fortunately, it is indeed good for something, all those sacrifices that you make as a pregnant mom. Your baby's immune system is already being built in your womb. An important process! Because a good resistance, your child will enjoy it for a lifetime. Here you can read everything about what resistance actually is. If you want to increase the resistance in children, be sure to read on.

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Your resistance to diseases

Your resistance or immune system ensures that your body is resistant to diseases. In toddlers, preschoolers and young children, the resistance is not yet fully developed. That is why they are more susceptible to many (childhood) diseases than their parents. That is why children are vaccinated:by injecting a very small amount of a certain virus, the body comes into contact with it and starts to build up resistance. Older people have more life experience, including when it comes to germs and viruses. That is why they have built up more resistance.

Read also :Vaccinate or not:emotions are running high

Sniffing makes the resistance better

Children therefore have less resistance than adults. Unless you have an immune disease, it will eventually work itself out. So occasionally sniffling is unfortunately just part of it. In fact, your child's resistance will only get better. However, you can increase the resistance in children. And your own, you can work on that too. There are a number of things that are important for the resistance of young and old.

Working on your resistance

You don't have to take any scary steps to keep your resistance or immune system up to scratch. Nevertheless, it is wise to read on, especially if you regularly have the flu, a cold, or if you don't feel very fit.

3 important things to maintain your resistance:

  • Sleep
  • Healthy eating
  • No stress

Tip #1:Sleep

It is very important for a good resistance that you are rested. The more tired you and your body are, the less energy there is to fight viruses, infections and germs. Sounds logical, doesn't it? That is why extra rest is already important if you think that the flu is coming. Once you have the flu, it becomes a matter of getting sick.

Tip #2:Eat healthy

Ever since you were little, you've probably been thrown to it:vitamins are important. And that is not a myth:healthy food is important for your resistance. After eating a pancake, your child may be full, but his or her resistance is of little use.

So eat healthy regularly, with the whole family, and you will see that there are fewer sick people in the long run. For children, vitamin C, from fruits and vegetables, is especially important for the resistance. Vitamin A, which ensures that you form white blood cells, is also important for your resistance. By eating a varied diet you get as many different nutrients and vitamins as possible. Now all that's left to do is get the kids to eat Brussels sprouts. Are your children picky eaters and are you afraid that they will not build up enough resistance? Then read on, because we have some tips for you.

Tip #3:No stress

Nobody likes stress, but did you know that it also has an effect on your resistance? Perhaps you recognize it:busy at work, your hands full at home, and just when you can use it least, you run a fever. Sufficient me-time and relaxation are therefore not only tasty, but also essential when it comes to your resistance.

Read also :Grandmother's anti-flu tips

Increase resistance in children

Healthy food, enough sleep and avoiding stress are therefore good for the resistance. For adults, but also for children. Do your children regularly sniffle, and do you want to increase the resistance in children? Which can. In any case, make sure that they eat a healthy and varied diet. If your children are picky eaters, you can opt for supplements containing additional nutrients. If you want to promote a well-functioning immune system, the following ingredients are a must:

  • Vitamin and minerals, such as vitamins C, D, A, B6 and E
  • Omega-3 fatty acids
  • Antioxidant
  • Strong multi-minerals

So now and then oily fish is very good for your resistance, but not every mini-me likes to eat herring regularly! As a standard, we also have a vegetable and fruit drawer with goodies that are eaten daily and in addition a number of extras  in winter.

Omega 3

For example, our youngest uses the tablets with fish oil because she is simply not a real fish lover. This way I (and you) can increase the resistance in children, and they simply get a tablet that is also flavored. If even that is something to swallow, you can often mix the products for children with, for example, yogurt. Increase resistance in children? That will be a breeze. In addition, fish oil also supports brain function, provided you take it in certain amounts. And now let our children use all of that at school!

Wash your hands!

An extra tip when it comes to increasing the resistance in children is hygiene. Something we hope we don't have to explain to you, but you do to your child! Cover your mouth while coughing, throw away dirty tissues and wash your hands regularly. Hygiene is very important if you want to prevent viruses from floating around.

Bring on those bacteria!

Although hygiene is very important, too hygienic is not the intention. As we said, adults have a better resistance than children thanks to the fact that they have more life experience, including when it comes to viruses, infections and bacteria. We did not gain that experience by sitting fresh and fruity on the couch!

Do you want to increase the resistance in children? Then exposure to all those things is very important, in order to build resistance against them. So feel free to let your baby suck your finger every now and then, get a dog, and even send the kids outside during a storm for a breath of fresh air. Do they, and their resistance, become hard!

Read also: care for a sick child; do you arrange childcare or do you stay at home yourself?

Resistance in winter

Why is there more attention to your resistance in winter? That is actually very simple, because in winter it is easier for a virus to get hold of. Viruses survive longer in the cold than in the heat. In addition, we spend more time in the winter than in the summer, which means that you transfer or contract viruses faster! And finally, the mucous membrane of your airways also functions less well in the cold and because of the dry air, making your airways more susceptible to the viruses.

The R in the month

All in all, it is not for nothing that they call for extra vitamins if the R is in the month. Nevertheless, taking a lot of vitamin C, for example, has no additional benefit. Your body can only retain a certain amount of vitamin C, the rest you pee out again. Are you eating healthy enough? Then you already have enough vitamin C. Yet many people tend to actually take some extra vitamins with the R in the month. They do this for themselves, but even more so for the children or the elderly.

Do you have any doubts about anything? Always consult your doctor before continuing on your own, or check the GP website to see if your questions have already been answered there.

School sick?

In addition to nutrition, sufficient sleep and as little stress as possible are important factors. Do you want to increase the resistance in children because they are so often sick? Do they complain about stomachaches on school days? Then it may just be that there is an underlying cause that has nothing to do with being really sick or resistance. Talking about emotions with your child is very important. Stress has a major effect on their health not only in adults, but also in children. That abdominal pain really doesn't have to be an excuse:have you never spontaneously got abdominal cramps during stress? And stress and children, isn't that a combination?

Read also: Teach children how to deal with emotions

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