How to Maintain a Healthy Gut in Kids

When you are a mother, it is a given that you will always have a lot on your plate; thus, it can be pretty tough to pay full attention to everything. However, even the busiest mom can notice anything that is even slightly wrong with her kids. So, if you observe that your usually happy and active child is a little out of sorts, you should look at if he/she is having any healthy gut issues.

Most of us tend to resort to snorts when gut health is being spoken of, mainly because the food and health industry is inclined to focus on the calories, the quantity of carbohydrates, the protein shakes, etc. However, we never realize that none of this matters if our gut – which is much of our central system is not functioning correctly.

Why is Gut Health Important?

Our gut comprises the digestive organs, beginning from the mouth to the rectum. The gut microbiota or gut microbiome refers to all the microorganisms that reside in the heart. These include various kinds of good bacteria that help sustain a robust ecosystem within the soul, with functions such as maintaining immunity, ensuring nerve health, and digesting food. When the balance of good to harmful bacteria gets disturbed, then you can be looking at issues such as:

• Constipation
• Bloating and cramping
• Chronic diarrhea
• Excess internal gas
• Bad breath
• Development of food intolerance

Babies, when born, have a sterile gut, and the intestinal bacteria begin to breed right after birth. From then on, the gut’s health is based upon factors, such as exposure to germs, diet, and the use of antibiotics. By the time the child turns three years old, her gut microbiota is more or less like an adult’s and stays with her for life.

This is precisely why it is critical to maintaining healthy gut habits right from the beginning. An unhealthy gut is exposed to all kinds of tummy problems, such as constipation or diarrhea, indigestion or vomiting, overall crankiness, or fussy eating. Or, in some children’s cases, not being their usual selves and the inability to perform to their true potential.

Also Read: Common Signs and Symptoms of a Food Allergy in Kids and How to prevent

Tips to Maintain a Healthy and Strong Gut in Kids

• Breastfeed: As your newborn’s gut is sterile, breastfeed to the extent possible to give an excellent start to healthy gut health for the future. Do try and breastfeed exclusively for the first six months and for as long as possible after that. Breast milk can adapt to the baby’s needs as they grow older, so breast milk is always beneficial.
• Include more fiber: Diet is the main factor for a solid and healthy gut. Your child’s diet should consist of both insoluble and soluble fiber. This is important so that the food receives sufficient bulk to travel through the system appropriately and make bowel movements easier. Foods such as oats, quinoa, lentils, and beans are excellent choices.
• Include probiotics: Probiotics can help with maintaining good gut health. Probiotics are live bacteria that can enhance your gut health when taken in sufficient amounts. Yogurt is the best probiotic you could give your child. Numerous commercial varieties of yogurt are more deserts than healthy food, especially the ‘fruit on the bottom’ kinds. Most of these colorfully packaged yogurts include so much sugar that you or your child would instead not consume. Always opt for natural and unflavored yogurt and ensure that the package mentions what the yogurt contains.
• Cut down fatty foods: Too much fat can harm the good bacteria in the gut, which is why kids, as well as adults, should avoid all kinds of caffeinated beverages, junk food, and candy. Include healthy fats along with high fiber foods for optimal digestion.
• Include Lean Meat: Easily digestible protein helps better digestion and absorption of nutrients, keeping the gut area fresh and healthy. Chicken is one of the best kinds of lean meats to feed kids and is easily digested.
• Go for small and frequent Meals: While planning your child’s meals, select small and regular meals. First of all, kids are most likely to eat smaller meals without getting overwhelmed, and secondly, frequent meals provide kids with sufficient energy to keep them active throughout the day. The best part is that small and regular meals keep the digestive system working while refreshing the gut at the same time.
• Hydration: A diet comprising additional fiber and protein can fail in case of dehydration. Ensure that your child consumes adequate fluids throughout the day. Water is the best choice, but you could also try tender coconut water, fresh fruit juices, or liquid foods, such as cucumbers and melons.
• Regular activity: Regular exercise is vital for overall wellbeing, but especially so for stomach health. The normal activity enables the intestines to fasten a sluggish digestive system and provides stimulation to get waste moving out of the body.
• Avoid unnecessary antibiotics: Of late, there has been a lot of focus on the abuse of antibiotics. Many parents want to try them at the first sign of a slight fever or watery stools and do not realize that these antibiotics harm a child’s gut health over some time. Not all watery stools need a course of antibiotics, and it is best to avoid antibiotics if possible.
• Encourage outdoor exposure: One of the best ways to develop a strong gut and immunity is exposure to germs. This is one main reason kids of previous generations did not need antibiotics as often as kids these days do. It would help if you took care of basic hygiene but should avoid over-sanitizing. Allow the kids to play outdoors, with pets, or in the mud. This helps to build a natural immunity that cannot substitute.

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Simple Gut Healthy Recipes for Kids

Try these simple recipes and tips to include probiotics in children’s diets for a healthy gut and body!

Yogurt Smoothie:

• Ingredients:
  • ½ Banana
  • Cup Yoghurt/ Curd
  • Few Berries of your choice
  • 1 Tsp Date syrup/ Maple syrup
• Method:
  • Blend the whole lot to form a healthy and yummy smoothie. Customize with your child’s favorite fruits.

Homemade Sauerkraut: Yes, you read it right, Sauerkraut for kids!!

• Ingredients
  • Cabbage
  • Sea Salt
• Method

1. Pack thinly sliced cabbage in a mason jar
2. Add sea salt
3. The cabbage will release its juices and create a brine liquid
4. Leave this in the refrigerator for 3-4 days

Feed your kids homemade Sauerkraut in burgers, salad, sandwiches, and so on.

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Also Read:

What are Probiotics and Why are they important for Children?

Holistic fitness during the Pandemic and Beyond

Top 5 Foods to increase your Kid’s Immunity

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