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Manila Bulletin devider devider 4 ways to boost your child's immune system

4 ways to boost your child's immune system

Published Mar 3, 2018 12:05 am
By Dr. Celeste Gomez 3 Q.My baby is sickly and easily infected with coughs and colds. How do you boost a child’s immune system? A.I believe it is common knowledge that giving Vitamin C daily helps a child’s immune system.  However new studies show that it takes more than one’s daily intake of multivitamin supplements to maintain a child’s health and well being.  Lifestyle factors such as whole foods diet, proper sleep, vitamins C, D, and zinc, and outdoor physical activities should all be integrated as a whole. Here are some that will help boost your child's immune system:
  1. “Whole Foods Diet” mean vegetables, fruits, grains/rice, and protein that are fresh and not processed. Processed foods such as pancakes, bread, past and the like are too clean and “sterile” that they do not form good bacteria in the gut. “Whole Foods Diet”consists of natural foods that ferment in our stomachs and give us natural probiotics and prebiotics that help our gut’s immune system to be strong and sturdy.
  2. Proper sleep means at least 10-12 hours of sleep for toddler and 8-10 hours of sleep for a school age child. Turning off gadgets like phones and tablets 1-2 hours before bedtime helps relax the body and help prepare the mid and body for a deep sleep.
  3. Vitamin C, D, and the mineral Zinc are now studied to have great benefits for our immune system. We can get Vitamin C through fresh fruits and vegetables. The mineral zinc is found naturally from spinach, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, chicken and beef. Vitamin D is best made by the body through outdoor sun exposure while enjoying fun outdoor activities.
  4. Daily outdoor physical activities are studied to decrease the risk of obesity in children, improve mental health and social interaction. Toddlers are born to run around and release their energy. This would also help them eat better after playtime at the park. At the same time, exposure to morning sun can help their body produce proper amounts of Vitamin D.
Dr. Celeste Gomez, M.D. , DPPS is a Visiting Consultant in The Medical City and an Active Consultant in Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center. A graduate of the University of the Philippines, College of Medicine, she is currently a Diplomate of the Philippine Pediatric Society and a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM). As a member of the IFM with a medical background, Dr. Celeste balances conventional medicine with appropriate and in-depth personal nutritional and lifestyle advice. She enjoys regular tennis sessions, swimming , and windsurfing.
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