10 Tips To Build Immunity From Within For Your Toddler

10 Tips To Build Immunity From Within For Your Toddler

8 Sep 2022 | 5 min Read

Sayani Basu

Author | 607 Articles

Building immunity from within for your toddler has become all the more important in the wake of COVID-19 looming over our heads. Most kids are fussy eaters and are not very careful with the hygiene advisories that have been issued. Therefore, there’s more than just maintaining a proper diet for them to build their immunity.

So how can you build immunity for your toddlers? Here are some of the tips to build immunity from within for your toddler.

Tips To Build Immunity From Within For Your Toddler 

  1. Give your toddlers nutritious food: A balanced diet that is enriched in fibre and fluid will aid to build immunity from within. Adequate nutrition can keep the immune system of your child healthy and strong.

Hence, it is advisable to increase fruits and green vegetables that are loaded with iron, zinc, minerals, calcium and other vital nutrients.

tips to build immunity from within
Green vegetables are loaded with iron, zinc, minerals, calcium and other vital nutrients that help build immunity from within / Image Source: freepik
  1. Hygiene habits: Practising good hygiene habits is also one of the tips to build immunity from within for toddlers. Kids should be encouraged to wash their hands at frequent intervals to keep germs at bay.

It is recommended to choose a handwash that has been formulated using natural ingredients like organic mango oil and coconut oil that will not only wash off germs but will also keep your little one’s skin moisturised.

  1. Adequate sleep time: It is recommended to ensure adequate sleep for your toddler as it helps keep immunity levels high. Providing adequate rest to the body is one of the most important tips to build immunity.

Sleep deprivation can also make a child more susceptible to illness and reduce his/ her immunity and the body’s natural ability to fight diseases.

  1. Avoid self-medication and unnecessary antibiotics: If your toddler is suffering from a bacterial infection, avoid giving medicines without a doctor’s prescription.

It is advisable to avoid unnecessary antibiotics as excessive use of antibiotics results in antibiotic resistance and thus decreases immunity in kids.

  1. Engage them in regular exercise: It is recommended to engage your child in physical exercise as sitting for prolonged hours can make your toddler’s muscles stiff or tight.

Encourage them to play, and run in the open areas to be physically active. You can make a routine for playtime and allow them to explore with free play.

  1. Avoid unhealthily and junk food: Kids love junk food and will always crave chips, chocolates, and tinned food. It might be difficult to completely cut the consumption but you can surely limit the use. For instance, if your child is a chocolate lover, you can give your little one dark chocolate that’s less sweet and has minimum calories.
  1. Give them dried fruits: Dried fruits like almonds, cashews, figs, nuts, and dates are loaded with a lot of nutrients like fibre, vitamins, and minerals. These energy and nutrient-dense foods aid in meeting the overall nutritional needs of your child.

Plus, the micronutrients help in proper growth and development, especially in the first few years of life.

  1. Stay up to date on recommended vaccinations: The immune systems of kids are not developed which can put them at greater risk for infections. Therefore, it is important to stay up to date on recommended vaccination for babies as it has become an unavoidable practice.

These reduce your baby’s risk of infection by working with their body’s natural defences and aid in safely developing immunity to disease.

  1. Switch to herbal solutions: Consumption of herbal dietary supplements like Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and Guggulu (Balsamodendron mukul) are natural sources of antioxidants and strengthens immunity in kids and help them stay healthy.
toddler
It is advisable to quit smoking if you have kids at home as secondhand smoke resists a toddler’s immunity development / Image Source: freepik
  1. Banish secondhand smoke: It is advisable to quit smoking if you have kids at home. This is so because secondhand smoke increases a child’s risk of SIDS, bronchitis, ear infections, and asthma. It might also affect a toddler’s intelligence and neurological development and ultimately resists immunity development.

Dr Pooja Marathe, Community Expert, Lactation & Nutrition says, “Local seasonal fruits and vegetables are a great way to increase immunity in children as these provide a good source of antioxidants. Coloured veggies like carrots and pumpkins are good sources of beta carotene and can be made into soup. You can also increase immunity in your child naturally by giving them foods that are naturally rich in immunity-boosting nutrients like Vitamin C, antioxidants, and Omega-3s by taking additional supplements. A well-balanced diet, proper hydration, proper sleep and physical exercise are the best ways to increase immunity in a child.”

Now that you are familiar with the tips to build immunity from within for your toddler, we are sure that you will be a pro in it.

Cover Image Credit: pexels

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