Best diet for the First Five years

The first five years of a child's life is the foundation for the physical and mental health and the diet during this period is crucial especially if your child is prone to health concerns. The child knows only what the parents shows and follows. It is good to follow certain guidelines during this period and stick to a strict discipline. Below is a guideline for a vegetarian diet. 

• 5  or more servings of Fruits and Veges. They contain lots of micronutrients and antioxidants for the body.
• 2 or more servings of Dairy. Better if vitamin D fortified. Dairy in the form of milk, yogurt/curd(homemade if possible), cheese. Vitamin D and calcium play a vital role in strengthening the bones and overall.
• 99.9% of the time go for whole grains. 
• Good Protein Sources like Lentils and Egg
• Nuts are packet with protein and nutrients and make a great snack
• Herbs and Spices. Here is a trick, the more you include a herb or spice the more your child is going to like it. It's like training the taste bud.
• Best drinks for kids are Milk and water. Homemade fresh squeezed fruit juices are good. Avoid any store brought sugary drinks, soda and juice from concentrate.
• DHA and Probiotic supplements. Vitamin D supplement for the first two years.

Please note: the above guideline is for vegetarian diet. Non vegetarian food like meat and seafood possess excellent nutrients. If you are non vegetarian please add the above guidelines to your diet to get benefit. It is all about eating natural food and avoiding artificial stuff.

How to make your child love good food.

• The key to making your child like good food is to show them only good food. "What we show is what they know".
• Simple looking food appeal kids better than the complicated ones. "Simple and less" is the magic. Offer more on demand.
• Kids with sweet tooth naturally like fruits. Fruits are nature's candies. They will appreciate natural taste unless they are exposed to man made sweet treats. It is good to stay away from chocolates, sugary drinks and other sweets as much as possible until age 5.
• Vegetable when given in simple form will be appreciated by kids. Just adding some butter, salt and pepper will add good taste to Veges like broccoli, cauliflower. Some taste good when raw nd some go well will little seasoning or dip. Do trials to test your child's likes. Please keep in mind that the more you train the taste buds the more they will get used to and like it.
• Talk to your child about food. If they love stories then tell your own stories of how Spiderman drinks two cups of milk everyday to stay strong. How fairies loves to eat fruits. How beautiful/ handsome they will become if they eat fruits, vegetables. They can become tall if they drink water. The more you talk the more they will get used to eating good food
• Involve them in picking fruits/veges from grocery store and in making some simple recipes. Get them familiarize with food and it is the natural part of everyday life.
• Avoid distraction eating like watching tv, computer or playing games while eating. Self eating is the best practices.
• Fruits like orange, lemon and Apple increases you child's appetite. Giving a cup of water 30 mins before food will also make them more hungry.
• Water guidelines. Give a cup water after wakeup, 30 mins before food, 1 hour after food throughout the day, before going to bed and finally take a bottle when going out for a walk or any physical activity and don't miss an opportunity when your child shows signs of thirst.
• Some kids love to drink water from sippy cup while others just takes few sips and stays without water for long tine. In that case use only open cup. Fill it with water and tell your child that he has to finish it fully.

To my blog readers

Please do not hesitate to provide your inputs and write some fun ways you encourage your child to eat good food that will motivate all moms.

Diet during tough days

When the child suffers with wheezing it is hard to feed anything. But it is very vital to keep putting good calories in small amounts to keep body nourished, hydrated, to prevent vomiting and recover soon.
The food that we feed should fall in one of the category to help the body fight and recover

• Food that reduces the inflammation. Avacadoe, Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, cherries, berries, herbs like rosemary, oregano, sage, garlic are a few to list that reduces airway inflammation.
• Food that provides the essential nutrients that prevents and alleviates asthma symptoms. Vitamin B6, C, E, quercetin, Carotenoids, Rosmarinic acid, Omega 3, magnesium, potassium.
• Food that keeps the body hydrated. Asthma can aggravate due to lack of hydration in the body. Hence it is essential to keep it fully hydrated.

Avoid the following food type

• Watch out for dairy and egg.
• Reduce salt and sugar intake
• Cut back on omega 6
• Avoid food additives and preservatives.
• Avoid processed and over cooked food. Both lack in natural and essential nutrients required by the body to heal

Mild wheezing

• Avocados with salt and pepper.
• Steamed veges like sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccolli, carrots, spinach, kale, beans, beetroot etc.
• Home made Soups: tomatoes soup, corn soup, vegetable soup, clear vege soup, lentil soup, chinese clear soup with tofu
• Fruits blueberries, nectarines, pomegranates etc.
• Rice, bread, oats
• Herbal Tea (latte or plain)
• Dairy in moderate quantity is fine
• Include onion, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, pepper in soups and tea. Keep in moderation. Too much can hurt child's tummy.
• Also include herbs like basil, rosemary, sage etc
• Keep sugar and salt to minimum.
• Avoid mucous producing food.

Severe wheezing

• Clear soups with vegetables
• Give rice, oats, bread in small quantity if your child can tolerate.
• Fruits
• Avoid dairy and other mucous producing food.
• Include ginger, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, clove, pepper in soups and tea. Keep in moderation. Too much can hurt child's tummy.
• Also include herbs like basil, rosemary, sage etc
• Keep sugar and salt to minimum.

Do not force food. If the child vomits continuously give fluids in very small quantities at regular interval instead of large quantities.

To my blog readers

If this blog has helped you do let me know.  Also your tips on what food you give to help your child during illness are welcome.

why having allergies and asthma has benefits

1. It made me take control of what my child eats.  What we expose our child to is what they know. Show them only real nature food and they will only ask for that.
2. It made me cut the processed and junk food from my child's diet. The shops are filled with junks in fancy packages talking about whole grains and health. Healthy food doesn't come in packages. They come from mother earth. They taste good without much alterations. 
3. It made me put restrictions on what others gave my child and stop if they gave junk. This involves friends, family, school and the whole world out there. It is hard to say no by we have to do for the sake of our child's health.
4. It made me involve my child in play, walking, dance and other activities. It is easy to get caught in a lonely world. But a child's life needs lots and lots of activities for healthy body and brain development.
5. It made me bring in life style changes.
6. It made my child enjoy chocolates, fries etc once in a while rather than over indulging.
7. It made me show my child lots and lots of love.
8. The changes I made gave me peace of mind instead of constantly worrying about my child's health.

The best gift I can give my child is Mother Earth(1 person less polluted)

We love our children so much we are ready to buy anything and do anything for them. We want to give the best for our child.  But are we really giving the best if we spoil the place they will live. Yes our earth.

My vows

1. No grocery plastic bags in my shopping carts.
2. Use steel water bottles instead of plastic esp for children.
3. Minimum usage of antibacterial hand soap and sanitizers and not being a germophobic.
4. Less water consumption.
5. Less dryer usage.
6. Optimal usage of detergents.
7. Less power consumption
8. Recycle

"Let everyday be an earth day"

How many of you agree to this and would like to join in taking these vows? For every person who joins we can have an earth 1 person less polluted.

A Guide for asthma moms to be

The title of this post sounds weird..there can be doctor to be, engineer to be or mom to be..asthma mom to be isn't good.. but if you don't want to be one this article is a read for you..and I wish I had read a one like this before going through it. I did not know what childhood asthma is until I saw my child suffering from it. So everything was new to me. I went through sleepless nights, depression, anxiety, frustration in the process of understanding. And trust me no one could tell me a right working solution to this problem except few sources

"Prevention is better than cure"
Yes childhood asthma can be prevented or at least the impact can be kept to minimum by following certain guidelines.

The chances for a child to get childhood asthma are
- asthma/allergies running in mom or dad or in family history
- under nourished / nutrient deprived child
- emotional disturbances in the family (like having a sibling, frequent quarrel between parents, death in family, divorce etc..)
- constant lack of water in the body

Few basic parenting mistakes that can also increase the chances of asthma
- being a clean freak. Using hand sanitizer weakness the body immunity. It also kills our bodies good bacteria.
- not exposing child to illness during first three years. When they are suddenly exposed to preschool their body suffers to fight against infection.
- giving processed, junk food or over cooked food.
- lack of hydration

Childhood eczema by itself is eye awakening to having asthma in the future

First five years of Childhood is very important in terms of physical and mental foundation. During these years the child has the susceptibility to get childhood asthma. The guide to prevention of childhood asthma is to keep the body fully prepared for the fight by providing the right nutrition and keeping the child fully active.