How do you know if your child’s intestinal tract is healthy?
A thermometer can’t do it, but you can do so by…get ready for it…checking on their poop!
It is OK to do that when they are still toddlers, but as they grow older, it may be a little weird to continue doing that. Therefore, you’ve got to secure some habits to help with your child’s intestinal environment so you can protect it long after it gets awkward to peep on their poop!
We believe it is crucial to care for your child’s intestinal environment.
Did you know that 70% of the body’s defence system is in our gut? Having a good gut means we can digest and absorb nutrients – creating a body that is fit to fight off unwanted bacteria and viruses that make their way into our body; making us sick.
It is even more important right now as we enter into the COVID-19’s third wave. Just as the scary virus is resilient, we need to ensure that our child’s body defence system is resilient, too!
To do that, there needs to be a good balance between good and bad bacteria. We are looking at a healthy balance of 85% good bacteria and 15% bad bacteria.
Therefore, dear mummies, we are going to reveal 8 essential tips that you can follow to ensure your children’s gut has that balance!
1. Educate Them About Their Gut
We might not know much about how our body works when we were toddlers, but it does not mean we leave our children ignorant of it at their age, too. Teach them the wonders of our body and our digestive system by teaching them about a good intestinal environment and how it is important for their body defence system.
You can opt to link it with shows they watch – like Power Rangers!
Most children find it difficult to imagine bacteria because, well, they cannot see it! Instead, let them imagine that there are tiny fighters in their digestive systems that are shooting down the bad stuff that seeks to make them sick. To ensure they get their superpowers, they need to eat the right food, like prebiotic to feed the good bacterial army in the gut!
Now, doesn’t that make gut education a little bit more exciting?
2. Ensure They Get Sufficient Sleep
Bedtime can be a drag sometimes. They might get cranky because they are sleepy, but somehow, they do not want to sleep!
While there is no one-size-fits-all advice, there are certain rules you can set in the home to make bedtime a little more bearable.
You can start by enforcing practices like:
- No gadgets an hour before sleep
- Having a specific bedtime; no excuses
- Spending time with your child in bed, chatting, or reading a storybook to prepare them for bedtime
- Ensuring your child feels safe by having a night light or soft toys close to them
- Having a warm glass of milk before heading to bed
3. Junk Food Should Not Be A Reward
“OK, if you pick up all your toys, Mummy will give you a lollipop, alright?”
It can be quite confusing to children when Mummy says junk food is “bad” and yet, if they do something good, they get something “bad” as a reward. As adults, we may indulge in candy, cookies, chips, and carbonated drinks to “reward” ourselves. But for children, it may build bad habits and, oh no, give them a spurt of energy that keeps them running around the house, asking to play catch, or watch ten more rounds of toy unboxing videos before bedtime.
We advise you to keep junk food out of sight and out of reach. While they may indulge sometimes, it should not serve as a reward or a pre-bedtime snack. Plus, bad bacteria in the gut loves junk – you would not want them to overpopulate in their intestines, would you?
4. Nourish Them With The Nutritious Food
At a year old, your child would have been exposed to solid food. But we would caution you on introducing high-flavoured, sweet food during this time. Steamed vegetables, oatmeal and soft fruits are great for a start as their tongues will develop a liking toward them. As their teeth develop fully, introduce lightly seasoned sautéed vegetables to their diet.
If you start them too early on food that has high sugar and sodium, they might find fruits and vegetables unpalatable soon enough. If that happens, good bacteria in the gut will starve!
5. Get Them To Drink More Water
Fruit juices cannot substitute water.
There, we said it!
It is undeniable that children prefer sweet drinks and food. However, as parents, we are not responsible for what they like to eat, but the nutrients they put into their bodies. Box juices (no matter how it is marketed) contain a significant amount of sugar that can throw off the healthy balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut. Therefore, plain water is best as it can lubricate the gastrointestinal system – allowing food to pass through each digestive level smoothly.
They may have sweetened or flavoured drinks during sports or outdoor activities, but be sure to balance it with a good bottle of H2O for that hydration boost!
6. Build Up The Gut Environment After An Antibiotic Course
When children get really sick, some doctors will dispense antibiotics along with the other medications. When these are needed, your child would have to complete the course. Unfortunately, antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in the gut.
Yup, it is the ultimate slayer!
Therefore, it is recommended that you introduce probiotics and prebiotics after the antibiotic course. You can find them in yoghurt or cultured milk drinks fortified with prebiotic or probiotic, and miso soup with beetroot.
Alternatively, you can get milk that already has prebiotics added. Anmum
7. Encourage Your Children To Get Active
It is funny how our parents used to try to get us to sit still for our meals, but our minds are always about having fun at the playground, but now, it seems to be a challenge to peel their eyes off electronic gadgets and the television. The times have changed, but what our body needs remain the same.
Our body still needs exercise!
Did you know that exercise can alter the composition of bacteria in our gut?
Yes, it strengthens and increases the bacteria biodiversity in our gut that will, in turn, benefit our health. So, get your child a good pair of sports shoes and socks, head out, and sweat it out.
It can be a walk in the park, following an easy exercise routine at home (YouTube has a lot of exercise routines you and your child can follow), or joining a dance class. We do not encourage trips to the playground, or anywhere that may compromise social distancing at this time, though.
8. Discover the 8 Golden Wonders Using Anmum
To wrap up the 8th factor, we want to introduce Anmum
It is a super cool interactive set of activities that you can complete together with your children aged one to six. It teaches them the basics of nutrition, and at the same time, you can walk through with them on the 8 types of developments that encompass social, mental, and emotional developments and more.
With every activity you complete, you will get points. The more you play, the more points you collect. You are entitled to a spin for every 15 points collected that puts you in the running to win amazing prizes up to RM100,000!
Do not get bored staying at home; get learning with your child!
Check out the activities here!
Give Your Child Some Good Gut-Loving With Anmum
The new Anmum
- Physical growth
- Good gut environment to absorb nutrients needed to support physical growth
- Good body defence
- Cognitive and visual development, which supports both the ability to focus and learn
- Social and emotional development coupled with nutrition and stimulation
You must be thinking, “Wah, so good?”
Yes!
Anmum
Get your free sample here.
Special OFFERS!
If you are an avid Anmum
Below are the special deals:
- RM10 voucher storewide.
- With every purchase of 1 unit Anmum
- Get Anmum
- When you purchase RM100 and above on any Anmum
Hurry up, while stock lasts!