Tag Archives: kids

Things Not To Say To Your Kids

Healthy Me,

Quite often parents think that tough love is the way to go when it comes to raising your kids, and that they know best how to do that, but the reality of the situation is that kids these days are very different and because of how much they are exposed to on a day to day basis at school, at home, with friends and relatives, they seem much more sensitive to what we say to them and how they feel about what was said after.

When we were younger, we never heard of teenagers committing suicide or the horrendous crimes they commit these days. With the changing world and the changing views of the world, all kids are trying to do is “fit into” a society and as well, find their niche. Many parents tend to be overly critical and harsh to their kids, hoping that this will help them correct their ways, just like their parents did when they were younger, but what they fail to understand is that children need love, understanding and care. Their level of maturity is very different than your own and having the expectation that they are thinking like you and have your understanding is wrong! Children are innocent in the way they think and do things, and they seek the love and affection from those who they look up to the most: their parents.  Some of the things not to say to your kids then are:

1. I don’t care – The way the child understands this is that parent really does not care and is not interested in what they are doing. This will affect the way your child carries out day to day activities, and yes, you may said it only once, but they will remember it for a long time.

2. Don’t you get it – Really? how long it take you before you understood something your parents said to you, e.g. doing simple chores around the house, mathematical issues, etc. Maybe your child has a ADD / ADHD, and by simply throwing your hands up in the air and saying “Don’t you get it”, will not cut it anymore. Get a naturopathic assessment for them to see if they do really have an issue with understanding you and focusing.

3. Are you that stupid? – This is an absolute NO NO, criticism will not make your child any smarter. Instead be loving and encourage your child to do better next time. This will help your child feel more comfortable around you, knowing at least you are there for them no matter what, and that you are not judging them, and will be more apt to coming to you when they have an actual problem.

The next time your child has done something you do not approve of or like, try to encourage them and teach them about how to do it better the next time, but keep in mind, they do have the maturity you have and they do not have the same stressors you do, and that it would be unfair to expect more.

By: Sushma Shah, Naturopathic Doctor at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic

 

 

 

Boosting Your Kid’s And Your Immune System Using Natural Remedies

Healthy Me, , ,

As the weather gets colder and the holidays draw near, most parents complain how their kids are always coming home with sniffles all the time, and how they seem to catch everything at the drop of a dime. Colds, coughs and influenza. Most parents complain that they themselves seem to catch all the everything their kids bring home too. It would be difficult or nearly impossible to clear out all the microbes we come in contact with, it would be beneficial to improve the immune function se we are better prepared to fight off and ward off harmful microbes that can cause common illness such as colds and coughs. Here are some suggestions to boost your immune function naturally.

1. Practice hand washing. Very important and self explanatory. Through out the day we keep on touching all sorts of things that are laden with different microbes that can cause various illness, hence the simplest and easiest way is to wash your hands properly and often. If you are out and about, keep a hand sanitizer with you at all times.

2 Getting enough sleep.  Our lifestyles these days are so hectic from work, kids and lifestyles that we barely have enough time to look after ourselves, leave alone sleep, which is what gets compromised the most. Most people barely get 6 hours of sleep! Why is sleeping at least 7 or more hours important for your immune system to work properly? Your body needs rest to rejuvenate / replenish and sleep is what does that for us. If we do not get enough sleep on a consistent basis, various hormones in our body get affected, one is particular – is the cortisol hormone – which helps the body adapt to stress. Stress is anything that puts the body out of its normal state of being and a consistent lack of sleep, does suppress our immune function, which leaves us more prone to getting sick often.

3. Eating fruits and vegetables laden with Vitamin C  – Vitamin C helps to boost the immune function and is important for adrenal glands to function properly. Adrenal glands help the body deal with stress. Dark coloured fruits and vegetables are high in Vitamin C, so having a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables helps to obtain this Vitamin naturally and in the right form and helps to fight off bugs and keep our body functioning properly.

4. Drinking lots of water –  Fluids help to eliminate all the toxins as well as thin out of mucus, especially when you have congestion. Various teas such as ginger, rose hips, camomile and mint are not only good in taste but also have healing properties and are good for your immune function as well.

5. Exercise – Moderate amounts of exercise are good, not only for the heart and relieving stress but also to improve circulation of blood and your white blood cells are fight off microbes in the body. Its important as well to try to reduce our stress levels, as usually stress will suppress your immune function and leave you more prone to getting sick often. If you have been trying all sorts of natural remedies but still seem to get sick often, your adrenal glands may not be functioning optimally. Talk to your naturopath about testing your adrenal glands.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

Can Food Dyes Cause Hyperactivity In Kids?

Healthy Me, , , , ,

This is a debate that has been ongoing for a while with parents. As a naturopathic doctor, having treated many kids with ADD and ADHD, I would have to say ABSOLUTELY YES … 1 to 6 % of the children suffer from hyperactivity and or attention deficit disorder, and it can quite often continue to manifest into adult life, making life and life experiences for the parents, siblings and the child very difficult. Once you eliminate food coloring and dyes (red dyes to be more specific) that are found in food products, candy, cake mixes, and all sorts of junk food from the child’s diet, you can see an improvement in the child’s behavior and symptoms within days!

Of course, naturopathic medicine also addresses other deficiencies the child may have – such as essential fatty acids and vitamins, is needed. Counselling for the family is quite often suggested as well, to cope with the attention deficit and hyperactive behavior of the child and come up with strategies that may help the family.

With constant ingestion of food dyes and coloring from food products and candies, generally what I  see at our naturopathic clinic  in children in terms of symptoms ranges from aggressive behavior, rebellious behavior, to excitability, hyperactivity and restlessness. Food additives can also quite often cause or contribute to ADD and ADHD (HYPERACTIVITY) symptoms in children. It is thought that food dyes and coloring excite the neurons, creating them to fire uncontrollably just like sugar does, hereby causing the irrational behavior and impulsive behavior seen as mischief or misbehaving, often landing to the child into trouble!

If you know or are a parent of a child who suffers from ADD (ATTENTION DEFICIT) or ADHD (HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER), you can try to simply eliminate food dyes and colorings or products that contain these completely from the diet  for a period of time and see the difference for yourself.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopathic Doctor, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.