FOUR SUPER FOODS THAT WILL HELP YOU AND YOUR CHILD CLEAR COLDS AND DETOXIFY

There are 4 super foods that can help relieve your little one from colds and also detoxify their bodies. these include; Honey, Lemon, ginger and garlic.A beverage made of these 4 foods is a super remedy to colds. After drinking the beverage, the liver will be cleansed out and the immune system will be enhanced. Free radicals in the body will also be prevented from forming other diseases that are associated with the heart and the circulatory system. common colds will also be eased. Ingredients needed for this drink include: 1. 4 large heads of garlic 2. 4 whole lemons with the peels left on 3. one small ginger root 4. one cup of honey 5.. 2 liters water. Wash and cut the lemon into pieces, then add to a blender. Peel the garlic, place into the blender, and add the ginger root. Blend well. Place mixture into a metal bowl, then add the 2 liters of water. Heat until the mixture has just about come to a boil, then remove from the heat. Let the mixture cool down, Strain the mixture and add the honey. Drink one glass every day before meals on an empty stomach, for children give two table spoons twice a day after a light meal. The garlic will be neutralized by the lemons and also by cooking the mixture. Source:healthyfoodteam.

Whole food vs Refined and processed food

Whole food is food that hasn’t been altered from its natural form for example brown rice, an apple e.t.c. On the other hand, refined foods are foods that have had some parts removed, leaving them less nutritious than when they were whole, for example white rice, Apple juice etc. Eating whole foods is highly beneficial to our health and helps prevent many diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. This is because whole foods retain their dietary fibre and their whole nutrient profile that is crucial to our health. Reason to eat whole foods 1. Phytochemicals; these are active plant food components like antioxidants found in tomatoes. These help in the breakdown of fats and cholesterol and help to fight many types of cancer. 2. Nutrient shortage; many nutrients such as Vitamin C , Vitamin A and minerals such as magnesium and Iron are destroyed during food processing, this causes a shortage of these in diets made up of refined foods. These minerals and vitamins are very crucial to our diets and reduce the risk of most chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and Hypertension. 3. Good fats; Good fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 are naturally found in foods that are not refined like oily fish, avocados etc well as most refined foods have the bad fat added to them during processing. 4. Fibre ; Whole foods contain dietary fibre which helps in proper digestion by preventing constipation. Fibre also helps keep one full and thus preventing overeating which can lead to obesity and chronic diseases. Unfortunately, in our country, Uganda, most school going children do not have access to whole foods especially during school hours. Their main diet is composed of posho and beans which are not self sufficient. The canteens in the schools also sell lots of junk food most of which is refined or fried. School administrators should ensure that each student gets a fruit or some vegetables on their plate for each meal. They should also barn junk food from the canteens and promote selling of healthy foods like bananas, whole wheat bread, apples e.t.c Parents should also try as much as possible to include whole foods in their children’s diet so as to promote good health and prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Whole foods are actually easier to access and acquire in Uganda. These include Fruits and vegetables in their raw form or with their skins, whole grains, legumes and pulses and other staple foods like yam, potatoes and matooke.

Nutrition in children

NUTRITION Nutrition is the intake of nutrients the inform of food, The major nutrients in food are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, Vitamins and minerals also exist in food in small but very useful amounts. Nutrition is a very essential component of life that leads to proper growth and development in human beings. Lack of proper nutrition will lead to malnutrition and sometimes death. Malnutrition refers to a situation whereby nutrient intake is low or in excess, when in excess, it’s called over nutrition and when it’s low it’s called under nutrition. In developing countries such as Uganda, the biggest population is mainly affected by under nutrition due to household food insecurity and poverty, In some instances, children are denied food by caretakers or are fed on non nutritious food thus leading to malnutrition. Malnutrition has the following indicators; Stunting (low height for age), Wasting(low weight for height) and underweight (low weight for age). According to the SCN world nutrition situation 5th report, Stunting affects 147 million pre schoolers in developing countries, Malnutrition at an early age leads to reduced physical and mental growth and development for example Iodine deficiency is the major cause of mental retardation and brain damage. Under nutrition also affects performance in schools. However malnutrition can be prevented by providing children with adequate and well balanced meals. A well balanced meal will comprise of foods from the following food groups Carbohydrates e.g. Cassava, Irish potatoes, Yam, whole grain cereals, pulses Proteins such as milk, fish and eggs, and fruits and Vegetables such as bananas, apples, greens, cabbages etc………………..