All moms know that in order to have a healthy child we have to feed them right.
But do you actually understand why? What is the correlation between the food our children eat and runny noses, accumulation of fluid in ears and mucus in the upper respiratory tract? What is the connection between the immune system and digestive system?
Well, there are many explanations and reasons for that junktion, but today I want to focus on the two most important – Anatomy (the way our digestive and respiratory systems are built) and Physiology (the functionality of the digestive system).
Lets start with Physiology
The most basic job our digestive system does is take what we eat and turn in into energy which is available for immediate use to operate all other body systems, including our immune system. In the same way your car’s engine uses the gas, which you’ve put in it, to drive. Meaning, when we input appropriate gas, our car will work as its designed to. However, if we put inadequate gas into our car, or low quality gas, the engine won’t work and might be ruined completely.
In our body the idea is very similar. If we ingest natural, alive and good quality foods, our body systems will get the energy they require for optimal function. Disease and sickness is the result of inadequate “gas” being injected.
And What Has Anatomy To Do With All This?
Very simple, the immune system and digestive system share many channels. The throat, through which we insert food into our body, is connected to the nose, sinuses, ears (that’s why this whole area is called ear, nose & throat) and of course to the lungs.
Remember the engine from our previous example?
In the same way an inappropriate fuel will cause excess soot, bad quality food, which doesn’t get digested properly, will cause accumulation of mucus in the body.
Let’s connect the dots
Good Quality Food = Body free from unnecessary excess mucus and lots of energy available for the immune system
Bad Quality Food = Accumulation of mucus which is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses + weak immune system which is not getting the required energy it needs to fight off these pathogens.
Bottom line, what should we feed our kids with
- unprocessed homemade food
- orange vegetables – carrots, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato
- root vegetables – parsnip, onion, garlic, radish, Kohlrabi, anise
- spices – cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, cinammon, ginger, oregano, mustard
- whole grains – millet, quinoa, amaranth, rice, spelt, buckwheat
- legumes – adzuki beans, black beans, black lentils, chickpeas
- chicken soup with vegetables
What not to feed kids with
- mucus forming foods – citrus foods, peanuts, dairy
- cold foods – which put our digestive system in stress because our body will have to heat the food prior to digesting it
- food rich in sugar – fruits included, make it a rule – no more than 3 fruits a day!
I hope this helps you understand the link between our digestive system and immune system, and how food affects our kids’ overall health.
Now I want to hear from you. Children are all different, can you tell me which food (s) triggers mucus in your child? Post your comment below.
To your child’s health!
Love,
Dorit