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6 Ways To Keep Your Kids From Falling Sick During Monsoon

keep kids from falling sick

You can’t deny the fact that children love the monsoon. The sheer joy of getting drenched or playing a game of football on a mucky field is an out of the world experience for them. Whereas for parents, it brings in a little worry. How can you keep your kids from falling sick during monsoons?

During this season, you can often find an increased rush at a pediatrician’s clinic and pharmacies while attendance at school slowly drops. Many new parents aren’t aware that with a few disciplinary measures and conscious effort, we can keep our kids from falling sick and enjoy the monsoon to the fullest.

Tips To Keep Kids From Falling Sick During Monsoon

Here are a few simple yet effective measures and home remedies to help you keep your kids from falling sick.

1. Keep Them Hydrated

Frequent intake of water is needed to flush the toxins accumulated in the body out. Ensure that your kids are drinking clean, filtered water. Contaminated water is the most common reason for monsoon infections. Keep their sippers and water bottles ready with boiled or filtered water well within their reach. If the weather is cold, encourage them to drink lukewarm water as cold water can cause mucosal spam in the respiratory muscles which can make it prone to various respiratory disorders like throat infections, cold, cough, etc.

2. Appropriate Clothing and Footwear

Plan their outfits according to the weather. For instance, during humid days, make them wear loose cotton clothes. This will help their skin breathe without obstructing sweat glands. On cold, rainy days, warm clothing is a must. For a rainy outing, apart from an umbrella and a raincoat, don’t forget to make them wear knee or calf-length gumboots which can prevent their feet from catching infections from collected rainwater on the road or the park.

3. Keep Your House Free of Mosquitoes

Along with netting your windows and doors, ensure that you avoid any kind of water logging or storage in and around your house. This includes swimming pools, flowerpots, coolers, etc. Accumulated water is the most common breeding ground for mosquitoes. This can help your kid steer clear of dengue and malaria which are common during monsoons.

4. Nutritious, Well-Balanced Meals and Healthy Snacks

Restrict the intake of street food as much as possible. Not just street food but also ordering from restaurants as rampant incorporation of infected vegetables or infected water are very high during this season. These are primary sources of illnesses during monsoon. Give your kids fresh home-cooked food and nutritious monsoon snacks such as steamy masala corn, roasted groundnuts, sandwiches, etc. You can also opt for healthy snacking options designed specifically for kids from the GOQii Health Store within the GOQii App.

5. Maintain Personal Hygiene

Regular baths, cutting nails, keeping yourself as well as the kids dry and cleaning/washing the hands before eating are basics. Apart from that, keep the house clean and sanitized at all times. These small measures go a long way in keeping monsoon bacteria and viruses away!

6. Boost Immunity With Superfoods

Include Vitamin C rich food daily in your kid’s routine. Squeeze a lemon in their curries or snacks. Give them steamed/stir-fried sprouted pulses as snacks. Make their meals and snacks vibrant i.e. colourful veggies such as cucumber, carrot, tomatoes and seasonal fruits for antioxidant power! Antioxidants in these will help destroy harmful toxins accumulated in the body. More colour in food means higher detoxification rate and a stronger defense against infections.

Instead of getting attracted towards commercial probiotics, look for the richest probiotic in your kitchen. Give them curd along with meals. Blend it to make Lassi or a smoothie with fruits. Don’t forget to incorporate Turmeric Milk before bed-time as Turmeric is an effective anti-inflammatory agent and an immunity booster.

Ginger, a naturally potent antibiotic and antiviral, is very effective in fighting the infections of the gut such as Typhoid. Give it mixed with honey or boiled in water with Tulsi (Holy Basil) and mint leaves. Asafoetida (Hing) is also very effective in strengthening gut health and treating different gastrointestinal infections. Add it to Pulses (Dal), curries or while cooking vegetables.

We hope these tips to keep your kids from falling sick this monsoon were helpful! Do you have special remedies you use to help your kids recover or stay healthy? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

To help your child get healthier and monitor their vitals on the go, you can opt for the GOQii Smart Vital Junior. It helps you track their vitals, step count, sleep patterns, etc. and you also get a personal coach who can monitor these activities and suggest changes. Explore all the features of the Smart Vital Junior here.

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The Link Between Sugar and Child Behavior

The Link Between Sugar and Child BehaviorIs sugar and child behavior connected? Before we delve into that, we need to understand that a perfect balanced diet of carbs, proteins, essential fats, vitamins and minerals is important during the growing age of the child. It is an ongoing research on whether food intake is really linked to a child’s behavior and mood. Below are the effects of healthy and unhealthy eating habits on the mood and behavior of a child.

Healthy Eating Habits (Includes a balanced diet)

  • Better concentration
  • Improved learning skills
  • High grasping power
  • Socially active in making friends, prefers to play in groups
 Unhealthy Eating Habits (Includes consumption of sugary food, preservative containing food, food colouring foods)

  • Lack of concentration in any given task
  • Hyperactive
  • Mood swings
  • Nutritional Deficiencies

We tend to correlate the word ‘kids’ with chocolates, ice creams, candies and cakes, etc.. The basic ingredient in these items is sugar!

Sugar and Child Behavior in Relation to Nutrition

Sugars are simple carbohydrates that easily get absorbed in blood glucose. Sugar is an empty calorie food i.e it has no nutrients and provides only energy.

Sugars have various forms like white sugar, brown sugar, honey and corn syrup. It’s a myth that jaggery, honey and brown sugar are better off than white sugar. Calories coming from them are same. The only difference is that white sugar is absorbed faster in the bloodstream than other sources.

Fruits naturally contain fructose with fiber which makes you feel fuller and are rich in water content, vitamins and minerals. On the other hand, colas or sugar candies contains only fructose syrup which disrupts the brain signal of being full and the child feels hungry again

Hidden Sugars in Food

Hidden Sugar means that the packet of food doesn’t show the word sugar on the ingredient list but still contains sugar labelled as other names such as dextrose, dextrin, corn syrup, or barley malt.

When consumed more than the required amounts and on a daily basis, sugar affects various parts of the body and mind:

  • Teeth (Tooth Cavities): Bacteria live on sugar medium. When kids don’t brush well or don’t drink water after eating, bacteria tends to overgrow, which in turn leads to cavities and tooth decay.
  • Brain: Impaired ability to memorise things, as the brain doesn’t get the right amount of nutrients to function.
  • Behavior: Sugar numbs the neurons in the brain, shortens a child’s attention span and makes them hyperactive.
  • Immunity: Constant bouts of cold and cough makes it difficult to sleep at night.
  • Metabolism: A child is at a higher risk of being obese and developing long term diseases like Diabetes.
  • Hormonal: Being in the growing stage, they are more prone to hormonal issues like acne, early onset of puberty, dandruff, skin issues, impaired growth.
  • Worms: Thread worms are caused due to bacteria thrive on sugar if the intake is high.

How to Minimize Sugar Dependence

  • As parents, we need to change our attitude of rewarding kids with sugar-rich foods every time they complete a task or behave well.
  • Fix up a Treat day like once a week or fortnightly wherein only on that day they can eat their favourite chocolate, cakes or candies
  • Substitute ready to drink fruit beverages with homemade smoothies or freshly prepared pulp fruit juice
  • Train them to choose healthy items like high fiber biscuits instead of cream-based biscuits
  • Prepare desserts at home with less sugar and store it. This way you minimize the chances of buying them from a shop
  • Be gradual and change one habit at a time. Don’t be adamant on changing the habits all at once.

How to Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

  • Make them learn all the food groups – vegetables, fruits, cereals, pulses, dairy. Either draw it on a paper or show them the real foods. Ask them to pick up the ones they want to eat for that particular day. This way, you can plan for 2-3 days in advance.
  • Usually, unhealthy eating habits make them vitamin and mineral deficient. So consult your doctor and start the appropriate supplements for it.
  • Prepare attractive snacking ideas in their tiffin boxes like a veggie stuffed roll, colourful sandwich, idlis made with spinach puree or tricolour idlis.
  • Remember the negative effects of unhealthy eating don’t show up immediately. It’s a long term consequence. But if the child’s health is compromised with headaches, asthma, cold/cough then the negative effects are seen in the short term.

Another important factor is being intolerant to certain food items like dairy products (casein) or gluten (wheat), which may make them aggressive, cranky and/or fussy. Common food allergens like soy, peanuts, corn and nuts also adversely affect the behaviour of the child in a negative way.

It is always better to read labels of food packets before purchasing. Be aware of what you and your kids are consuming. In case of doubts, do consult a doctor or nutritionist.

We hope this article on sugar and child behavior helps you make smarter nutritional choices for your children. Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more on Kid’s Health, click here. To get expert advice, speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching.

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Effective Tips To Motivate Your Child To Exercise

motivate your child to exerciseObesity in children has become a common occurrence. At an age when the body needs to be built in a healthy way, diseases like obesity become a risk for a healthy future. As per Indian culture, till the child comes of age, practically all the decisions of their life are taken by their parents. In such a scenario, if the parents themselves do not know the importance of a healthy lifestyle, how will they encourage their children to follow it? So, before children, parents need to be educated regarding the importance of exercise for children. As these formative years are the building blocks for a healthy lifestyle, it is important to guide and motivate your child to exercise. 

How Does Exercise Help Children? 

Physical activity helps children sleep better and handle physical as well as emotional challenges more effectively resulting in control/check of weight, hypertension, cholesterol, sugar and also chronic diseases like cancer and anxiety. It further improves psychological well being, self-confidence and self-esteem. Training children to exercise regularly at an early age helps them grow up to be disciplined adults. 

Tips To Motivate Your Child To Exercise 

The most effective way to train children to exercise is by practicing what we preach and be a role model by including regular physical activity in our own lives. 

  • Besides arranging family picnics, hiking expeditions, morning/evening walks and other sports and games, one can also add activity by walking or riding bicycles instead of driving, using stairs instead of elevators, helping in housework and gardening.
  • Another effective way to encourage children to get active is by praising them for their efforts. Instead of making them compete, they should be encouraged to cooperate with others and excel in their own records, as competition with others can lead to teasing, bullying and a sense of public failure and embarrassment. Children are more sensitive than average grownups and need all the support and encouragement to try again once they fumble or fail, which is a common phenomenon in case of children. Instead of nagging or negative comments, parents should become their cheerleaders. 
  • Children love the company of their friends; it is a good idea to encourage them to invite their like minded friends over for a game or an excursion. If a child likes a team sport, they should be encouraged for the same. But here too, the focus should be on fitness, fun and learning new skills and not on competition as this can remove the fun from the activity and many children get discouraged by it.
  • Exercise and activity should come as a reward after a homework well done rather than as punishment by forcing a child to run laps or do pushups after a mistake or some mischief played by them as this may backfire and the child may start hating exercise and activity. 
  • Often children are so overburdened with homework, private tuitions, and other planned activities that they do not have time for physical activity of their own choice. So think of adding some activity of their choice as an informal fun game rather than a training session. 
  • A variety of games and sports equipment should be left on hand, like an assortment of balls, hula-hoops, and jump ropes, etc. this can make children enjoy the games and activities for hours. 
  • If a child is lazy, they should be given incentives like a favorite food or book for an hour’s activity on a regular basis as this could be a great motivating factor.  

We hope the above suggestions help you motivate your child to exercise. As an incentive to exercise and to monitor their health, you can also gift them the GOQii Smart Vital Jr. which could be a huge motivational factor for your child to take their health seriously. With a personal coach and a pediatrician on board, you can rest assured that your child’s health is in safe hands!

For more tips of kid’s health and nutrition, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to sessions by experts on GOQii Play. For more effective tips on kid’s health, weight loss, home workouts, etc. speak directly to your GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr   

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Healthy Recipes For Kids: Healthy Twist on Snacks & Sweets

Healthy Recipes For KidsAs mentioned in the previous article of Healthy Recipes For Kids, We spoke about the aspects of healthy eating for children not being different from adults. We need the right nutrients in the right quantities. Here, we’ve got some healthy recipes for a snack and a sweet that we’re sure your child will enjoy. 

Healthy Recipes For Kids

1. Healthy Mathari 

mathariWhat you will need: 

  • Wheat flour – 200 gm
  • Roasted Gram flour – 50 gm
  • Amaranth seed flour – 50 gm
  • Semolina – 20 gm
  • Desi ghee – 4 tbsp
  • Salt – a per taste
  • Dry fenugreek leaves – ½ tsp
  • Asafetida (Hing)  – 1/4th tsp
  • Roasted Muskmelon seeds powder – 2 tsp
  • Roasted Sunflower seeds powder – 2 tsp
  • Carom seeds – 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl and add hot melted ghee. Gently mix all the ingredients until ghee spreads all over the flour.
  2. Knead the dough with lukewarm milk to provide a soft texture
  3. Keep it aside for half an hour.
  4. Roll out a big chapati and cut desired shapes with a cookie cutter as it appeals to kids.
  5. These Mathari or salted cookies can be baked or fried on a low flame.
  6. These serve as a good snack at the evening hours with milk, juices or smoothies.

2. Jaggery Protein Chikki/Laddoo

healthy recipes for kidsWhat you will need:

  • Almonds – 50 gm
  • Walnuts – 50 gm
  • Sunflower seeds – 20 gm
  • Pumpkin seeds – 20 gm
  • Muskmelon seeds – 20 gm
  • Fox nuts – 50 gm
  • Rolled oats – 30 gm
  • Dates – 6-7 in number
  • Jaggery – 200 gm
  • White pepper powder – ½ tsp
  • Poppy seeds – 30 gm

Method of preparation

  1. Roast all the ingredients separately without jaggery, dates & pepper powder
  2. Make a coarse powder by adding dates 
  3. Melt jaggery on low flame. Once melted, start adding the white pepper powder
  4. Mix all ingredients gently
  5. Ladoos can be rolled from this mixture on slight cooling or chikki can be made by spreading the mixture on greased plate.
  6. These high protein chikkis or ladoos can be combined with breakfast or the evening snack

Benefits of These Recipes 

  • These matharis are rich in protein and contain seeds. Seeds are a compact source of many nutrients and generally kids don’t want to eat these seeds, so this is an easier way to get your kids to eat them.
  • Jaggery laddoo or chikki is a power pack compact source of many nutrients, rich in protein, iron and white pepper powder is very good for the eyes.
  • These snacks are much much better than the usual chips, mixtures and other unhealthy snacks. 

We hope you enjoy these Healthy Recipes For Kids. Do try them out, upload your pics on social media or the GOQii Arena and tag us! For more healthy recipes, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to cooking sessions on GOQii Play. 

To get more advice on recipes, nutrition and diet tips for kids, subscribe to GOQii and ask your GOQii Coach: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr 

Eat Healthy, Stay Home, Stay Safe and #BeTheForce

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