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Transcript

Supporting Chilhood Immunity through Nutrition · Talking FACS

• 0:01
  Welcome to Talking Facts.
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  What you need to know about family food,
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  finance and fitness.
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  This nationally recognized award winning podcast is hosted by the University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals,
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  families and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Hello and welcome to Talking Facts.
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  This is your host,
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  Doctor Jennifer Henner,
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  assistant Director for Family Consumer Sciences Extension at the University of Kentucky.
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  Today.
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  I'm pleased to be joined by Doctor Courtney Lukin,
• 0:35
  assistant extension professor for dietetics and human nutrition.
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  Welcome,
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  Courtney.
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  Thank you.
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  I'm happy to be here,
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  Courtney.
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  Today's topic I think is one that's so relevant for this time of year.
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  But we're going to talk about keeping kids healthy and working through illness about how to nourish your Children.
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  That I think this topic is,
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  it's important every year but extremely important this year.
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  So today,
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  we'll talk about how nutrition can support a strong immune system and how to approach nutrition when our kids are feeling under the weather,
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  which I know as a mom is always a struggle when they're not feeling good and you want them to eat healthy and sometimes you just want them to get something down.
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  So,
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  I think this,
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  I'm glad we're having this conversation today and great tips to share.
• 1:22
  Good.
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  I,
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  I thought it would be very timely and I know that when my kiddos were little,
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  especially kind of those early daycare years,
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  it just seemed like that they always had something that there was always a runny nose or a ear ache or a sore throat or some type.
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  And uh just what I always thought was the worst was the rashes because just a rash could always be anything.
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  But,
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  you know,
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  it could be,
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  you know,
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  you just never knew.
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  Was it a bad rash?
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  Is it an ok rash or that?
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  It was just always something.
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  Unfortunately,
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  as our kiddos get a little bit older that they tend to kind of grow out of that.
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  But when they were young,
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  it was just,
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  it just seemed like it was something all the time.
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  Yes.
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  What you are describing is completely normal.
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  Those frequent colds and runny noses or even sometimes more severe illnesses can be a normal process of building up our immune system because when we're born,
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  our babies get some passive immunity from their mothers.
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  Um it's near the end of the pregnancy that this happens and they can get some protection through breastfeeding,
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  but this is only temporary from there.
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  The baby's immune system continues to mature and it takes time,
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  it takes exposure to bacteria and viruses to build up that immune system to be able to recognize and fight off those germs.
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  And so that's when we start to see a lot of these signs or symptoms that you describe,
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  like sore throats and runny nose and fevers and things like that.
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  And it,
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  it typically slows down by the time kids start kindergarten,
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  it's just like the little kid that you and I got it too.
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  I don't know about you,
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  but I,
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  I was very sick those first couple of years as well.
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  Yes.
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  Yes.
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  And I even got a few of kind of like the weird little kid things.
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  Um,
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  like hand foot and mouth that.
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  Um,
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  and I got it with both of our kids and I,
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  and I had it when I was little too,
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  but I can remember my doctor saying like you really don't see it an adult.
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  I was like,
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  it hurts,
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  it hurts,
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  it does,
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  it does.
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  So I know nutrition is a big part of health and helping us stay healthy.
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  What do kids need to eat to help support a healthy immune system,
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  whether we want to support a healthy immune system or just general healthy growth and development.
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  It's the same types of recommendations,
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  which is great.
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  It's the same information for kids and adults in terms of eating a variety of healthy foods and what we mean by that is we want to focus on whole fruits.
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  So whether it's fresh or frozen,
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  even some of those canned or dried fruits,
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  whether it's in juice or water and a variety of vegetables.
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  In fact,
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  we want fruit and vegetables to take up about half of a plate.
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  When we sit down to have a meal.
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  We also want to choose grains,
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  whole grains,
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  in particular,
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  this includes whole wheat bread,
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  instead of white oatmeal,
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  brown rice,
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  instead of white rice,
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  even popcorn and barley.
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  For example,
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  healthy diets also include a variety of low fat dairy foods like milk or yogurt and lean protein.
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  So we often think of meat and poultry or like chicken or turkey.
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  But we can also count seafood or plant proteins like nuts and seeds and beans and lentils.
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  And we really want to drink and eat less sodium,
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  added sugars and saturated fats.
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  So we can do this by trying to limit the amount of boxed or prepackaged snacks or meals that we have.
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  So really just trying to focus on foods and a variety because variety is what's gonna give us all of those um nutrients that support a healthy immune system.
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  So at the very beginning when you were talking about fruits,
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  frozen fruit has become a favorite at in our house that our kids love to eat it frozen,
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  that they,
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  they see it like it's a dessert or,
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  or a treat.
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  And I also found that it helps them explore kind of different types of,
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  of fruits too that,
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  that sometimes at the grocery store,
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  they'll,
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  they'll say,
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  hey,
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  can we get the frozen fill in the blank,
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  what,
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  whatever it may be,
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  but it lets them try some new and different things.
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  But they like to make their own frozen fruit bowls after,
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  after dinner where they get to pick and choose and it's a good way that it doesn't tend to spoil this crip quickly because sometimes,
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  especially I'm,
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  I'm a little guilty of this that when I get fresh fruit,
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  if I don't take it home and get it washed and kind of get it to where they can easily grab it,
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  that sometimes it may go bad because I,
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  I'll forget about it or so.
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  Frozen fruit is definitely a favorite treat at our house.
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  It's a good reserve for many reasons that you've just indicated.
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  What about?
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  And this is a question that,
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  that I've always kind of had with,
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  with my kid is,
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  what about,
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  do Children need vitamins and,
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  or supplements?
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  Yes,
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  this is a frequent question.
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  The goal ultimately is for kids to have access to and eat a variety of foods each day that provide those vitamins and minerals that their bodies need to grow and develop by providing the variety of nutritious foods that we just talked about.
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  The food and vegetables and whole grains and lean proteins and healthy fats by doing that they can get those nutrients and sometimes additional benefits for health that are not going to be found through vitamins or supplements.
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  Fiber is an example of what that.
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  So we'll find that in fruits and vegetables and whole grains,
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  but you're not going to get that in a multivitamin.
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  And sometimes the vitamins and minerals that are in food are easier for our bodies to absorb and actually use than a pill.
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  And so a AAA good number of reasons to focus on food first.
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  And so most Children do not need vitamins or mineral supplements.
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  However,
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  that doesn't mean some kids might not need them and,
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  and sometimes kids are most at risk for certain nutrient deficiencies.
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  The most commonly identified ones include iron,
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  vitamin D and calcium.
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  But before you ever decide to give your kid a vitamin or a mineral or any type of supplement,
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  it's important to check with a health care provider because those large doses that are often found in vitamins and minerals can be harmful and they can interfere with the body being able to take up other nutrients.
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  So really wanting to keep that bigger picture,
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  focus on healthy diet and foods and then ask for questions if you feel like there might be a need for something extra.
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  And I think sometimes that this is a shift,
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  at least for maybe when I was little that I can remember,
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  you know,
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  my mom with my brother and I it should always be like you need to take your Flintstone vitamin or you need you,
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  you,
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  you know,
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  and So sometimes,
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  you know,
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  when our kid is,
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  were,
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  were little,
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  my mom would say,
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  well,
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  what about vitamins,
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  don't you think they need to be?
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  You know,
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  and our pediatrician would,
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  can,
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  you know,
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  say exactly what you just shared is let's focus on,
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  you know,
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  a healthy diet.
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  And so I do think that it's a little bit of a shift from maybe how some of us were raised.
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  Definitely.
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  How should we approach nutrition when our Children are sick?
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  And I think this is always so hard because when they're sick and you feel so bad for them and you want to give them what you can to help make them healthy.
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  But then also maybe just what they want because you feel bad for them too.
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  Right.
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  Right.
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  And,
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  and when,
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  when we don't feel well,
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  when kids don't feel well,
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  it's different for everyone.
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  Right?
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  Especially if the cause is,
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  is different and it,
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  it feels different even if it is the same cause.
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  So first and foremost,
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  just offering a lot of rest and tender loving care,
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  those are kind of the first steps.
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  And then in the nutrition realm,
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  we want to make sure that kids stay hydrated.
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  That's gonna be the primary concern.
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  At that point.
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  Children may not be very hungry and,
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  and that's ok.
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  Again,
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  as adults,
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  we're kind of like,
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  oh you're not eating and,
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  and it can be worrisome but in short periods of time,
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  totally normal.
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  And it's ok.
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  So just being sure to offer small amounts of food throughout the day.
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  So it's there.
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  Should they want it?
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  But really keeping the focus on fluids if your child continues to not have an appetite or doesn't seem to be getting better or maybe starts to have more severe symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.
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  Then it's a good,
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  good idea to follow up with their pediatrician or other care providers.
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  What kind of fluids do you recommend when you're a kid is under the weather?
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  So,
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  water is a great fluid,
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  you know,
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  under the weather or not,
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  but broth,
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  fruit infused water,
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  100% fruit juice diluted with water.
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  Those are some nice ways to vary the types of flav types of fluids.
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  So a little bit saltier,
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  a little bit sweeter and thus also vary the flavor of fluids.
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  You can also offer cow's milk or plant-based milk like soy milk or almond milk.
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  And older Children may enjoy noncaffeinated herbal tea.
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  And I don't know if you've ever heard that chicken soup that,
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  you know,
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  it's good for the soul and it makes you feel better that there is actually some evidence to support that that chicken soup can be soothing for a cold.
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  So you can again try that plain broth or maybe a hardier soup that has noodles or rice or vegetables.
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  If a child has a sore throat,
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  a frozen fruit or popsicles could be good or 100% aiming for popsicles made from 100% fruit juice would be a better option than say just some of the sugar sweetened water ones.
• 10:39
  Um,
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  or even frozen yogurt might be an option.
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  And then trying to avoid any greasy foods and continue to offer that variety of nutritious foods like the fruit and the vegetables and the whole grains and protein and dairy.
• 10:53
  I know with our oldest that he,
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  he will every time he's sick chicken noodle soup is his go to.
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  So whether it was just,
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  you know,
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  an old wives tale or not,
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  apparently it's not.
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  But um,
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  that's always his,
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  that I know I can get chicken noodle soup down him if,
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  if I can get nothing else down.
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  I mean,
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  earlier you're talking about the fruit infused water for a little one.
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  She just likes to see the fruit in the water that she thinks that that makes it fun and it does add,
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  add some flavor.
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  So that kind of,
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  you know,
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  she'll perk up to that just because she likes to,
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  to see it in there.
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  Good.
• 11:28
  Yeah.
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  So great points of even just like kids within the same family who have different preferences.
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  So just really finding what is going to be interesting or tolerable during any particular spout of illness.
• 11:42
  Courtney,
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  thank you so much for sharing today.
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  I think it's hard for all parents or caregivers that when they have a little one that's under the weather that it's just a,
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  a stressful time.
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  So thank you for sharing tips and reminders for how to best care for our kiddos when they may not be feeling at their best.
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  Of course,
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  thank you for listening to Talking Facts.
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• 12:06
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• 12:12
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• 12:14
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• 12:27
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• 12:41
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• 12:43
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