Safeguard and improve your children’s health and get their year off to a great start with proper diet and appropriate supplementation. Starting school Well
HEALTH REPORT
T he Go Vita team top tips for strengthening the young immune system, supporting mental and physical health, and dealing with common childhood ailments. of wholistic health experts share their Building a strong immune system Healthy development of the immune system depends on good nutrition to provide the body with the essential building blocks needed for defence against pathogenic bacteria and viruses as well as environmental toxins. Avoid processed and refined foods, such as white flour products, margarine and hydrogenated oils, and ensure your child’s diet provides good quantities of protein, vitamins and minerals, essential fatty acids and probiotics. Proteins are essential as a source of amino acids needed as building blocks for the immune tissue and organs and for antibody production. Good sources of dietary protein include: lean meat,
poultry and fish; eggs; dairy products, like milk and cheese; seeds and nuts; beans and legumes, such as lentils and chickpeas; and soy products, like tofu. Vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A is essential for the production of T- and B-cells (the main antibody-producing white blood cells); vitamin A is also needed for healthy eyes. The B-group vitamins support nerve and mood health and help to mitigate the negative effects of stress in the body. Vitamin C is a If your child is a picky eater, give them nutritional insurance in the form of a good quality multivitamin formula every day. powerful antioxidant and plays a big part in defending the body against bacteria and viruses, encouraging antibody response and killer T-cell production, and stimulating macrophage activity to eat up invading micro-organisms. VitaminE,anotherpowerfulantioxidant, protects cells against the damage caused by free radicals which is thought to lead to
cancer, heart disease and cataracts. Zinc is necessary for optimal hormonal health and immune function, tissue healing and repair, and has strong antiviral activity; magnesium supports mental and emotional health; calcium is essential for healthy bone development; coenzyme Q10 is an immune-building agent, critical to fighting infection; and selenium increases the body’s production of antibodies. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) , especially the omega-3 fatty acids, are very important to a healthy immune system. They are
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ISSUE 57 • 2020
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