Take cow’s milk out of the child’s diet for at least a month and see what happens. Ear infections and strep throat are both linked to sensitivity to cow’s milk (as are bed wetting and tummy problems).
Check the child’s bedroom carefully for mold or mildew. Look at the walls behind the bed and in windowsills. Get a home mold tester from a home improvement store and check around the house.
Check the bedroom for other allergens. If there is an old carpet, remove it or cover it with an area rug. Avoid having pet hair and dander on the bedding. Switch out down (feathers) and wool bedding for non-allergenic bedding. Make sure furnace filters are clean.
Switch from juice to herbal tea. Concentrated sweets dampen the immune system. Children enjoy having a cup of tea in their special cup with mom or dad – or having iced, fruit-flavored tea in the summer. Start with a caffenine-free fruit tea sampler.
Serve plenty of protein (beans, nut butters, poultry, fish, meat, eggs, tofu, tempeh, edamame, seed butters), depending on family’s food choices and food sensitivities. Use real food, not protein bars and powders, which may contain sugars and milk or other allergenic proteins. Immune system cells are made of protein.
Vitamin A keeps the mucous membranes healthy. Use orange and yellow vegetables such as yams, carrots and peppers.
If your child was born by c-section, make sure they use an infant probiotic containing bifidobacteria and lactobacillus for a month or so, even if they are no longer an infant.
Zinc and vitamin C help support immune function, but avoid vitamin C powders made with fructose. Zinc, vitamin C and echinacea lozenges will help kill viruses on contact.
Elderberry is a safe, tasty and effective herb that supports immune system function.
If your child is a picky eater, speak with a nutritionist or look online to find out about kid-friendly, fun and tasty ways to incorporate vegetables into the diet.
Lesley Morical, ND, raised three children to adulthood and has been a naturopathic doctor since 1988. She practices at the Tahoma Clinic and enjoys working with patients of all ages.
Please give us a call for today’s deli hours as they can vary due to staffing.
Grab and go options are always available until close.
FEDERAL WAY
Monday-Saturday: 8 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 7 pm
Please call for current deli counter service hours. Grab and go options available until closing.
2565 S. Gateway Center Place
Federal Way, WA 98003
TACOMA
Monday-Saturday: 8 am - 8 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 7 pm
Please call for current deli counter service hours. Grab and go options available until closing.
2951 S. 38th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409