As a mom, it feels like it is our primary duty to keep our family healthy, especially our kids. Lagi nga nating dasal ‘di ba, tayo na lang ang magkasakit, huwag na sila. It is more than painful to see our kids suffer, kaya we try our best to keep them healthy and illness-free all the time. Nakakaguilty when our kids are sickly. But being a mom for 16 years, I learned that instead of feeling guilty, I should focus on ways to make my kids healthier.
Based on our experience, here are the tried and tested ways na ginawa namin para healthy ang mga kids namin.
1. Increase water intake. I cannot stress enough how important water is to the body. We always tell our kids that and we train them to drink water. It’s not an easy task but giving them facts and making them understand the importance of water somehow made it easier. Right now, we are still in the process of training them to drink enough water (and more when they are not feeling well).
The most effective strategy so far is giving them a bottle each (1 L water bottle) and they have to finish 2 of that bottle in a day. That will complete the recommended water intake of 2 liters a day. It’s a long process but I know we are on the right track as they seldom got sick now. And when they do, they recuperate easily because of increased water intake.
2. Physical Activity. Have you ever wondered why physical activity is very important to keep your kids healthy? Gaya ng sabi ng mga matatanda noong araw, “hayaang mong magpawis para lumakas.”
There are so many benefits of physical activity, even for at least 30 minutes a day. Some of these that are beneficial to your child’s health are strengthening the heart and lungs, muscle build-up, and reduced blood sugar levels. But how and why? Our body is designed like that. Think of it as an elastic band, the more you stretch it, the bigger it becomes. So let your kids run, jump, bike around if they have a bike. Just make sure that they always have access to drinking water during these activities.
3. Proper Diet. I have learned in my years of being a mom that a proper diet is not just about the quality of food, but it also includes the proper time to eat and making sure that the stomach is healthy.
When it comes to the quality of food, we try to give them a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein, and vegetables. We sometimes go overboard on the carbohydrate part, kase alam niyo naman, ang sarap talaga kumain ng kanin. For breakfast, their meal is usually egg, banana, and rice. We give them more vegetables during dinner time.
Tip: Samgyeopsal is a very healthy food option especially if you will provide more veggies. Just make sure na well cooked ang mga meat, ha?
The proper time to eat is making sure that they eat 3x a day, same schedule every day (as much as possible). Snack time is usually 2 hours before the next meal and should be light. We also try to avoid sweets and junk food.
When it comes to making sure the stomach is healthy, we give probiotics to our kids. Probiotics are living good bacteria and yeast that when given in sufficient amounts, produce health benefits such as improved digestion and immune function. We’ve known about Probiotics ever since nagka-diarrhea si Marius and our doctor prescribed Erceflora 2B. Ngayon, go-to ko na siya whenever he has diarrhea.
Why do have to keep our kids’ stomach healthy? S’yempre the health of their stomach is very important because this is the area of the body where the food they take breaks down and the nutrients are absorbed in the body. Kung hindi healthy ang stomach, kahit healthy food pa ang kainin nila, hindi rin ma-aabsorb nang tama ng katawan.
For everyday tummy protection, we give our kids Erceflora Probibears, a 2-in-1 probiotic food supplement. And my kids really love it, especially the taste. One bear a day is the recommended intake, so I really have to control Marius dahil gusto niya maraming bears!
Can a child take probiotics if he/she is lactose intolerant? Wala kaseng lactose intolerant sa kids ko we have no experience with that, best is ask your pedia about it.
Where to buy Erceflora Probibears? It is available in all major pharmacies so ask your your local pharmacist about it or do check https://www.
4. Proper Hygiene. Teach your kids to practice proper hygiene, which includes brushing, bathing, and changing clothes. For tweens, also teach them about body odor and use of deodorant. Please watch our video above on how we teach Marius (and our older kids) how to properly brush their teeth.
5. Enough sleep (sleep at least 8 hours a day). Having enough sleep keeps the body healthy. Sleep is the time where the body rests and recovers so it is very important. this is how we encourage our kids to sleep early:
- Eat an early dinner. We usually eat around 6 PM.
- As much as possible no gadgets after dinner.
- Change them into comfortable clothing. If the weather is hot, encourage them to take a bath before sleeping.
- Provide them a conducive place for sleep (clean and well-ventilated room)
BONUS tried and tested ways that made our kids health: Massage, hugs, and attention.
