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Yours,
Health and Science Editor
Name
Sara
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Profession
Question
What can I give my child to help him with repeated colds?
Answer
Hibiscus tea is high in vitamin C and can help reduce cold symptoms such as runny nose, sore throat, fever and/or cough.
You might also look into the reason(s) behind the frequent colds. Some children who have frequent cold symptoms are actually allergic to something in their environment or diet. Some of the most common allergens causing cold-like symptoms are milk, cheese, wheat, animals, dust and molds.
Some of my friends give their children antibiotics only in very dangerous infection but not for every infection even mild ones. Is this right? Ho can they do that in the time they are still young and have low immunity?
Answer
Children actually have naturally strong immune systems that can be strengthened by use. When a child’s immune system is allowed to fight illness on a regular basis it becomes stronger, much like a muscle would with continual exercise.
If a child’s immune system is not allowed to “exercise” itself it can become weaker, as well as depleted because antibiotics kill good bacteria along with bad bacteria. Additionally, the more frequently antibiotics are given, the more chance the bacterium in a child’s system has of developing immunity to certain antibiotics.
This means that antibiotics will lose their effectiveness over time and may not even work by the time a major illness comes along. Although it was once popular to prescribe antibiotics for every cold, flu and cough, it is now being recommended by the American Medical Association that antibiotics only be used when absolutely necessary.
I did a quick internet search for their policy and found a very good article at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-science/infectious-diseases/topics-interest/antibiotics-antimicrobials.shtml
Is there a natural thing we can give the children to have better appetite?
Answer
Ginger, cinnamon, anise, fenugreek and peppermint tea can all increase appetite in children. However, you also need to establish a reason for your child's lack of appetite.
Do they naturally need less to eat? If you child is of healthy weight and has normal energy levels and moods, they may naturally eat less than you or other family members. I have worked with clients before who have children who are natural vegetarians, or children who eat small meals, mostly consisting of fruits and breads. Health studies show that it is actually much healthier to under eat than to over eat, so make sure you are basing your child's appetite on their weight, height and health, rather than an idea of how much they "should" be eating.
Another thing to consider is that children absorb their nutrients at a different rate than adults. A child needs all the nutrients an adult needs; however, those nutrients can be absorbed throughout the week. So for example, a child who does not eat protein daily can still be healthy as they may get enough over the course of the week to meet their needs.
Another thing to monitor with children who have a reduced appetite is what they are eating that is filling them up. Some common “fillers” are milks, juices, chips, candies and cakes. A child with a reduced appetite should only drink water and teas and should avoid foods that have no nutritional value, such as chips or candy.
If a child is eating a small diet, then what they are eating should be of significant nutritional value. As the nutritional value of the child’s diet increases, their appetite will naturally increase as well.
Some food items that can decrease appetite are: large servings of protein, caffeine (found in black tea, coffee or sodas), sugar, and Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG).
What is your advice for babies who take artificial milk? What can we give them to help them with immunity in different stages?
Answer
What a good question! Babies can be given herbal teas from the time they are 3 months old. Of course the dose for a baby is about one spoon of tea so you can make yourself a cup of tea and share a spoon of it with your baby. Most babies can sip from a spoon after a few "practice" attempts. If not, a spoon or two of herbal tea can be added to their formula.
Some good teas for babies are anise, fenugreek, and chamomile. All of these have immune system enhancing abilities.
You can also mix some essential oils such as lavender with massage oil (one drop per teaspoon) and massage your baby's body, abdominal area or feet on a daily basis. Chamomile Roman and anise are other essential oils that have natural antibiotic properties.
My baby is 6 months now. What can I give her now that is useful and suitable to her age as well?
Answer
I started all of my children on herbal teas when they were little to get them used to the taste so it would be easier to heal them when they needed herbal teas to heal. Good "daily" teas for a child include calendula, chamomile, anise, fennel, fenugreek, spearmint and catnip.
The dosage for your baby can be found with the following formula:
12-year-old child = 1/2 of adult dosage
6-year-old = 1/2 of 12-year-old dosage
3-year-old = 1/2 of 6-year-old
And so on...
Depending on their condition you can also give them herbs that can help them with specific issues they are having. Fennel and anise are good for colic and stomach problems, catnip is good for calming a child, peppermint is good for digestive issues, chamomile can bring down a fever and calendula can soothe a sore throat. All of these herbs have many other uses as well.
What can I give my children from nature that raise their immunity?
Answer
This is similar to some other questions that have been asked, so for a more in-depth answer you can read some of my answers to the other questions as well as this specific answer to the question you asked.
1. The first line of defense a child has against disease is their diet. Allergies, poor diet, overeating and under eating can all contribute to decreased immunity. One of the main reasons children have decreased immunity is because of products containing sugar. Studies have shown that for every half teaspoon of sugar a child consumes, their immunity is decreased for half an hour. Children who eat sugar frequently (cakes, candies, canned foods, fast foods, frozen foods, etc…) can actually spend most of their childhood with a decreased immune system.
2. The second way to increase a child’s immune system is to make sure they get enough sleep. Most children in society today, suffer from lack of sleep. A child should get about 12 hours of sleep a night. If they are staying up late to watch TV, play video games or chat with family and friends, they are missing out on valuable time the immune system needs to replenish and rebuild daily.
3. If a child has a good diet and gets enough sleep you can also use herbs to increase their immunity. Some good herbs for children and the immune system are: fenugreek, hibiscus and Echinacea (for older children).
4. Other factors to consider with a child are stress (keep school, family conflicts and activity stress to a minimum), and the natural environment. All children should walk in nature with the sun shining down on them (even if indirectly through clouds) at least once a day, when possible. Vitamin D from the sun is one of nature’s most effective antibiotics. Green plants, trees and the natural environment (parks, forests or other areas) also provide natural immunity enhancing energies.
Is there a natural way to get rid of foot odor for my child?
Answer
First you should make sure that their shoes and socks are only made of natural materials. Natural materials such as leather and cotton are natural odor reducers. Many children (and adults) with food odor find instant relief when they stop wearing polyester stockings or plastic-based shoes. The child should also go barefoot as much as possible. Some people have feet that naturally need to breathe more.
Some other ideas include:
1. Sprinkle their shoes with baking soda, talcum or corn flour - these can absorb the moisture from sweating and help keep your feet cool.
2. At night or during the day when they take off their shoes, crumble sage leaves or thyme leaves into their shoes to control the odor.
3. Mix 1/2 a cup of vinegar in warm water. Bathe their feet in this 3 - 4 times a week. You can also bathe their feet in herbal tea, lemon water or baking soda water. Any tea will work - even Lipton.
I've heard that chocolates, chips, and other stuff make the children a bit nervous or a bad mood. Is this true?If yes, is there any natural ingredients that counteract this effect?
Answer
There are many reasons why this is true. In some cases it is because of the additives used in the products. Most chips contain additives, colorings and preservatives that can cause allergic or other reactions in people. Children can often exhibit the strongest reactions since they are so sensitive.
Some of the most dangerous additives to keep an eye out for are: red dyes and colored dyes of any kind, MSG and any artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or Splenda. Sometimes just making an effort to purchase healthier snacks can solve this problem. I am not sure where you live, however, in the area I live in many “healthy” chips and snack alternatives are available. If your child does consume a product with a lot of additives and preservatives you can counteract the effects with a large glass of spearmint tea, fresh carrot juice and lots of water.
Another reason these snacks can cause reactions if because of natural ingredients such as the caffeine in chocolate. Some children and adults cannot even handle small amounts of caffeine and become nervous or anxious when they consume chocolate, tea or coffee. If this is the problem you can counteract these effects with calendula, anise, catnip or chamomile tea.
Snacks can also create blood sugar problems. When a child eats chips or a sugary snack their blood sugar rapidly increases and then “dives” soon after. This can cause erratic behavior, anxiety and mood swings. If this is the problem you can counteract it with fenugreek tea.
Last, but not least some children are allergic to the chemicals or additives found in many of these items. Look on labels for ingredients like soy, peanuts, nuts, nut oils, nut butters, or additives your child might be allergic to.
What are natural things that increase breast milk? Do they have any side effects?
Answer
Fenugreek and Fennel tea (either separate or together) increase breast milk. Their effects are that the baby's colic is soothed, digestion is improved and the baby becomes calmer. Both herbs are very mild and with short term usage do not have any documented side effects. Although fennel can make some people drowsy and fenugreek can "wake up" some people so you may want to use the fennel at night and fenugreek in the morning or combine them both.
Another "side effect" is that sometimes the milk will increase quite quickly. Start with smaller "doses" and work up to drinking more tea as needed. You can drink up to two cups a day.
I read on the internet that one can remove warts by applying duct tape on them for up to two months. Is this true?
Answer
This remedy does work, however you do need to remove the tape when bathing and to change it daily. You also need to monitor the area and make sure it is not developing any rashes or other symptoms associated with the tape. To make this remedy even more effective you can put the inside skin of a banana peel on top of the wart before you apply the tape. The tape only needs to "just" cover the wart. Do not use a large piece of tape that covers inches of area. You will need to cut the tape to size.
My daughter is 8 years old, what do you recommend I do when she has a fever.
Answer
Once a child is past age 7 I recommend reducing the fever to a safer temperature range but allowing their body to experience the fever. Each child has their own "normal" fever range. With my eldest child 104 ºF (40ºC) was "normal" for her fevers. With my youngest, 104 ºF (40ºC) would have been cause for alarm. A comfortable range for most people is near 100ºF (37.8ºC). That way, the body is still able to use the power of the fever to rid itself of infection and disease, but the temperature is low enough that it will not harm the child.
Aside from reasons of illness, children often have fevers when they are going through physical or developmental changes. Fevers can come on suddenly when new teeth are coming in or a child is losing a tooth. They can also happen when a child is going through a growth spurt (although increased sleeping is more of a symptom of this). Sometimes after a fever a child will suddenly be able to read or write better or do math problems they had struggled with before.
Usually, you can bring a temperature into this range with a simple lukewarm bath or cool compresses (sometimes soaked in lemon water or rose water) to the head. You can also draw the fever down by soaking the feet in lemon water or rose water.
Other natural remedies include:
1. Homeopathic belladona
2. Herbal teas of peppermint, fenugreek, anise, or chamomile.
3. Essential oil of lavender applied to the feet and/or temple area.
Natural honey from local farms has many ingredients that naturally fight bacteria and increase wound healing. Honey that has been processed and sold on grocery shelves is more sugar than honey.
However, sugar has also been known to increase healing of wounds as well, so even store bought honey is better than "nothing". I have a friend who always applies sugar to wounds - they always heal quite well.
My daughter always complains of having stomach aches almost everyday after she eats and just before bedtime, what should I do about this?
Answer
The three most common causes of this would be stress/nerves, indigestion, or allergies. If you would like an in-depth consultation for your daughter's condition I do consultations via my website at: www.HerbnHome.com
I can give you some ideas on how to deal with each of these possible reasons; however it is hard to provide a complete solution without knowing your daughter better.
1.Stress and Nerves: Some children are very sensitive and can experience cramps or “stomach aches” during times of stress. Are meals and bedtime stressful for her? They are for many families!
If there is a struggle to get her to eat the right food or finish her food or if family members have intense conversations at the dinner table, she will experience aches. If she resists going to bed or she would rather not be sleeping alone, both of these situations can also cause stress.
Some solutions to this are to decrease the stress, give her reflexology treatments (foot massages) after meals and before bed and offer her chamomile tea.
2.Indigestion: I am not sure how old she is but some children can easily get indigestion from certain foods – especially meats and/or fatty foods. A solution to this would be to offer her spearmint or peppermint tea after meals and/or Aloe Vera juice before meals.
3.Allergies: Some children develop food intolerance or allergy problems. What does she eat daily or right before bed? Does she drink milk before bed? Milk is one of the top ten food allergens.
Blessings & Health,
Kristie Karima Burns, MH, ND
Name
me again
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Profession
Question
Regarding the wart question, do I have to keep the duct tape on the wart all day and all night? Or can I just keep it on at night and take it off when I am at work or out?
Answer
To be most effective it should be on all day. However, if it is on a visible place you can use a skin-tone band-aid during the day and duct tape at night. You can also do as you said - just use it at night. You can do this with all natural healing methods. If you "reduce dosage" the healing methods still work - they just take longer.
