CHILDREN’S DIET & MANAGEMENT

                   CHILDREN'S DIET & MANAGEMENT

Children’s are gift of God. They are treasure, spinal cord or soul of a country. They are just like seeds which require proper care and nourishment to grow a big plant. It is the duty of parents to give not only physical but mental and spiritual health also. The birth of a healthy baby solves lots of problem. Expectant mother should be cheerful and try to read the books of religion, art, music and culture etc. Everyone knows the name of Abhimanyu and Sukhdev for best example.

Diet plays a big role in health of a child. When we see how a child grows up from infancy to manhood, we should know how the development takes place. After food is taken; it is mixed up with the various secretion of internal organs of the body and the finer portions of  this turn into 'Chyle' and the rest is eliminated as waste matter. The next stage is the separation of Chyle into two portions- Finer and the Coarse. The finer portion gets the colouring and becomes blood and the coarse one is eliminated. The particular process goes on in the next stage and flesh is formed. Afterwards fat, bone, bone marrow, and finally sperm is formed. When there is a disease, whether acute or chronic the above-mentioned Chyle of digestion and subsequent nourishment  of the seven systems are upset. In order to correct this and bring back the machinery to its normal functioning , specific treatment is necessary and the vital part of this statement is proper diet. In normal life diet is grouped as in infant , after dentition and adult stage.

DIET FOR A CHILD:

From one day to twelve months old:

For infants, the only food that is required is Milk. Mother’s milk is the best, but as an alternative either goat’s milk or cow’s milk can be given. For the first month or a month and a half of the birth, the child should be fed every two hours. This time- interval should be followed rigidly. Many diseases during this period or even subsequent to that, are due to overfeeding rather than under feeding. Gradually, feeding should be increased and after 4 months the child should be fed every four hours and that the last feeding should be at 10 p.m, after which no feeding is required till 6 a.m. the next morning. When milk other than Mother’s milk is given it should be diluted with water in the half and half ratio. Gradually, the water part may be reduced and pure milk is given.  Baby should be breastfed at least 9 to 12 months and during that time mother should take proper care of her diet. Try to take balanced diet as Fruits ,Vegetables, Whole Wheat , Milk , Green Vegetables, Pulses,  Dalia, Watergourd,   Khichdi etc.

   Now, we will see what is not to be fed to the child during this time till the dentition is over. It is to be noted that no starch-food such as barley, sago etc. should be given to the child before dentition. Even when the child has diarrhoea or fever; starchy food should not be given, instead the milk portion in the diet should be further diluted to one- fourth milk and three- fourths water. It is noted that before dentition starch is not digested by the child. Also, except milk, no animal protein should be given to the child before the canines comes out.  Fruit juice, Vegetable Soup, Mashed Rice, Potato , Apple, Banana may be given after 4 to 6 months. Tinned foods are also not advisable unless under extraordinary circumstances. If above regimen is followed, most of the diseases of the children is automatically checked. Between 7 to 9 months at the time of teething, calcium should be included in diet as Banana, Milk with Calcarea phos 6x + Calcarea flour 6x- two pills twice a day. After 10 month bananas are must. Mashed Rice, Khichdi, Potatoes, Chapati ,  Whole wheat, Bread is included in diet when child can chew.

  Now, we come to the diets of the grown- up children. The first essential factor in the maintenance of their health is the ‘feeding’. In the earl morning they should be given milk with some very light food. By 10 or 10.30 a.m. morning lunch should be given. When the child return from school they should again be given milk with light snacks. By 7.30 or 8 in the evening the night meal should be completed. Fried foods, too much sweets, eggs, meat should be excluded from children’s diet as far as possible.

 Next we come to the adult’s stage.

       Breakfast should be totally omitted. There is no need of overloading of the stomach. The meaning of breakfast is breaking of fast after a genuine fast. It is ridiculous that one cannot eat when he is sleeping, he is fasting. Instead of this superfluous eating, one should cultivate the habit of eating early in the day, within 11 o’clock in the morning. Two meals a day are more than enough for a man to maintain his health and keep his body and mind fit and fresh. After the morning meals,the next solid meal should be taken at night as early as possible. In between these two principal meals, if required, some liquid beverages may be taken, such as tea, coffee, milk, fruits or fruit juice, etc. Tinned foods and refrigerated food should be avoided as far as possible. Once we make a habit of timely eating, we will see what food to avoid and what to take. All fried foods either in oil or ghee, should be avoided. When something is fried in oil or ghee, the inter molecular spaces are all filled with oil and it becomes very difficult for the gastric juice to digest this oil, and the result is over- flowing of gastric juice and finally acidity and fermentation. We Indian can not cook our food without spices but it should be used in minimum quantity. Too much sour, hot, salty should always be avoided. As we stay in tropical country, eggs and meet should be used in limited quantities and frequently. We are already  of a hot constitution  so more of these will increase the  heat in the system.  Always kept in mind that dictim about eating should be -"we eat to live" and not "We live to eat". One should avoid taking food outside as far as practicable because whoever puts the food passes on to the food his own magnetism which may not be in harmony with the person eating it. Seasonal fruits, vegetables, milk, curd are good for the system. Honey is a good tonic which should be used at morning and not with any hot drinks. Drastic changes in diet should not be made, as a system would not spend this drastic change. In short, the best food is that which agrees with the person eating it.
 According to renowned homeopath Dr B. Bhattacharya; Water should not be taken after 3-4 hours of meal. If necessary, small sips of water can be used with meal. It is a wrong idea that one gets thirsty during summer. Getting thirsty is a sure sign of indigestion. It is a common experience that a heavy meal is taken one gets more thirsty because the amount of secretion in the stomach is not enough to digest the food taken and hence the alimentary canal gets dry. If water is not taken then the system automatically pours more juice to digest the food. But if water is taken immediately then the system refuses or is not allowed to do its work and gradually if the habit of interference is continued - the ultimate result is chronic indigestion with its own ramifications.

     A very interesting case of Dr B Bhattacharya was that once his friend (also a reputed doctor) came to him with a story of heart disease and requested his help in this matter. Dr Bhattacharya saw his pulse and asked about his water drinking habit. He  told that he is not drinking water with meal but after an hour of meal and then frequently with intervals. Dr. Bhattacharya again counted his pulse and found occasional missing beats;  then told not to drink water for 4 hours after meal and report after a week. The pulse was normal after a week and this case history tells that "Modern heart-attack can be prevented by taking these minor precaution"'. It is the duty of a doctor as not to cure only disease but to teach the prevention of disease.

  NOTE: Everyday two to three minutes Acupressure on sole and Palm should be given at the time of massage. It will increase the immunity power of baby. Proper attention, cleanliness and hygiene should be given. Nappies and  diapers should be changed time to time and wash the clothes of baby in boiled water or dettol .Bottle should  also  be boiled once a day or sterlize. Child should be properly nourished and take proper sleep. Always use boiled water. Lukewarm water should be used for baby bath after massage and sunbath. Instead of soap ; gram flour and cream of milk should be used. Skin will remain soft forever. Just like a plan; baby also require air and sun for proper development. After three months give oil massage and put the child in sunlight for at least ten minutes (90 minutes of sunlight) . Sugar should not be used before year and after this crystal sugar or jaggery should be used. If sugar is added then don't add after boiling Milk but at the time of boiling so baby will be prevented by cold and cough. Sudarshan powder should be used to prevent from worms. Regular motion and urination are essential. In loose motion or constipation; the milk should be stopped and try to give lukewarm water, paneer water, vegetable juice, fruits for time being. Overfeeding is more dangerous than fasting half a day).

       

Proper attention on cleanliness and hygiene should be given. Change the nappies, diapers and wash the clothes of baby in boiled water or dettol .Bottle should  also  be boiled once a day or sterlize. Child should be properly nourished and take proper sleep. Always use boiled water. Lukewarm water should be used for baby bath after massage and sunbath. Instead of soap ; gram flour and cream of milk should be used. Skin will remain soft forever.

Just like a plan; baby also require air and sun for proper development. After three months give oil massage and put the child in sunlight for at least ten minutes (90 minutes of sunlight) . Sugar should not be used before year and after this crystal sugar or jaggery should be used. If sugar is added then don't add after boiling Milk but at the time of boiling so baby will be prevented by cold and cough. Sudarshan powder should be used to prevent from worms.

Regular motion and urination are essential in loose motion or constipation the milk should be stopped in try to give lukewarm water or paneer water vegetable juice and fruits for time being overfeeding is more dangerous than fasting half a day.

Children's are not able to tell their problems. So acupressure is a good therapy and diagnosis of a problem. It should be used daily for 2 to 3 minutes and diet of milk and food should be reduced, use boiled or charged water.  Fruit juice and vegetable soup with biochemic tissue salt will subside all the disease and child will laugh as before. It will give a huge amount of immunity power.