Naturally Healthy Kids

Note:  Never self-treat a sick child - There are many things you can do to ensure good health for your child and prevent illness, but always consult a doctor when your child is sick, for proper diagnosis and treatment. 

Preventive medicine is way different from treating an illness that you may not be aware of. Complementary medicine is a wise choice, but never take chances with your child's health and well-being

Herbs Generally Accepted 
As Safe for Children

There are two ways of strengthening a child's immune system. One is with diet and the other is with herbs (which are, actually, foods) and supplements.

If you suspect that your child's immune system is in trouble, you can seek professional advise from a naturopathic doctor or nutritional or herbal practitioner. You can also do your own research.

• Alfalfa - very high in nutrients - vitamins and minerals

• Aloe vera - good externally for sunburn, burns, skin irritations, and itches

• Astragalus - an immune herb - strengthens the immune system while calming it - also strengthens the lungs - do NOT use in the case of fever or infection

• Barley - nutritional, cleansing and strengthening to the immune system

• Bee Pollen - nutritional, and helpful for allergies in small doses - builds the blood

• Black Walnut - antifungal

• Buchu - healing for the kidneys and urinary tract

• Burdock - good blood cleanser, strengthening and protective of the liver, and high in iron and vit. C

• Calendula - antiseptic and healing to skin for cuts, burns, bruises - calming to stomach and intestinal tract

• Capsicum (Cayenne) - stimulates the circulation and good for the heart - high in vit. C - acts as a catalyst to other herbs

• Catnip - calming to the nerves - good for colic, gas, indigestion and upset stomach - excellent used as an enema

• Chamomile - also calming to the stomach and nerves - helpful to get to sleep

• Chickweed - mild blood cleanser - good for skin rashes and ailments

• Comfrey - high in alantoin, a cell proliferant - for skin and flesh wounds - also for muscles and bone injuries - high in calcium, vitamins and mineral - caution should be used with internal use

• Dandelion - blood cleanser and liver cleanser/healer - very high in nutrition

• Echinacea - stimulates the immune system

• Elderberry - slows the reproduction of viruses - good for colds and flu

• Fennel - stomach and intestinal aid - for colic, indigestion and stomachache

• Fenugreek - an expectorant - for sore throats and cough

• Garlic - antibiotic, antiviral - excellent for earaches, sore throats, congestion in lungs, and strengthening the immune system

• Ginger - great for nausea and motion sickness

• Ginkgo - a vasodiolator, especially for the head

• Goldenseal - a very good contact antibiotic externally and for the whole gastrointestinal tract - good for cold sores and poison ivy

• Gotu kola - considered a brain food and longevity herb

• Hops - nervine for calming nerves and relaxing body

• Horehound - expectorant - excellent for cough and respiratory congestion

• Horsetail - high in silica - needed for calcium absorption - strengthens bones and teeth

• Kelp - vitamins, minerals, especially iodine for a healthy thyroid

• Lemon Balm - calming to nerves

• Licorice - good for coughs, colds, flu and lung congestion - a mild laxative - healing to the adrenal glands - not to be taken by anyone with high blood pressure

• Lobelia - expectorant and antispasmodic - good for calming coughs and relieving asthma attacks - acts as a catalyst to other herbs

• Marshmallow - soothing to gastrointestinal tract and respiratory system - also good for swollen glands

• Milk Thistle - very healing and protective of the liver

• Mullein -

• Oatstraw - calming to nerves, and high in nutrition - excellent for building strong bones and teeth

• Papaya - aids digestion, relieves gas and indigestion

• Parsley - a natural diruetic

• Pau d'Arco - helps clean the blood and fights candida

• Peppernint - soothing to the stomach - for heartburn, gas and diarrhea - also good for fevers

• Plantain - internally for the kidneys and bladder - externally for bee stings, cuts and scrapes, and infections

• Red Clover - blood cleanser - good for colds, flu, colic, fever, acne, rashes, and boils

• Red Raspberry - mild blood cleanser and female herb - good for colds, flu, fever

• Scullcap - relaxant, helps induce sleep and reduce hyperactivity - NOT for young children

• Slippery Elm - soothing to digestive tract - used for diarrhea, upset stomach, and constipation

• St. John's Wort - oil is good for bruises, sprains and strains - flower is good for mild to medium depression

• Tea Tree Oil - external ONLY - antifungal and antibacterial - helps heal infections and speed tissue repair - also acts as a local anesthetic to relieve pain

• Valerian - mild sedative for calming nervousness

• White Oak Bark - astringent and high in calcium

• Wild Cherry Bark - cough suppressant - excellent for children's coughs

• Yarrow - hot tea brings on persiration, which brings down a fever - excellent externally for cuts and scrapes

• Yellow Dock - a mild laxative and good for the liver - helps with congestion and coughs

• Wheatgrass juice powder & barleygrass juice powder - very high in nutrition and enzymes.

• Chlorella, Spirulina, Blue-green Algae - high in protein and other nutrients.

• Astragalus/Marshmallow combination - an herb combination that builds the immune system while calming it down - very good for anyone with an auto-immune disease or an over-active immune system that causes food sensitivities.

• Essential Fatty-acids (Omega 3, 6 and 9)

• Grapeseed extract - OPC - excellent anti-oxidant

• Milk Thistle Seed extract - to protect the liver

• Schizandra - an herb for healing and strengthening the liver

• an herbal calcium formula - to supply organic calcium and the nutrients needed to absorb the calcium.

• an herbal vitamin/mineral supplement - made up of alfalfa, beet root powder, dandelion root, kelp, purple dulse, rose hips, nutritional yeast, and other herbs 
  
  Compiled from Article by Sunny Mavor for allherb.com 

  Q: Can babies become constipated?

  A:Even tiny babies can have a problem with constipation. In fact, this can be the first minor health challenge with which parents have to deal. I absolutely recommend parents to see their health care practitioner if a child under three months old experiences irregularity. After that time, I still advise them to call the doctor's office. Keep in mind that baby's diet is likely to be the culprit.

  I sincerely believe that water is the world's best laxative. For breastfed babies, mom may merely need more fluids. Breastfeeding can quickly dehydrate the nursing mother, and baby's lack of bowel action can often be easily remedied by adding more water into mom's diet. Don't just drink more liquids; I prefer pure water over any other drink. Even coffee and tea can have a diuretic action. Sodas, with their sugar, artificial sweeteners, and calcium-robbing phosphoric acid content, should be reserved as a once-in-a-while treat for breastfeeding moms. And of course, it goes without saying that an herbal laxative tea, such as senna and cascara sagrada, or a dieter's tea, wouldn't be a good idea for a nursing mom.

  Other dietary strategies for the breastfeeding woman include adding an essential fatty acid supplement to the diet. Start with one 500 mg flaxseed capsule per day and work your way up to three per day. You can also add up to three tablespoons per day of freshly ground flaxseed into your food. I take 1500 mg of flaxseed oil everyday, and I consider it safe for long-term, daily usage. A great deal of information about the myriad health benefits of essential fatty acids, not the least of which is a simple laxative effect, is available right here at AllHerb.com. Mom may pass this laxative action on to baby through her breast milk.

  For babies who are drinking formula, check with your health care practitioner about switching formula. Iron-based baby formula is notorious for causing infant constipation, and a simple switch to the type without iron may instantly solve your problem. Another consideration is to switch to a different protein base for your baby food. If your child is currently taking a milk-based formula, check with your doctor or nurse practitioner about switching to soy (or vice versa). I know several children whose constipation was solved with this one simple step.

  For an infant who has started eating solid foods, I'm a big fan of my grandmother's favorite natural remedy: prunes. Simply simmer a few preservative-free prunes in water until soft, and then blend or grind them with a baby food grinder. Feed your little one a half-teaspoon of this several times a day. Once you've determined your child's tolerance for prunes, you can increase the serving size. But please, trust this natural remedy and don't be tempted to start out with large doses. Prunes really work!

  Q: Are there any herbs that can help my child do better in school? He's a good kid, but he's a little distractible, and I'd like to see him pay better attention.

  A: I wish there were a "smart pill" we could all take! Certainly the herb Ginkgo biloba has the reputation for "stimulating the brain," but I should clarify that. Ginkgo leaf has never been shown to increase anyone's intelligence. Studies have repeatedly confirmed, however, the ability of ginkgo leaf to improve short-term memory in patients with Alzheimer's disease or a decreased blood supply to the brain. Would it be a reliable herb to help your child concentrate? Maybe, but we don't know for sure. It's certainly non-toxic, and a month-long trial program of ginkgo wouldn't hurt.

  Start the day with protein instead of sugar-high pastries or cereal. Good protein choices could include peanut butter on toast, cottage cheese, scrambled tofu, or an egg. Send great lunches if your school cafeteria uses poor-quality foods. I pack my son's lunch with a sandwich made on whole grain bread. I also add baby carrots and some fruit for dessert. Be creative with vegetables. 

  Another approach is to visit the school during snack time, and see for yourself if the school provides the kids with sweets or chocolate milk. Both can stimulate the brain temporarily but may cause a rebound "brain fog" effect an hour or two later. Make sure your child exercises each day, either at recess or during P.E. Exercise supplies fresh oxygen to the body and brain tissues.

  It's interesting that you use the word "distractible." You might ask your school counselor to observe your child in the classroom. Most school psychologists and counselors are trained observers of "distractible" children and can usually spot the occasional child who needs some testing to rule out learning difficulties.

  One other little hint: You might look for an aromatherapy inhaler that contains essential oil of mint or rosemary. 

  Sunny Mavor began studying herbal medicine almost 20 years ago. Back then the only herb book she found in her small town in Montana was Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss. Despite this setback, her interest in healing plants remained. She graduated from the California School of Herbal Studies in 1985 and became a professional member of the prestigious American Herbalists Guild in 1991. Her affinity for botanical medicine and the healing properties of plants, combined with her experience in retail natural food management, eventually led her to found Herbs for Kids in 1991. It remains the premier company dedicated to producing alcohol-free herbal extracts formulated for a child's developing body.

  Armed with some knowledge, parents can choose natural medicines at least as easily as they can select from among the hundreds of over-the-counter cold medicines. More important still, these natural medicines are often better for your child. Not only can they ease symptoms, but they can also get at the root of the imbalance or deficiency that's causing illness. Most pharmaceuticals won't help your child recover from viral illnesses, nor will they enhance immune function. Herbal medicines can support immune function and fight viral invaders, and unlike many synthetic drugs, they do so with few, if any, side effects