Product Info

Boost Your Child's Immune System
By Lucy Burney - a Piatkus book

Healthy children need healthy immune systems to fight off bugs and infections, and be fit and strong for life. The most powerful way to strengthen your child's immune system is with a good, nutritious diet. Top nutrition expert Lucy Burney shows you how to set your family on the path to lifelong good health.

• Discover:
  The immune-boosting diet for all children, from babies to teenagers
• How to fight infections naturally and avoid antibiotics
• The pros and cons of vaccinations for kids
• The latest research on allergies-and how to avoid them
• Tips on food storage and preparation to prevent bugs and preserve nutrients
• Easy-to-follow menu plans and recipes that all your family will love.

If you want your children to be full of energy and bursting with health, this book is a must.

'Ideal for all parents-whatever their children's age.' - Good Health magazine

'Essential reading for every parent'  - Patrick Holford, author of the bestselling Optimum Nutrition Bible

Contents

Contents:

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Part 1 Your child's immune system

• How it works
• Allergies
• Antibiotics - Friend or foe?
• Super-immunity - Are vaccinations the answer?

Part 2 The immune-boosting diet

• The essential healthy diet
• A-Z of Superfoods for the immune system
• Baby immune power - The first six months
• Baby immune power - Six to nine months
• Baby immune power - Nine to twelve months
• Immune power for toddlers - One to four years
• Immune power for schoolchildren - Five to twelve years
• Immune power for teenagers -Thirteen to eighteen years

Part 3 Treating infections naturally

• Fighting diseases naturally

Glossary
Resources
Recommended reading
Index

Extra Info Healthy children have healthy immune systems. Strong immune systems are formed by the foods they eat. A healthy diet will not only help to keep them well when they're young, but also build up their resistance to disease and protect them in later life.

Over the last fifty years we have seen a dramatic decline in the quality of our children's diet. Recent research has shown that, even in the aftermath of the Second World War, children growing up in the fifties had a healthier diet than those of today. A study in December 1999 by the Medical Research Council revealed that nowadays children eat nearly twice as much sugar, have a lower fibre intake and consume fewer vitamins and minerals. The most recent National Diet and Nutrition survey published in June 2000 on four- to eighteen- year- olds showed that young people of this age group are on average eating less than half the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. One in five of those surveyed ate no fruit at all during the week of the survey. The most commonly consumed foods were white bread, savoury snacks, chips, biscuits, potatoes and chocolate confectionery. Fizzy soft drinks were the most popular beverage, with the younger children consuming on average 1.5 litres (2½ pints) a week.

With over 70 per cent of their diet consisting of sweets, chips and junk foods, we are raising a generation of undernourished 'junk food junkies'. Our children's diets are too high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, and this is not without its consequences. Feeding your children on this type of diet will suppress their immune systems and make them more susceptible to disease. The UK Office for National Statistics released a report on young people in June 2000 which showed one in five teenagers and young adults (aged between thirteen and twenty-four) reported a long-standing illness in 1998—9 compared to one in eight in 1975.

In the UK alone, approximately 4.5 million prescriptions for antibiotics were written for the under-sixteen's in 1998. Half a million people in the UK are believed to contract food poisoning every year, many of these being children. One in four of the population is now affected by allergies and half of the sufferers are children. According to Cancer Research Campaign figures, cancer rates in the under-twenties rose by an alarming 27 per cent between 1971 and 1993. And these figures are similar throughout the Western world.

Obviously diet is not the sole culprit for the rise in ill health of our nation's children. Environmental pollution plays a significant part as our air becomes ever more congested with unwanted chemicals and other pollutants. Our genetic inheritance also plays an important part, as well as other more immediate factors. Our exposure to antibiotics from over-frequent prescriptions and the residues present in the food we eat have resulted in the birth of antibiotic-resistant 'superbugs' which pose a major health threat to the population as a whole. Additionally, some health professionals are singling out the continuing expansion of the mass immunisation programme for babies as yet another possible cause of immune suppression in the young.

This book is about making a difference. It is a positive step forward for a new generation of super-fit youngsters. Children do get ill; it is an important part of building their immunity. What they do not need is an endless stream of prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs to suppress their symptoms and interfere with the body's natural ability to heal itself. What children do need is food that is going to strengthen their defences and make them better able to fight off bugs and infections — food that is fresh and full of immune-boosting nutrients. Whether you have a baby, a teenager or both, it is never too late to help improve your family's immunity. An immune-boosting diet is the key to their future health.

How to use this book
This book is designed for parents with children of all ages from birth to eighteen. Each age group has its own chapter which includes recipes that contain plenty of the nutrients that are especially important for that age group. The sections are broken down into:

• birth to six months
• six to nine months
• nine to twelve months
• one to four years
• five to twelve years
• thirteen to eighteen years

However, many of the recipes can be eaten by any of the age groups, adults included. For example, my five- and four-year olds love Seafood Paella, even though I have put it in the teenage section. Experiment with the whole range of recipes to find your family's favourites.

As a working mother of three, I know the challenges involved in preparing hassle-free healthy food for children. This book has the answers. Whether it's five-minute meals you are looking for or menu ideas for hungry teenagers, the information is all within these pages.

I have also tried to make the recipes as user-friendly as possible. Formal measurements are used only where really necessary, and the use of 'handfuls', 'cups', 'tablespoons' and 'a piece of ....' is liberal. Don't be alarmed if I don't mention the size of a vegetable required — it just means that the size will not affect the outcome of the recipe. It also makes for much easier shopping!

You will notice throughout the book that I have not separated the fish, poultry, meat, game, vegetarian or vegan recipes. This is to encourage you not to stick with familiar foods or recipes but to be more adventurous with your menu choices. The index, however, does group these recipes for you.

All the recipes can be easily halved or doubled to suit your family's requirements. The recipes in the baby chapters (Chapters 7, 8 and 9) serve one baby or are for batch cooking, and if this is the case the number of ice cube portions it will make is stated. But treat this only as a guide — amounts will vary according to the size of your ice cube trays, the size of your vegetables and the amount of extra liquid you may or may not add to suit your baby's particular preferences. The recipes in the one to four years chapter (Chapter 10) and the five to twelve years chapter (Chapter 11) are for two adults and two children unless stated otherwise in the recipe itself. They are generous in serving amounts, and will therefore feed two hungry adults and two children. The teenage recipes (thirteen to eighteen years, Chapter 12) will serve four adults. Each recipe is also coded to indicate whether it is wheat-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan. This, I hope, will help you plan for all your family's different needs as they grow up.

About the author
Lucy Burney is a qualified Nutrition Consultant and Children's Health Specialist. She trained at the renowned Institute for Optimum Nutrition and then went on to practice at the Hale Clinic, London. In 1997 Lucy was appointed a Foresight Practitioner, working with couples looking for a natural approach to infertility. She is a regular columnist with the monthly magazine, Natural Parent. Lucy now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and three children. She divides her time between writing and running her website www.lucyburney.com.

Author's note
The material in this book is for information purposes only. It is not intended as on alternative to medical advice. If you suspect that your child is suffering from a medical condition, you should always consult a doctor.

I have found myself referring to 'she' throughout the book. This is because I had my daughter, Indy, while writing it and have dedicated it to her. However, it is meant to refer to children of both sexes.