It's a NEW DAY, Reader!

A dear friend and fellow subscriber wrote me an email a couple weeks ago and mentioned that her little ones (ages 1 and 5) were under the weather. She had gone to the store and bought them all the regular foods and beverages you give sick kids. Then she realized that most of that stuff was actually junk food, full of sugar and void of any real nutrition 😨

Smart mama!

She then asked me what kinds of foods I would recommend for sick kids... which I thought was a perfect topic to write about!

Priority #1: Hydration

Hydration is always important during illness, but especially so when the person is experiencing diarrhea or throwing up. Water is very quickly lost in both cases, and for babies and children, dehydration can become a serious condition in a matter of hours. It is wise to stay in communication with your pediatrician when your child is sick, and discuss what conditions warrant a trip to urgent care or the emergency room if they continue.

It can be difficult to stay hydrated when nothing seems to stay down, so tiny sips of liquid or even sucking on ice chips can be helpful. This will hopefully prevent or reduce the likelihood of the violent reaction a large quantity of liquid might induce.

Good things to drink are:

• water (of course!), with a splash of pure fruit juice if that helps with the taste
• herbal teas - hot or cold depending on preference
• warm water with fresh lemon juice, honey, and/or fresh ginger (chop in small pieces and steep the ginger like tea)
• unsweetened sparkling water
• kombucha (homemade, or check the label on store-bought for large amounts of sugar, though) - this can be cut with plain or sparkling water to reduce sugar content
• breast milk is the only fluid needed for babies under 6 months, and should still be the primary form of hydration for those under 1 year old. Mamas will need to keep up with their own hydration so they can continue to produce what's needed. If baby is having trouble nursing, expressing breast milk and feeding it by dropper or spoon may help, but be sure to talk to your pediatrician!

Water isn't the only thing lost in dehydration, though. The electrolyte minerals magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride are also lost and can become imbalanced. "Hydration" is a hot topic right now, with tons of products on the market. Many have sugar or artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, and may be missing one or more key minerals 🤯

I love the Re-Lyte rehydration powders from Redmond Life! They even have a kids version with a bit more sweetness (from stevia), real fruit-derived flavor, and appropriate mineral levels for little bodies. They also have an Immunity line with added vitamins to support your immune system. I'm not an affiliate, but if you use my referral code you'll get 15% off and I'll get some bonus points!

Bone broth, soup

Chicken soup is probably one of the first foods you think of as a good food for someone who is sick, and there is a lot of traditional wisdom in this! I'm NOT talking about anything out of a can, though.

Being primarily water, bone broth is the perfect hydrating food for a sick person. It's easy to digest, and the collagen and gelatin in it are very soothing to the digestive tract.

By far the best and most cost effective bone broth is going to be the one you make in your own kitchen! Recipes can be found for using a stockpot, instant pot/pressure cooker, or crockpot. It's best to use bones from organically raised animals, free-range chickens, and grass-fed beef (David's Pasture is my favorite place to buy these bones). You just toss those bones in a pot of water with some veggies (carrots, onions, garlic) and let it cook!

Because it takes a while to cook - 2-24 hours depending on your method of choice - it's going to be much more handy if you have some in the freezer for those times when sickness comes on quickly and you don't have the energy or ingredients to make some ASAP.

If you or your child can handle a little more substance, adding pureed or very soft-cooked veggies, lentils/beans, or potatoes can add nutrition while still remaining easy to digest. Well-cooked meat can also be added if tolerated. Even if your kid isn't a baby, organic baby food purees can be a quick and simple way to add these in.

Fruit... but not too much juice

Whether whole or pureed into a smoothie, fruits can be a great way to stay hydrated and get a big boost of immune-supportive vitamin C!

Kiwis, strawberries, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, mango, and pineapple are all high vitamin C fruits. If you're making a smoothie, adding a bit of ginger can help with nausea and digestive upset. Purees can also be frozen in popsicle molds or these silicone 'push-up' style molds that may help reduce mess, especially for littler ones.

Why not too much juice? Even 100% pure fruit juice is still going to have tons of sugar and zero fiber. It's also very likely to have been pasteurized which makes it basically a dead food. Any nutrition has to be added back in to processed juices, so I recommend consuming fresh, whole fruits.

Jello... homemade, that is!

This is one place I think it can be worth using fruit juice, because the benefit of both the hydration and gelatin in homemade jello outweighs the downsides of juice.

Jello in a box is mostly sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and some gelatin powder of sketchy origin. When you make it at home, YOU control what goes in to it. Fruit juice and gelatin powder are the non-negotiables, but you can also add pieces of fresh fruit. A little honey or maple syrup can also be added for extra sweetness, but I recommend leaving those out as they do increase the sugar content even if they are natural sugars. Here's a super-simple recipe for you to try: https://wellnessmama.com/recipes/healthy-jello/. Be sure to buy unflavored gelatin from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows.

What's the #1 thing to avoid?

If you guessed sugar, you'd be right!

Sugar puts stress on the body, and when you're sick, you don't need any more stress.

Sugar can damage proteins, changing immune-helping proteins into unhelpful or even damaging ones.

Sugar can create inflammation, which calls for more and greater immune system responses.

Sugary foods and drinks are usually devoid of nutrition, so if you're only going to eat or drink a little bit, make sure it packs a nutritional punch!

I hope these recommendations, links, and recipes are helpful resources for when you need to take care of a sick person, or yourself!

With Hope for your Health and Healing,

Valerie

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The content of this email is intended for inspirational and informational purposes only, is not a substitute for medical advice, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease. Consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your routine.