Goodbye Gastro and other Tummy Bugs…

Gastro and similar viruses can be unpleasant for the whole family. Although these tummy bugs usually go away in a few days, they can have long-term effects on our kid’s health. The balance of good and bad bacteria can be thrown out, and inflammation of the lining of the gut can cause mood disruptions, immune dysregulation, and bouts of tummy troubles.

A good diet builds resilience

Ensuring kids have a good diet and active lifestyle before getting sick can help boost their resilience to infections. If your little one does pick up a bug, it is best to try and stick to simple easy-to-digest foods. Foods like plain rice and diluted bone broths are good to feed good bacteria and for soothing and protecting the gut lining. The resistant starches found in cooled cooked rice and potatoes, and slightly green bananas, help to reduce the severity of diarrhoea also. Frozen fruits can be nice particularly if your little one has a sore throat as well. Try to avoid sugary drinks and highly refined carbohydrates as these will feed the “bad” bacteria and can also increase fluid loss from the intestines.

Hydration gets a high five

Keeping kids hydrated can be hard when there are not feeling well. Hydralyte contains ingredients that are not so great for some little ones and can cause diarrhoea. There are natural electrolyte powders that can be helpful or you can add a kid’s multivitamin/multimineral formula to their water, add it to the iceblock recipe below, or add it to food. Kombucha or cooled chamomile or peppermint tea can also help reduce nausea and increase hydration.

Herbs and Probiotics for Tummy Bugs

Herbal medicines are a good option for older kids (5+) to reduce gut inflammation, reduce abdominal discomfort, and reduce the severity of diarrhoea and vomiting. Probiotics, especially Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Saccharomyces boulardii (SB) can help reduce symptoms and reoccurring infections. I do recommend practitioner-only products to get the right strains at the right dosage for your child.

Signs its serious

And remember to seek help from your GP if symptoms last longer than a week, or there are warning signs like persistent vomiting and inability to keep any fluids down, signs of dehydration such as decreased urination and sunken eyes, severe abdominal pain, or blood in the stool.

Yummy and good for the tummy

Stewed Apples

Ingredients

6 apples (choose organic where possible)
½ cup of water
2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Peel and core the apples, and chop them into small pieces.
2. Place all ingredients in a saucepan, add the lid and simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring
   regularly.
3. Remove from the stove when the apple shapes are still roughly visible but the apples are soft.
4. Enjoy once the temperature has cooled.

Hydrating iceblock

Ingredients

1 cup mixed berries
1 cup baby spinach
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup orange juice (get one without added sugar and with fibre/pulp)
1/2-1 cup coconut water or filtered water

Method

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
2. Pour into iceblock moulds or ice cube trays, leaving a little space at the top.
3. Place in the freezer.
4. Enjoy once frozen.