Održavanje dječjeg imunološkog sustava zdravim

Novo poglavlje počinje kada vaše dijete krene u jaslice. Poglavlje kašlja, prehlade i gripe! Evo nekoliko savjeta za očuvanje zdravlja imunološkog sustava djece i ostatka obitelji.

Više članaka o imunitetu i imunološkom sustavu pročitajte ovdje

Prva godina jaslica je godina u kojoj možete očekivati da će vaše dijete biti bolesno – često. Dječji vrtić je leglo infekcija, a najvjerojatnije će biti zaražena i vaša obitelj. Jedan po jedan. Ali postaje bolje. Jer kad god dobijete neku zaraznu bolest, imunološki sustav proizvodi više antitijela i postaje jači i bolji u borbi protiv bolesti.

Za novorođenčad je druga priča. Profesor Arne Spurkland, stručnjak za imunološki sustav, objašnjava:

“Novorođene bebe same nisu proizvele nikakva antitijela. Prije rođenja dobili su lgG antitijela, a dojenjem lgA antitijela – oboje od majke. To štiti djecu prvih šest mjeseci života, dok ne počnu stvarati vlastita antitijela”.

Nakon šest mjeseci, bebe i djeca oslanjaju se na prirodni imunološki odgovor svojih tijela u borbi protiv infekcije. Kada vaše tijelo ima imunološki odgovor, neke od stanica koje su stimulirane ovim procesom ostat će i proizvoditi antitijela. To znači da sljedeći put kad vaše tijelo naiđe na isti mikrob, ono već ima antitijela i počet će ih brzo proizvoditi više kako bi učinkovitije zaustavilo infekciju. To je i način na koji cjepiva djeluju i razlog zašto nas mnoge infekcije pogađaju samo jednom u životu.

Dakle, djeca moraju ponekad biti bolesna da bi ostala zdrava u budućnosti. Ali slažemo se da bi bilo lijepo kada bi vaše dijete moglo izbjeći da stalno bude bolesno. Dakle, što možete učiniti da pomognete imunološkom sustavu?

1. Vitamin D

Nekoliko studija pokazuje da vitamin D pomaže imunološkom sustavu da održi svoju normalnu funkciju. NHS preporučuje davanje dodataka vitamina D svim bebama od šest mjeseci starosti. Na taj način osiguravate da su njihove potrebe za vitaminom D pokrivene.

2. Učinite pranje ruku zabavnim

Važno je osigurati da vaša djeca peru ruke sapunom i vodom tijekom preporučenih 20 sekundi kako biste spriječili širenje klica. Dobar trik je natjerati ih da pjevaju pjesmu dok peru ruke. Kad završe, znat će da su oprali ruke 20 sekundi. Vaša djeca mogu koristiti ovu metodu bilo gdje – u školi, kod prijatelja ili u javnim toaletima.

3. Pet dnevno

NHS preporučuje da svaki dan pojedete pet porcija voća i povrća jer je to jednostavan način da povećate unos vitamina. Vitamini A, C, D i nekoliko vitamina B pomažu funkcioniranju imunološkog sustava. I što raznovrsnije voće i povrće jedete, to bolje.

4. Malo prljavštine je dobro

Ne zaboravite da svaki put kad se zarazimo, imunološki sustav proizvodi više antitijela i postaje bolji u borbi protiv bolesti. Stoga bi se djeca trebala valjati po blatu, stavljati prljave prste u usta i što ranije stupiti u kontakt sa životinjama.

What is good health?

Body changes in later life call for changes in your diet

Do you have a good lifestyle?

Lifestyle simply means the way in which you live. Health and lifestyle go hand in hand. You might feel you have a good lifestyle if you are physically active, eat healthily and generally experience a sense of wellbeing. Conversely, if you want good health you should also have a good lifestyle.

Physical activity is the major contributor to a good lifestyle, but diet, drugs, stress, sleep and social conditions are also play an important role. Being able to use the body properly to avoid injury also affects lifestyle. Physical activity can also prevent depression and help you to recover more quickly from mental illness, both of which obviously affect your lifestyle.

How does the aging process affect your immune system?

Diet can be a difficult topic for many. Perhaps you eat too much or too little or maybe you find it hard to know what foods to combine to have a balanced diet. It’s also important to eat food that contains important vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, omega-3 and antioxidants. On top of all this, you also need to get enough energy, protein and the correct fatty acids. The requirement for these nutrients changes throughout your life. When you are older you also have different requirements than children and younger adults. Women also have different requirements than men. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have special requirements.

When you get older, you lose muscle mass and your body requires less energy and therefore less food. You may lead a less active life than you did before, which is why you require less food. However, your need for minerals, vitamins and other nutrients remains the same. Of course, there are plenty of healthy and active older people, but when you reach 70 to 80 years of age, it’s easier to become ill, especially during flu season.

Some steps you can take to improve your lifestyle and health are to:

eat a healthy and varied diet
stay active
watch your weight
avoid too much alcohol and don’t smoke
get enough sleep
think positive
practise good hygiene

What is good quality of life?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines quality of life as a state where the individual can realise their potential, cope with normal stressful situations, work in a rewarding and positive way, and be able to contribute to others and society.

Quality of life is a wide and somewhat diffuse concept that includes joy in, and a desire for, life. These are values that are rather felt than measured, which in turn are based on personal environment and choices. Quality of life doesn’t necessarily depend on being healthy or sick. It’s the moments between worries, sorrows, problems and ailments that matter. For example, if you have a chronic illness, a feeling of mastery can be important when talking about quality of life.

To sum up, quality of life is a combination of health, lifestyle, networks and social support. It’s about experiencing joy, meaning in life, satisfaction, security and a sense of belonging, as well as being able to use your strengths. It’s also about feeling interest in life, coping with everyday situations and a being committed to something or someone. If you have good quality of life, you will be able to cope better with the inevitable stressful situations in life.