Tips to maintain personal hygiene and health

November 7, 2022December 29, 2022 | nirkayani

Maintaining good personal hygiene is essential as it protects you and your kids from catching or spreading infections and germs. Additionally, it boosts self-esteem and has a strong influence on relationship. Many parents are wondering about how to teach kids regarding personal hygiene and health routine. If you are one of them, we are here to assist. You can help your kids to develop their personal hygiene and health by reading this article. Let’s understand more about it.

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Personal hygiene and health

Personal hygiene can be defined as the way of looking after your own body and health. This routine involves brushing teeth, showering, washing your hands and face etc. You are exposed to millions of germs daily. These germs might cling on your body for a long time and occasionally could even make you ill. The high chance of illness is brought on by poor self-care which can be decreased by maintaining proper personal hygiene and health routine. Your self-confidence will increase as a result of practising proper hygiene, and you’ll also be more involved and successful in all aspects of your life.

Also check, Tips to improve concentration

Tips for teaching personal hygiene and health to your kids

If you don’t know how to direct your kids to follow personal hygiene and health, don’t worry we are here to help. Here are some of the tips to teach your kids about personal hygiene and health:

Brushing teeth

In kids, brushing is essential for maintaining personal hygiene and health to prevent cavities as well as bad breath. You can motivate your kids to maintain a good oral hygiene by following the below steps,

Encourage your kid to brush twice (morning and night)
Give them tiny soft bristle toothbrushes.
Till 1 year of age, carefully massage your kid’s gums with a clean soft towel.
Once the first tooth erupts, cleanse its surface with water and a baby toothbrush.
Allow your child to brush himself with toothpaste at 2 years
Ensure that they are cleaning the corners of their mouth
Make sure they are properly flossing and rinsing after brushing their teeth.
Teach them to rinse their mouth after eating anything.

Reward them with a colourful star or heart stickers when they did everything right, which can encourage them to brush their teeth.

Also check, Worst foods for child’s teeth

Hand washing

Frequent hand washing can minimise the possibility of infections. The simplest tactic to follow this strategy is to demonstrate proper hand washing to your kids. Explain the correct way of washing their hands. Make sure they follow each step exactly.

Make use of the clean water to wash your hands
Rinse your hands
Cleanse your hands with hand wash soaps
Create foam by rubbing
Cleans the nails and area in between your fingers for 30 seconds
Rinse your hands until foam goes away
Dry your hands with tissue or towel

You can sing a song while hand washing which can make this activity fun.

Toilet hygiene

Obviously, millions of germs are present in our toilets that will cause frequent illness in our kids. The toilet should always be kept tidy for that purpose. Additionally, show your children how to maintain proper bathroom hygiene. They are able to maintain their health by doing this.

Tell your kid how to wash or wipe after using toilet
Show them how to flush
Make sure they are washing their hands after using toilet

Clap for them when they follow everything properly.

Also check, How to potty train your kid

Shower hygiene

Showering is very important to maintain the personal hygiene and health of a kid.

Motivate your kid to bathe twice a day.
Instruct them to clean their feet, armpits and legs
Tell them to clean their private parts.
Make sure they always have a gentle bath with light soap.
They should wash their hair twice a week to get rid of dirt and oil.
Assist your kid to use shampoo and make sure they wash properly
Instruct them not to share personal items with others.

Play their favourite songs while bathing and sing together to make it fun.

Nail hygiene

Nails grow each day. Additionally, kids frequently play outside in unclean areas, their nails tend to pick up more dirt. Kids also tend to bite their nails which can cause illness. You must therefore instruct your children to cut their nails once a week. Tell them interesting stories to distract them while cutting the nails.

Food hygiene

A chance of food poisoning will increase when uncleaned veggies or fruits are consumed. It is necessary to clean the fruits and vegetables before eating.

Open the clean water tap in the sink
Put the vegetables or fruits into it
Show them how to rinse it
Gently rub the outer surface
Allow them to take out the washed fruits and veggies to dry it.

Sneezing hygiene

Despite your best efforts, your kids could feel sick at any time. Your children may occasionally catch the common cold, the flu, or seasonal allergies. They will begin to cough or sneeze. Here is checklist to do to enhance their healing and stop them from infecting others:

Educate your children to follow the basic manners for sneezing and coughing like covering their mouth and nose while sneezing.
Advise your children to use a handkerchief or piece of tissue paper rather than using their hands.

Also check, Remedies for Dust allergy

Cleaning the house

It is important to keep our surroundings clean. You can follow simple ideas to make them clean the house.

Educate your children to take away their plates and wash them with soap after eating
As they get older, tell them to organise their clothes or books
Make sure they are cleaning their room regularly

Also check, Social emotional development in kids

Things to avoid

Avoid criticising your kids when they did something wrong
Don’t give up on them, be patient
Don’t compare your kids with others which will make them feel inferior
Allow them to learn at their own pace and give them more time.
Encourage your children for their good behaviour instead of punishing them

Also check, Tips for Personality development

HEALThy FOODS FOR KIDS DAILY NUTRITION:

Nutritious health foods for kids is important to maintain their physical as well as mental health, stabilizes energy, build immunity and prepares the body against diseases. Here are list of essential nutrients required for kid’s health:

PROTEIN:

Protein makes up building blocks of organs, muscles, skin and hormones. Our body needs protein to maintain and repair tissues. Meanwhile, children need it for proper growth in their early years too. Fish, poultry, nuts (almond, peanut, cashew, hazelnut), beans, are best choices. A balanced protein rich breakfast is always great for children to start their day. It helps them stay full for longer ideas and hence protein is a must for proper child nutrition.

Also check, How to add protein to your diet?

GOOD FATS:

Health foods for kids must limit fats that are high in saturated fat and avoid trans-fat. Nuts, avocado, seeds (such as pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, sunflower seeds) and few oils are the healthiest sources of unsaturated fat. It is good for eye, bones and mental health of child, helps to boost brain and nervous system development, and strengthen the immune system. Encourage your child to eat all these good fats that support kid’s nutrition. (Foods and remedies for cough?)

CALCIUM:

It is really important to get strong bones and teeth and we get chance to build them only once – throughout childhood and adolescence. Children who get enough amount of calcium in childhood start their adult lives with the strongest bones possible. Mostly calcium is stored in bones and teeth where it supports their structure and hardness, but the body also needs calcium for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between the brain and every body part. Calcium is predominately found in milk and milk based products like cheese. And is also found in smaller quantities in some nuts and seeds. (Should kids take whey protein?) Moreover, few herbs such as shallaki also contains calcium.

CARBOHYDRATES:

Fibre, starches and sugar are very essential food for healthy diet that body turns into glucose to give energy to function. Carbs that take time to digest and have fibre in them are complex carbs which are found in naturally existing fruits, vegetables, almonds, cashews, hazelnut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds and whole grains.

VITAMIN AND MINERALS:

Vitamins and minerals help us to grow, to form bones, muscles, for eyesight, for skin and organs and most importantly help us to fight against infections by building immunity. Deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals can lead to severe issues related to health. The best way to ensure that your child is getting enough vitamins and minerals for proper growth and development is to provide them with five food groups (fruit and vegetable, complex carbs, dairy, protein and fat).

AYURVEDIC HERBS:

Ayurveda has the potential to not only correct imbalances in our children, but also to set them on an enduring path toward optimal health and well-being. Thus, ayurvedic herbs must be included in the list of health foods for kids. Ayurvedic herbs such as ashwagandha, mulethi, brahmi, shallaki and turmeric are great for kids development. Overall, these herbs support immunity, bone strength, brain development and overall growth.

ANTIOXIDANTS:

Antioxidants are compounds produced in your body or naturally found in some foods that scavenge or neutralize the effects of cell damage by potentially harmful molecules known as free radicals. Fortunately eating a diet rich in antioxidants or antioxidant rich foods help to fight oxidative stress and reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Turmeric, Vitamin E, cocoa, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Selenium, Beta carotene, Lycopene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Manganese, Polyphenols show great antioxidant properties.

Also check, Brain development foods for children

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Worst foods that May affect kids’ oral health this festive season

October 15, 2022December 29, 2022 | nirkayani

Do you know which foods cause tooth decay in kids? Do holidays influence the oral health of your kid? Sweets are unavoidable, particularly during festive seasons like Diwali! However, protecting your kid’s teeth and maintaining their oral health is also crucial. Continue reading to know about some foods which are worst for your kid’s teeth and tips to maintain oral health.

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Why is oral health important?

Germs are often kept in check by the body’s own defence mechanisms and maintenance of oral health. But without good dental hygiene, bacteria may build up to the extreme where they cause cavities and pain. Oral health has an impact on overall health of the body. For example, Diabetic patients seem to experience gum disease more frequently and severely. Proper dental care can help to regulate diabetes.

foods that affect children’s oral health

It’s crucial for parents to be aware of the foods that are the worst for children’s teeth. Here are some of the foods that can cause cavities in kids:

1. SUGAR

Sweets and desserts are high in sugar. They tend to adhere to your teeth and get stuck there. Your mouth has microorganisms that naturally convert carbohydrates to acid. As a result, the protective coating of our teeth called enamel will be eroded and cause cavities. However, sugar has many positives and contains healthy nutrients, if you take it in its natural form. In processed form, large intake of sugar in the form of candies, sweets, lollipops, jellies etc can harm the growth and performance of a child. Sugar not only affects the oral health but also damages the protein in our body, resulting in ageing of organs, which further compromises immunity, growth and functioning. Regular flossing can also help remove the residual particles from the teeth.

Also check, Healthy alternatives of sugar

2. CITRUS FRUITS

Fruit supplies nutrients including vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, and phytonutrients, which keep your kid healthy and prevent chronic conditions. But not all the fruits are beneficial for oral health. Citrus fruits like lemon, oranges or berries have high acidity. These acids erode away the enamel of the tooth and increase the risk of cavities in children. While drinking citrus juices, insist your kid to use straw to avoid the reaction of acid in the teeth. Also, assist them to their mouth with water after drinking the juice which can neutralise the acid.

3. STARCHY FOODS

Children love to eat starchy foods like chips, biscuits, pasta, noodles, bread, pizza etc. Although these foods aren’t bad, their stickiness makes them prone to become stuck between teeth. Additionally, they may have higher amounts of simple sugar than you know and damage the teeth’s enamel.

4. CARBONATED DRINKS

Carbonated drinks are popular among both kids and adults. Most of these drinks are loaded with sugar and are very acidic. It has no advantage in improving the body’s health and nutrition but it influences the damage of teeth’s enamel. Rinsing aids in reducing any extra sugar that adheres to teeth.

5. CANNED FRUITS

Fruits like peaches, apples, pineapples etc are usually soaked in sugar syrups while canning. The sugar syrup in the canned fruits will coat every tooth and gradually erode the enamel. This increases the probability of getting cavities.

6. PICKLES

Pickles add flavour to your food but are bad for your oral health. It contains vinegar which is highly acidic and causes tooth damage.

7. POPCORN

Popcorn is the favourite movie time snack for everyone from kids to adults. However, the corn kernels will get trapped between your teeth, it can be challenging to remove them. It will eventually cause infection in the mouth.

Tips to maintain the oral health

Brushing is essential for maintaining oral health to prevent cavities as well as bad breath. You can motivate your kids to maintain a good oral hygiene by following the below steps,

Encourage your kid to brush twice (morning and night)
Give them tiny soft bristle toothbrushes.
Till 1 year of age, carefully massage your kid’s gums with a clean soft towel.
Once the first tooth erupts, cleanse its surface with water and a baby toothbrush.
Allow your child to brush himself with toothpaste at 2 years
Ensure that they are cleaning the corners of their mouth
Make sure they are properly flossing and rinsing after brushing their teeth.
Teach them to rinse their mouth after eating anything.

Also check, Benefits of coconut oil for oral hygiene

Key vitamins and minerals for dental health

Diet plays a significant role in teeth development in babies and toddlers. What your child eats affects their teeth. Too much carbohydrates, sugar and starch can cause tooth decay. As a parent it is your responsibility to encourage your child to make healthy food choices.

1. CALCIUM:

Calcium is the key building block for teeth and bones. It helps to harden your enamel and help teeth fight off erosion and cavities. Dairy products including milk, yogurt and cheese are good sources of calcium, but always try less sugar or no sugar varieties as sugar can promote tooth decay. So give more calcium rich foods as soon as the teething age in babies starts.

Also check, What are some calcium rich foods?

2. VITAMIN D:

Vitamin D is very important for your dental health as it allows your body to absorb calcium. It plays a key promoting dental health and helping prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Deficiency of vitamin D can make kids’ teeth prone to decay. By spending about 15 to 20 minutes in sunlight each day can meet your daily requirement of vitamin D. You can also consume foods such as fortified milk, egg, fish that are rich in vitamin D.

Also check, How to absorb more calcium and Vitamin D in the body?

3. PHOSPHORUS:

Like calcium and vitamin D, Phosphorus is also a key mineral for strong teeth. 85% of your body’s phosphorus content lies in your teeth and bones. Phosphorus also helps your body to absorb calcium, which aids in building strong bones, teeth and rebuilding tooth enamel. Daily need of phosphorus can be achieved by consuming foods such as pumpkin seeds, whole grains, soybean, fish and egg.

4. VITAMIN A:

Not only for eye sight, vitamin A is equally important for your dental health. Vitamin A helps your salivary glands to keep active which aids to prevent tooth decay. It also promotes saliva production in your mouth which is crucial for cleaning away bacteria and food particles between teeth and gums. Foods rich in vitamin A are sweet potato, carrot, yellow fruits like mango, papaya, apricot, eggs, and cheese.

Also check, How to cook a vitamin A food to extract more vitamin?

5. VITAMIN C:

It is required for both teeth and gum health. Vitamin C helps keep the connective tissues in your gums healthy and strong, which hold your teeth in place. By consuming any of the citrus fruits like oranges, grapes, guava, kiwi, and lemon you can meet daily requirements of vitamin C.

Also check, What is the easiest way to meet Vitamin C requirement for the day?

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