Feeding right: How to make your child stronger through Ayurveda

"Doctor my kid is not eating anything properly. I want him to be a little bulkier. can you suggest some Ayurvedic??supplements?". This is a common question whenever I get to interact with moms. I get it ??- parents, want their ?children to grow strong, healthy, and happy. They look for the best ways to nourish them with food and build a strong immune system from an early age. But it's not easy. Especially if you're looking for something more than just "traditional" advice. That's why Ayurveda can be a great alternative for helping your child grow and reach their highest potential—and turn into the amazing person we know they can be.

When it comes to feeding your child right, Ayurveda suggests that your child should be treated as an individual—not as a part of a generic, one-size-fits-all diet plan.

What’s more, Ayurveda views strength as something that should develop naturally—not from some artificial means such as supplements or unhealthy foods. Picture what you looked like when you were a child; chances are your own daughter will have similar body type and build. To make sure she’s on the right track towards physical health, use her hunger, bowel movements and sleep quality as indicators.

It's easy to look at your child and dream of the perfect figure, but a better approach would be to observe how nature works. The most enlightening example happened when I was observing a pond at Dhatu. When I used to change the water on regular basis, small fishes died.

But then, I changed the pattern and observed how they behaved when they are hungry. The result? They built a healthy ecosystem by themselves. When I noticed this, I changed the water changing frequency as per the ecosystem's need and guess what? It worked!

This analogy applies to your children as well. If you allow your child to feel the hunger, it will encourage them to eat when they're hungry—which will help build strength naturally. Imagine how you looked when you were a child. Chances are that your child’s body type will resemble yours – no matter what you put them through. So judge your child’s health based on how he or she behaves when it comes to hunger, sleeping patterns, and bowel movements instead of dictating what their body type should be like. It’s very important to keep an eye on your child’s health; and Ayurveda provides you with some great guidelines to help you judge how healthy they are.

Food and Eating Patterns

A good blend of nutritious food is necessary for any child, so it's important that you pay attention to what your child is eating. In addition to the right foods, their eating patterns are also critical. Ayurveda advises allowing the child to feel hungry before feeding them, as this ensures that their appetite and digestive system develop as it should.

Activities and Sleeping Times

Along with a healthy diet, children need enough activity during the day in order for their bodies to develop properly. This includes plenty of rest times too, as proper sleep is necessary for a healthy body weight and a strong immune system.

Bowel Movements

Lastly, you should also keep an eye on your child’s bowel movements and make sure they are regular. If not, it could be a sign that something might be wrong with the digestion process or diet—so it's best to get it checked out before it worsens! Withholding the natural bowel movement can lead to a series of symptoms like recurrent headaches, calf muscle pain abdominal colic, loss of appetite and much more

Creating the Right Eating Environment

Creating the right atmosphere at meal times is essential for your child's nutrition. Ayurveda teaches us that if we can strengthen our child’s digestive fire or agni, then their bodies will function well and they will be able to digest their food easily, keeping them healthy and strong. So how do you do that?

Allow for Hunger

It might sound counterintuitive, but it’s important to allow your child to feel hunger before feeding them. This will help ensure that the digestive fire is adequate and strong. Make sure your child gets enough activities during the day so they feel hungry by mealtime.

Check for Worm Infestations

It’s a good idea to check if your little one has any worm infestations—this can hamper digestion before it even begins. To keep worms away, introduce natural remedies like papaya, embelia seeds or foods with turmeric into your cooking or have them in raw form once a month; this is especially important if you live in a tropical climate. If this doesn't work, then seek out help from an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Avoid Screens During Mealtimes

Screens can distract children from eating properly and also cause indigestion afterwards as more heat and energy are wasted on watching screens than on digesting food. Try establishing a no-screen policy at mealtimes for better digestion of food.

Get Enough Sleep

Children usually sleep more than adults. The quality of sleep have a significant impact on digestive fire. For school going children, keeping the dinner light and fixing an early sleep routine can significantly improve the quality of sleep. Adjusting Mealtimes and Portions

If you have a picky eater, adjusting mealtimes and portion sizes can be difficult. But here's the thing: no matter how much you may want your child to eat more, try not to force-feed them. Allow them to feel hunger, so they eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full. It's all about letting nature take its course—just like an ecosystem in a pond, if left undisturbed it will flourish.

?Nature is a great indicator of what suits us and what doesn't, so pay attention to the symptoms like headaches or bloating after having particular foods. Teach your children to bond with all kinds of foods while maintaining a healthy relationship with it—it's a simple way to do this is by setting an example yourself.

In the end, it’s important to remember that every child is different, and that each one of them needs to be fed according to their individual needs. Ayurveda can be a powerful tool to ensure that every child has the nourishment they need to be healthy and strong, but it’s up to you as a parent to monitor your child’s progress and make sure that their diet and habits are helping them grow and develop in the right way. With the right approach, you can make sure your child is strong and healthy for life, and that’s a gift you can give that no amount of money can buy.

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