Nourishing Your Kids Gut Microbiota … and Make Good Poo!

Your kids gut microbiota is their very own unique medicine cupboard, keeping body, mind, nervous and immune systems in check. The amazing gut microbiota is not actually part of the body, but sets up home here, or colonises, within the lumen space of large bowel. It is inherited through the maternal line at birth, and colonises the large bowel (gut) during the first years of life. It stabilises around age 2-3 years of age, and continues to communicate with all the systems of our bodies throughout the rest of our lives. What infants and young children eat, has a signifiant impact on the developing gut microbiota, by cultivating healthy habits in the early years. Contributing epigenetic material from trans-generational experience, the gut microbiota is in fact evolution in motion, in each of our bodies. It holds secrets, memories, preferences, and significant experience. How incredible is that?

Let’s get straight to the 9 top tips for food choices to nourish your kids gut microbes … short and savoury!

1. Regular eating – 3 meals + 2-3 fresh snacks daily for little ones
   snacks they can help themselves to like fruits, berries, a cup of milk
   children eat better when they come hungry to their meals
2. Thorough chewing to support digestion, boost gut hormones and activate gut muscles support jaw growth, activate digestive enzymes in the mouth
   proven also to boost mood and wellbeing, through activating the para-sympathetic nervous system
3. Eating child portions of 30 different plant foods a week from 6 different groups vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, peas & lentils, seeds & nuts, herbs & spices gentle wholegrains such as oats, quinoa, polenta, buckwheat, corn, barley,
4. Include fermented foods in the diet every day - strained full fat yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, miso, tofu are good choices
5. Limit or avoid ultra-processed snacks - low in fibre; offer foods that require chewing like fruits and vegetables good for teeth, gums, jaw, digestion and nervous system
   whole nuts should not be given to children under 3
6. Question your breakfast cereal!  - It all too easy to be dazzled by the long list of added vitamins these expensive products generally children’s breakfast cereals are highly processed. Choose real grains or make your own granola mix
   add yummy spices like cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom
7. Offer water at every meal plus extra during hot weather or activity
   Young children still need plenty of milk and milk products for calcium
   2-3 portions of milk plus yogurt or cheese every day
8. Establish a daily toilet routine – is there a natural rhythm that can be reinforced?
   20 minutes after eating is a good time, getting used a warm safe space to do a good poo! reach a helpful toileting posture using a poo stool (feet flat, knees above hips, elbows on knees, belly breathing)
9. Learn about the body-brain connection by asking how/where do you feel that in the body?
   This helps young ones to grow up getting to know how their body feels, a valuable source of information. The mind may play little tricks, but the body keeps the score!