Child Diet

Ayurveda is a kind of medicinal science that focuses more on healthy living than treatment of diseases. According to Ayurveda, a healthy body has lots of immunity to over come the problems caused by some foreign element and that is why instead of focusing on the treatment or cure of a disease one should focus on developing the immunity in the body as well as healthy regulation of body organs. Ayurveda has special focus on children. According to Ayurveda, the initiatives to live healthy should be taken right from the prenatal phase and that is why Ayurveda emphasizes on the proper care and well being of a kid right from the phase of conception.

In the eight specialized branches of Ayurveda, Kaumarbhrutya is one branch where there is a very clear description about fine upbringing of a child right from birth to the age of sixteen. It is said that this branch consists of tips, which are being used to build a healthy body and sharp intellect right from the time of infancy for thousands of years. The most important aspect of pediatrics or childhood is growth and development, as they are the parameters of health and disease. Proper diet is the gateway to good health. Ayurveda thus emphasizes on feeding healthy, easily digestible vegetarian food to a child in order to keep his digestive system strong and healthy forever.

Ideal Children's Diet in Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, breast milk has no substitution for a new born kid. It is an ideal diet for the newborn child and a newborn child does not need anything beyond it in first few weeks of his birth. The child should be given good and nutritious substance from the beginning to make the base of his health strong. In the beginning a child must be fed with the breast milk at proper intervals so that the child develops proper health and immunity. As the child grows in a very rapid speed in the initial few months after sometime he requires food items beyond mother’s milk.

After a few months, the diet should consist of wholesome food for the proper development of the child. Liquid diet made with husk-free and well washed sali or sasti rice (especially old rice), mixed with oleaginous substances and salt is ideal. Balance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha energies, the corner stone of good health can be achieved in early childhood. Health problems in children can be easily controlled by herbal preparations suggested by Ayurveda. The powders (flour) of wheat and barley can also be given according to congeniality. Hot electuary or items cooked with vidanga herb, salt, oleaginous substance is beneficial. For kids suffering from diarrhoea, kodrava herb can also be mixed to this electuary. If the child is having pitta constitution, then grapes (mrdvika) with honey and ghee (ghrta) are an ideal remedy.

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