When your gut goes on strike: warning signs of impaired intestinal flora
Stomach ache, bloating or constipation in children? Find out which warning signs indicate a disturbed intestinal flora and how parents can help.
Gut health is a real hot topic – and not without reason! In both children and adults, a healthy gut not only ensures that food is digested well, but also strengthens the immune system and can even lift the mood. After all, there are millions of little “roommates” in the gut, the intestinal bacteria, and they need to be fed properly. But with what exactly?
Admittedly: Gut health is not the easiest topic to discuss with children. How about this illustrative explanation? A child’s gut works a bit like a garden – for the good bacteria to flourish in it, they need the right food. Fiber, which is found in fruit, vegetables, wholegrain products and pulses, is particularly important. Colorful mixed vegetables or fresh fruit not only provide nutrients, but also plenty of “bacterial food”. Wholemeal bread, oatmeal or brown rice provide additional energy for everyday life and ensure gentle digestion.
Pulses such as lentils or chickpeas are real power packs and are great for adding to soups, spreads or wraps so that your children hardly notice them. Nuts and seeds, such as ground almonds, chia or linseed in muesli, are also good for the tummy. It is important to drink plenty of fluids so that fiber can do its job: preferably water or unsweetened tea.
Dietary fibers are real all-rounders. It fills you up, keeps blood sugar levels stable and stimulates digestion. Above all, however, they feed the “good” intestinal bacteria, which in turn strengthen the immune system.
In addition to fiber-rich foods, fermented products are also a plus for the intestines. Yoghurt, kefir or mild sauerkraut varieties provide live cultures that directly support the intestinal flora. Drinking yoghurt, overnight oats with natural yoghurt or smoothies with kefir are particularly suitable for children because they taste delicious and integrate the beneficial bacteria into the diet in a very unobtrusive way.
Gut-friendly eating can be very easy, even in chaotic family life, because even small snacks can make a big difference. Apple slices with nut butter, cucumber or carrot sticks with hummus, wholemeal bread with cottage cheese or low-sugar muesli bars with oat flakes are tasty and practical snacks with lots of fiber.
It’s worth sticking to it – and routines help: a high-fibre breakfast such as muesli or porridge with natural yoghurt in the morning, mixed vegetables plus wholemeal pasta or rice at lunchtime and light meals such as soups or wraps in the evening. Combined with plenty of water or unsweetened tea, digestion stays on track without much effort. Parents can also play a little trick – for example with a pretty drinking bottle for school or kindergarten or with a splash of lemon in the water.
When tummy troubles strike, quick relief is needed. Learn how to get your child’s digestion back on track with simple tricks.
Stomach ache, bloating or constipation in children? Find out which warning signs indicate a disturbed intestinal flora and how parents can help.