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Dairy alternatives for kids
My five-year-old son is always prone to coughs and colds. We have reduced his intake of dairy products which seems to be helping but I am worried that he is drinking almost no milk (which he misses) and eating very little dairy. Is there something that can compensate and anything else we can give him to protect him from the pollution on this island? I already give him a probiotic?
If your son is missing the habit of drinking a glass of milk, you could switch to Goatein; a protein powder that is made from goat’s milk which has the added advantage of including probiotics and digestive enzymes in the mix which will eliminate the need to give him a separate probiotic.
Goatein, which is made by the US supplement maker, Garden of Life, undergoes a pre-digestive process said to make it more bioavailable and it is in the course of this process that the additional digestive enzymes that are present in the end-product are made. It is available by mail order from the Nutri Centre (0800 587-2290) where 450g costs £27.89. The serving for children aged four and over is 20g.
The herbal elixir that can help protect the body from inner city pollution is a hawthorn and artichoke formula made by Green People. (01444 401444; 150ml bottle costs £19.95.) Children under six should be given a quarter of the adult dose recommended on the bottle.
This was formulated specifically by a biochemist to help keep the body free from an accumulation of toxins but while you might be able to persuade the adults in the family to tolerate its distinctive taste, you are going to have to disguise this remedy in a more palatable drink such as a fruit smoothie (use the Goatein as a base for this) to get your son to drink it.
Hawthorn contains a bioflavonoid or plant chemical called rutin which is a potent antioxidant which will help mop up both the potentially damaging free radicals that are a result of normal metabolism and other toxins ingested or inhaled as a result of living in a polluted environment. Artichoke works to support both digestive and liver functioning which, again, is important if you are concerned about environmental pollutants that are impossible to avoid.