HEALTHY FAMILY
How to Support Your Family’s Immune
System This Cold and Flu Season
W Eating well
Keep your body functioning optimally with the
following healthy eating tips.

Probiotics A healthy gut microbiome is crucial for a
strong immune system, something that foods
with probiotics—live, beneficial bacteria—
can support.

“Fermented foods can add probiotics, which
take up space in our digestive systems so the
‘bad bugs’ don’t have much room to grow,”
says Isabel Maples, a Washington, D.C.–based
national spokesperson for the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics.

Probiotics can help after symptoms arise.

“At the first sign of stomach upset such as
diarrhea or constipation, I recommend a high-
quality probiotic that has several strains of
healthy gut bacteria,” says Jana Burton, CEO
and founder of Healthy Home Pediatrics, a
house call and telemedicine practice providing
primary care and lactation services to children
and young adults in the District of Columbia,
Maryland and Virginia. “I recommend getting
probiotics through food sources such as breast
milk for infants and yogurt for older children.”
with marinades or dips like brown sugar or a
mustard sauce.

“Start with some flavors that your child
likes,” Maples says.

Snacks “Use snacks as a time to get in more of the
foods Americans don’t eat enough of, like
fruits and veggies, dairy foods and whole
grains,” Maples says. “Twenty-five percent of
our calories come from snacks, so let them
count, nutrition wise, too.”
Managing stress
This year has been particularly hard for families
adjusting to returning to work and school
and dealing with the effects of the COVID-19
pandemic. Immune systems can weaken from
stress, so it’s important that parents get help
and pair berries and melons with other foods when they can.

“Make sure to support each other and seek
such as yogurt or cereal.

“Add a variety of fruits to get the ‘rainbow.’ help when needed,” Burton says. “I encourage
Different colored fruits and vegetables families to get help with child care, laundry and
add different vitamins, minerals and cooking when they can.”
phytonutrients,” Maples says.

Vegetables To make vegetables more appealing to children,
Maples recommends winter squash and sweet
potatoes for their natural sweetness.

You can also serve vegetables with tasty
dips. “Add a yogurt- or cheese-based dip with
broccoli,” Maples says.

Proteins Proteins can help support the immune system.

Many foods are packed with protein including:
• Dairy: milk, cheese and yogurt.

• Meats: beef, pork and lamb.

• Poultry: turkey and chicken.

• Fish: shellfish and fish.

• Nuts and seeds.

• Beans, peas and lentils.

• Tofu and soy beverages.

Maples also recommends salmon as a good
source of omega-3 fatty acids “that support
Fruits While kids tend to like fruit, they often won’t our immune system and help little brains
naturally ask for it. Maples recommends work better.”
Kids might enjoy salmon grilled or broiled
having kids help select new fruits at the store
26 Washington FAMILY DECEMBER 2021
Spending time outside
Families can find fun outlets for stress to
participate in together while also getting
fresh air.

“Consider physical activity as a way to
manage stress,” Maples says. “Get the kids out
to play, and you go with them too to the park,
for a hike, for a walk around the block, for a
bike ride, snow tubing, etc.”
A final word on COVID-19 …
Taking these small steps to further strengthen
your immune systems will help ensure that
your family’s year will not be more disrupted
than it already has been. If you or your child
has developed symptoms that resemble
COVID, you will likely have to stay home from
activities and get tested more often.

“I have been doing countless COVID tests on
children and their parents because our leading
guidelines say that if you have a new cough or
sore throat, it’s best to test,” Burton says.

Stay healthy and let’s get through this cold
and flu season together. n
CATLANE/ISTOCK /GETTY IMAGES PLUS
hile you continue to take
precautions to keep your kids safe
from COVID-19, you also should
know that we’re in the midst of cold and flu
season. Parents and kids can take simple,
everyday steps to support their immune
systems at this time of year.

The most effective way to strengthen
immunity is by getting the flu vaccine. But
maintaining a healthy lifestyle through eating
nutritious foods, exercising consistently and
getting enough sleep will also boost your
ability to fight off infection. Integrate the
following healthy choices into your family’s
routine to ensure you all are prepared for the
rest of winter.

BY ELEANOR LINAFELT



INCLUSIVE FAMILY
T process stimuli differently, so it can easily
become overwhelming.”
he noise, lights, smells, people and
activity of holiday gatherings can
be overwhelming for neurotypical
children and even many adults. It is little
wonder, then, that children with special needs
may struggle in these environments. If you
are hosting a celebration or are a parent of
a child with special needs, what can you do
to make holiday gatherings less stressful and
more joyful?
PLAN FOR SUCCESS
RESPECT UNIQUENESS
Tom Flis (MS, BCBA, LBA, LCPC),
clinical director of The Center for
Autism at Sheppard Pratt, advises that
every individual responds to stressful
situations in a unique way.

“We have a saying in the autism world
that when you’ve met one person with
autism, you’ve met one person
with autism. Things affect people
differently,” says Flis.

Flis also suggests that the
first step in creating an inclusive
holiday season is communication.

“It’s really important that if
you’re the one hosting the special
event, you should reach out to the family
member with special needs or the caregivers
and find out about them,” says Flis.

YOBRO10/ISTOCK /GETTY IMAGES PLUS
MENU PLANNING
Many individuals with special needs may have
dietary considerations. Again, the first step for
party hosts is communication. Ask the child’s
parents directly about what they like to eat.

Thoughtful menu planning is especially
important to Jennifer Nakhla, a mother of two
school-aged children. Her oldest, Carter, has
autism spectrum disorder and food aversions
that cause him to have a very limited diet.

“We used to get frustrated that he used
to not eat with us at holiday meals. I didn’t
understand why,” recalls Nakhla. “Then I
realized the smells and sights of all of that
food were overwhelming to him. Now, we try
to keep the more delicious-smelling things on
the other side of the table.”
SAFE SPACE
Designate a safe, quiet space where children
can escape when they need a moment
to decompress.

“Designate a safe place where your child
can go to take a break if the party becomes
overstimulating,” advises Flis. “It should be
away from others, perhaps with the comfort
items available to them, like noise-canceling
Making Your
Holiday Gatherings
More Inclusive
BY LAURA FARMER
headphones or a preferred activity.”
Nahkla, too, has found that designating a
safe space for Carter during family gatherings
has been essential.

“Carter can retreat and focus on what he
wants to focus on, and not be overwhelmed by
grandparents asking questions, lights on the
tree, the smell of fireplace or food,” explains
Nakhla. “While you and I may not even
notice these stimuli, kids on the spectrum
Children with special needs tend to do better
when they have a predictable schedule. Parents
can create schedule boards and discuss them
with their children at the beginning of the day.

By talking through what your child will do that
day before you do it, it helps them plan and feel
some ownership for the day’s events.

Holiday gatherings also introduce
new people, new experiences and new
foods, which can be overwhelming.

Parents and family members can
help children with special needs by
familiarizing them with these new
experiences in advance.

“Social stories” are a great tool
to help children process what
will happen at a family gathering.

Nakhla says this tool helped
Carter become familiar with
the faces of people he didn’t
already know.

“When Carter was younger, I
would put a booklet together that
explained Christmas Eve is on this
day, people will come over at this time,
and here are the faces and names of the
people who are coming over,” she says. “The
more information I could share ahead of time
helped Carter feel less overwhelmed during
the family event.”
LEAD WITH LOVE
Making your holidays more inclusive not only
benefits the loved one in your life who has
special needs, but it may also shape the way
you and your guests see the world.

“We all have strengths and weaknesses
and things we’re really good at and things
we’re not,” says Flis. “Planning an event that
accommodates all different people is another
way we can take care of each other.”
Nahkla agrees, “I spend a lot of time
teaching Carter how to communicate with his
neurotypical peers. I sometimes wish others
spent as much time teaching these peers how to
interact with kids on the spectrum. When you
can come to their level instead of making them
come to you, there’s something beautiful that
comes from that. These kids on the spectrum
have reshaped how I see the world. The way
Carter sees the world is so beautiful. He doesn’t
see the ‘yuck’ we see. He doesn’t separate people
like we do. Anyone who knows him is a friend.

That’s a pretty great way to live.” n
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