How to Keep Children’s Microflora in Balance Naturally

Being a mom of 3, I know how hard to is to make sure your child’s microbiome is in perfect balance at all times. Everyone wants to give your children candy, there are ice-cream shops on every corner, frequent school pizza parties and birthday parties, etc etc. Its literally IMPOSSIBLE to make sure they don’t touch sugar. I also think it’s not healthy to be so restrictive with children, in my opinion, because it can lead to them having a bad/unhealthy relationship with food when they grow up.

Children also receive antibiotics for every cold and flu and they play so close to the ground which means they come in contact with LOTS of parasites, viruses, etc. They tend to lick everything in site (all kids go through this phase haha!) including shopping carts, windows and much more! So who KNOWS what is entering their body daily.

I think it is SO important amongst the sugar and bacteria they consume/contract daily, to make sure we are keeping their little guts in balance so that as they grow, they can mature into strong health adults with immune systems that can fight off anything!

Candida, yeast, bacteria, and parasites are all a normal part of everyone’s microbiome and actually help aid in digestion. However, when we allow them to overgrow and become the dominant strains/species in the body, that is when we begin to develop digestive issues, skin issues, food sensitivities and allergies, intestinal permeability, fungal infections, frequent ear infections, cavities, etc. They are able to overgrow and become dominant in the colon when we ingest antibiotics, consume too much sugar and a diet low in fiber, healthy fats and protein, when we are stressed, swim in chlorinated pools (children always drink the pool water and therefore ingest chlorine), and so on.

So how do we prevent candida/parasitic overgrowth in children (and adults)? Here’s how! *Always follow bottle dosage/directions*

1. Give your child probiotics EVERYDAY (unless otherwise suggested by your doctor). My children love the chewable probiotic and multivitamin from Genestra brands called HMF Child + Multi
2. Have your children consume coconut oil daily! Coconut oil contains an eight-carbon fatty acid called caprylic acid (aka octanoic acid) which has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. My children eat it off the spoon but you can blend it into smoothies, cook it into food, etc!
3. GREENS GREENS GREENS! Spirulina(use code: MARLASHEALTHYLIFE20) is a biomass of cyanobacteriaa and is MAGICAL due to its MANY benefits. It is a complete vegan protein, contains B vitamins, beta-carotene, and vitamin E, is loaded with antioxidants, minerals, chlorophyll, and much more! We use it to “mop up the colon” and pull toxins out via the stool. Our favourite way to consume this incredible superfood is in a smoothie however you can take it in liquid form or in a capsule form.
4. Aloe Vera is another incredible superfood we consume often! The whole leaf right form the store is best, however, you can also purchase pure Aloe vera in a jug. We like to add the whole inner filet to our smoothies to detoxify the colon, seal the gut lining, kill any unwanted bacteria in the colon and help hydrate our colon for healthy bowel movements. Aloe vera i known to have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits and is also high in vitamin C which is great for natural immunity. If you buy the leaf fresh, it has no taste and is SO DELICIOUS in a smoothie or popsicle 😉
5. Cinnamon Tea and/or ginger tea is another great natural remedy for kids to keep yeast in check. While we don’t drink this everyday, we do this when the children ha da bit of sugar 😉 Ceylon cinnamon is said to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects. It is fantastic for breaking up mucous in the body and drying the body up to prevent yeast infections.
6. Grapefruit seed extract is the last main remedy we use to prevent bacterial imbalance. ALWAYS use this with a guidance of a practitioner as the smaller the child is, the less they need! We typically only use this 2x/day (usually spring and fall) to get  a good cleanse in before things get out of control internally. Grapefruit seed extract has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and can be powerful against thrush, ringworm, etc.

These are the main things to do often for preventative measures. There are a lot more but these are our favourites and what we personally do to prevent illness and fungal infections.

Written by: Marla Pietruszko BSc RHN
Instagram: @marlashealthylife