Are Indian kids getting enough protein?

Protein is a major building block for muscles and it is especially important for growing kids. Children aged 4 to 13 need about 20 to 35 gms of protein a day. The reason that children need relatively more protein than adults is because of the protein requirement for growth. Children are growing and accumulating extra lean tissue so the amount of protein in their bodies is increasing as they get bigger. Protein and its components function as hormones , enzymes and transporters of other nutrients.

The quality of protein is extremely important as well. Animal protein is known to be the best source as it contains all the essential amino acids. They are more easily digestible and considered a higher quality than plant sources of protein. A child's diet should include nuts , milk, eggs, chicken , fish , meat. Soy and quinoa are also complete protein alternatives. It important that you vary that type of protein that your child is eating, even if it is plant source. Grains and legumes should be in sufficient variety.

It is a well known fact that Indian kids on an average consume lesser protein in comparison to their western counter parts.

Kids are given a lot of food items which are high in carbohydrates and low in protein like paranthas, sandwiches, instant noodles, pasta. But are these foods actually going to help our child's growth and health.

Rice : The rice we eat is mostly polished and all it has is carbs. The protein levels are almost negligible.It doesn’t help with muscle growth or repair.

Rotis : We eat a lot of rotis either with a little bit of curry/gravy or Pickle. Rotis also contain lot of carbs and fiber too but the protein content again is very less. Same goes with stuffed Paranthas

Dal/lentils : Dal and lentils are protein rich and are suppose to help with our protein needs but we eat more rice/roti with lesser dal (or) they are overcooked where they lose a portion of the nutrients.

Vegetables: Indian dishes have a lot of vegetables but usually they are overcooked in masalas in most cases or they are deep fried. When vegetables are cooked in gravy they are consumed less amounts than when they are sauted or stir fried.

Sandwiches: Sandwiches are usually made of potato filling or vegetables with various sauces.

So how do we ensure that the protein intake of our kids is sufficient? We need to ensure that they don't fill their tummies with only carbs.

a) Ensure that kids are getting sufficient nuts and seeds during the day- Soak 2-3 almonds overnight and peel the skin and give it to your child with a spoon of honey. Pumpkin seeds and melon seeds are a great source of protein and good fat. A great source of protein is peanut butter. My son simply loves peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Look for a brand which has no added refined sugar. The Alpino's peanut butter (available online) is a great brand to feed your little ones. My son prefers the crunchy texture to the creamy texture of this brand. 

b) Lean meats like chicken and fish are a great source of protein.

c) Egg is a great source of protein , vitamin D and iron.

d) Soya is high in protein, (nutrela and nutrine nuggets taste quiet divine)

f) Kidney beans, black eyed peas , black chickpeas and white chickpeas provide wholesome protein.

Should exercise be used to discipline children ?

When I was in boarding school I remember that the girl's warden would send all of us on a 1 km run followed by squats if anyone of us were indisciplined or did anything which the warden did'nt approve of?

We all dreaded that one kilometer run and to this day cannot fathom how it helped discipline us? but it did definitely ensure that I disliked running. Using any form of exercise as punishment ensures that children develop a negative relationship with exercise.

This sort of physical punishment seems to be the norm in most schools. I see it today as well. I take my son for tennis and I see kids being sent on multiple rounds of the field if they have been indisciplined i.e(late for class,talking and not focusing, not playing up to the level they are at). I am not sure if this sort of punishment is really effective in sending the right message across to kids. 

It is very sad, that physical activity, particularly exercise is used my many PE teachers and coaches to discipline and punish kids but this has to stop! We have already created a culture of exercise haters. When we use exercise as punishment , we are promoting negative attitude towards exercising that carries over to adulthood.

 The other day my 6 year old missed hitting the target and he was sent on a couple of rounds of the field for not performing without being given a logical explanation, after the class got over he told me he didn't want to continue with tennis anymore. On speaking with the coach he told me that is how discipline is drilled into kids as far as sports is concerned.

I told him that it would work with older kids but not the younger ones who play for fun and don't understand or feel pressured about competition. They have their entire lives to compete but right now it's about them getting a good 60 minutes of play which would benefit their health. Especially since there are so many kids these days who are over-weight and who would rather be indoors than outdoors. The health of the future generation is the hands of these coaches. I think he understood and appreciated my point of view!!

But, why do these coaches and PE teachers want to take the joy of playing away from these young kids? I agree discipline and the spirit of competition is important but I am sure there are better ways of handling situations amongst kids so young. Most of our kids in any case get relatively less physical activity in comparison to the amount our generation used to get. So by attaching a negative consequence to any form of sport at such a young age would only drive the child away from that sport. Infact positive actions on the field should be highlighted and applauded.

A young child shows exemplary behavior on the field , have everyone clap for him. Think about it , even as an adult , would you work harder if your boss praised you for your efforts or derided you for your weakness? I would go for the former. So with young kids we should praise them for their efforts , praise them for being disciplined, reward them for good behavior but do not punish them physically or emotionally for doing the opposite.

There are a variety of ways kids can be disciplined on the field:

a) Communication is of key importance. Speak to the child and understand what has triggered the behavior? ( it could be fatigue, hunger , thirst, anxiety).
b) Give the child a warning before taking any action.
c) Give the child time out and explain to the child why he has been ask to do so.
d) Always reward and praise good behavior.
e) PE teachers and coaches need to speak to the parents so that they can counsel the child.

We need to help children develop healthy and positive attitudes towards various forms of physical activities so that they maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. There are so many kids who suffer from diabetes and blood pressure at such a young age because of the lack of any physical activity.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Chocolate Covered Date Rolls

My son has always been a big fan of pancakes. There was a phase when all he wanted to eat were pancakes , for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. I wasn't very happy about the amount of maida (refined flour) that was going inside him. I decided to give the regular pancake recipe a healthy twist. I wanted it to be healthy and yet be yummy because kids are pretty difficult to please in the culinary department.

So here goes - (recipe makes 4 small pancakes)

Whole Wheat Flour (atta) - 1/2 cup

Cooking chocolate (morde dark ) -  50 gms (broken into tiny bits)

Egg - 1

Baking powder - 1/4 spoon

Brown/Demerara sugar - 1 Table spoon

Milk - 20 ml

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Take a bowl and add the egg and sugar and mix. Add the milk and stir till the sugar dissolves. Now add the flour slowly and continue stiring till it is a smooth mix. Add the cooking chocolate and the baking powder and give it one final stir.

Add olive oil to a pan and pour in a dollop of the pancake batter. Watch the pancake rise and flip over when the lower side has turned a beautiful golden brown. Once the pancake is golden brown on both ends, take it off the pan. If your child loves jam. You can serve the pancake with some delicious strawberry/ raspberry preserve. You could also sprinkle some pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds on top to add a crunchy texture.

Chocolate Date Rolls:

De-pitted dates 

Almonds

Cooking chocolate

Crushed almonds and chia seeds (you can use sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds as well)

Remove the seed from the date and put an almond in its place. Melt some cooking chocolate in a pan. Once the cooking chocolate has melted and dip the dates in the chocolate till they are completely covered. Now roll the chocolate covered date over the crushed almonds and chia seed mix. Let this cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Both these treats makes for a great dessert and breakfast for the little ones. If your child is not a chocolate fan , you can replace the chocolate with cinnamon powder.

Do try this out and let me know what your little ones think! ❤️❤️❤️

How to make an easy to do rangoli with your kids?

Diwali is'nt always about bursting crackers but there are other amazing ways of celebrating Diwali with your loved ones. I am hoping that everyone in Delhi is going to be more responsible and will not burst any crackers.

The most fun thing that my son looks forward to every Diwali is to make a rangoli. You can do the same with your kids. Below I have given a step wise procedure. It's so easy to do that your kids can do it on their own.

1) First take any circular lid and place it on the surface you want to make the rangoli on.

2) Now put heaps of colour on all around the lid.

3) Lift the lid.

4) With a fork move the colour towards the center. It will start looking like a flower.

5) Clean the center of the flower with your finger by moving it in a circular motion.

6) Fill the circle with colour of your choice.

7) Place heaps of colour around and flatten with a smaller cap.

8) Make a hole in the center and fill with colour.

Benefits of making a rangoli with your kids:
a) Develops aesthetic sense in your child.
b) Pattern making improves logical and critical thinking.
c)Teaches your child colour sense.
d)Improves creativity and imagination.

Wishing you all very happy and prosperous Diwali.

How to save your children from the pollution this winter?

It's that time of the year again. The haze has started to engulf Delhi with it's powerful grip as winter approaches. I hear children coughing while playing in the park , elderly couples while taking a walk. They say you need 30 mins to an hour of physical activity daily outdoors. But what is worse subjecting ourselves to the pollution or leading sedentary lifestyles?

The air quality in Delhi , according to a WHO survey of 1600 world cities is the worst of any major city in the world and yet we are mere spectators to this catastrophe. Air pollution in India is estimated to kill about 1.5 million people every year.

The safe levels for PM according to WHO's air quality guidelines are 20 ug for PM10 and 10 ug for PM2.5. Delhi doesn't see these levels even during the monsoon time when the air quality should supposedly be most favorable. Now what is PM10 and PM2.5 ? This is particulate matter which is 10 micrometers in diameter (by a way of comparison human hair is about 100 um in size). Similarly PM 2.5 is particulate matter 10 micrometers in diameter.

PM10 is the lesser of the two evils. They are coarse dust particles which are caught up in the defensive nose hair and upper airways of our lungs. They make your eyes burn and throat dry. Our body generally removes these particles by sneezing and coughing.

PM2.5 are only detectable under the microscope. They are produced from all kinds of combustion like burning of crop, combustion due to motor vehicles, power plants, industrial fumes. Our body isn't designed to combat PM2.5. This carcinogen is man made. These particles are so small that they bypass our immune system and gets trapped into our lungs.

 Children and elderly are thought to be particularly sensitive to PM2.5. People who live in cities have more incidences of heart attack , reduced lung function and increased changes of dying younger in comparison to people living in cities with cleaner air. The short term effects of this carcinogen in children is runny nose, burning eyes, cough, chest congestion, heavy head, poor cognitive ability.

I saw a video the other day where Dr Arvind Kumar, a senior oncologist at Sir Ganga Ram hospital, spoke about how lung cancer is inflicting youngsters in their twenties and how it doesn't make any difference if you are a smoker or a non smoker in order to get lung cancer? They have done studies which showed that in past (about 20-30 years ago) most lung cancers were seen in patients who were 50-60 years of age, that is because an individual who starts smoking in his or her 20's , their lung tissue becomes cancerous only after exposure to the smoke and carcinogens for about 30 years.

But this trend has changed, individuals are getting lung cancer in their 20's because right from when a baby is born the regular air that he or she is breathing is equivalent to 7 cigarettes a day and on days when are the air is bad (which is about 100 days in winter) , our babies are smoking 30-40 cigarettes a day.

Also the ratio of smokers to non -smokers getting cancer was 8:1 , but now the ratio is 1:1. It doesn't matter if you are a smoker or a non smoker to get lung cancer. It is the air that we are breathing which is toxic enough. The doctor also goes on to mention that if this isn't an emergency that what is and if we don't do something about it , our children would be requiring oxygen cylinders in the near future.

My first reaction to this video was anger that even though most of us are aware of that our city Delhi is dying a slow death and yet we seem to have come to terms to this dire situation. We seem to have become an insensitive lot, instead of nipping the problem in the bud, we are okay with our children wearing Vogmasks during winter, restricting outdoor activity when that air level become hazardous or getting air purifiers installed in our homes , classroom and cars.

But what about the underprivileged who can't afford this interim solution? Untill ofcourse some ressearch tells us that  air purifiers work only in closed rooms but this spikes the level of carbon dioxide in the room which is in turn is hazardous for our children. So the doors need to be opened intermittently to ensure that the carbon dioxide level does not increase. It is a viscous circle.

The second thing I did was to tweet this video to Arvind Kejriwal and the National Green Tribunal, in the hope that someone would see it and call for immediate action. We only think of air pollution as a problem when we see a haze engulfing Delhi, our national capital, when the levels of PM2.5 reach hazardous, we forget about pollution the rest of the year. When PM2.5 is 120 , we consider that relatively good air, when actually the normal levels of PM2.5 is 10ug.

But why have we accepted this situation ?why are we letting Delhi die? Why isn't odd-even imposed the entire year round? Why isn't crop burning banned, why isn't there an alternative? Why aren't crackers banned? Why are we allowing low intensity low sound crackers? Why are crackers being allowed to be burnt between 9 pm to 10 pm?Who will hold those accountable who will still burn crackers despite the ban? Why aren't diesel vehicles banned? Why isn't there a limit to the number of cars a family owns? Why don't we have learnings from countries like US and China as to how they curb pollution? According to the World Bank , China is one of the few countries which is rapidly increasing its forest cover to manage and reduce air pollution. It is a really dismal state of affairs.

I don't know when our government will wake up and do something but we surely can.

a) Ensure that your kids don't burn any crackers this Diwali and teach them how they need to care for our environment.

b) If possible walk with your child to the market or their class if possible (i.e if it is not too far) or use cycles.

c) Plant as many trees as you can with your children, if possible around your house or a nearby park.

d) Ensure that you child is using the bus to go school or do a carpool with other kids.

f) Use air purifying plants like Aloe Vera, Tulsi , Areca Palm in and around your house.

e) Make your child have jaggery and Vitamin C during the winters as recommended by many pediatricians, it is good for boosting immunity. The presence of magnesium strengthens and relaxes bronchial muscles which further regularizes breathing in children. The iron in jaggery also boosts the respiratory system.

f) Give steam inhalations regularly to your children at night.

g) Take your children to greener areas early in the morning and make your child do breathing exercises.

i) Use N-99 masks like Vogmask when outside and air purifiers with hepa filters like the ones from SHARP to reduce indoor pollution.

j) Make sure that they have a bath and rinse their mouths when they come from outside.

k) During peak smog , keep your children indoors. The lowest level of pollution is from 12pm to 5pm when the sun is out.

l) Make them drink plenty of fluids to flush out toxins.

m) Use heavy curtains in the rooms to prevent pollutants from entering. Keep all doors and windows closed during peak smog, but do open in the afternoon for about 2 hours.

n) Ensure that your children avoid strenous activity and sports during peak smog.

o) Don't burn garbage and use sustainable waste management.

p) Use nasofilters, they get attached to your nose, easier to use than a mask. They are available on Amazon. These filters have been developed by IIT alumini and very affordable.

Be apart of the solution , not the pollution.

Please don't burst crackers ,have a happy and safe Diwali!!!!

How to reduce your child's screen time?

\

Our children are surrounded with screens whether it is the television, mobile , ipad or the mini screens in cars. We can't completely eliminate the use of the screen but we need to find a balance.

a) Ensure that your child has no screen time atleast one hour before sleeping. The blu-rays from these devices interfere with the melatonin which is a sleep inducing hormone. As an adult I have noticed that days when I look at my phone for a while before sleeping , it takes me longer to sleep and my sleep is disturbed.

b) Ensure that your child is involved in a sport which involves looking at an object at a distance and then close up, so that their eyes learn to look at distance and then quickly adjust to looking close-by. Our kids spend more time indoor than outdoors that's why their eyes aren't able to develop that skill. Hence some kids have difficulty copying from the board.

c) Do ensure that your kids get a lot of omega 3 foods like walnut soyabean , flax seeds, salmon, chia seeds which are good for their eyes.

d) Ensure that your kids have proper posture while looking at the screen.

e) Ensure that your child eats without watching any screen. They eat mindfully ,enjoys the flavours and textures.

There are a variety of apps which you can download for your kids which are age appropriate and help develop skills.

a) Epic (unlimited books for kids)

b) Moose math

c) Khan academy (online videos and tests)

d) Educational games for kids :Preschool learning activities

e) Great children's cartoons : Curious George , Masha and the Bear

f) Tic Tac Toe

g)Playhome store, playhome school

h) Star fall

i) Guess the code

j) youtube kids

k) Marcopolo Artic

k) Word link

How to help your child develop optimal emotional intelligence?

As parents we want to ensure that our kid's development is holistic in nature and beneficial for them in the long run . But our focus is often on the tangible aspects of development which can be quantified like the physical development i.e they are eating healthy and getting the right amount of physical exercise in order to have a healthy body or cerebral development i.e we are challenging their minds so that they gain knowledge and hone their intelligence so that they get good grades and move on to achieve their professional goals.

But we often neglect the emotional areas of development i.e emotional quotient which is often as important or even more important than intelligence quotient. The emotional intelligence helps children use the skills acquired by him or her in an appropriate way which would help them to be successful in whichever arena they enter.

 Emotional intelligence is the appropriate attitude or mindset that a child needs to develop in order to be successful. Studies have shown that all successful people score higher on emotional quotient rather than intelligence quotient. Emotional intelligence encompasses awareness, understanding and the ability to express and manage one's emotions. If you look at the Indian Cricket Captain ,Virat Kohli, he converts his skill and aggression into great performance , i.e he has a high emotional quotient. He doesn't buckle under pressure, he is truly resilient. That is what sets him apart from other players.

When individuals run high on emotions they often do and say things which they wouldn't in a normal circumstance. Children under the age of 10 lack that emotional maturity. They are unable to self regulate their emotions, but as they grow older their capacity to handle any form of external stimuli improves.There are two important components to emotional intelligence - self regulation and developing a moral compass.

There are 3 easy ways by which you can help your child develop emotional self regulation:

a) Listening to your child and respecting the emotions of your child:

Don't be judgmental, scold or get an irritated look on your face. Your child will feel that you are belittling his or her feelings. Try and respect your child's emotions and understand the trigger. Don't ignore your child's tantrum like "this shall also pass". Empathize with them.

b) Helping your child label their emotions and express their emotions: 

Most young children can't differentiate between their emotions, whether they are angry, anxious or sad. Help them identify their emotions. Don't stop a child from concealing their emotions if they feel like crying let them cry. Don't let their emotions remain stuck inside , let them find a healthy outlet. Explain to them why they are feeling that way? When we let our children express the way they feel , we heal their minds, we help them trust their own emotional process so that they can self regulate their emotions when they get older without tantrums or repression.

c) Help your child find a solution to the problem and how to deal with the emotion:

We have to teach our children to be emotionally resilient to situations. Children who are emotionally resilient aren't  easily distracted and are more focused. Teach your child to channelize their negativity into positivity. Don't start explaining how to handle emotions when your child is emotionally charged , let them cool off. Teach them how to regulate their breathing during an stressful situations. For example, if you had plans to take your child to the amusement park but for some reason you are unable to do so, tell your child -" I understand you really wanted to go and you are upset that we can't go but we will surely go soon. Right now we can think of something fun to do together, so can I please see your gorgeous smile or has the little monkey eaten it?." You have respected the child's feelings and helped him or her find a solution. 

Emotional self regulation is not only important for your child to become successful but it is also important to handle a crisis situation. We need to tell our children we don't always succeed in life, but we don't stop doing what we are supposed to, we need to learn to accept defeat but continue being perseverant to achieve our goals. The owner of Alibaba, Jack Ma said that he failed getting into Harvard ten times but he still didn't give up, 30 people applied for KFC but he was the only one who didn't get through, but he didn't stop trying.

There are so many children who succumb to various pressures in their lives whether it is academic pressure or peer pressure. The suicide and depression rates in teens and young adults have increased tremendously and it is very disturbing. 

Now coming the second component which is developing your child's moral compass. This is extremely important as well.

a) Teaching your child right from wrong even if it involves not being successful in one's goal. Not using wrong means to achieve a goal.

b) Teaching your child interdependence rather than independence. Your child should be able to take care of himself or herself, but we live in a community and we need to teach our children how to work as team at home and at the workplace.

c) Teach your child to be honest and honor commitment.

d) Tell your child that there are no shortcuts in life. Everything requires hard work and perseverance.

e) Teach them to be patient and take on responsibility.

f) Teach them to be compassionate and have the ability to forgive. They should not hold on grudges but let go.

High emotional quotient is directly proportional to happiness quotient.