Follow your gut

Nutritionist Anna Mapson explains why our children’s gut health could be having an effect on more than just their digestion and why good gut health is so important.

Could your child’s behaviour, sleep and weight be influenced by their digestion? We are learning more about gut health all the time and a growing body of research highlights an interaction between our gut microbes and our immune health, skin health, and mood.

You can support your child’s gut health through diet and lifestyle

Living inside our digestive tract are trillions of microbes made up of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. These microbes help us extract energy from our food, create our neurotransmitters and also create important vitamins within the gut.

Children’s gut microbes populate their gut from the moment of birth. The bugs either come from the mother as the baby travels through the birth canal, or in the case of a C-section, by skin to skin touch as we hold and feed our babies. You can support your child’s gut health through diet and lifestyle. Here are five reasons why supporting your child’s digestion is so important:

SKIN CONDITIONS LINKED TO GUT HEALTH

Common childhood conditions such as eczema may be linked to issues with digestion. You might want to look at possible food intolerance triggering symptoms or whether they need help to absorb dietary nutrients. Improving digestion can often alleviate symptoms on the skin.

GUT MICROBES INFLUENCE WEIGHT GAIN

Bacteria in the gut interact with our metabolism and affect the levels of energy we extract from our food. Chronic health conditions on the rise in children, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, are linked to certain strains of gut bacteria. You can feed the beneficial gut microbes with fibre from vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, nuts and seeds and pulses.

GUT BACTERIA AFFECTS

MOOD AND

BEHAVIOUR

There is a superhighway of information between the brain and the gut. Many of our important hormones and neurotransmitters are actually made in the digestive tract. Anxiety and mood issues can be related to imbalances in gut health.

Switch from white to brown bread, rice and pasta to increase fibre content

PROPER DIGESTION

This breaks down our food and helps us absorb nutrients. If your child has inflammation in the gut they may not absorb certain vitamins or minerals, leading to insufficiency. This could impact on their immune health, energy levels or memory, even if their diet is well balanced.

A HEALTHY

GUT SUPPORTS A HEALTHY BODY

Increasing the amount of fibre in your child’s diet will help to feed the healthy bacteria that support our health. The beneficial microbes will create an environment to fight off incoming bad bugs and help to reduce inflammation.

GOAL-SETTING TIPS

Encourage your child to eat their 5 a day. Vegetables and fruit are important sources of fibre. Playing outside in nature to get more exposure to bacteria. Switch from white to brown bread, rice and pasta to increase fibre content. Add pulses like beans and lentils to stews, sauces and chilli for a cheap way to bulk up the health content of dinner and add fibre. Allowing your child unscheduled downtime, to relax and play will help to manage stress hormones, which can interfere with gut microbes.

Anna Mapson is a registered nutritionist mBANT working with families on fussy eating, gut health and happier mealtimes. She runs The Gentle Touch (www.the-gentletouch.com), which offers holistic sleep coaching, baby massage courses and baby weaning classes online.

Gluten Free Hot Chocolate Cake

WE believe when you are EQUIPMENT gluten free, you can still 3 x 20cm/8” round baking tins enjoy delicious bakes and 2 x large mixing bowls and treats. That’s why as the saucepan UK’s number one gluten free flour brand* we’ve created a range of TEMPERATURE gluten free flour blends made with 190°C, Fan 170°C, 375°F, Gas 5. naturally gluten free ingredients that make it easy for you to bake COOKING TIME at home. 30-35 minutes With many flours in the range, including Self-Raising, Plain, White Bread, Brown Bread and Buckwheat, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. This Hot Chocolate Cake uses our Gluten Free Self Raising Flour and makes an indulgent bake. YOU WILL NEED For the chocolate cake 300g FREEE Self Raising White Flour 300g caster sugar 300g butter 4 eggs 50g cocoa Where to buy: You can buy all 175ml milk our flours at freee-foods.co.uk, 2 tsp vanilla extract national and independents retailers. Oil, for tins

Info: For more gluten free recipe inspiration, visit freee-foods.co.uk

*Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 22 March 2020. For the buttercream filling 250g butter 300g icing sugar For the chocolate ganache and topping 200ml double cream 200g milk chocolate 25g mini marshmallows Cocoa, for dusting

METHOD Chocolate Cake 1. Pre-heat the oven and rub some oil around three 20cm/8” round baking tins. 2. Measure the flour into a small bowl. 3. Put the butter and caster sugar into a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. 4. Break one egg into the bowl and beat to combine. 5. Sieve the cocoa into the bowl and stir to combine. 6. Break the remaining eggs into the bowl, beating them in one at a time. 7. Sieve half the prepared flour into the bowl and stir to combine. 8. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract. 9. Sieve the remaining flour into the bowl and beat well. 10. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake tins and smooth the tops. 11. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Buttercream filling 1. Put the butter into a bowl and beat it until it is light and fluffy. 2. Sieve the icing sugar into the bowl and beat to combine. 3. Divide the mixture between the top of two cold cakes and spread it out evenly. Place one cake on top of the other. 4. Place the third sponge on top.

Chocolate ganache and Topping 1. Put the cream into a saucepan over a medium heat, when almost boiling remove from heat, stir in chocolate and allow to cool, stirring until thickens slightly. 2. Spread topping over the top and sides, then scatter marshmallows and sieve a little cocoa over the top.