We’ve been bombarded by media scare stories about childhood obesity. Hardly a week goes by without a TV programme or newspaper article featuring the plight of obese children. But while such stories often focus on the very overweight, it’s easy to overlook the day to day problems faced by ‘big’ kids.

It’s even easier to miss the signs in your own family or your friends after all, you see them every day so any weight change isn’t as obvious. Lets face it, no
one wants to admit that their own child may be too heavy.

But one in three children under 10 years old are overweight. Contrary to popular belief, most of them don’t shed their puppy fat. Six in ten chubby pre-schoolers will be overweight by the time they are 12 years. And overweight teenagers have a 70 per cent chance of becoming an overweight adult.

The earlier you can address the problem the better. It’s harder to undo bad eating habits or to instil a regular exercise habit later on.
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How to get kids to eat fruit and vegetables
Getting children to eat the five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
recommended by the World Health Organisation and the UK’s Food
Standards Agency can be a struggle. On average, children in the UK only eat two portions of fruit and veg a day way short of the recommended amount!

This means that many are missing out on important nutrients. As well as being a great source of fibre, fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins (especially disease-fighting vitamins A and C), minerals and other important plant nutrients, which help keep children healthy and boost their immunity.
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What children eat affects their health both now and in the future. They need  a balanced diet to grow properly, keep healthy and fight off illnesses.

A nutritious diet means your children will:
■ have plenty of energy
■ feel bright and alert
■ concentrate better at school
■ suffer fewer illnesses
■ have clear skin, bright eyes and shiny hair.

Changing children’s eating habits not only improves their health but also their behaviour, mood and learning success at school.

Primary schools that belong to the government’s national healthy schools programme where pupils are better fed and get more exercise, make greater academic progress and outperform others in national tests in reading, maths and science.

Studies at Oxford University show that diet may even help prevent and manage developmental conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and autism spectrum disorders as well as mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Studies in the USA (carried out in 2005) have shown that banning school vending machines and providing nutrition education and healthier food options results in better behaviour and academic standards among 5–10 year olds. After one year exclusions had fallen by 80 per cent and school test scores in maths and English had shot up.

The earlier you teach children healthy eating and exercise habits, the better. A healthy diet now means a healthy diet in ten years’ time. Children don’t ‘grow out of ’ poor eating habits – they continue eating the foods they’re used to being given. An overweight teenager has a 70 per cent chance of becoming an overweight adult.
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A WARNING ABOUT DOSAGE
Traditional prescriptions are notoriously vague; “a handful” or “a pinch” is often all of the information we are given. Fortunately, with most herbal treatments, there is little danger of adverse reaction. Medicinal herbs offer a natural balance of alkaloids, which work in harmony to promote health and fight disease, while on the whole avoiding severe side effects and other adverse reactions typical of allopathic drugs.

There are some notable exceptions to this generalization in the compendium of herbs found in the next pages. Opium poppy is listed in the traditional Thai pharmacopoeia, as are several toxic plants. When a plant in this book is known to be dangerous under certain conditions, a note has been made. However, people may react to herbs in dramatically different ways, and this text can not take into account individual sensitivities and allergies. In all cases, should the patient experience nausea, dizziness, headache, diarrhea, or other adverse reactions, this should be taken as an indication that an excessive amount has been used, and less should be prescribed on subsequent occasions, or alternative herbs should be used. These warnings should be especially heeded in regard to pregnant women, children, and the elderly, who often react with greater sensitivity to herbal medicines and other drugs.

One last caveat should be noted: the claims made in this collection are based on traditional medicinal uses of these herbs. Many of the more popular herbs in this collection are well known to the West, but in the case of some of the more unusual herbs, these therapeutic claims have not been evaluated by the professional herbalist community. Although these treatments are prescribed in Thailand by reputable healers and health institutions, I have not personally tested all of the herbal prescriptions given in this collection, and I strongly emphasize that this book should not replace consultation with a competent herbalist or physician.

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METHODS OF PREPARING HERBS
Thai herbal remedies can be administered in five general ways:

Tea or Infusion
A tea, or infusion, is made by steeping herbs in hot (not boiling) water for 2–3 minutes. Generally, teas are made from delicate plant parts, such as flowers, leaves, shoots, or stems which damage easily, and therefore require a short exposure to heat for maximum benefit.

For herbal teas, the dosage often varies depending on the age, strength, and severity of illness of the patient. Unless otherwise noted, the rule of thumb is to use 1 “handful” (about an ounce or 30 grams) of fresh herb in 1 cup (250 ml) of boiled water. Halve that amount when using dried herbs. Alternatively, some teas may be made by dissolving dried powders in hot water (see Powder on page 65 for dosage). With any method, it is important to use enough of the herb to give the tea a strong flavor, but not so much that the consistency becomes thick.
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