Some years the flu hits us hard, and other years it barely touches us at all. But one thing’s for sure – there’s always room to boost our family’s immune system to prepare for if and when the flu hits.
There are several commonsense measures to boost your child’s immune system and help prevent the cold/flu, which most of you are likely already doing. But just as a reminder:
- Eat lots of colorful fruits and vegetables! They are full of antioxidants that will destroy the free radicals that weaken our immune system and are responsible for making us feel sick when we catch a bug. Each color provides different antioxidant power – so be sure to eat a rainbow every day!
- Wash those hands frequently, especially before eating or touching your face. Do your best to keep those little fingers out of mouths and noses!
- Stay well-hydrated. Stick to water, coconut water, herbal teas, and bone broth. No soda or sugary drinks, please! What’s a good estimate for how much water you need at a minimum? Divide your body weight in half and drink that number in ounces! Do you come close?
- Drink your bone broth! Bone broth has amazing immune-supporting properties. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also oh-so-nutritious!
- Eat fermented foods. The probiotics contained in fermented foods have tremendous immune-boosting powers. In fact, the fermented Korean cabbage, kimchi, was found to have significant effects in preventing and fighting the H1N1 influenza virus! Here are other examples of yummy fermented foods to try – sauerkraut, pickles, miso, kefir, and kombucha.
- Avoid simple sugars and processed/junk food. Did you know that your blood shows lab evidence of a lowered immune system within 30 minutes of eating simple sugars (like glucose, refined sugar, and fructose), and causes a 50% reduction in your white blood cells’ abilities to kill germs? White blood cells are our “army” cells that fight off germs. This effect is most noticeable 2 hours after ingestion, but is still present 5 hours later! Maybe that’s why your child always seems to get sick after those birthday parties full of birthday cake, juice and soda. On the other hand, keeping blood sugar levels healthy has been shown to improve immune system activity.
- Get fresh air and moderate daily exercise. Moderate exercise can boost the production of macrophages, the kind of white blood cells that “eat” bacteria and viruses. However, intense exercise can actually temporarily decrease immune function – so don’t overdo it!
- Get adequate sleep. An increase in sleep actually increases the number of white blood cells. On the other hand, loss of sleep even for a few hours at night increases inflammation in our body which makes us more susceptible to catching the flu and having more severe symptoms. So make sure your whole family is getting enough zzzz’s.
- Minimize stress. Emotional stress creates physiological stress in our bodies that lower’s our immune defenses and make us more vulnerable to illness. Stress has been shown to lower our white blood cells’ abilities to kill germs, and actually creates more inflammation that may make us feel even sicker.
Now you’re wondering, what if my kid actually gets the flu? Are there any natural options besides Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, or just waiting and watching?
YES! If you understand how to use natural medicines, you CAN do something to not only help your child feel better but to help them recover faster!
Starting homeopathic and herbal medicines at the very beginning of flu symptoms can significantly shorten the duration and severity of illness and even knock it out of your child’s system within a day or two. The following are some of what I use in my own home.
Homeopathy
Oscillococcinum
This is THE homeopathic flu remedy, and a MUST at the very beginning of the flu or flu-like illness. Studies have shown that taking Oscillococcinum at the onset of flu significantly reduces symptoms and shortens the duration of illness.
The recommended dosage is 1 vial 3 times over a 24-hour period, preferably at the very beginning of flu symptoms or any illness. The dosage is the same for children and adults. Just down that whole vial of tasty sprinkles and suck on them until they dissolve, ideally at least 10 minutes away from food or drink. For an infant, you can dissolve the pellets in water and give with a syringe or in their bottle or sippy cup.
Herbal Medicines
There are a variety of very effective herbal medicines that work amazingly well to help your family recovery faster from the flu. These are a few of what I have found to be incredibly helpful.
Windbreaker
Windbreaker is a Chinese herbal formula by Kan Herbs. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, fever and flu are caused by an attack of “wind”. It works GREAT for cold/flu, fever, mucous and even allergies! This is my “go-to” and I swear by it for one of the reasons my daughter doesn’t get fevers or ear infections. It’s incredible as removing heat from the body to prevent or reduce fevers. Its also great at keeping mucous moving and supporting it leaving their system, which is key especially during their first few years when their eardrums are not tilted to drain properly and ear infections are at a greater risk. My daughter has been taking this since she was an infant and loves the taste. But if your kids are a bit pickier, you can mix with honey or a bit of tart juice like pomegranate or lemonade to mask the flavor. I am not going to lie, it doesn’t taste great, so early exposure is key with this one. The typical dosage for toddlers is 1-2 droppersful 3x/day; for older kids 3 droppersful 3x/day, and for teens and adults 4 droppersful 3x/day.
Elderberry Syrup
Elderberry has been found to prevent invasion by viruses and bacteria, and also improve cough. The bonus with elderberry syrup is it tastes amazing, so kids usually have no problem taking it. It gives the body an extra immune boost helping it fight off cold and flu. The typical dosage for kids is 1-2 teaspoons 4x/day depending on their size and for adults 1 tablespoon 4x/day.
Additional Immune Supports
- Increased Vitamin C – to get those free radicals under control and start feeling better faster. I’ve been using Metagenics Ultra-Potent C because it has added ingredients such as lysine and glutathione which assist in fighting viruses.
- Increased nasal irrigation – with using a snot sucker multiple times a day. Also using a humidifier in their room will help support mucous from draining out of the body.
- Stay hydrated – this is even more important when your child has a fever as he’ll be losing more body water than usual as he’s sweating and breathing faster. Dehydration will also, in turn, make his fever worse. Don’t worry about food. Focus on fluids. Fluids with electrolytes to replace what he’s losing are ideal – coconut water and bone broth are my favorites. Herbal teas like chamomile are soothing and have added antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.
- Get plenty of rest – let your kid be a couch potato for as long as she wants. She does not, and should not, be acting her usual bouncy self. Allowing her body to rest gives her immune system the chance to do its job and get her back on her way to being her usual energizer-bunny self.
- Essential Oils – Lavender is my all-time favorite essential oil to use for colds and flu. Lavender reduces inflammation and spasm, alleviates pain, helps fight infection, calms anxiety, improves mood, and relaxes the body and mind. Perfect for when your child is cranky and feeling achy all over! Your child can rub that essential oil blend together in both palms, cup his hands over his nose and mouth and take a slow inhalation through his nose so the oil gets transported straight to the limbic system in his brain to have direct and immediate calming and headache-relieving effects. You can also use a diffuser with 5-10 drops of essential oil to fill the whole house with healing power, or put a few drops in her Epsom salt bath for added calming benefits.
XO
B