How to Stay Happy and Healthy this Cold and Flu Season

Each year there are millions of cases of the common cold in the US and anywhere from 5 to 20 percent of the population will come down with the flu. Luckily, there are many natural ways you can reduce your chances of getting sick.

The basics:

Make sure everyone in your family is getting enough sleep, moving and exercising daily, getting outside for some fresh air, eating immune supporting foods, managing their stress, and reducing exposure to toxins.

Get Outside

Nature is fuel for the soul! Research shows that that spending time in fresh air, surrounded by nature, increases energy in 90 percent of people. In just one year, the presence of trees saved 850 lives and prevented 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptoms, according to new research published in the journal Environmental Pollution. Trees remove pollution from the air, making it healthier for us to take into our lungs.

Movement and Exercise

Active free play, especially outdoors, is one of the most beneficial gifts we as parents…can bestow on our children. Playing outside not only provides them with exercise, but also builds their immune system, and provides the much needed Vitamin D we are all lacking, especially in the winter. As the winter months approach, there may be days when it’s just too cold to spend the recommended 3 hours a day outside. 

Enter: Go Noodle!

My son’s kindergarten class takes “brain breaks” and presses “Play” on movement and mindfulness every 7 minutes. And we have embraced this at home as well. Go Noodle turns “screen time” into active time and creates great family fun!

Gut Health

The gut holds 80 percent of the body’s immune system. All along the digestive lining, white blood cells help protect us from viruses and bacteria that try to invader our system. Healthy gut bacteria work outnumber unwelcome pathogens. All of these functions promote a balanced immune system and ensure we are protected from the viruses that bring on colds and the flu.  The best way to keep your gut healthy and ready to fight off disease is to eat a clean diet full of fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.

Eat a rainbow

Why are there so many songs about rainbows? Because choosing a variety of naturally occurring colored whole foods throughout the day and week are essential for good health and overall immunity.

Supplements

Many kids are picky eaters and may not be getting enough of  immune-supportive nutrients from their diet alone.

The best supplements to boost a child’s immune system are vitamin D and zinc. In general, you want to choose a supplement that is free of artificial flavors, colors, allergens and sugar. You can provide a Vitamin D supplement alone, in multivitamin form, particularly if for a picky eater. I like:

• Nature's Plus Animal Parade Gold

• Smarty Pants Kids Complete

• Garden of Life My Kind Kids Multivitamin

• For infants try Swanson Baby D drops

The herb elderberry is my favorite for recurrent respiratory tract infections.  The dried berries of the Sambucis Nigra plant are naturally high in immune-boosting compounds that are specifically shown to help beat the cold and flu more quickly.  They can be used to make a simple elderberry syrup.

For allergies, fish oil and vitamin C work wonders. I recommend:

• Nordic Naturals Nordic Omega 3 Fishies for older children or baby DHA for infants and babies

• Natures Plus Animal Parade Sugar Free Vitamin C

Please make sure to see your physician before starting your child on any new supplement or herb.

Probiotics

As a supplement to a healthy diet you can also support your gut flora with probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria that naturally occur in our guts. They protect our digestive tracts, help us to digest food, assist in toxin clearance, and shield us from invading bacteria and viruses. A good quality probiotic will contain at least three strains, and I recommend finding one that contains at least these two: lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. The best cold-fighting strains to look for are lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosis GG, Bifidiobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum.

I recommend starting children on a probiotic supplement  strains early on — between 5 and 25 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) per day depending on age.

My favorite probiotics are made by Klaire Labs and available from your child’s healthcare provider.

Bone Broth

Bone broth provides some of the most important trace minerals that we need for ongoing energy, immunity, and digestion. It is one of the most nutrient-dense, healing foods for the digestive system and therefore a great way to kick off a healthy cold and flu season! In short bone, or marrow broth is one of the best foods you can feed your family. It is a multivitamin, a medicine for all kinds of illness, and a delicious food wrapped up in one. And it’s easy to make your own bone broth at home.

Avoid Toxins

We are constantly surrounded by toxins in our food, water, air, and home environments. These toxins can damage the very cells that work to keep us healthy. When our body’s system is overwhelmed by trying to detoxify toxins, it is less able to support immune function.

• Eat organic foods when possible The Environmental Working Group (EWG) singled out produce with the highest loads of pesticide residues. Trust the DIRTY DOZEN to highlight foods you should be getting organic.

• Support your body’s detox system by drinking a lot of filtered water.

• Air out your home frequently by opening the windows. Chemicals from our heating systems have nowhere to escape to. These toxins can damage the mucosa- the lining in your throat and nose that traps germs and is key for flu prevention

• Choose natural home and body products, like Norwex, which use a microfiber cloth and (only) water to clean your entire home....and body!

Wash Hands

It’s no surprise that hand washing is crucial to avoiding colds and flu. But, kids aren’t doing it well enough. The average person touches his face 60 times per hour. That’s a lot of chances for a virus to get from your hands to your nose, eyes or mouth. The key with kids is to make it easy and fun for them to wash up. To prevent rushing, suggest washing hands for as long as it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.

Since research has shown that triclosan, commonly found in antibacterial soap, can negatively affect the immune and hormone systems, choose traditional soap and water. Or avoid this problem altogether and grab Norwex cloth and wash your kids hands with just water and a cloth everywhere you go! I keep the travel cloth in my car, purse, and every lunch bag. And the pet-to-dry cloth hangs on my stroller and kids’ backpacks.