Immune Boosters

Winter Immune Boosters

Tis the season for ...runny noses, colds and viruses. Both my daughters have the sniffles and I think my hubby is coming down with a man cold. In a perfect world I could claim that a super healthy diet would keep us all from getting sick but real life happens. Kids share germs, someone coughs on you at the office or you are stuck on a plane for hours with a sneezing seatmate. So here is my arsenal for boosting immunity during cold and flu season. 

1. Handwashing - the best offense is a good defense and killing viruses and germs before they make their way into our bodies is step one. I love this Pine scent from Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. It gives me all the warm holiday feels and smells exactly like a Christmas tree. I am going to have to start a stockpile before it is gone for the season.

2. Probiotics - a whopping 80% of our immune-system cells are in the gut. It is the battleground for the viruses we come into contact. Probiotics reinforce those troops. These beneficial bacteria signal to our immune systems that things are working. I switch up our probiotics regularly to ensure a variety of bacterial strains but right now I am using these capsules for my daughters. Ashley has become a champ at swallowing them and I just break them open and add the powder to Ruby's breakfast.

3. Elderberry - Hippocrates described the elderberry plant as his "medicine chest". It is one of the top antivirals in the plant kingdom and has been shown to reduce symptoms and duration of cold and flu symptoms when taken in the first 24 hours after onset. And it is delicious, so you won't have to battle your kids to take it. I take these NewChapter Elderberry Force capsules and give the girls a teaspoon of Elderberry syrup. There are some great recipes online for homemade Elderberry syrup but when the family starts dropping like flies feel free to hit up your local health food store.

4. Silver Hydrosol - As the saying goes "I put this sh*t on everything". I really don't think there is anything this stuff can't beat. I love the spray from Natural Immunogenics Corp because it is super handy to have on hand. I spray it at the first inkling of a sore throat. Be aware your children will likely hate the taste, but I don't mind it at all. It can be used both topically as a first-aid treatment and internally to help boost immunity and kick-start the body's natural healing capabilities

5. Vitamin C - we are super lucky here in Florida to have some of the best sources of vitamin C at our finger tips. Winter is citrus season which coincides perfectly with the cold season. Isn't mother nature amazing like that. You know what they say, an orange a day keeps the doctor away!