In the past, I always dreaded winter. My kids would always bring home the bugs from school, and the whole family would end up getting sick. I have one child left in the nest, and over the past two years I have been incorporating some natural ways to keep him well, not just for winter, but for the whole school year.
1. Adding Probiotics And Vitamin D
I hit the jackpot a month ago. My kid learned to swallow pills! In the past, I had tried to hide probiotics in his food, and he always caught me. He could taste it, even if I snuck it in. After teaching him to swallow pills, I started him on a probiotic/prebiotic pill with 5 billion CFU’s. His multi-vitamin is a chewable gummy with zero sugar, and it’s got the extra vitamin D he needs due to gene mutations.
The probiotics/prebiotics help keep his gut balanced with healthy flora, which strengthens his immune system. The vitamin D increases immune function by a factor of 3 to 5, according to this article by Dr. Mercola, and is better than any vaccine.
2. Moving To A Whole Foods Diet
One of the best changes we have made over the last two years is slowly moving the entire family to a whole foods diet. I have dramatically reduced the amount of processed foods I buy. My kiddo eats many more whole foods than he used to. He had a rash on his elbows that would not go away no matter what we tried to apply to it topically. I eliminated gluten and dairy from his diet, and the rash disappeared. He is now completely gluten-free and takes his lunch to school every day. Removing the inflammatory foods from his diet has made a huge difference in his attention span, mood, and most of all immune health.
I have autoimmune thyroid disease caused in part by leaky gut, so I want to help my child prevent future issues with his thyroid by preventing the leaky gut now while he is still young. The bonus of this prevention diet is a stronger immune system, a win-win!
3. Using Essential Oils
One of my non-negotiable changes is the use of essential oils. Without fail, I diffuse a protecting blend of therapeutic grade oils every single night in our bedrooms. Since making this change, I have noticed that he gets sick much less often, and when he does, it seems to be much less severe. As a mom, I love the fact that my kid does not get to the point where he feels completely miserable. When a seasonal threat shows up, we increase our usage of the essential oils and boom, it goes away!
My child has his own little zip up case of roller bottles that contain diluted essential oils. He knows how to apply them topically on his skin. I don’t have to worry that he will overdose or have a reaction the way I would if I was giving him the synthetic remedies sold at the drugstore. I have complete peace of mind that his body is being supported in wellness, every day. To find out the one and only brand of essential oils I use and love, send me an email. I can help you buy them at the wholesale cost!
4. Limiting Screen Time
If your child is like mine, then you have heard the complaints when you limit screen time. The tablet, video games, and TV are very addicting. We make it a point to limit his time, and it gives him three things that help keep him healthy: fresh air, creativity, and sleep!
When he is not allowed to be on the screens all day long, he has to come up with alternative activities. He has been getting into drawing lately, and I see his creativity being nurtured and I love that. I know kids can lose their creativity as they get older if they do not keep nurturing it. I have learned as an adult; it is vital to good health to keep this part of us alive. He also plays outside more and gets fresh air and sunshine, like every kid did back when I was growing up.
Limiting screens at night has made a huge difference in his mood during the day. The blue light emitted by screens signals our brains that the sun is still up. By avoiding the blue light in the evening, keeps him in step with the circadian rhythm that helps our sleep deep and sound. Sleep is restorative and helps strengthen our immune system.
5. Reducing Chemicals At Home
The average home contains 61 toxic chemicals. When I started researching toxins and their effects on our health, I knew I had to make some changes. I started replacing our personal care items with organic, gluten-free, non-toxic versions. I started making homemade versions of things such as mouthwash and medicines. I replaced all of my cleaning products with either homemade versions or non-toxic versions. I changed out all off the plastic in my kitchen with glass.
Our bodies recognize chemicals, toxins, drugs, and foreign particles as antigens, and it causes an immune response. How can we expect our immune system to function as it should when it is under fire constantly from the chemicals found in our homes? Removing as much of these offenders as possible will help ensure that the immune system is ready at all times to work properly against threats.
