It’s that glorious time of year where many of us send our precious children back to school or organized social activities! Back to interacting with all their friends, where they will all get together and swap stomach bugs and upper respiratory infections. Hooray!
Do not resign yourself to another fall and winter full of sniffles, coughs, and sleepless nights just yet! There are many ways to boost your children’s immune system so their bodies can fight off germy attacks– starting now and requiring no drugs or expensive elixirs. Most of the ingredients can be found in your own home or your grocery store.
I’ve rounded up some of my favorite natural immunity boosting treatments from friends and fellow bloggers below, and hope they are helpful!
Prevention
I spoke about the immunity boosting power of elderberry syrup in my previous post about natural prevention, but did you know that you can make your own elderberry syrup from dried elderberries that you can find at Natural Grocer (several locations here in the Dallas/Richardson area)? This is a great tactic if your child does not like the taste of a pre-packaged brand.
Leafy green and dark vegetables are high in antioxidants and are real powerhouses of nutrition that help the body fight illness. One of my favorite ways to get kids to eat green veggies is through smoothies. Try this kid-friendly green lemonade recipe or this round up of kid-friendly veggie smoothies. What’s even more fun than smoothies? Immunity boosting pops!
Health begins in the gut, and children are no different. Make sure your little ones are taking probiotics, and not just the gummy kind. Read more about why probiotics are important and how to sneak extra into the diet.
Are you surprised how many of these immunity boosting tips are about food intake? Immunity comes from overall health, and what we put into our body determines how well it operates to defend itself. Read 7 ways to boost the immune system and you’ll notice most of them are actually food related. You can also boost your child’s brain power with these 5 foods while contributing to their overall immunity at the same time. Also try these simple soups that pack a punch: Nourishing Egg Drop Soup and Nourishing Potato Leek Soup.
Make sure they are getting plenty of sleep. Easier said than done, I know. My kids actually seem to need less sleep than most children their age, but I still guard that time like my life depends on it! If you need help like I do, here are 10 Tips for Back To School Sleep.
Although it might seem impossible, it’s actually not too difficult to get children excited about doing a nasal saline rinse to keep germs from lingering in the mucus glands of the nose and throat.
Essential oils can do a great job of killing germs they’ve been exposed to. The most popular blends are doTerra’s OnGuard and Young Living’s Thieves. You can diffuse these blends in your home with a water vapor diffuser or apply them topically to children when diluted properly.
Early Cures
Sometimes if we’re given enough warning at the onset of mild coughs or drippy noses, there are natural ways to stop sickness before it gets severe. A natural approach can be effective here as well.
Make sure to cool this flu fighting tea sufficiently before putting it into a sippy cup — I pour mine over ice.
These 8 Natural Cold Remedies reinforce the preventative techniques discussed above, and it’s never too late to boost immunity to keep an illness from taking hold!
My friend Nancy makes this DIY Natural Cough Syrup and says her kids love it!
If you’re looking for a store-bought solution, this round-up of Holistic Solutions for Back To School Illness lists a few reliable brands that you can buy at nearly any local Whole Foods, Sprouts, or health food store.
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If we stock up now, we just might be ready to take whatever this fall and winter can throw at us!
I’d love to hear your favorite prevention or even remedies in the comments!
