I love the winter season for its beauty and magic. But I surely despise it because of all the health and immune system challenges it imposes on us all. And with M going to school, staying healthy when everyone around have come down with some sort of virus, could be a real adventure.
This January, viruses at M’s school were merciless leaving whole classes with only a couple of kids attending. Still, we have been lucky enough that no one at home fell victim to them. Saying “lucky” here might not be the correct expression as I am conciously taking mesures for assuring that everyone at home is safe and sound.
Here are all the steps that I take (on a daily basis) to ensure that our immune systems are doing their job.
#1 EAT THE RAINBOW
Eventhough M tends to be picky sometimes I try to feed her the rainbow. That means that I offer her seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables of various colors. The reason being that, apart from being beautiful, every color is accountable for different nutrients and minerals that enhance the overall health. Here you can see what health benefits each fruit/vegetable color is adding up to.
#2 BEAUTY SLEEP
Sleep is very important for kids as it directly impacts mental and physical development. It allows your child’s mind and body to rest and recover. Now, for a kid of M’s age (3-5), the night sleep is advised to be 11-13 hours. M gets about 11-12 hours of beauty sleep and does not have any naps during the day. Studies have shown that kids who regularly get an adequate amount of sleep have improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, and overall mental and physical health.
#3 BE ACTIVE
M is enjoying exercising with me every single day. She is doing burpees, planks and yoga with me. This not only keeps her muscules well toned, but also boosts her immune system. The extra bonus is that she gets tired and sleeps like an angel during the night.
Apart from working out at home together we spend lots of time outside climbing Arthur Seat, running in the park, riding her scooter, playing on the playground. Outdoor activities are an amazing natural booster of the immune system.
#4 VITAMIN D
Winters in Scotland are rather gloomy. I think we all feel deprived of sunshine. That is why I am giving M vitamin D on a daily basis as it is known for its ability to trigger and arm the immune system. I have chosen Better You for M. It is a spray, easy to apply and tastes great. Mia has lots of fun spraying it in her mouth every morning.
#5 IMMUNE BOOSTERS
Schussler Salts
I started using Schussler Salts when M was a baby following her pediatrician’s advice. She recommended giving them to her whenever she was due a vaccination. The premise being that few days before the jab, the salts were boosting her immune system so that she can better handle the vaccination response. And few days after they were helping her get rid of all the toxic stuff following the jab.
I was pretty content with the results and later when she was about 1 year old I started giving M Shussler Salts regularly to increase her immunity. I am giving her Ferr Phos daily to keep her imune system up and running. Whenever I see her coming down with cold/flue symptoms I include the following salts:
- Calc Phos 2 – fighting fatigue, sore throat.
- Ferr Phos 4 – as a daily booster when M is healthy or to fight fevers, inflamation, congestion coughs, colds when she is already sick.
- Kali Sulph 7 – fighting colds.
- Kali Mur 5 – fighting minor respiratory ailments, coughs, colds, sore throat, runny nose.
The results are amazing. Provided that M is going to school and is constantly exposed to all the microflora of viruses that each kid is bringing to school, she is a very healthy kid and rarely gets sick.
Speak to your GP/pediatrician to discuss dosages.
Elderberry Extract
With cold and flu season being in their peak, elderberry is a great companion in fighting winter viruses. Teas and syrups made from the elderberry plant have been commonly used to fight upper respiratory infections and boost immunity for hundreds of years.
I am giving M elderberry extract on a daily basis during the winter months. The product that I have chosen is Sambucol. It is entirely based on black elderberry and vitamin C which are proven natural immune boosters. I usually buy the chewable teddies as M love munching them. Sometimes my mom is making the same immune booster at home from the elderberries that she collects from her garden and which she then turns into a homemade syrup.
The effect for the immune is just incredible. I drink my mom’s syrup as well any time I feel I am coming down with something and stop it from getting worse. You know – I am a mom and mom can NEVER get sick (as the whole household falls apart).
Kalium Bichromicum 9ch (Boiron)
This entirely homeopathic product is a real treasure. I give it to M any time she is having colds with thick nasal discharge. If I catch the cold at the very first moment, these granules stop the cold from completely blocking my wee one’s nose. M finds it funny to take them as they are small pearls in a tube that she needs to count and put under her tongue to melt.
It is pretty similar to the Oscillococcinum which sometimes I also give her whenever she has the flu-like symptoms (fever, body ache, headache).
XXX
The Mermaid
