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BOOST YOUR CHILDREN’S IMMUNITY (AND YOUR OWN!) WITH THESE EASY TRICKS
With the swine flu panic in high gear and being a
mother to two young children, I am as stressed as the
rest of you about how to keep my children healthy and
disease-free this winter. So, how can you reduce the risk for developing the swine flu or avoid those annoying runny noses and hacking coughs that you just can’t seem to get rid of?
Aside from the obvious, such as having everyone wash their hands regularly after returning home and before eating and being careful not to be around people who are sick, adopt the following steps to make a big difference in your and your children’s health. Whether you decide to inoculate against the swine flu or not, these steps will help boost your immunity and keep you and your children in fighting form this winter.
Say Yes to Supplements
Normally, I am not a heavy believer in adding tons of supplements to our diets, but during flu season or when our immune systems are compromised, it is essential! Give your children a good multivitamin so that they are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need. My kids love the Gummy Vites ones. Make sure you read the labels and, if possible, give your kids the ‘whole foods’ versions!
For prevention, when you can see your kids are becoming run down or if they have been around sick people, give them vitamin C, zinc and echinacea, which have all been known to prevent and shorten the life of a cold. We also give our children Emergen-C (no, it’s not just for hot yoga!) to add to their water, and I carry packets in my purse to put in water bottles when we are running about the city.
Make Sleep Sacred
Do not skimp on your own sleep or that of your children. When we are sleep-deprived, our immune systems are compromised and we are much more likely to get sick. Children need 10-plus hours of sleep a night, so make sure kids are in bed on time and create a calm bedtime ritual of bath and story time (yes, this means no computer or TV before bed) so they ease off to a peaceful sleep. There have been nights when my son has been on his computer right before bed and he always wakes up tired and cranky the next day.
Ditch the Dairy
I was debating whether I would call this “Dairy Is the Devil.” Cow’s milk contains casein, which is the main ingredient in Elmer’s glue. Yuck! When you drink milk, your body senses a foreign substance and wants to get rid of it, so produces mucus. Over time this can lead to chronic colds, sinus congestion and bronchial infections.
Sorry to take such a harsh stance, but we do not need to give cow’s milk to our children when they are well, never mind when they are sick! There are so many other forms of calcium and protein out there. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, collards and mustard greens have 85 to 90 percent of the calcium as in a cup of milk. Broccoli, kelp, seaweed, chickpeas, soybeans, tofu, quinoa, fortified cereals, molasses, sesame and sunflower seeds, and almonds are also high in calcium.
Give Some Honey to Your Little Honeys
Honey has antibacterial properties and is said to be equally effective at quieting a cough as cough medicine. Buy a very high-quality raw honey and give it to your children on their toast in the morning or add it to their smoothies or yogurt. For sore throats or cold, rainy days, make cups of hot water with lemon and honey. Our grandmothers really did know best!
The Power of Ginger
Ginger is one of the most powerful natural immunity boosters. Add ginger to your children’s soups, marinated chicken, and even to the honey and lemon mixture above.
Serve Quinoa
Who would have known? Grains like oats and quinoa contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber with antimicrobial and antioxidant capabilities that boost immunity as well. I prepare quinoa at night and serve it as I would rice, and then in the morning, I will heat up some of the leftover quinoa and serve a hot steaming bowl of it topped with fresh berries and drizzled with honey and almond milk. Sprinkle some flax or chia seeds for extra omega-3s.
Nip Colds in the Bud with Sinupret or Oscillococcinum
Sinupret, which has recently become available in the U.S., is an all-natural blend of five different herbs made by a company in Europe. Sinupret has been used for more than 30 years and is the No. 1 doctor-recommended natural remedy for sinus and respiratory support over in Germany. Not only is it used to help drain the mucus from the sinuses and respiratory track, it also boosts immunity and gives a little extra support if you see your children getting run down. Oscillococcinum, which helps in the same way and is very similar to Sinupret, is much easier to find. My daughter started getting sick last week and started taking Oscillococcinum and completely got better in two days without so much as a runny nose! Both Sinupret and Oscillococcinum come in children’s versions—they do work and are worth stocking in your medicine cabinet.
Katherine Pennington is a holistic health counselor and founder of Be in Balance, which helps women and men lose weight, reduce stress and achieve more balance in their lives. Additionally, Katherine runs a cooking program for kids and their moms called Kids in the Kitch, in which she helps mothers and fathers cook healthier meals for their families as well as works one-on-one with children. Katherine is also an avid runner and marathoner and advises athletes on how to fuel for maximum performance and health.
Katherine graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition/Columbia Teachers College and is a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. Additionally, Katherine is a founding member of Women for Family Nutrition (www.wffn.org).
Katherine resides in New York City and is the mother to two beautiful children.
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