Winter Wellness for the Family
My family has been on one long loop of illness for the past month. I think the stress and busyness of the holidays coupled with the erratic weather had us all a little run down and vulnerable, so when the germs moved in, they were there to stay!
Well, I am ready to fight back! Read below for my plan to get (and keep!) my family well this Winter season. My hope is that by getting back into a few simple habits and bringing a little more focus on taking care of ourselves, we can ease into a happy, healthy spring!
In the name of prevention:
Daily multivitamins: Excellent for a strong base. My kids love these, they think they taste just like candy! They do have a little more sugar than I would like, but feature organic ingredients and no preservatives, dyes, or artificial ingredients. When they are not sick, they take a half dose, to help the bottle last longer and because I think it’s better for them to get most of their nutrition from their food. My husband takes a mens formula, and I’m nursing so still taking prenatals. We also take fish oil and Floradix.
Sambucus: My kiddos definitely don’t love this liquid supplement, but they are willing to take it. It is recommended to double up the dosage at first sign of illness, so we’ll definitely be trying that. My husband and I take this brand, which we like a lot.
Raw, local, honey: We each have a spoonful each morning. My children love it and the health benefits are many, so I am happy to serve it up!
Emergen-c: My daughters share a packet and my husband and I each take one, just about everyday.
Sleep: Get more of it. This is your body’s time to replenish it’s resources and you won’t be able to fight illness if you are running on empty!
Water: Drink lots of it!
Food: Eat healthfully. Focus on nourishing, warm, easily digestible foods. Cooked vegetables, soups of all kinds, and warming teas are all in heavy rotation.
WASH OUR HANDS! We are not great about this, but I know that giving our hands a pass with good old soap and hot water will go a long way in keeping us well.
When we do get sick:
When you are feverish and sniffly (or taking care of people who are!) the last thing you want to do is run out to the store, so it really pays to be prepared. I recently made a big pot of nourishing chicken soup and froze it in two big freezer bags, that way, if illness strikes, we won’t have to resort to some yucky canned stuff. I also always keep on hand a neti pot, a box of kleenex, and a pile of these homemade shower disks which are wonderful. That way, we are prepared when sickness strikes and can just get cozy and focus on recovery.