Five Things to Reduce the Cold/Flu in Your Household

Ah, late fall!  School is rocking with lots of after-school activities and deadlines, Friday night lights, the cold, cold mornings, snow is just around the corner, and it seems every kid has a runny nose and cough.  Not only for our kids, but also for ourselves, this is a great time to make sure we are providing the support our bodies need to remain strong and healthy.  Here are five things you and your family can do to be healthier and reduce your chances of catching a cold or the flu:

1. Frequent hand-washing.  Statistically, most people catch cold not from breathing in the virus, but from direct contact with a surface or person with the virus.  We keep hand sanitizer handy for when the sink isn’t available and love the courtesy wipes the grocery stores provide to wash down the shopping cart handles.

 

1. Provide time for rejuvenation.  This means getting enough sleep – most kids need 9-12 hours nightly; adults 7-9.  While we are sleeping, the body can focus on stimulating the immune system to deal with the “invaders” we were exposed to during the day and boost our immune system to protect us.  Other relaxing activities that can stimulate the immune system include gentle aerobic exercise, yoga, meditation, or tai chi.

 

1. Watch your (and the kids’) sugar intake.  As little as one teaspoon of sugar will depress the immune system for 5 hours. There is a reason why so many kids get sick after a birthday party!  Excessive alcohol consumption will also reduce your body’s immune system.  Substitute sugary snacks for fruit, especially citrus fruits like oranges, and blueberries.  These sweet tasting fruits are power-packed with nutrients such as bioflavonoids and vitamin C that help the body fight viruses and boost the immune system.

 

1. The family that supplements together stays healthy together!   The bottom line is, it is difficult to get enough nutrition from the healthiest of diets, much less a bit extra when trying to support or boost the immune system.  The top four nutrients we recommend are a good quality multivitamin, cod/fish liver oil, probiotics, and vitamin D.  Both cod/fish liver oil and probiotics have been proven to not only boost the immune system and reduce inflammation, they are helpful for those with allergies and asthma.  Vitamin D, in addition to bone health, is paramount for immunity and has an anti-viral effect.

 

1. Reduce stress in your life.  Juggling a full work schedule and getting kids to their activities AND eating wholesome nutritious meals AND getting homework and housework done AND getting enough sleep can challenge even the best organized parents.  But it isn’t impossible.  Sometimes it means saying no and working on doing less well instead of juggling many things poorly.   Our household is an example – with our daughter involved in music, sports, drama, and Girl Scouts, weekends and holiday breaks are intentionally “unplanned”.    We rarely plan anything early morning so that sleep can be caught up on, family time is the main priority and we let go of trying to do too many family outings while school and extracurricular activities dominate.  While it may not be a formula that works for your family, it is an example of healthy boundary setting and prioritizing needs and wants that work in a way to keep everyone in the family healthy.

May we all have a healthy fall and winter!  It is hard to believe that something as simple as moderation of sweets, alcohol, and “doing” coupled with good exercise, sleep and diet can do so much, but it really does work – most of the time.

Renae Blanton, MSN, ANP is a Family Nurse Practitioner at Sonas Integrative Medical Center.  She specializes in integrative family medicine with a focus on environmental issues such as lead toxicity, anti-aging, women’s health and chronic disease and illness.  She can be reached at 970-247-2500 or sonasimc@yahoo.com.

 

Category : Education Posted on October 26, 2011