School is back in session, we are all spending more time indoors, crowded and confined – you know what that means, don’t you? It’s Germ-Sharing-Season! How does a mom prevent her children from getting sick? How does she protect her family from all those nasty germs and diseases?
Prepare and Prevent!
Although our family doctor is a very nice man, our goal each year is to stay away from his office In order to accomplish this here are a few things we do in our home (I’m including a few affliate links because I do use these products and I recommend them!):
- Get plenty of sleep. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise” is a bit of wisdom Ben Franklin published in his Poor Richard’s Almanac, but it still holds true today. When our bodies are well rested they are able to fight those germs more efficiently.
- Eat Sensibly. Our family has allowed too many processed foods slip back into our regular diet and so we are working toward getting back on track by adding in more raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and good quality fats and proteins, while limiting the highly-processed high-calorie-low-nutrition foods. I keep the freezer stocked with my homemade chicken broth and soup for when we have sickness in the house, and just because it’s plain good!
- Stay hydrated. Drink water rather than juices and sodas as they provide empty calories. Limit the caffeinated drinks which have a diuretic effect. We often drink water with a bit of lemon or hot tea with a bit of lemon and raw honey. If you are feeling thirsty, you’ve waited too long – the key is to drink before you feel thirsty. Dry mucous membranes are an invitation to viruses and bacteria to enter your body – ever wonder why your nose runs and eyes water when you have a cold? That is your body’s natural mechanism for getting rid of those germs, so why not help it along!
- Wash your hands. With plain ol’ soap and water rather than the anti-bacterial stuff. The chemicals in them are terrible and the alcohol they add dry out the skin, often causing chapping and cracking which invites germs in anyway. Washing with soap and water cleanses the surface of the skin, which is what you are wanting to do anyway. I use basic liquid soap with a drop or two of Four Thieves Essential Oil for the natural anti-microbial properties. Washing our hands often helps wash away uninvited ‘guests’ and minimizes the ‘sharing.’
- Fresh air and exercise. This builds strong lungs and muscles, adds energy, helps your body take in plenty of oxygen which builds healthy cells and fights the nasty ones, contributes to positive mental and emotional health as well.
- Stock up on your favorite germ-fighting remedies. For us, that includes essential oils like a Thieves blend, Lavender, Oregano, Tea Tree, to name a few. I am also brewing up a batch of elderberry and immune boosting tinctures and mixing up my own all-natural vapor rub. (Recipes coming soon!) I also have plenty of Vitamin C, Echinacea and zinc on hand, as these are the things I use to hit a cold hard at the first sign of symptoms.
Many of the tips I mentioned above are things that actually boost the immune system, which gives your body what it needs to fight the fight it has to face, because let’s be honest, we catch cold and are exposed to the flu. The trick is to be in position to fight and not surrender! My experience has been that when we are following these practices on a day to day basis, the strength and duration of our illnesses is greatly diminished.
What are your best tips for preparing for the cold & flu season?
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Jennifer S. says
This is a great reminder. The one I struggle the most with is drinking enough water. Thanks for this post.
Linda says
I have to work on that one too, Jennifer 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the post! I pray you have many healthy months ahead.
Shecki @ Greatly Blessed says
We supplement Vitamin C this time of year, and keep all the essential oils for illness on hand.
Linda says
a good plant o have in place, Shecki 🙂 I pray you have a healthy season ahead!
Suzan | It's My Sustainable Life says
Great suggestions! Water, water, water (or herbal tea)….flush those nasties out. I too am a big fan of natural remedies and love our elderberry syrup & tincture and highly recommend our fire cider elixir as well.
Linda says
oh, yes, elderberry! I’ll have to take a look at your fire cider elixir 🙂
Catherine Sokolowski says
I had to check out your post because I am currently feeling lousy due to cold symptoms! I have tried everything except for essential oils. Only learned from you post today that they are beneficial for combating a cold. Thanks for sharing!
Linda says
I hope you are feeling better soon, Catherine!
I’m glad you found some helpful information in my post – we use essential oils in our daily routine for a variety of things/reasons. Do your research and choose quality oils is my best advice!