Boosting your children's immune systems--what do you do?

[Kimber]

We just started co-op and I'm trying to avoid the flu that is beginning to spread where we live. (I know they can get it other places too, but co-op ups the ante.)

 

I am trying to do things to help improve my kids' immune systems since they'll be so exposed. I know the basics, but I don't always practice them. So I'm also wondering, what do you all do to ward off sickness or at least minimize it.

 

Here's my plan so far.

 

1. On days we leave the house, a high protein breakfast and a green drink. (We used to do these more regularly, but I got side tracked, agaaain.)

2. Regular vitamins and omega 3 fats

3. I included wet wipes in their lunch boxes with written reminders to clean their hands, in case the teachers forget.

 

Do you guys try any special concoctions are anything?

 

Kimberly

[Mama Lynx]

I do the things my previous doctor recommended to us. During flu season I try to give them, daily:

 

acidophilous

white tea

fish oil

multivitamin

local, raw honey

berries

 

I usually throw all of that into a smoothie.

 

When I know the flu is active around us, I also give them a half dose of oscillococcinum before sending them into an area they're likely to be exposed. And lots and lots of handwashing :)

[Annie Laurie]

Probiotics boost the immune system, just sprinkle some acidophilus over their yogurt or appleasauce everyday. I know I read a good article on this and have already forgotten...

 

I looked it up, here are some ideas:

 

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t042500.asp#T042506

[Crissy]

In addition to the other suggestions, be sure they are getting enough sleep.

[abreakfromlife]

a good probiotic - not just acidophilus. I use this Jarrow's for all the kids.

Vitamin C tabs - I like the Hylands because they are sodium ascorbate which is the better way of getting C.

a really good multivitamin

omega-3

 

If I think they are getting sick, I will make them lemon balm tea, and sometimes echinacea tea, but we all think that's kind of gross :tongue_smilie: oh, and give them a couple spoonfuls of Apple Cider Vinegar - kills the bad stomach germies.

 

If they do get sick, then I will mince up some garlic and put it in honey and give them all a spoonful. I take it too - Garlic is such a potent antibiotic. But you don't chew it - just gulp and swallow. It's not too bad that way. Chewing it is just awful! But the garlic is awesome. It really cleans you out - you're a little mucousy for a day or two depending on how sick you are, but it kills the germs and gets them out of your system.

 

And lots of water. Lots and lots of water.

[Tracy in Ky]

Can you get raw milk for them to drink? Raw milk is supposed to produce very sturdy children. Also yougurt is good--puts in good bacteria that can attack bad ones.

[OnTheBrink]

Lower sugar intake. Sugar is an immune suppressor (refined sugar, I mean; not honey).

 

Increase intake of raw fruits and veggies and include a good multivitamin.

[Guest]

Wow. No wonder my kids pick up every germ imaginable. We just started vitamins, which has seemed to help. I'll have to look into some of these other suggestions.

[abreakfromlife]

oh and for boosting your immune system, Holy Basil is a classic, excellent immune system herb, and also a good B complex and of course Vitamin C, all works really well.

[Tess in the Burbs]

vitamin C, zinc, fish oil and regular sleep!

 

summer tends to have later nights, more forgetful mornings in the vitamin department but come fall we get back on track.

[Kimber]

Well, I will just have to make our version of mojeito (sp?) My kids love it; I'll have to make this more often. It's garlic, smashed sauteed with EVOO, oregano, lime, OJ, onion powder, and salt. It's delicious, but I haven't made it in a looong time. I usually serve it Cuban black beans and a diced onion salad. I forgot how healthy this meal was.

 

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[Kimber]

I always thought the honey was for allergies. I'll have to try this!

 

Thank you!

Kimberly

[Kimber]

This is the area that we mess up the most. None of us get enough sleep. I will work on this more.

[Melanie]

Wow! All I do is make sure they eat right, sleep well, and wash their hands as soon as they come in the front door. I didn't know there was anything else to do! We hardly ever get sick (maybe once a year someone will come down with something) but when we do, it isn't pretty. I wonder if there is anything that would make that one illness a year less painful?

[Kimber]

Thanks for the suggestion. I do all of these that you mention, except for the vitamin C.

 

I always seem to forget something, and vitamin c is that something right now.

 

Thank you,

 

Kimberly

[OnTheBrink]

I always thought the honey was for allergies. I'll have to try this!

 

Thank you!

Kimberly

 

If your body is fighting allergies, your immune system is taxed. So, it all works together. :)

[Mama Lynx]

If your body is fighting allergies, your immune system is taxed. So, it all works together. :)

 

Yup :)

[Jen500]

Hand washing before eating. Get enough sleep. Hand washing. Eat a balanced diet. And I know some people won't like this, but get a flu shot. And did I mention hand washing?

[Kimber]

I am not too concerned about the flu shot. I had lunch yesterday with a friend and she had just gotten the flu nasal spray. By the end of lunch, she was sneezing all over the place. So I suspect that my kids and I just got our flu vaccine for free. :-)

[angela in ohio]

I have noticed that sleep and diet seem to make a big difference. My dc have been taught to sleep well and eat a variety of foods, and they seem to stay healthier than other dc in our "circle" and family member's children who don't.

[Reya]

We just started co-op and I'm trying to avoid the flu that is beginning to spread where we live. (I know they can get it other places too, but co-op ups the ante.)

 

I am trying to do things to help improve my kids' immune systems since they'll be so exposed. I know the basics, but I don't always practice them. So I'm also wondering, what do you all do to ward off sickness or at least minimize it.

 

Here's my plan so far.

 

1. On days we leave the house, a high protein breakfast and a green drink. (We used to do these more regularly, but I got side tracked, agaaain.)

2. Regular vitamins and omega 3 fats

3. I included wet wipes in their lunch boxes with written reminders to clean their hands, in case the teachers forget.

 

Do you guys try any special concoctions are anything?

 

Kimberly

 

Well, deadly allergies run in my family. My mother can be killed by exposure to aspirin or horses, and my father will probably eventually die from pneumonia because of the level of his allergies. (This is a man who ran marathons after 40, so fitness isn't an issue.) My DH has psoriasis and bad allergies. So I've tried my DARNEST to follow every single lick of medical evidence showing lowered allergies that I can!

 

We use no antimicrobials that I can avoid. I kept things dirtier during DS's fist 3 years and let him eat off the floor. We had 2 big dogs and lived in the country. We have NO exposure to cigarette smoke. I even managed to get my kiddo the "one fever before age one" that has a protective effect! :-P Yeah, a bit hyper, but it can be pretty serious....

 

A lot of people seem to think that allergies are *just* caused by modern living conditions, but my DH was born and spent half his childhood in China--mostly rural China. And his allergies and autoimmune issues are a lot more everyday life-impacting than mine. (This was back before the Chinese were wealthy enough to smoke a lot, too.) So it's more complicated than that. But I'm trying to do whatever I can to get an immune system that reacts to the *right* things rather than the wrong ones.

 

As far as flus and colds go, I don't do anything specific. We've had one bad year--last year, after moving to a new place and being constantly exposed, for the first time, to another kid who himself brought home five times more illnesses than I thought any kid could catch in a year! We've adjusted since then, though, and now when the kid gets sick, we rarely do. DS takes a regular multivitamin, but that's pretty much it.

 

I wish I had a magic bullet that assured my kid got juuust sick enough to make for the best immune system possible, but really, I'm just taking the best shots I can at it!

[lwilliams1922]

Have you heard of kefir?

 

I grew both the milk and water varities. Me and the kidos drank some every day and never got sick!

 

mom's been to busy to make it lately but it's on my todo list.

[TeacherZee]

I was recomended pumpkin seeds in addition to a lot of what has been mentioned above when I was picking up every cold going. It is rich in magnesium and zinc which helps fight ickies.

[Diannab]

I have to say that I agree whole heartedly with EVERY post, except in regards to the flu shot. I have my reasons, but I am not going there. :D LOL My daughter is immuno-suppressed so we have been down this road all to often. The poster that recommended avoiding anything that is antimicrobial is dead on, also avoid waterless hand sanitizers (alcohol based); It compromises the immune system as well. I always make sure to keep the house as dust/allergen free as possible, as well. HTH

 

Dianna

[Bambam]

I give my kids one teaspoon of Sambucol elderberry syrup every day during the cold/flu season. I take 2 teaspoons daily. When my dh had the flu last year, despite the shot, none of the rest of us got it. The kids and I did not get the flu vaccine.

[Laura Corin]

At least five servings of fruit/veg a day; a vitamin daily; a healthy diet and plenty of exercise; regular, moderate exposure to dirt and germs.

 

Laura

[JenParrish]

In addition to the other suggestions, be sure they are getting enough sleep.

 

 

I could not agree with Crissy more. Sleep is very important in boosting the immune system.

[Danestress]

I'm reading this thread with interest, because I would love to escape the whole cold/flu thing this year. I get a fair number of colds, and my boys have sniffles right now. Don't get me wrong - we've probably, as a family, had five "sick visits" to a doctor between us in the last five years, and three of them are my DH's. So they don't get really sick - just 'lie around and miss out on doing lessons' sick.

 

But I can't find any good studies that show that probiotics are a good preventitive medicine. I found studies that show it helps when one is actually suffering from diarrhea, but not much about it's preventitive qualities for otherwise healthy children.

 

Anyone want to make a case for why probiotics are worth administering on a daily, preventative basis?

[abreakfromlife]

I'm in the middle of eating dinner - yes at the computer, shame on me, I know :tongue_smilie: So I don't have the free hands to delve into it right now, and I'm not sure if I even have any good bookmarks on it anymore. But gut health is so very important to a lot of aspects of our health, and so maintaining good gut flora is really important, hence the need for a multi-probiotic. Maybe someone else will jump in with more details. I'll try to come back to it tonight.

[abreakfromlife]

EnzymeStuff - this is a digestive enzyme site but has a lot of good info on gut health/immune system

Digestive Connection - article

Digestive System/nutrients primer

Power of Probiotics - lots of links/pdfs

GutHealth - I haven't really looked this over too much but it looks like it has a lot of good articles

Natural News - lots of articles

[whitestavern]

Lots of good suggestions here! We are also big fans of echinacea/goldenseal and astragalus. We use the drops. Both are excellent immune boosters.

[lighthouseacademy]

We avoid white sugar, dairy, white flour, and processed foods. These all weaken the immune system. We have not used them in long enough that I can feel a sore throat coming sometimes within the hour of eating something with white sugar or flour. Dairy thickens the mucus in the body which makes it more difficult for the macrophages to do their job.

[lighthouseacademy]

I give my kids one teaspoon of Sambucol elderberry syrup every day during the cold/flu season. I take 2 teaspoons daily. When my dh had the flu last year, despite the shot, none of the rest of us got it. The kids and I did not get the flu vaccine.

 

Last year a NASTY flu went around my dh's company. Every last person in the group he works with 15-20 people go the flu shot except him and he was the only one who did not get the nasty flu.

[Vida Winter]

I would have the kids bathe or shower as soon as they got home from co-op. They've got to do it anyway, just switch the time around a bit. Hand washing is a biggie too, but they've got to remember to do it.

 

~Dana