Stress can come from a multitude of areas, but one of the main areas revolves around our bodies and how we take care of them. I’ve already addressed the topics of sleep, exercise, well-balanced meals, and spiritual renewal. So I now tread very cautiously on the topic of supplements/vitamins. I am not a doctor nor have any background in the medical field. But the flu season is on our doorstep, and with the weather fluctuating as it is here in North Carolina, one can never be too prepared in building up the immune system of their family. What I share is from our family’s experience, so take it or leave it.
Colds
Vitamin C – The girls take a daily vitamin which includes Vitamin C, and it’s also included in my Vitamin B Complex that I take daily. My husband and I have both taken Airborne (chewable) and Emergen-C when we feel a cold coming on or one of us has already gotten sick.
Honey – We try to buy local honey due to the benefits it can have with allergies. I grew up drinking hot water with lemon & honey whenever I had a sore throat and it is very soothing. Honey can also help with coughs.
Elderberry syrup – I buy much of our supplements from Swanson.com, which always has a straight $4.99 shipping fee, but often has codes for cheaper shipping. (I also buy my essential oils from them.) They carry the Eldertussin Sugar Free Elderberry Syrup (that you can also buy at Whole Foods, for more). This is what we give the girls during the flu season due to its immune system support. They also have this in capsule form for adults.
Eucalyptus Oil – a few drops in the water of a humidifier seems to help my little ones breath better when they have a cold.
Children's Echinacea - tasty drops for building children's immune systems. Drops given according to weight of child.
Vick’s Rub – We rub this on our girls (and my) feet for coughs. Put socks on after rubbing to keep the Vick’s from getting on sheets.
Chestal Honey (Boiron) – This is my girls’ favorite cough syrup. This company carries a lot of different supplements that we’ve found beneficial.
When having a cold, we try to drink more green smoothies and carrot juice and cut way back on the sugar-intake, as the sugar will only breed the cold germs.
Stomach Problems
Papaya Enzyme – This was introduced me while pregnant with my second or third child as a replacement for Tums. They are also chewable and have a orange flavor. Papaya Enzyme helps with heart burn and other stomach issues.
Aloe Vera Juice – “The juice is said to be one of the finest body cleansers, cleaning morbid matter from the stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, bladder, and is considered the finest, known colon cleanser. Studies have shown that it is healing and soothing in the relief of indigestion, stomach distress and ulcers.” – We have used this off and on for a few years. I’ve also read that it can gently assist with constipation in children.
Activated Charcoal – This is probably our most used supplement of everything. I have been taking charcoal as needed since I was twelve. The most common use for our family is for stomach viruses. As soon as one family member gets sick, the rest of us and most definitely, the sick one, drink charcoal in water as often as possible. They come in capsule form, but can be opened and emptied into water for children to drink. I usually give my girls half a capsule. We have used charcoal for sore throats, sinus infections (not fun), jelly fish stings, spider bites, and of course stomach issues. Don’t take it with other medicines, mainly for the reason that the charcoal will adsorb (not absorb) the medicines as well as the toxins in your body, which just nullifies the other medicines. I usually order ours through Swanson, but it can also be purchased at Whole Foods, GNC, and other pharmacies.
I hope that this has been beneficial. There are so many other remedies that I could touch on from peroxide to onions. But these are the main ones we use in our family. Please share any remedies, supplements, or ideas you have in this area of building one’s immune system. Don’t hesitate to ask questions if something I said was confusing or incorrect.
- Stocking Your Natural Herbal Medicine Cabinet - Fabulous post!!!
- 20 Ways to Stay Healthy (and Happy) this Winter Season - Great tips!
- Podcast - Help For Depleted Moms - Plethora of ideas that I hope to incorporate this year.
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