If your kiddos are prone to getting frequent illnesses, you are probably desperate for ways to help them build their immune systems. Germ sharing is no fun and can make the colder seasons miserable for everyone in the family.
Boosting immunity is an important topic these days with the recent COVID pandemic. Kids tend to become ill for many reasons. This could include lack of exposure for their immune system, stress within the family unit, lack of adequate sleep, not enough sunshine, or even common nutritional deficiencies especially during the colder winter months. Here are some tips and tricks to boost your family’s immunity.
Serve Up Immunity Boosting Foods
Lots of fruits and vegetables are great for boosting immunity, especially ones that contain vitamin C. This is one of the nutrients that isn’t generated in the body so you need to be consuming it every day for the best benefits.
Citrus fruits are a great choice so make sure that your family are eating plenty of oranges, tangerines and grapefruit. Bell peppers are also a good source of vitamin C (especially the red variety) and actually contain more than citrus fruits! Kiwi and papaya also contain plenty of vitamin C.
Fermented foods are a fantastic way to add in natural probiotics to the diet. They are packed with B vitamins which are great stress busters, vitamins E, K, and folic acid. Recipes are easy to make at home based upon local, seasonal, fresh produce. One of my kids favorites is dilly carrots. The recipe is just fresh carrots, some salt, filtered water, dill, and garlic.
Iron is another nutrient to pay close attention to. Stock up on spinach, legumes, quinoa, dates, dried apricots and pumpkin seeds to keep your family’s iron intake up. Red meat and liver are also a rich source of iron to complement these everyday sources. Combining iron with vitamin C helps it to be absorbed more readily.
Zinc is also an overlooked mineral for adequate immunity. You can find zinc in shellfish, pumpkin seeds, beef, cashews, chickpeas, oatmeal and chicken.
Other foods and drinks that can boost your family’s immunity include:
- Garlic has been used to treat infections for thousands of years
- Ginger is anti-inflammatory and can help to fight a sore throat and ease nausea
- Spinach and broccoli both contain loads of antioxidants
- “Live” yogurt may be able to protect against illness by improving gut health and making your immune system stronger
- Almonds contain vitamin E, which is an underrated nutrient for keeping the immune system healthy
- Green tea is packed with EGCG, a powerful antioxidant that has been linked to better immunity
Hand Washing is Vital
Sickness can happen frequently among young children as germs on the hands are transferred to the eyes, mouth or nose. This is why it’s so important to wash your hands regularly and make sure that your family members do too, especially before eating. Hand hygiene is one of the best things you can do for reducing illness, especially if it’s done in the right way.
For those times when it’s just not practical or possible to keep hands clean, carrying hand sanitizer is a must! It’s super convenient for killing germs while you’re out and about and you can get alcohol free types if you’re worried that it will lead to dry hands. I like to use essential oils as they have great anti-viral, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties. Plus, they smell fabulous. The average store brands are loaded with chemicals that can be harmful so make sure you buy a clean brand or make your own.
A hand sanitizer recipe that I use and keep in a small travel bottle includes:
- 5 drops of lemon essential oil
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 20 drops of tea tree essential oil
- 1 Tbsp witch hazel
- ¼ cup of aloe vera gel
- Mix and pour into container of choice.
Practice Good Hygiene in General
It’s also helpful to teach children how to demonstrate good hygiene in general. This includes not sharing food, drinks, utensils and other items that can make it easier for germs to be passed around.
Another tip involves making sure that your little ones know the importance of using tissues to wipe runny eyes or noses, rather than their hands. This makes it a lot less likely that they’ll transfer germs from their hands to these areas. Just make sure it’s always a clean tissue!
Wipe Down Surfaces Regularly
Surfaces can be a breeding ground for germs so it makes sense to wipe them down regularly with an antibacterial cleaner. The same goes for anything that your child is likely to come into contact with such as toys, television remotes, light switches and door handles.
When one of the family members is sick, you’re probably going to want to use antibacterial wipes on everything they touch to reduce the chance that anyone else will get ill from touching the same things.
Wash Bedding and Blankets When Someone is Sick
Next time any member of the family gets sick, make sure that you wash their bedding as soon as they’re better so they don’t get reinfected. Don’t forget about comfort blankets, towels, and toothbrushes too.
These things can harbor germs long after the original sickness and they can make other members of the family sick too.
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