Don't Let the Cold and Flu Bugs Bite!

Last year our family spent most of the winter (and spring) at the mercy of some sort of illness. I can't describe how frustrating this was and how it took a toll on almost every aspect of our lives. Someone in our family of 7 was sick at almost any given time. No joke! That meant no church, no social gatherings, and grouchy exhausted kids and parents :( So this year I decided to take charge of our health. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure right? I think so... here are some simple and healthy ways (and some of our favorite products!) you can use to keep your family from getting sick this cold season: 

1: This one is a no brainer. When you don't have access to a sink, sanitize! This EO Lavender is our favorite. It smells SO good and doesn't dry out your skin. Almost everywhere we go, I sanitize my kid's hands. And ALWAYS wipe down your shopping cart handles, I cannot stress this one enough! When my youngest son was teething, he always tried to chew the cart handle, and he was ALWAYS sick :P Wipe down public high chairs or carry a cloth cover with you. You never know who or what touched the things we all touch on a daily basis, and there are over 300 variations of the common cold out there. Wash and sanitize!!

2: I just purchased this tub of Immune Boost loose leaf tea at Whole Foods Market. It tastes yummy and contains so many immune supporting herbs such as Echinacea leaf and root, Ginger, Elderberry, Orange and Lemon peel. Another great immune boosting tea that you can find at a regular grocery store is Traditional Medicinals Organic Echinacea with Elderberry. Be sure to drink your tea with raw, organic honey (not the kind you find in the teddy bear bottle! All the of healing properties have been eliminated by processing and refinement) which is known for its amazing antibacterial and antioxidant properties. Make your immune supporting tea even more potent with some vitamin C rich lemon slices :) 

3: Since most of our kids do not like to drink hot tea, I highly recommend juicing. I know buying a juicer can be expensive (I was lucky enough to find my Breville on clearance at an outlet store, my sister found hers at a yard sale!) but its definitely worth its weight in, um, plastic and aluminum ;) We use ours all the time and I could write a novel length post on the benefits of juicing...any and every time I dont feel my best I juice organic carrots with apple or ginger root and its almost unbelievable how fast it zaps the nasty stuff out of me! If you dont have a juicer, keep your eyes peeled for a clearance or used one. If you do own a juicer, dust it off and use it, OFTEN! (ps, juices that you buy at the store are dead juices with almost no nutritional value. Don't waste your money on these or fall for the marketing gimmicks they use!) 

4: The whole family should be taking an immune supplement. The Natures Plus brand shown above is great and I think I got mine on Amazon for under 6 bucks! For Mr. P and I, we take Natrol's immune support or Emergen-C

5: This one my kids L-O-V-E! Stonyfield Farms organic yogurt squeezers. I freeze these little babies and not only does that cut down on mess (have you ever seen 3 toddlers walk around with squeezable yogurt? No bueno) my kids think its a 'popsickle'. It also soothes teething gums or a sore throat while providing their little bellies with the important, friendly bacteria necessary for proper digestion and a strong immune system!

  6: RAW Garlic. Yep, it stinks. And its not very tasty. But as a powerful home remedy, if you feel that cold or flu coming on (yes even the flu VIRUS, garlic is antiviral as well as an antibacterial :) Swallow some crushed pieces of raw garlic in a spoonful of raw honey and do it as often as you can stomach it. It would take me all day to talk about the benefits of garlic, but a few are antiviral, antibacterial, and antiparasitic properties, its used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, and allergies....It can even be used as a wart remover! Garlic is awesome!!! 

So I hope you find these few tips helpful...I would LOVE to hear about your favorite herbal or home remedies for prevention or cure. Happy Cold and Flu Season (happy because hopefully you wont be sick!) 

Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" God gave us herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even animal meat for food and healing. Educate yourself on some of these amazing healing aspects of God's creation. 

Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food"

1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"