{Back to School} Post 1: Let’s jump right into it and chat GERMS, shall we? 🤢
The dreaded Fall & Winter bugs that creep in after our kids head back to school, the weather changes, and our children go hours without washing hands and being surrounded by five hundred other germy littles. 🤭 best to be proactive now and give our kids a strong defense! 💪🏻
🍎🍓🥦🥕 On the DAILY: What is proven time and time again to strengthen immune systems big and small?
👉 Flooding our bodies daily with tons of (and a wide variety of) fruits and veggies from God’s green earth, along with staying hydrated 💦 and getting plenty of rest 💤. (More on how we get in our daily recommended produce servings below)
🍯 IMMUNE BOOSTERS: sharing a few of my natural and safe “supplements” below.
I am so encouraged that pediatricians are also really coming around to more natural remedies. Last year when my kids got the flu, Kaiser actually emailed me a list of things to do INSTEAD of Tamiflu. And two of those are my fav recommendations:
1️⃣ Manuka Honey 🍯 (or any LOCAL honey!)
2️⃣ Black Elderberry Syrup (Store bought or homemade—recipe in the comments)
Why they work:
Raw Honey is naturally antiviral and antibacterial!!! Amazing power of 🐝‘s!!! It also contains enzymes, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals (like b vitamins and folates, your body needs). It’s even been shown to reduce seasonal allergies—if using a local raw honey, because it gives your body a small dose of local plants and flowers the bees have pollenated to build up an immunity, almost how a vaccine works.
It calms a sore throat like no other. Diluted Honey is actually one of the main ingredients in the natural cough syrups like Zarabee’s. It’s more cost efficient to make some decaf tea and with a little lemon and honey than buying the “medicine”. (Never give honey to a child younger than one year). We eat 1/2 to 1 spoonful of honey per day during the height of the cold and flu seasons. Either a local brand or Manuka Doctor honey from New Zealand, purchased from Costco, actually!
🍓 Elderberry is shown to boost the immune system and shorten the length of viruses, such as the flu, as well as helping relieve symptoms. (I’ll post some studies in the comments). Dark Berries in general have tons of antioxidants and proteins that help repair cells, strengthen the cell walls, and fight free radicals and viruses from penetrating the cells, therefore, keeping your body’s defense strong against germs and illness in general!
👉 Homemade elderberry syrup is amazing, but as it gains popularity, it can be very hard to find fresh/dried elderberries in stock (I know because I called every Natural Grocers, Sprouts and Whole Foods in town last winter trying to snag some). There are some pre-made brands (like the Sambucol pictured) that can be found in natural grocery stores and even some drug stores now. I also like the lozenges with added vitamin c.
🍇🍓🍎🍌🥦To get the most variety and daily recommended fruits and veggies, we take JuicePlus as a family. It’s made all the difference in cutting down on sick days and helping us survive winters. No artificial supplements your body can’t absorb or process, just 30 (yes 30!!) fruits and vegetables and grains in the form of juice powder per day that heal your cells and round out a whole food based meal plan. Reach out to me with any questions on this. I have been taking JuicePlus since college, and now the hubs and my children all love and reap the benefits, as well.
👉 Ok, now your turn. Tell me what you brew or diffuse or purchase to ward off germs or treat colds and viruses! Ready, Go! (feel free to share in the comments).🚦
*I am NOT a doctor. None of this should be considered medical advice, just lessons learned over the years based on personal experience and studies of natural remedies. Consult your doctor with questions and such. Xo
{Back to School} Post 2: LICE PREVENTION
Kid stuff can just be so gross right?! 🤢 But ‘tis the season for lice outbreaks at school! They love the first few weeks back when all the little bodies are in one classroom snuggling in reading corners 📚😝.
What you can do NATURALLY:
•There are many pure essential oils that have been recommended as a repellant that bugs just don’t like. PEPPERMINT is probably my favorite because it also is invigorating for first thing in the morning before school. I place a few drops at the bottom of my kids’ hairlines. Smells good and wakes them up a bit so they are ready for learning. 😎 some of my teacher friends do this too! Along with wearing their hair in ponytails and buns all of Sept and Oct 👱♀️
Other recommendations for oils that bugs don’t like (but are still tolerable for human noses) are Rosemary and Eucalyptus. I’ve seen Marjoram as another one used in lice prevention, but friends tell me the smell is so strong (like oregano) and wouldn’t be great in or around hair. This is how I feel about Tea Tree oil, too. 👩🏽 But it is ok if you pair it with other good smelling oils like rosemary and lavender ☺️
****Please, please do your research on safe essential oil brands. I love DoTerra oils for their purity and safety. I do not recommend oils found over the counter at grocery stores as their sourcing, quality and ingredients is questionable. Connect with a knowledgeable essential oil educator (I would be happy to connect you with a few of my favs!) so you know safe dilution and and family-friendly options for oils.
•Rosemary Shampoo. We use and love “Fairy Tales” Rosemary Repel Shampoo. No toxins, harsh chemicals or pesticides. And no parabens, sulfates or phthalates 🙌 It has organic Rosemary, citronella and tea tree oils to naturally repel lice and it cleans well too. Some of my girlfriends also have found a hair gel for their boys in this same line that they use and love. You can find it at Amazon, Target, and many kids’ hair salons now too.
{Back to School} Post 3:
Helpful After-School Tips to keep kids healthy this school year 👦👧👶
✂️Cut out wearing shoes in your home.
In fact, we have our kids shed all of their school-day items right at the front door, in little kid-level bins and baskets, including shoes 👟, backpacks 🎒, lunchboxes 👝, jackets 🧥 and hats 🧢.
Why? You limit the amount of germs and environmental chemicals that can be spread around your home, helping protect the whole family. (More on this below)
✂️ Have kids wash their hands right away.
Sounds so simple, but it is such a powerful way to help limit colds and flu, especially if your littles love an after-school snack first thing when returning home. It also washes away germs before they have a chance to run to their favorite toys or blankets, etc.
👉 Do you need antibacterial soap? NO! Studies show that simple soap, warm water, and washing for the duration of the “ABC’s” will do the trick, without creating super bugs and all the other negative side effects of “antibacterial” varieties. 💦 (We love the Everyone brand and Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap for washing hands).
✂️ Cut out sugary snacks and drinks and opt for a variety of fresh produce (eat the 🌈!!) and lots of water instead.
This will give your children a strong immune defense system! 💪🏻 We after-school smoothies and no-bake protein balls. I’ll add a few other ideas to the comments.
👟 Facts about shoe germs:
1️⃣. Your shoes tract in a ridiculous amount of BACTERIA:
In a study by the University of Arizona, researchers found 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe, including E. coli, meningitis and diarrheal disease; Klebsiella pneumonia, a common source for wound and bloodstream infections as well as pneumonia; and Serratia ficaria, a rare cause of infections in the respiratory tract 🤢
👉And get this! Bacteria Lives On Shoes Longer! “After thorough researching, the University of Arizona found that bacteria live a very long time on shoes — longer than in most other places. They speculate the reason is because there is a continuous build up of new bacteria that feeds the growth of the existing bacteria.”
2️⃣. HERBICIDES/PESTICIDES: studies have also shown that shoes carry in dangerous chemicals used for lawn care, etc in higher concentrations than what is sprayed onto nonorganic crops, and tied to cancers and other major health issues.
3️⃣. LEAD AND OTHER HEAVY METALS: these are naturally occurring in the earth, yet exposure is linked to serious adverse health effects and many autoimmune diseases and lower IQ’s. We’ve worked hard to ban lead from the paint inside our home, so let’s not track it in on our shoes…
4️⃣. FECES: A University of Houston study found that coliforms, which are universally present in feces, are found on 96% of shoe soles. 💩🙀
As one author rights (article here) “Sure, exposure to some types of bacteria is actually a good thing as it builds up the body’s immunity and makes you stronger. However, most of the bacteria present on shoes is from fecal matter, and the truth is that most of it can be pretty harmful to your health. Therefore, medical experts advise that this be one place you skip purposeful exposure to help “boost your immunity.”
Sources: 6 Reasons to Remove Your Shoes
STAY TUNED AS OUR BACK TO SCHOOL SERIES CONTINUES…
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