|
|
Q&A: Can I nutritionally help keep my family illness-free?
This information is solely for informational and educational purposes only. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, family planning, child psychology, marriage counseling and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care or mental health care provider. Neither the owners or employees of NaturalFamilyOnline.com or the author(s) of site content take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, application of medication or any other action involving the care of yourself or any family members which results from reading this site. It is always best to speak with your primary health care provider before engaging in any form of self treatment. Additional information contained in our Legal Statement
|
|
|
I don’t know about you, but it always seems that when one of my children is sick, right when he is starting to become better my daughter then seems to become sick. A week after that, the youngest one is sick. Soon before I know it, even the pets are sick! No matter how many times I told them to sneeze into their elbow or to constantly wash their hands, anyone at any given time seems to be sick.
I decided that I had to take action in boosting their immune system, especially since the cold and flu season was right around the corner. These are the steps I took to change my kids’ diet so that they were better protected against the nasty viruses that come around this time of year.
Vitamin C
Ever wonder where that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” rhyme originated from? Apples are chock full of vitamin C, lending themselves to be one of the best defenses against common ailments to this day. Try adding some more citrus fruits to your kids’ diet (mine LOVE to peel and eat mandarin oranges), and make a fruit salad out of sliced strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, papaya and guava.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is almost as important as Vitamin C, as it gets the production of those cells that seek and kill germs and bad viruses underway. You can find vitamin E in variety of foods: from nuts to vegetable oils to leafy greens like kale and spinach. Wheat germ, whole grains and avocados are also fantastic natural sources for vitamin E.
Carotenoids
Also referred to as beta carotene, carotenoids help boost our infection-fighting cells, antibodies, and T-cells. Carotenoids also clean up those “free radicals” that cause a number of ailments, such as cancer. As the name suggests, carrots do contain beta carotene, as well as sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, collard greens and tomatoes.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
This fatty acid just seems to do more and more good for us as more research is completed! You can get your kids to eat their omega 3s by having them eat fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon. If they aren’t a fish lover, you can try adding some flax oil to their foods (they’ll hardly notice it) or administer half a teaspoon to 3 teaspoons of it orally daily.
Bioflavenoids
These immunity boosters help prevent pollutants, germs and toxins from staying in our bodies and infecting our cells. Bioflavenoids are contained in a number of fruits and vegetables, so if you and your family are consuming six servings or more a day, you are easily obtaining your necessary bioflavenoids for an optimal immune system. For the adults out there, enjoying a glass of red wine a night or a cup of green tea will help boost your bioflavenoids.
These are just a few suggestions on how you can help boost your children’s immunity during this cold and flu season. Remember to continue to try to feed your family whole, fresh foods and enough proteins and you should all have a relatively sniffle-free winter!