Beating colds & the flu this Autumn & Winter is everybody's aim, so lets discuss what I believe is the Top 5 Cold & Flu Fighters for you and your family.
1. Fresh, unprocessed foods. This one goes without saying doesn't it?
Food sources should always be our first port of call for vitamins and minerals.
On a daily basis include lots of vegetables and fruit, garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and chilli (for the big kids) where you can. Avoid foods that send your body into an inflammatory state ie. if you know wheat and gluten don't agree with your body, don't eat it - your immune suffers too much.
Foods high in Vitamin C (essential for cold fighting) & Zinc (which is essential for immune response) are perfect also - some of these include:
- Cocao
- Salmon
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Garlic
- Sesame Seeds
- Chickpeas
- Chia seeds
- Egg yolks
- Bone Broth
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Capsicum
- Kiwi Fruit
- Paw Paw
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Pineapple
- Rockmelon
If you are low in zinc and vitamin C levels your body will struggle to fight colds. Should you be a common cold sufferer boost your system with the foods above, it may also be worthwhile popping into your health store and grabbing some Zinc Fix or the like from the in-store Naturopath if you're already suffering - combined with eating the foods listed above.
2. Probiotic
This one is equally important to the first...simply because the majority of health problems start in the gut. If your gut health is imbalanced, you're likely to have deficiencies through not absorbing vitamins and minerals properly. Looking after our gut is vital for immunity - I can't stress this enough. Probiotics are required to help stimulate the digestive juices and enzymes to ensure optimum digestive function, in turn, keeping our gut in good health (and balanced). Here are a few options to increase probiotics through foods:
- Yoghurt
- Kefir (fermented combo of goats milk & kefir grains) - find at your local health food store, or look into making your own
- Sauerkraut (fermented cabbage & vegetable mix) - make your own. Has been known to reduce symptoms in allergy sufferers. Might be great for the sinus & asthma sufferers.
- Dark chocolate - is there anything it doesn't do? 80% cocoa if possible.
- Miso Soup
- Kombucha Tea (fermented tea)
(picture: customprobiotics.com)
3. Echinacea
This is another essential Autumn & Winter item in our house. I pop into our local health store and get the naturopaths to mix up a bottle of echinacea - it's a bottle of herbal magic I swear. Echinacea also encourages a healthy immune system and is a fabulous cold, flu and infection fighter - taken daily to prevent colds and boosted when you do get a sniffle or a cold, it's my absolute favourite 'medicine'! Boost your dosage at the early onset of sniffles or sore throats and you'll be surprised what magic will happen.
Olive leaf extract is another product worthwhile looking into if your children can't quite get into the echinacea - the flavour is potent so hiding it in drinks may be the trick. There is a children's liquid Olive Leaf Extract that is more palatable...Echinacea is my pick however.
4. Rest...Sleep!
I know this one can be hard depending on your children's sleeping habits - but getting 8 hours sleep a night helps your body settle into a healthy state, especially if you're burning the candle at both ends. Rest your body. Have a nanna nap if you have to and make sure the children stick to their bedtime routine. Sleep is important to our body just as much as healthy food and water. If you don't let your body sleep, expect your immunity to play havoc with you.
(My little miss - she's almost 2 now)
5. Water
This is something that can easily drop off in winter, simply because the heat isn't making us 'thirsty'. Get that measuring jug out and fill it with water and make sure it's finished before you go to bed. 2L - more if you can fit it in. This is very important for our children too as they can easily start mixing hunger and thirsty around. Keep up the water. We all know water helps the world go round - well, it certainly helps our body function properly (see pic below). Don't leave the house without your water!
Stay active, keep warm, dress in warm clothing and ensure rooms are heated to safe temperatures (especially for children - as breathing in the cold air isn't ideal for their lungs - this is the ONLY natural tip I have been given by a doctor for fighting and treating colds). At the onset of sniffles, sore throat etc go through the above and ensure you're following the Top 5. Plus, Here is a fabulous natural chest rub thanks to Natural New Age Mum. Put the natural chest rub on chest, back and soles of feet with socks.
I wish you all loads of health for the upcoming months. Stick to the Top 5 and nurture your bodies - listen to it. Don't push your limits unnecessarily or your body will push you back.
Hayley x
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