Great suggestions, everyone!
Here are a few things that worked for us and that I always suggest mommies I work with.
If your baby is sick already – I would suggest you look into homeopatics.
For cough – we use homeopathic cough syrup ( there are a few available on the market, the one I am familiar with is http://www.hylands.com/products/coughsyrup.php, but there are a few out there you can check out);
for flu – http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Combi-Cflk
for fevers that go too high – Bellandona
You can get more specific suggestions from a homeopath of course!
Also evaporating certain low doses of essential oils can really speed up recovery – eucalyptus, cypress, lavender, lemon, cinnamon…
Here are a few other things we do for strengthening our children’s immunity and protecting them from sicknesses. Our kids hardly ever sick, and we definitely not isolating or over-protecting them – we have just done 2 cross-Atlantic trips in the last 6 months – lived and travelled in a few 3rd world countries, ate and drank local drinks and foods. I got sick with the flu once, while both of my kids did not even get it, – they got an occasional cold, which did not last for more then a day or two. I am really thankful for it, and am really happy to share some of the things we do.
- We breast-feed for a long time, my almost two year old just finished BF 2 weeks ago
- Dont vaccinate – vaccinations weaken one’s immune system
- Dont use antibiotics or synthetic medications routinely – there are times and place for these, for example during an appendicitis surgery, or something similar, BUT antibiotics are terribly abused these days. In case of cold, flu, etc. – there are so many natural effective things can be used - garlic, cloves, Grapefruit Seeds Extract, Cinnamon – just to name a few
-Eat fresh, local, organic produce – avoid genetically modified, or chemically sprayed fruits and veggies. Better less, but higher quality
- Use coconut oil for cooking and adding to your child’s diet – check its benefits on Dr Mercola’s site
-Not every vitamin C is the same. The best of course is to get all your vitamins from your food, but it is not always possible. In that case I would suggest Acerola Powder (http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/acerola.php) as it is absorbed the easiest by child’s body. We just add it to our children’s drink
-GSE - grapefruit seed extract . Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE) has very high amounts of disease-fighting, free-radical eliminating antioxidants and phytonutrients called bioflavonoids. One of these powerful bioflavanoids (plant antioxidants) include the chemical component hesperidin, a well-known natural immune-system stimulator and booster. A recent study done by Microbiologists from the University of Georgia found that GSE was a very effective non-toxic disinfectant. Sadly, commonly-used disinfectant have high levels of toxicity and are harmful to humans, animals and the environment. The same study found that GSE demonstrates a “wide spectrum of activity,” including antiviral, antimycotic, and antiprotozoan capacities against many bacteria and viruses, including E.Coli.¹
Another recent study from The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that grapefruit-seed extract was effective in killing over "800 bacterial and viral strains, 100 strains of fungus, and a large number of single and multi-celled parasites."² No other naturally-occuring anti-microbial can come close to these results. We add a few drops of GSE to our children’s drinks daily. But in situation, where they are in contact with lots of germs, sick children, etc, we give them some extra – we’ve seen amazing results and it is something that we always have with us, especially when we travel across the world. (http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/benefits-of/grapefruit-seed-extract)
Vitamin D – your baby’s skin would generate necessary Vitamin D, as he is getting his sunshine – so fresh air and sunshine are very important. However not in every country or in every situation children are able to get enough sunshine time especially during the cold winter months – try supplementing with Vitamin D, especially during the flue seasons. Here is a good information on that: http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm
During cold winter months and flu season we occasionally give children - Black elderberry juice extract – it is known for immune building properties…
We do not use or eat anything that contains white sugar or artificial sweeteners – those are true immune killers – we use lots of fruits, dates for sweetening, wild honey, maple syrup ( natural) or stevia; nor processed foods ( like white rice, flower, breads, etc). – wholesome foods might seem a bit expensive, but you need much less to get satisfied and health benefits are amazing.
When friends come over and want to bring children a treat, we would suggest dry fruits, fresh berries, etc – and it was always a winner!
Chlorinated water danger – even if we make an effort to drink clean water ( most of us do) it is often overlooked that when we take a shower our body takes in a large amount of water and whatever it contains. If your water is chlorinated – consider installing reverse osmosis filter for your house, or at least put an anti-chlorine filter on your shower. Chlorine can really weaken the immune system and cause whole lot of other problems (http://waterfilters.mercola.com/shower-filter.aspx)
Do not overdress your child!
Encourage lots of physical activity, especially outdoors - running, climbing, etc
These are some of the things that I believe make a big difference.
It might seem like a lot, but when you start doing it, it is not really a big deal, and you are thankful for benefits.
