Keeping your family healthy this year

Posted 3 years ago by melsholisticlifestyle

What’s the Deal With Cold and Flu season

Cold and flu season is around the corner and with many kids going back to school, that means illness is in the air, as well as thoughts on keeping your family healthy. Even if you homeschool, like we do, you may still find yourself fighting off the sniffles here and there. I remember 1 year in particular we got sick every time we left the house. Whether it was a simple trip to the grocery store, story time at the library, or church on Sunday, we got sick every single time we left the house. I began to dive into natural ways to prevent illness and have learned so much to help keep my family health and the times we’re sick to a minimum and I am happy to share it all with you.

Keeping your family healthy

1) GUT HEALTH

Keeping your family healthy begins with the gut. 75-80% of our immune system is in our gut. Read more about the connection to gut health and immunity here. You can do all the “right” things but if your gut is not in good standing illness will likely be frequent. There are many things that contribute to poor gut health such as poor diet, high toxic load, and stress, but thankfully it is possible to reset and heal the gut. Read more about that here.

2) DIET AND NUTRITION

When it comes to health and wellness diet is everything! Need to fix your gut? Diet! Want to reduce inflammation? Diet! Want to build a strong immune system? You guessed it, diet! The Standard American Diet is SAD. It’s full of sugary and refined, processed, food-like substances. The amount of synthetic and harmful chemicals that is allowed in our food is shocking. Not to mention all the herbicides and pesticides sprayed on and around our food, plus GMOs. Is it any wonder people are sick all the time!? Food really is medicine. Every bite we eat can bring us good or bring us harm. Filling you plate with real, nutrient dense food, is the key to taking back your health.

3) SPEND TIME OUTSIDE

One of the best things you can do to support a healthy and strong immune system is spend lots of time outside. Sadly, most people spend 95-97% of their time inside. There are 2 big reasons why spending more time outside can help you stay healthy. The first being fresh air and better air quality. Outdoor air quality is far superior to indoor air quality. The more time you can spend outside the better. Also consider opening you windows a few minutes a day to circulate in fresh air.

The 2nd biggest benefit being outside has for your health is sunshine. Being outside in the sun is both relaxing and mood boosting. Plus, it’s the best source of vitamin D. Getting adequate vitamin D is extremely important to staying healthy. It is important to know that people who live in the north cannot get vitamin D in the winter months. You can use an app like D-Minder to see what time of day and when throughout year vitamin D can be absorbed in your location.

4) MANAGE STRESS WELL

Chronic stress is an enemy to your health for a variety of reason. Too much stress is hard and your body and can impact your immune system. If I’m not careful to manage stress well it will usually lead to me, at the very least feeling run down, but in many cases I end up getting sick. Living a low stress lifestyle and learning to manage stress well will go a long way to helping you stay healthy.

5) PRIORITIZE QUALITY SLEEP

Sleep is so important for every aspect of your health and wellness. It’s especially important for building and maintaining a strong immune system. If you’re not getting enough quality sleep long term it will take its toll on your health. Obviously, some seasons like having a baby will make getting enough sleep difficult. But for the average person a good night’s sleep is within their grasp if they only gave themselves the right tools.

Here are some tips to ensure you are getting the sleep you need

  • No screens at least an hour before bed
  • Get into a good bedtime routine
  • Watch the sunrise and sunset to help your body know when it’s time to wake up and time to sleep
  • Watch out for nutrient deficiencies, minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc, and vitamins like vitamin D are crucial to ensuring good sleep.
  • Choose calming herbs to promote good sleep naturally like catnip, lavender, and skull cap.

6) CHOOSE QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS

The final piece to building a strong immune system and keeping your family healthy is quality supplements. Whole food supplements that are free from toxic ingredients and not synthetic can help take your immune system from good to awesome. Read more here about the hidden dangers most supplements pose and why it’s important to choose quality, whole food, supplements. In addition to our herbal multivitamin Nourish Naturally, we take cod liver oil, vitamin C, magnesium, and elderberry daily. Read more about the benefits of elderberry here and find my recipe here.

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Final Thoughts

Keeping your family healthy doesn’t have to be hard. Illness does not need to be a frequent occurrence. It is possible to live a healthy lifestyle and experience little to no illness. My family no longer gets sick every time we leave the house. Infact, we went 7 months between colds one year, both of which were very minor. Of course, on the other side we once had a recurrent stomach virus last for 2 months. We are definitely not immune from illness but thanks to our healthy and strong immune systems we experience far less illness.