Hey moms! How's your winter going with regards to the flu and preventing viruses from spreading? How are you protecting yourselves and your families? I recently recovered from a horrible stomach flu that lasted a week - I even lost 5 lbs (I guess there's an upside to it.. hehe). But I wonder if any of you have any tips or uncommon remedies that have worked in the past?
We don't do the flu shots but do take elderberry syrup. You can buy one for kids in the kids health section at whole foods or buy it online through amazon.com for cheaper and at even more of a discount of you subscribe to it ans get super saver discount.
When I got my flu shot this year I noticed the receptionist wiping down the front counter. I asked her if it helped. She said they wipe it down with plain soap and water 3x a day during flu season. She didn't seem to put much credence in antibacterials... just plain soap was what they used. 3x a day seemed excessive at first but, when 1/2 my office went down with the flu last week (really... 1/2!) I started wiping everything down at least twice a day; pens, stapler, phone, everything. Guess who missed the flu run at our office?!
Wash hands with soap and water and keep away from face.
We repeatedly got sick this year...and the one thing that I'm trying to be better about...is hand washing (NOT with anti-bacterial soap)...and wiping doorknobs and things when someone is sick.
Get vaccinated, wash your hands a lot and avoid touching your face (rubbing your eyes/nose, etc).
You can try to steer clear of crowded places where there are sneezing, coughing people but sometimes it's unavoidable.
It has been a bad winter for colds and the stomach bug. My poor son has it now, again. I just make sure that he takes a vitamin, along with C every day. I keep his hands groomed and clean. He must have a bath every day, and wash his face and hands when he comes home from school. You can't always prevent everything, but just keeping things clean and sterilized as best you can is always helpful. I am always washing my hands, lysoling, and cleaning everything. Especially when someone is sick.
The season's not over but we've managed to avoid it along with the stomach flu, it's been over 2 years since anyone's had anything other than a cold/cough. Like someone else said, I think eating a diet rich in fruits and veggies helps along with lean meat. We also get outside a lot to play, I think the exercise they get from running around and playing outside helps to build a strong immune system.
We also all get the flu shot!
This will sound silly, and basic but I swear by it. We drink a half cup of Orange Juice or 50/50 Orange Juice every morning. When we don't or run out we tend to get sick or the colds last longer. It has helped this year. Kids need that Vitamin C to help fight off colds. We also swear by the Gummy Vitamins for kids. You have to hide them because they think they are candy but so simple and anything extra helps. When one child is sick, make sure they don't drink from the same glass and when the cold is over change the toothbrush. It seems so simple but the germs are still on that toothbrush.
Happy, fighting the cold season...season!
The first line of protection is the flu vaccine (Though it does not have anything to do with stomach "flu" which is totally different). But I say a strong amen to those also saying to keep surfaces and doorknobs clean! Soap and water is fine but for convenience any cleaning wipe will do. I do use Lysol or Clorox wipes. I don't use antibacterial soaps but I do use LOTS of soap and teach my kid to do the same. Also, keep hand gels in the car and your purse and USE them; I always wash my hands or use gel after volunteering at school (a cesspool of germs!); after grocery shopping (cart handles have been shown to harbor tons of germs not to mention things like foodborne viruses and bacteria); after doiing things like going to the bank etc. Money's been handled by loads of folks so who wouldn't want to wash their hands after handling it?! Always think about clean hands and teach the kids to do the same. And if someone is already sick, isolate them as much as you can, especially by having them use one bathroom that is not used by others in the household and by wiping down those door handles, bathroom surfaces, toilet, even the trash can, several times a day durinig an illness. And do eat healthily!
I think we are exposed to like 14,000 germs a day. Wash your hands & keep a clean environment, but IMO it is more important to eat whole, natural, unprocessed foods (organic fruit/veggies, grass fed beef, etc., no grains). Don't hide from the enemy, fight it! :)
I agree with the lady who mentioned that plain soap and water are better than the anti-bacterials. (I think perhaps we are seeing more resistant strains of a lot of things because we've been over using anti-bacterials in the past few years).
I'm in the "high risk" older age group and take care of kids all the time. One of my biggest approaches to the problem is a daily dose of a calcium/magnesium/zinc tablet. I haven't been sick other than an occasional stuffy nose or cough for a day or two in about two years.
Besides eating healthy and frequent hand washing. “Onions help break up or clear mucous and other substances that block the immune system from doing its work.” So if you feel a cold or flu coming on, make yourself a big pot of soup using the simple recipe below.Or place unpeeled onions around the house as they absorb bacteria/viruses.
Onion Soup: Easy, Health Restoring Recipe
Ingredients Needed for Onion Soup Recipe:
3 large organic yellow onions
3 organic cloves of garlic
1/4 cup of fresh, finely-chopped organic oregano
4 cups of purified or distilled water
Add Himalayan salt, to your taste.
