Natural Ways to Boost Our Children’s Immune Systems
Looking for natural ways to boost your family’s immune systems? Our most popular article right now is our Boosting Baby’s and Toddler’s Immune System, NATURALLY! With all the frenzy and fear surrounding the H1N1, swine flu “epidemic,” conscious parents everywhere are looking for positive ways to keep their families healthy.
As a parent, we should do our best to help nurture those strengthening systems by caring for our kids in natural ways whenever possible.
This article highlights natural ways to boost your child and baby’s immune systems, and build an active immune system. We offer natural/herbal remedies for the common cold and other common ailments along with mention some of our personal favorite (safe alternative) products you can buy over the counter too.
The Basics On Caring For Your Child’s Overall Well-being
- Diet: A diet rich in whole foods is a wonderful way to support a healthy immune system. Cut out refined sugars as much as possible, especially if you are feeling under the weather. >Avoiding cow dairy, wheat and citrus is also helpful to keep mucous down (such as a stuffed nose). Probiotics (friendly bacteria for the intestines) should be part of everyone’s daily diet.
- Exercise: Get moving, preferably outside with some fresh air. If you have to bundle, bundle (this is assuming you are healthy of course)! And if you need more reasons why getting babies outside daily is important for their development, read this.
- Wash hands regularly: The golden rule is to wash your hands as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” 2x. Stay away from anti-bacterial soaps that contain Triclosan. Read more on the dangers of that here.
Natural Immune Boosters At The First Sign Of A Cold
How wonderful to find the healing support of foods, right in our own kitchens!
- Increase fluid intake, decrease sugar, dairy, wheat, and oranges (they are all mucous producing in the body, and we won’t need any more of that!)
- Pumpkin seeds! Eat ‘em up! They are high in zinc, which can help decrease viral infection at the onset.
- Berries and Sour Fruits! High in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids, these fruits can aid in the immune response.
- Garlic is a great anti-viral food. Add it to your meals; raw or lightly cooked. Garlic Lemonade: -Finely mince three cloves of fresh garlic and place them into a one-quart mason jar. -Fill the jar with boiling water and cover for 30 minutes. -Strain garlic and to the liquid add the juice of one whole lemon. -Sweeten with honey or maple syrup and serve. -Ginger and Cinnamon would also be a nice warming and blood moving addition to this drink if you so desire.
- Thyme is another great antiviral spice that you can give as a tea or add to your food.
- Onion Syrup: You will need 1 medium onion, sliced and 1-2 cups of raw sugar. Layer onion slices and sugar in a glass jar until full. Let sit in a cool place for 1 to 2 days while the sugar dissolves. Strain out the onion, bottle the infused honey, and keep in the refrigerator. Use 1/2 to 1 tsp, 3 times a day for cough, congestions, and oncoming cold symptoms. (I know this has sugar in it, but it is a fantastic recipe and not something you would use all the time or long term.)
- Emergen-C’s are sold in the health food stores and can be a nice thing to keep with you when traveling. They provided lots of vitamins and minerals that can support the immune system in times of stress. Just be sure to get the low sugar ones… they have kids doses too.
Treating Ear Infections Naturally
The HerbPharm Garlic/Mullein oil, warmed and dropped in the ear can be quite helpful.
Hyland’s also makes a homeopathic ear ache tablet in a box that seems to reduce pain so sleeping can happen.
Also try boiling half an onion wrapped in a wash cloth. Apply warm cloth the ear to bring comfort, but you have to have a cooperative kid or a happily nursing one for this!
Treating Yeast Infection Rash For Baby and Child Naturally
Rub whole milk plain yogurt on the vulva and right at the entrance to the vagina. This is good for boys, and also adults (though with women, you can put yogurt inside as well).
Probiotics should be part of everyone’s diet anyway, but in acute situations, applied topically helps as well. The fat in the whole milk yogurt is soothing to the skin itch/burn and keeps the yogurt in place somewhat. The cultures help fight the yeast.
Coconut oil explodes the nucleus of the fungal cell and kills candida. Try rubbing topically 1-2x a day. It is also antifungal, antibacterial, etc.
With someone in diapers, bare-bottom time with sun or lots of airflow is helpful (but not always easy). As much as you can bear to let her run around naked, the better for her moist areas and rashes. The diaper area is stuck in a moist area nearly 24 hours a day. It needs time to breathe.
If you want something NOW and don’t have the above things around the house, calendula salve or aloe vera might topically soothe.
Keeping the “sugar” way down is a good place to start. Try not to overdo too many “remedies” at once. Often you can aggravate it by switching creams, etc. a ton in a short period. Lots of fresh air and light… diaper free when you can.
Boosting Baby’s and Toddler’s Immune System, NATURALLY!
Safe Alternative Products To Boost Kids Immune Systems
Read our detailed product reviews on following products:
- Eldertussin Elderberry Syrup
- First Defense, Echinacea and Calcium/Vitamin D by Childlife Essentials
- Organic Immunity Shield & Calcium/Vitamin D by Yummi Bears
- Kidz SuperFood by Amazing Grass
- Oil, Stick and Herbal Cough Syrup by Olbas
Category: 0-1 yr, 1-3 yrs, 3-5 yrs, 5+ yrs, Immune Boosting, Natural Remedies
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